Everything Is a Remix (2010)
An ambitious four-part documentary on the history and cultural significance of sampling and collaborative creation.
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It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
This documentary is the start of a series looking at remixing and it is a strong but frustrating start here. Director Kirby Ferguson sets out his stall early – it is not about hip-hop using tracks to rap over, it is about taking any pre-existing material, reworking it, using it in a new way or otherwise adopting it into a new project. This scope of vision was interesting to me because I tire of several easy targets being used when it comes to sampling or remixing so this broad definition offered interest. Ferguson backs this up in this short by looking at Led Zeppelin's use of sampling (unattributed) in their work and then how that went full circle as they themselves are sampled.As an opening to the subject it is really interesting and well presented with photos, short animations and music clips. The problem with it is that it is way too short and ends way too quickly. I was engaged and interested and suddenly it was over, except for Ferguson taking about 20% of the running time to ask for donations to help make the rest of the series – an understandable plea but annoying that it took up so much time. The good thing is that I will watch the rest of the series now, but it is frustrating that this interesting short film is over so quickly and with so little material.