Documentary, Music
Over a decade in the making, Swagger of Thieves follows rock band Head Like a Hole from the top of the charts to the bottom of a needle. Staring down their age, two pals and the main guts of HLAH, frontman Nigel Booga Beazley and 'co- conspirator' Nigel Regan strut the hard road out of hell, fighting to reconnect and return their band to past glory, amidst disgruntled band mates, a changed music industry, and disappointed wives. Struggling to place past addictions and sabotaged dreams behind them in their continuing quest for rock music relevance, the ever-collapsing binary stars of any Head Like a Hole lineup, are certain (not) to polish their legacy here. Swagger of Thieves captures what it means to be in a band with a reputation. Unrelentingly raw, wild and honest, to the point of being one of the most insightful music documentaries ever made. Essential viewing. New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival (MIDFF)
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Billy Elliot
Mediocre
Six Pack
Rockers
Classic Albums: Cream - Disraeli Gears
Classic Albums: The Doors
Alkohol
The Sound of 007
Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual - Alive at 25
Classic Albums: Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
Tokyo Friends: The Movie
Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live in New York City
Let's Get Lost
When You're Strange
Nodame Cantabile: The Movie I
Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between
Pet Shop Boys Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen
The Go-Go's
Welcome to the Darkness
Back to Black
SIMILAR MOVIES
Billy Elliot
IMDB 7.6 | Sep , 2000
County Durham, England, 1984. The miners' strike has started and the police have started coming up from Bethnal Green, starting a class war with the lower classes suffering. Caught in the middle of the conflict is 11-year old Billy Elliot, who, after leaving his boxing club for the day, stumbles upon a ballet class and finds out that he's naturally talented. He practices with his teacher Mrs. Wilkinson for an upcoming audition in Newcastle-upon Tyne for the royal Ballet school in London.Mediocre
IMDB 0 | Jun , 2022
Six Pack
IMDB 6.4 | Jan , 2011
High school is almost over and four friends are going their separate ways as they go to college. But they have one more chance to spend some time together: Inspection 12, their favorite band, is playing one last concert in Jacksonville, FL.Rockers
IMDB 5.8 | Sep , 2003
Guitarist Ko-chan is a mess of sexual repression after a childhood at the mercy of two elder sisters eager to use him as a guinea pig for their make-up skills. Bassist Gaku-chan keeps a bucket in the wings for whenever his nerves get the better of him, and drummer Momo-chan is doomed to forever carrying the botched childhood attempts at self-tattooing. It's not until this foursome is forced to look for an additional guitar player after Jin's dad burns his Stratocaster, that attitude and musical ability enter into the equation. Leather-clad, shade-wearing Tani (Tamaki), inseparable from his black Les Paul, is introduced as the king of R'n'R cool and Jinnai keeps him firmly seated on his throne throughout the film, retroactively proclaiming the guitarist, rather than himself, as the band's true hero.Classic Albums: Cream - Disraeli Gears
IMDB 5.6 | Nov , 2006
This addition of Disraeli Gears to the acclaimed Classic Albums series features brand new interviews with Clapton, Baker and Bruce, along with lyricist Pete Brown, Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun, John Mayall and Manfred Mann. Also included on the DVDare acoustic performances, original studio tracks and archival live footage. Included are additional interviews and analysis of the tracks, Exclusive acoustic performances, exclusive solo piano performance and previously unreleased full live performances. Though they were only together for two brief years (1966-1968), the London-based power trio Cream changed the face of rock with their jazz-schooled psychedelic blues--and never more so than on their 1967 classic DISRAELI GEARS. This program offers a critical review of the landmark album through archival footage, rare live performance clips, and interviews with rock critics, musicologists, and band members.Classic Albums: The Doors
IMDB 7.8 | Apr , 2008
A future classic was unleashed in January 1967 as the Doors released their eponymously titled debut album. This documentary in the Classic Albums series takes an in-depth look at the album, with commentary from Bruce Botnick, who worked on the album, and the three remaining Doors--guitarist Robbie Krieger, keyboard player Ray Manzarek, and drummer John Densmore. The three band members also play some of their instrumental parts from the album, offering invaluable insight into how the songs were constructed.Alkohol
IMDB 7.2 | Jan , 2020
Alcohol: No substance in the world seems so familiar to us and is so incredibly diverse in its effect. Alcohol is available everywhere and this particular molecule has the power to affect all 200 billion neurons of our human brain in completely different ways. But hardly anyone calls alcohol a drug despite its psychoactive and cell-destroying effect. Why do we tolerate the death of three million people every year? Have we turned a blind eye to the dangers and risks for thousands of years? What role does the powerful alcohol industry play with an annual turnover of 1.2 trillion euros in this on-going concealment? The author, who himself enjoys having a drink, looks into the question why we drink at all, what alcohol does to us and to what extent the alcohol industry influences society and politics.The Sound of 007
IMDB 7.1 | Oct , 2022
Pull back the curtain on the remarkable history of six decades of James Bond music, from Sean Connery’s Dr No through to Daniel Craig’s final outing in No Time to Die.Jane's Addiction - Ritual de lo Habitual - Alive at 25
IMDB 8.3 | Aug , 2017
