Alex Proyas' "Garage Days"

[bskutle]

I'm surprised no one else has started a thread for Proyas' latest- which is opening in limited release this week- already, so I'll go ahead and do it.

Anyone else looking forward to this? Proyas is perhaps my favorite director of all-time; "The Crow" and "Dark City" are both among my all-time favorites. I've heard mixed reaction to this film so far, but from the preview it looks good and better-than-average comedy. At the least, you know it'll be interesting to watch.

Here's what it's about (according to Hollywood.com):
Synopsis: "A coming-of-age comedy about a young Sydney band trying to get a foothold in the competitive world of rock n' roll. After the band's first gig is a colossal failure, the lead singer takes it upon himself to go out and pursue the most successful rock manager in the country. Meanwhile the other members of the band continue to deal with the kind of every day life issues that can ultimately tear a band apart. It may be the dawn of a new millennium but it's still a long way to the top if you want to rock n' roll."

I certainly hope Atlanta gets it this weekend. I see no reason why not.

[Mike]

At first, I thought this movie sounded like it could go either way. But then I saw the trailer last Tuesday on the DVD for Phone Booth, and now I just think it looks dumb. I'm not interested.


-I too was surprised nobody had started a thread for it yet. I knew it was coming out, but I just didn't care enough about the movie to even bother doing a thread for it. I thought I'd let someone that actually wanted to see it put one up. I kept thinking any day now somebody would, but I'm really surprised it took this long. I thought someone would have made one sooner.

[Droog989]

I've actually been looking forward to this for some time now, and I know that it's in the capable hands of Alex Proyas. I think it looks like there will be some interresting visual work done in the film (a Proyas must), and the story could be interresting.

Well, I'm looking forward to it more then any other films coming out in the next couple of weeks anyways.

[FilmBuff84]

This film opened over here last October, and I thought it was cool. I had seen the trailers for this and was not particularly interested. It was a pretty trippy trailer and didn't really show any storyline so I thought I would pass on it. The film then opened to good reviews and I decided to check it out, and fuck me if I didn't like it. The film had some very nice visuals (Thank you Mr Proyas), was a nice blend of comedy and drama, and was accompanied by a nice rock soundtrack. The acting is all very god too with Kick Kurry, Pia Miranda and Martin Csokas (The villain from XXX) all decent, particularly Csokas as the sleazy manager. The film may not be for everyone, and I don't know how US audiences will respond to it, but I found it highly enjoyable, and I hope others do too.

[bskutle]

Gotta do it...bump!

Atlanta didn't get "Garage Days" this week; needless to say, I'm not happy about this. Of all the movies opening this weekend in some sort of release, this was the one I was looking most forward to.

[Ed]

I really want to see Garage Days, I saw the trailer on the Phone Booth DVD and though it looked decent. It reminded me in some weird way to Trainspotting (9/10)

[sr.benitez]

Originally posted by Ed
I really want to see Garage Days, I saw the trailer on the Phone Booth DVD and though it looked decent. It reminded me in some weird way to Trainspotting (9/10)

I hope it will be like Trainspotting, because if it is it'll be a good movie. jeje

[AgentSmith]

GARAGE DAYS / *** (R)

July 18, 2003

Freddy: Kick Gurry
Kate: Maya Stange
Tanya: Pia Miranda
Bruno: Russell Dykstra
Joe: Brett Stiller
Lucy: Chris Sadrinna
Kevin: Andy Anderson
Shad Kern: Marton Csokas

Fox Searchlight Pictures presents a film directed by Alex Proyas. Written by Proyas, Dave Warner and Michael Udesky. Running time: 105 minutes. Rated R (for strong sexual content, drug use and language).


BY ROGER EBERT

"Garage Days" is about an Australian rock band that's a little too old and a little too untalented to make the big time, but kids itself that stardom is on the way--maybe because the alternative is a boring job and no dreams. The movie is set in the Sydney suburb of Newtown, which is a little like Chicago's New Town or Rogers Park, a mixture of clubs, bars and (relatively) affordable housing. Sleeping in each others' beds and living in each others' pockets, the band members pick up a gig here or there, no thanks to a helpless manager.

Kick Gurry stars as Freddy, the Val Kilmerish lead singer, and the band also includes his girlfriend, Tanya (Pia Miranda), the guitarist, Joe (Brett Stiller), and the usually zonked Lucy (Chris Sadrinna) on drums. Freddy and Joe's girlfriend, Kaye (Maya Stange), have a conversation one day that leads to an unexpected kiss and to all sorts of warfare within the band, leading to a lot of anguished changing of partners.

Meanwhile, the band hangs out in a hotel bar where the owner does everything he can to make them feel unwelcome, and they track down an elusive rock impresario (Marton Csokas) who may or may not give them the big break they may or may not deserve. Always around as an omen of what could happen is Kevin (Andy Anderson), Joe's dad, who was sort of a rock star in the 1970s and now looks exactly like someone who might have once been sort of a rock star in the 1970s and never got over it.

"Garage Days" is more about style than plot, and the director, Alex Proyas ("The Crow," "Dark City") hurtles into scenes with gleeful energy, sends words careening into space, uses whammo titles to introduce "Fun with Drugs" segments One and Two, and edits some sequences like a music video on fast forward. We eventually catch on that the purpose of the movie is not to portray these lives but the scene itself, a bohemian quarter where would-be musicians, well past their sell-by dates, hold into the lifestyle because, well, it's fun.

The movie has a lot of affection for these scruffy wannabes, and I liked the fact that they were not arrogant, aggressive types, but sort of average, with reasonable values and ambitions. At the end, when the love of Freddy's life seems to be moving out of town and he desperately pursues her in a taxi, the scene is purely and simply about romance, and Freddy is perfectly prepared to seem uncool.

The movie is not in any sense a musical featuring this band (which, as nearly as I could tell, does not have a name). The soundtrack has a lot of music, freely selected from pop hits old and new, but the running gag is that the band never gets to play, and so we never get to hear it. When we finally do, at a big annual rock concert, it provides a suitably affectionate ending for this whimsical and kind of lovable story.

[Kastman]

i loved it - 8 or 9/10

[Fergus]

Whatever happened to this movie, I was STOKED to see it. Some cities got it, then it somehow disappeared. Anyone have any info on this?

[Fergus]

And according to BOX OFFICE MOJO, the film was out in limited release in 23 theaters for ONE WEEK and then it was gone. What on earth happened? No DVD release date, no nothing, and I really wanted to see this, being a DARK CITY fan and all...:(

[dh1989]

Yeah, this did kinda disappaear. I wonder why Fox Searchlight pulled it so fast. In fact, after they had such success with another British import, 28 Days Later, I'm surpised they didn't expand it very much.

[Kastman]

Garage days is australian, not british by the way

[dh1989]

Originally posted by Kastman
Garage days is australian, not british by the way

Same difference.

Actually, I'm sorry. My mistake. I knew that months ago, but I'd forgotten and just started calling it Britsh. Thanks for correcting me. :)