Dig! (2004)

So much average

Really Surprised!

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

If you are a fan of The Brian Jonestown Masacre and the Dandy Warholes or either, there is no doubt you will like this. Possibly my favorite music documentary, Dig! explores the gritty rivalry between Anton Newcomb and Courtney Taylor-Taylor as there success polarizes and tensions draw between them. Raw and insightful, Dig! gives a deep look inside the not so glamorous view of the music business and the backstabbing and the internal band fights involved. Good for fans but non fans may find little point in viewing, but who cares. Fans will have a blast with this little masterpiece of a film.

Anton Newcombe makes the film and he is the main subject. Watching him knock up a song if not a whole album quickly showed the guy to be a real talent. He thinks he is god but is so prollific and interesting. The DW are not really that interesting in comparison musicly or otherwise. "Hey, do you haver a drivers license?" ,Anton says to the cameraman, "Well lets go pawn this guitar!". Great use of archive/ home video material. Great to see rock docs still being made. A cool doc about the creative process. If you like this go see Nirvana Live! Tonight! Sold Out! on DVD. A good experience Anton is this film. 8 out of 10

I just stumbled onto this guy who plays in the NYC subways and I tell you, he has more fire, talent, balls, anger, aggression, you name it, than any of this hyped self loving crap.He goes by Shakerleg and he has REINVENTED a damn instrument. Playing so completely wild and charging people up in a way NONE of these losers in this movie can. Anton??? Please... give me a break... play something slightly different from song to song, not the same two chord bull@#&%^ 4/4 time you are passing off for musical talent... Jeeeezus... Radiohead would wipe the floor with the oiled up hair of that pompous no talent hack. But seriously check out this Shakerleg guy. He had my head spinning I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Bashing away on this bizarre drumset with his bare hands. Something totally new that needs to be recognized... I couldn't believe I stood there that long listening to what I thought sounded like a full out song when it was just this guy drumming in this unbelievable way... I feel like quitting my job (accounting!) and becoming this guys manager. http://www.shakerleg.com http://myspace.com/shakerleg. Truly one of the most inspiring musicians I have ever witnessed... totally raw... and totally taking an instrument to a place it's never been. I'm done.

I see too many people proclaiming this documentary as some kind of insight into the music business. Unfortunately it is a complete misrepresentation of underground music and the term 'genius'. The film offers two dubiously talented bands and the diverging paths they take. There's no mention of the many truly great independent bands that choose neither of these paths and become relatively successful in their own right.(see: Built To Spill, Yo La Tengo, Red House Painters, Belle and Sebastian) BJM and Dandy Warhols are too firmly set in rock-and-roll clichés for me to care about them. I'm still waiting for a great documentary that takes an intelligent look at the current state of the rock music industry. This film was only useful as a documentary of the egotistical, delusional and mediocre artist who is so prevalent today.