Madchester Revisited

6

Tonight at 10pm on SBS here in Oz, you can check out the acclaimed/villified flick from Michael Winterbottom, “24 Hr Party People”.
Tracing the rich and vibrant musical movement in Manchester starting in the late 70’s (citing ground zero as the emergence of the Pistols), the film follows the burgeoning punk movement and it’s subsequent spill-on effect through acts such as the Buzzcocks and Joy Division. It’s an act in two halves, with the second part of the film celebrating the conversion of Joy Division into New Order and the Factory label acts that followed, largely at the hands of Tony Wilson, label boss, tv presenter and all round blagger. In fact, it’s the focus on Wilson and his naievety/love of music that is the films’ real subject matter. A fact that the hugely egotistical impressario must have been more than thrilled with.
I first saw this film at a screening courtesy of the good folk right here at Cyclic, and opinions of the film were rather divided on the night. I really enjoyed it, as did the people I was sitting with, but a certain Cyclic editor was less than impressed (or so i heard). Maybe he’ll add his comment to this post!. Make up your own mind. watch it tonight, and maybe revisit this page tomorrow with your own review!

On one – LP

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6 Comments

  1. I still have the badge. I loved 24 hour party people when I saw it in Canberra a couple of years ago, I loved going out and playing madchester records to a bunch of 30-somethings at Toast afterwards too.

    So, when’s the Frigid Madchester special?