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August 20, 2008 5:09:04 PM CDT

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Joy Division Rocks, But Enough Already

Posted Jun 19, 08 8:01 PM CDT in Opinion,  Arts & Living 

(Newser) – Joy Division, writes Nik Mercer for Anthem, “is one of those bands that gains significance exponentially as the years pass.” As testament to their place in pop music consciousness, recent years have seen three films on the band: 24 Hour Party People, focusing on their label and scene; Control, a Cobain-izing biopic of Ian Curtis; and now simply Joy Division:  A Documentary.

“If you're looking for a textbook sort of discussion of the band,” writes Mercer, the movie delivers. It is loaded with previously unreleased concert footage, photos, and smart interviews. But, Mercer ads, the more the band’s past is mined for films, the further we slip “away from the truth into frenzied fantasy.” Let’s hope this is the last “before we completely commoditize the name.”

Source Anthem

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The cover of Joy Division's first album, Unknown Pleasures.
This photo shows actor Sam Riley as rock performer Ian Curtis in Anton Corbijn's film, "Control" about Curtis' life and suicide while lead singer for the band Joy Division.   (AP Photo/The Weinstein Co., Dean Rogers)
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Great Britain  • music  • England  • documentary  • documentary film


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