Comments on: Joy Division - Heart and Soul, what will burn

Joy Division - Heart and Soul, what will burn

the_very_hungry_caterpillar — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:43:08 -0800

Control, the biopic covering the the life and untimely death of Joy Division's singer Ian Curtis, opens in the US today (on a limited release) [ trailer | fan site | on set interview ]. This is director Anton Corbijn's debut full length film [ interview ] and was co-produced by Tony Wilson (a giant in the Manchester and UK music scene, sadly missed. Check out 24 Hour Party People [trailer | clip]) . Control opened in the UK several days ago and the reviews are largely positive [ Guardian | Times Online | Independent | Channel 4 | Time Out | Manchester Evening News ].

Joy Division had a short existence [ complete recording sessions ] but made a huge impact on the British post-punk music scene. Their debut EP An Ideal for Living (and the cult "Warsaw" demo bootleg) [ No Love Lost | Warsaw ] set the tone for their bleak sound (and lyrics), and their two studio LPs Unknown Pleasures [ Shadowplay | She's Lost Control | Disorder | New Dawn Fades ] and Closer [ Colony | 24 Hours | Isolation ] along with a clutch of outstanding non-LP singles [ Love Will Tear Us Apart | Transmission | Atmosphere ] only re-enforced their unique sound (in no small part due to ther maverick producer Martin Hannett [ wiki ]). Their final release Still is patchy (some good early demos including Walked in Line), but for the whole story see the Heart and Soul four CD compilations. Add the BBC Sessions, and you've got just about everything they recorded. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery? See Interpol, Editors and Jah Division!

By: psmealey

psmealey — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:49:12 -0800

3,5,0,1,2,5, Go!

By: dersins

dersins — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:56:20 -0800

Jah Division! Ha!

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:01:22 -0800

Awesome. I've been wondeirng when this would surface.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:01:36 -0800

"Man. These guys sound a lot like Joy Division." I was just reading about this movie. I had forgotten it was coming out soon. Thanks for the links.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:05:44 -0800

Blimey, that Guardian review is a bit enthusiastic isn't it? I think he spaffed himself while writing it.

By: sleepy pete

sleepy pete — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:24:00 -0800

Tangentially related. And while going through that thread I feel a little ashamed that I kept thinking, "Meh, I've got an original issue copy of the 'Love Will Tear Us Apart' single."

By: JJ86

JJ86 — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:26:42 -0800

The movie played last month here in Milwaukee. I had tickets but had to bow out to other commitments. I wanted to see it because it was directed by Corbijn

By: bunnytricks

bunnytricks — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:29:10 -0800

A friend of mine suggested that Ian's daughter Natalie should start a teenybopper pop band called Boy Division. I've been waiting for this for so many years. Too bad it doesn't have robots or Adam Sandler or a robotic Adam Sandler in it, because if it did then the dorks who do all the camming and screener ripping would be pissing themselves to be the first to get it up on Demonoid and I wouldn't have to wait another six months for a DVD release.

By: khaibit

khaibit — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:35:32 -0800

I always feel weird because I love Joy Division, but I have gotten terribly sick of Love Will Tear Us Apart. I am looking forward to seeing this though.

By: Slothrup

Slothrup — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:48:24 -0800

"It could be worse," laughs Gretton cheerfully as Curtis lies semi-conscious in his dressing room, "you could be in the Fall." Teh funneh!

By: blucevalo

blucevalo — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:49:47 -0800

I love Joy Division's obscurer stuff (i.e., meaning almost anything other than "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "She's Lost Control"). "Dead Souls" gives me goosebumps almost every time I listen to it. I'm looking forward to seeing the flick too, though methinks Sam Riley is wayyyyy too pretty to be playing Ian Curtis. "24 Hour Party People" was an awesome flick, BTW.

By: myopicman

myopicman — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 12:59:42 -0800

I saw Control last week and it's a sober companion to 24 Hour Party People. It didn't play like a standard music biopic at all, which was a relief, but I was floored by how restrained the storytelling was and how beautifully bleak the cinematography was.

By: brevator

brevator — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:22:03 -0800

I like Joy Division.

By: Artw

Artw — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:23:18 -0800

Previously (and quite cool): Love Will Tear Us Apart covers

By: Skygazer

Skygazer — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:25:22 -0800

but I was floored by how restrained the storytelling was and how beautifully bleak the cinematography was. God, I would hope at the very least that it got that right. "It could be worse," laughs Gretton cheerfully as Curtis lies semi-conscious in his dressing room, "you could be in the Fall." THAT is too fucking funny!!

By: basicchannel

basicchannel — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:30:51 -0800

Favorited on principle.

By: jdfan

jdfan — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:35:20 -0800

I am a JD fan.

By: homunculus

homunculus — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:46:06 -0800

Siobhan Fahey - She's Lost Control (NSFW).

