SYNOPSICS
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) is a English movie. AJ Schnack has directed this movie. John Flansburgh,John Linnell,Gina Arnold,Michael Azerrad are the starring of this movie. It was released in 2002. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) is considered one of the best Documentary,Music movie in India and around the world.
Gigantic is the story of They Might Be Giants, a unique musical group centered on John Flansburgh and John Linnell. We're introduced to the duo's lyrical and melodic craft when, for example, well-known actors recite Giants lyrics, underscoring the dark words often coupled with bright tunes. We also catch a glimpse of the band's ideas about performance from the blend of footage from concerts, television, music videos, and other media. Running through the whole film is a portrayal of the Johns' friendship and ultimately, their view of the world, which we see in interviews with the Giants themselves, their colleagues, and their fans.
Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) Trailers
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Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) Reviews
Fluff, perhaps, but fun fluff
At one point, commentator Syd Straw asks the filmmakers if their film is a fluff piece, and it kind of is--as a documentary, `Gigantic' isn't particularly well made, and its mock-important moments (dull dramatic readings of TMBG lyrics by celebrity fans, a segment of random trivia about song subject James K. Polk) tend to hold up the show rather than help it along. There's never a hint of darkness or controversy, little insight into Linnell and Flansburgh's creative processes, and even less info about their personal lives. But for the most part, fluff doesn't get much more fun than this. For all its fanboy intentions, Gigantic never presents its subjects as true giants, but rather as the little band that could, and did. Far from seeming smug or precious or self-conscious, the Johns come off as modest, self-effacing, surprisingly earnest regular guys; their personalities are likely to charm the uninitiated, and turn on new generations of fans to their brilliantly off-center musical world. And diehards will be more than happy with the affectionate tone and high-energy concert footage. Recommended. 8 out of 10.
Loved Gigantic
I am a TMBG fan, so take this review with a grain of salt, but I found the previous diatribe about this fine and amusing documentary repugnant and wanted to offer an alternative to the slam posted by littlesiddie. To say that TMBG's career is 'flagging' is simply ignorant, as the documentary itself points out many instances of their music being used in contemporary circumstances, such as 'Malcolm in the Middle' and the PBS specials. TMBG are witty and on point most of the time. The movie reflects this. Their music continues to be high quality after twenty years, and they are still quite entertaining. The documentary gives a lot of background info for TMBG fans which fills the void of history for those of us who came across them later, yet still stands on its own as a documentary for those who are unfamiliar with their work. The movie, as a whole, is entertaining for fans, and enticing for novices. I would suspect that many of those who have not been exposed to this group may wish to purchase their music after being exposed to them on the screen. Of course, if one is a dolt, or otherwise slow-witted, this movie will be somewhat tedious, as most of the higher humor will go right over the viewers' head. On the other hand, for those with higher linguistic skills who appreciate puns and other plays on words, this will be a wonderful introduction to an amazingly talented band which has delighted fans for the last twenty years with a sly and sharp sense of the absurd. I would recommend this movie to almost anyone. The worst that might happen is that (like littlesiddie) they just won't get it.
Pretty good if you are a fan
I'm not sure how this would play to someone who doesn't really love the band. The documentary really plays them up to be a big part of musical evolution, and perhaps they are, but I don't really see it that way. I remember seeing their videos on MTV and Nickelodeon, but it wasn't exactly like they were in heavy rotation. Ditto for the radio. I'm not sure that the doc would have held my interest if I wasn't already interested. Having said that, I really liked this film. It's often times funny, and you really get a good sense for the two Johns, even if you don't really learn that much about them. It seems to me that this film could easily be twice the length. I would love to know more on every topic they touch on. It kind of feels like this is more of a movie to explain all of the weirdness that surrounds this band rather than documenting forward progress, but it is that very weirdness that is so intriguing. Learning the origins of the Stick and Dial-a-Song is great. The one thing that I really don't like is the celebrities reading the song lyrics. It's just cheesy and boring. It really does nothing for the film.
I want to see more!
I loved this documentary. Although, I also love They Might Be Giants. If you aren't a fan of the band, this movie might not be too fun to watch, but as a enthusiastic listener of TMBG, I really enjoyed watching Gigantic. It really captured the essence of the the band and was overall fun to watch. If you enjoy this movie, I recommend Direct From Brooklyn, which is a VHS of TMBG's music videos. Although, the DVD of Gigantic also features some music videos. The only complaint I have about Gigantic is that I would like to hear more about TMBG, but I suppose that is really the purpose of making a documentary about them. "And the truth is we don't know anything." -Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants
See This.
A great movie made even better on DVD. Not just for fans of the band, it will be entertaining for non-fans as well. This film could be taught in film school as a primer on concise editing and pacing for the most difficult of genres, the documentary. Of course it will be ignored come Oscar time because it commits the two cardinal sins of documentaries: 1) it is in no way about World War II; 2) it is entertaining. The DVD is maxed out with deleted scenes (cut only, one presumes, for length not quality) and insightful commentary by the makers and "the Two Johns". Certainly one of the gems of 2003.