2012: A Musical Odyssey 2012 / Shut Up and Play the Hits / United Kingdom 2012
"If it’s a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever!” James Murphy decided to disband the celebrated and influential group LCD Soundsystem at the height of its popularity. The ecstasy generated by the concert in New York’s Madison Square Garden versus Murphy’s solitude a few hours later: this strong testimony of today’s pop music was well received at Sundance, SXSW and Cannes.
"If it’s a funeral, let’s have the best funeral ever!” New York band LCD Soundsystem, popular since their debut in 2005, played their final concert at Madison Square Garden on 2 April 2011. LCD frontman James Murphy made the conscious decision to break up one of the most celebrated and influential bands of its generation at the peak of its popularity, ensuring that the band would go out on top with the biggest and most ambitious concert of its career. The nigh on four-hour extravaganza did just that, moving the thousands in attendance to tears of joy and grief, with Time magazine lamenting: "We may never dance again.” This is both a narrative film documenting this once-in-a-life-time performance and an intimate portrait of James Murphy as he navigates the lead-up to the show and the day after: his band exists no more and he now has to face the personal and professional ramifications of his decision.
110 min / Color, DCP
Director Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern
/ Dir. of Photography Reed Morano
/ Music LCD Soundsystem
/ Editor Mark Burnett
/ Producer Thomas Benski, Lucas Ochoa, James Murphy
/ Production Pulse Films, Killer Films
/ Cast Gunnar Bjerk, Al Doyle, Chuck Klosterman, Pat Mahoney, James Murphy, Tyler Pope, Gavin Russom, Josh Stern, Matt Thornley, Nancy Whang, Keith Wood
/ Contact K5 International
www: www.shutupandplaythehits.com
Dylan Southern and Will Lovelace have been directing together for many years. Theatres released their feature-length documentary about the British band Blur No Distance Left to Run in 2011. Screened during the band’s triumphant reunion tour, the film was nominated for a Grammy (Best Long Form Music Video). Southern & Lovelace’s joint projects include commercials, video clips, concert and other documentaries. The duo have also worked with the likes of Elbow, Franz Ferdinand, Arctic Monkeys, The Kills, The Fall, Richard Hawley, Jack White, Lemmy and Björk.
K5 International
Konradinstrasse 5, 815 43, München
Germany
Phone: +49 893 750 5590
Fax: +49 893 750 559 05
E-mail: [email protected]
Pavel Klusák
Freelance journalist
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