★ 8 / 10
Perhaps the best example of a Detroit, Michigan
The Fixate & Binge Podcast, w/ Joe Curdy
Perhaps the best example of a Detroit, Michigan band who personified the Detroit Garage Rock scene at the end of the 1990s are The White Stripes -- but…
Perhaps the best example of a Detroit, Michigan band who personified the Detroit Garage Rock scene at the end of the 1990s are The White Stripes -- but alongside Jack & Meg White remain so many other rock bands of the moment with dreams of making it big.
**BAND ON THE RUN**, by writer/director Jeff Hupp is a nostalgic glimpse of the late 1990s Detroit Garage Rock movement centered around a rock trio Hot Freaks, led by their drummer Jesse Grant, played by Matthew Perl.
With dreams of escaping his uninspiring job working at an Ad Agency (an inside joke by Hupp who got his own start working in advertising) -- Jesse marshals his bandmates Maxime (Daniel Blair), and Cody (Dylan Randazzo) to seize a unique moment in the Detroit Garage Rock scene before their window closes, dooming them to the life their parents could not escape.
With a unique opportunity to take their shot for a recording contract by playing the coveted SXSW music festival in Austin, Texas, Hot Freaks goes hell for leather, taking to the road in their dilapidated, rusty van. Along for the ride is Jesse's paraplegic father, Thomas Grant, played by Larry Bagby.
**BAND ON THE RUN** is one part **ALMOST FAMOUS** and the other **THE COMMITMENTS** -- paying homage to those who dare to dream and are willing to take their shot for success to escape a life less than ordinary. The film's exploration of Jesse's strained relationship with his father Thomas is the true heart of the film -- scenes with Bagby and Perl stand out for their acting and chemistry.
With so much talent in the casting, writing, and direction, it is slightly regrettable that live music itself did not play a more prominent role in the film. Still, the film provides a very unique glimpse into the Detroit Garage Rock scene that has largely remained in obscurity -- until now.
**BAND ON THE RUN** isn't so much about making your dreams come true -- but a film that celebrates those who are unafraid of trying. The final words of Tennyson's Ulysses come to mind:
> ***\[...\] that which we are, we are;\
> One equal temper of heroic hearts,\
> Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will\
> To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.***
It's one thing to have a dream -- but an entirely different kettle of fish to strive to make one's dreams a reality with an unyielding will. Perhaps that is the overall message of **BAND ON THE RUN** -- which you can stream right now on Amazon Prime, which I highly recommend.
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5.9/10
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