The Legendary Band, Jane's Addiction performs their 2X Platinum Alt-Rock Masterpiece Album in it's entirety, along with the bands biggest hits- igniting the stage at the Irvine Meadows Amphitheater, during the bands 2015/2016 Silver Spoon Anniversary Tour to commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the bands Groundbreaking Album.Classic Albums: Sex Pistols - Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols
IMDB 7.1 | Nov , 2002
The Sex Pistols album Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols is unquestionably one of the most important musical statements in the history of British music. It was in 1977, at a time when the nation was crippled by class division and unemployment that four working class teenagers with supposedly non-existent futures recorded an album that to this day remains as one of the greatest and most influential bodies of work ever recorded. This documentary features exclusive interview's with all four of the original members of the Sex Pistols as they take you on a track by track look at the making of the album. Featuring Steve Jones and Glen Matlock demonstrating selected riffs and licks off the album and explaining the development of the song writing. Candid interviews with Malcolm McLaren, Chris Thomas and Bill Price set the record straight about the recording session. Intertwining additional rare home video, live footage and early demo's make this release a compelling must see.Tokyo Friends: The Movie
IMDB 6.4 | Aug , 2006
Rei Iwatsuki moved from her hometown Kōchi to Tokyo to pursue her dreams. On arrival, she found a job as a waitress in a restaurant and met guitarist Ryuuji Shintani. Ryuuji liked her voice and invited her to join his band as the vocalist, The Survival Company (also known as Sabakan). The two started a relationship but then broke off when Rei wanted to write her own songs. Rei met other girls also working in the restaurant, Hirono, Ryoko and Maki, all in pursuit of their own dreams, and became good friends with all of them. One day, Rei receives news that Takashi was seen in New York and she decides to go look for him...Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Live in New York City
IMDB 7.9 | Jun , 2000
A two disc amalgam of the final performances of 2001's Madison Square Gardens performances by one of the greatest bands in the world of some of the greatest music in the world. The atmosphere positively floods out of the screen to envelop you and the hairs on your neck will be standing on end before the first note has been struck. After watching this you'll believe that The Boss is incapable of putting a foot wrong. By the end, he's only just short of defying gravity.Let's Get Lost
IMDB 7.1 | Sep , 1988
Documentary about jazz great Chet Baker that intercuts footage from the 1950s, when he was part of West Coast Cool, and from his last years. We see the young Baker, he of the beautiful face, in California and in Italy, where he appeared in at least one movie and at least one jail cell (for drug possession). And, we see the aged Baker, detached, indifferent, his face a ruin. Includes interviews with his children and ex-wife, women companions, and musicians.When You're Strange
IMDB 7.3 | Apr , 2010
The creative chemistry of four brilliant artists —drummer John Densmore, guitarist Robby Kreiger, keyboardist Ray Manzarek and singer Jim Morrison— made The Doors one of America's most iconic and influential rock bands. Using footage shot between their formation in 1965 and Morrison's death in 1971, it follows the band from the corridors of UCLA's film school, where Manzarek and Morrison met, to the stages of sold-out arenas.Nodame Cantabile: The Movie I
IMDB 7.2 | Dec , 2009
Chiaki is an aspiring conductor who faces the challenge of leading an orchestra which is made up of substitutes. Nodame gives her support to her beloved as she works hard towards achieving her dream to pass a promotion exam at their music conservatory. Will Chiaki be able to revive a broken down orchestra and launch his musical career? What will become of Nodame and Chiaki's relationship?Garland Jeffreys: The King of in Between
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2023
Garland Jeffreys, the mixed-race Brooklyn native whose music defied industry norms, receives long-overdue recognition in this enlightening documentary. His unique fusion of folk, soul, and rock earned him accolades abroad, yet left him underrated at home. Jeffreys’ story, narrated from his NYC home and featuring interviews with fans like Harvey Keitel, Laurie Anderson, and Vernon Reid sheds light on the life and artistry of an unclassifiable talent.Pet Shop Boys Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live at the Royal Arena Copenhagen
IMDB 8 | Jan , 2024
Formed in London in 1981 and consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and have been cited as one of the most successful duos in UK music history. Captured live at Copenhagen’s Royal Arena, the exhilarating performance features a lavish stage show, full back-up band and mesmerizing visual backdrops, in front of an exuberant, sold-out audience. This brand-new concert film includes all of PSB's greatest hits including 'West End Girls', 'Suburbia', 'Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots of Money)', 'Always on My Mind', 'What Have I Done to Deserve This?' and 'It’s a Sin'.The Go-Go's
IMDB 7 | Jan , 2020
As the first all-female band to play their instruments, write their songs and have a No. 1 album, The Go-Go’s made history. Underpinned by candid testimonies, this film chronicles the meteoric rise to fame of a band born in the LA punk scene who became a pop phenomenon.Welcome to the Darkness
IMDB 6.2 | Nov , 2023
In 2003, British glam rockers The Darkness took the world by storm with their smash hit single "I Believe in a Thing Called Love". Then at the height of their fame, the band split up and fell into obscurity. 20 years on from their platinum-selling debut, Justin Hawkins, his brother Dan, eccentric bassist Frankie Poullain, and new drummer Rufus Taylor tell their story.Back to Black
IMDB 6.7 | Apr , 2024
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.