THE VELVET UNDERGROUND MOVIE REVIEW

From director Todd Haynes (“Velvet Goldmine”, “I’m Not There”) comes “The Velvet Underground”, a lovingly crafted documentary about one of the most influential bands in the history of rock and roll. Blending pop with the avant-garde, and embracing taboo subject matter, the Velvets were never destined for mainstream success. Nevertheless, their small output continues to inspire countless artists working in a variety of musical subgenres. Rather than make a conventional rock-doc, Haynes sets out to recreate the ethos of the 60s underground art scene from which the Velvets emerged. VU fanboys Beau, Marco, Eliot and Chris sat down to discuss their love of the band, as well as the merits (and limits) of Haynes’ aesthetic choices. One thing they all agreed on: this movie should satisfy long-time admirers of the Velvets, while serving as a great introduction to people just learning about the band.

WATCH HERE

DIRECTED BY: Todd Haynes

STARRING: Lou Reed, John Cale, Maureen Tucker, Sterling Morrison, Mary Woronov, Barbara Walters, Jackson Browne, Jonathan Richman, Jonas Mekas, Allen Ginsberg, Amy Taubin, Doug Yule, Merrill Reed Weiner, La Monte Young, Danny Fields, Richard Miskin, Henry Flynt, Martha Morrison

 

YOUR REVIEWERS

 

Christopher Lawrence Cox (Founder, Da Boss)

Born in the wilds of northern Virginia, Chris managed to put all of his survival skills to use and barely escaped with his life to Austin Texas in 1992 where ever since he’s dabbled in everything from plumber’s assistant to sandwich maker, from band to bar management. An opportunity to see theatrical release films for free by becoming a critic on a local public access show called “The Reel Deal” turned into a full-time job when Chris and his friends decided to take it to the internet. They built the site Spill.com, adding multiple podcasts and animated features, to no small amount of success. During this time, a fortuitous friendship sprung up between Chris and young Brian Salisbury, who was also a local film critic, and they merged their forces of will, and their laundry list of ideas for shows, to eventually build this community of critics. While Brian eventually followed his heart to a new family, Chris continues on with a cast of colorful folks from all over the country (and a few others). You can also check out Chris in his videocast, along with Martin Thomas and Danni Danger, that One Of Us does with our friends at Bell of Lost Souls: Crossover Event. He also regularly guests on the video game website Rage Select. Follow Chris on Twitter and Facebook and check out his Amazon Wish List.

 

 

Eliot Nelson (Screener Squad, Staff Writer)

Soaked in the soggy rains of Seattle, Eliot developed a love of sci-fi, movies, cartoons, heavy metal, and all of geekdom. Pursuing his passion for the written word, he got his BA from The Evergreen State College in Olympia, Washington. He has since worked exclusively in the foodservice industry, like any liberal arts major worth their salt. Eliot wiles away the hours listening to movie reviews, writing his epic sci-fi novel, and consuming as much media as possible. His favorite movies include The Lord of the Rings, City of God, Dawn of the Dead, and Groundhog Day. When not rambling to himself about the ineptness of entertainmen...