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:56:13 -0800

That's very comprehensive but you forgot the trainers... I'd like to say this is the film I'm been looking forward to for ages (Sam Morton, Tony Kebble who are brilliant in everything I've seen them in, director with an obvious passion for the subject, lovely looking visual style etc etc)... but the last film I like that was Sunshine, and that turned out to be rubbish.

By: needled

needled — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:56:40 -0800

There's also a Joy Division documentary, Joy Division, that's been making the festival circuit with Control.

By: muthecow

muthecow — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:14:59 -0800

Saw it over the weekend and what myopicman said about the bleak cinematography is so true. You can tell that it was directed by a photographer - every single shot would have worked so well as a still.

By: punilux

punilux — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:31:08 -0800

"It could be worse," laughs Gretton cheerfully as Curtis lies semi-conscious in his dressing room, "you could be in the Fall." Sam Riley played M E Smith in 24 Hour Party People.

By: ardgedee

ardgedee — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:37:09 -0800

I'm picturing a fashionable young hipster finally landing an evening with a hard-to-get date by scoring tickets to the Joy Division documentary/biopic doublebill. And as he escorts her into the theater, he's thinking, "I am so going to score tonight!"

By: senor biggles

senor biggles — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:38:05 -0800

The un-Joy Divisiony "Let's Dance to Joy Division"

By: Sailormom

Sailormom — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:41:42 -0800

According to Wikipedia all live Joy Division performances in the film are performed by the actors. I wonder how that went over?

By: UbuRoivas

UbuRoivas — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:54:10 -0800

Jah Division? Your favourite dub cover band sucks. Radiodread is tha irie sound system, mon!

By: progosk

progosk — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:59:17 -0800

earliest (Peel/BBC) recording of Love Will Tear Us Apart (w/video commentary).

By: progosk

progosk — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:04:35 -0800

Ubu: Dread Zeppelin?

By: fearfulsymmetry

fearfulsymmetry — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:43:21 -0800

>The un-Joy Divisiony "Let's Dance to Joy Division" That high-pitched wiring sound you might just be able to hear is Curtis spinning in his grave (I know he was cremated but bear with me...)

By: Infinite Jest

Infinite Jest — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:50:32 -0800

According to Wikipedia all live Joy Division performances in the film are performed by the actors. I wonder how that went over? They're good. It's obvious that the songs aren't the original studio recordings (they sound slightly different), and it's obvious they're not actual live recordings of JD (sound quality is too good). But they certainly sound like they could be Joy Division. The only sour note on a fabulous soundtrack (you get Curtis-favourites like Bowie and Iggy, too) is the Killers on the closing credits. Could have done without that. but the last film I like that was Sunshine, and that turned out to be rubbish. I went into Control with the same apprehensions that you have. I needn't have worried; it's one of my favourite films of this year.

By: asfuller

asfuller — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:51:03 -0800

My favorite cover of "Love Will Tear Us Apart" is the throat-singing of ALBERT KUVEZIN and YAT-KHA

By: sappidus

sappidus — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:51:18 -0800

I don't mind advertising at all, but I do wonder why a post like this doesn't get the more sensitive in MeFi crying, "pepsibluuuuuue!!" Anyway, excellent post, and I am looking forward to seeing the movie myself.

By: asfuller

asfuller — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:53:13 -0800

huh, link not working to my intended above http://www.yat-kha.com/html/what/yat_kha_cd_recovers.php

By: MiltonRandKalman

MiltonRandKalman — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 18:46:52 -0800

Mashup of the movie footage and actual performance portrayed in said movie {vid}

By: jonathanstrange

jonathanstrange — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 00:50:42 -0800

Ubu: I prefer "Rodeohead" myself...

By: RoseovSharon

RoseovSharon — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:22:32 -0800

Not sure if your title gets the lyric wrong on purpose, but it's supposed to be "one will burn", not "what will burn". I got to see the L.A. premier few weeks ago. It was fantastic. As has been mentioned it was quite bleak and depressing, but such was the short and sad life of Ian Curtis. The filming was beautiful, and as someone else mentioned, it's as if each frame of the movie is one of Corbijn's iconic photographs.

By: psmealey

psmealey — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:56:27 -0800

I do wonder why a post like this doesn't get the more sensitive in MeFi crying, "pepsibluuuuuue!!" Or at the very least... pepsi black, or pepsi very, very sad. And lonely.

By: twistofrhyme

twistofrhyme — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:49:02 -0800

the film's director, anton corbijn, started out in holland as a rock photographer. in 1979, he heard joy division and liked their sound so much that he moved to england to be where the cool music was happening. he photographed the band a few times before its dissolution, and now, 30 years later, he's directing the film.

By: twistofrhyme

twistofrhyme — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 18:51:50 -0800

interview with director anton corbijn, and actors sam riley and alexandra maria lara.

By: Badger

Badger — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 13:52:35 -0800

I absolutely loved Joy Division and will be seeing this movie as soon as it comes around. I hope it's as good as 24 Hour Party People.