Saturday, January 15, 2022

Movie review - "Runnin' Down the Dream" (2007) ***

 Four hours. Just a heads up. It goes for four hours. It packs in a lot - songs, background (mother died young, father abusive), some band shenanigans (not much... only a few line up changes), legal fights (zzzz), videos. Still leaves some stuff out - his heroin addiction, the end of the first marriage is very quickly skirted over. Lots of praise. Maybe too much. Not very many funny stories.

Had a great career, Petty. Serious musician. Everyone respects him. Some great songs. Not very handsome - funny looking guy. Laid back. Treated with a lot of affection. Stevie Nicks wanted to join the band. Bob Dylan got them to be his backing band. That whole Wilburys-Dylan-Lynn period was my favourite bit from the movie, maybe because it's the music I remember most.

Doesn't feel particularly Bogdanovich-y but it's one of the best of his later features. During it I kept thinking of that great riff from the title track. The whole way through the film. It was a relief to finally hear it.

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