Review: 'Charlie Is My Darling' shows a kinder, gentler Rolling Stones
Why has the excellent "Charlie Is My Darling," the Rolling Stones' 1965 Ireland tour film that finally gets released on DVD, Blu-ray and a deluxe edition on Tuesday, been hidden all these years on bootlegs?
While it parallels the Beatles' “A Hard Day's Night” because of the fan frenzy all through the film, maybe it's because it's different in that it's pretty much non-scripted. The Stones are themselves or do a great job of pretending to be, unlike AHDN where the Beatles were playing scripted roles.
The film and the music, however, are outstanding. What's funny is there's no evidence of the “bad boy” image of the Stones that '60s teen magazines tried to portray. In “Charlie Is My Darling,” the Stones are the Fab Five, teen idols chased by screaming girls (and a few guys).
And in the most astonishing sequence of the film, the group is rushed
onstage by fans during an Irish concert that ends up being halted after
little interference from a security force that was clearly sleeping on
the job.
The live music is one of the best parts of the film. There are live versions of such early Rolling Stones songs as “Play With Fire,” “It's Alright” and “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.”
But “Charlie Is My Darling” is, simply, excellent. The DVD and Blu-ray include director's and producer's cuts of the film. The five-disc deluxe version includes extra video and audio footage.
This is the early Stones, consisting of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, at their peak. Anyone who loves '60s music or the Stones will want to add this to their library.
In addition to being released on DVD, the film will premiere on DirectTV's Audience Network Nov. 10. The program will be hosted by Kurt Loder and include a post-film discussion by former Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.
(Copyright Steve Marinucci. Please do not reprint in full on other sites without permission. Headlines with links, though, are fine. Posting any of our links to Twitter and Facebook is much appreciated. To subscribe to this column and get first word of our stories when they happen, click the button above. And follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Ufollow and Pinterest.)
While it parallels the Beatles' “A Hard Day's Night” because of the fan frenzy all through the film, maybe it's because it's different in that it's pretty much non-scripted. The Stones are themselves or do a great job of pretending to be, unlike AHDN where the Beatles were playing scripted roles.
The film and the music, however, are outstanding. What's funny is there's no evidence of the “bad boy” image of the Stones that '60s teen magazines tried to portray. In “Charlie Is My Darling,” the Stones are the Fab Five, teen idols chased by screaming girls (and a few guys).
The Rolling Stones' "Charlie Is My Darling."
Photo credit:
ABCKO Films
Video: "Charlie Is My Darling"
The live music is one of the best parts of the film. There are live versions of such early Rolling Stones songs as “Play With Fire,” “It's Alright” and “(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction.”
But “Charlie Is My Darling” is, simply, excellent. The DVD and Blu-ray include director's and producer's cuts of the film. The five-disc deluxe version includes extra video and audio footage.
This is the early Stones, consisting of Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Brian Jones, Bill Wyman and Charlie Watts, at their peak. Anyone who loves '60s music or the Stones will want to add this to their library.
In addition to being released on DVD, the film will premiere on DirectTV's Audience Network Nov. 10. The program will be hosted by Kurt Loder and include a post-film discussion by former Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham and Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters.
(Copyright Steve Marinucci. Please do not reprint in full on other sites without permission. Headlines with links, though, are fine. Posting any of our links to Twitter and Facebook is much appreciated. To subscribe to this column and get first word of our stories when they happen, click the button above. And follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Ufollow and Pinterest.)
