Shooting the Beastie Boys

The reviews of Awesome; I Fuckin' Shot That! are in from the UK film media and, unfortunately, they aren't very kind.

The Daily Record (Glasgow) says the film is "a great idea for a video single, but brain mush for an entire concert movie" and concludes that fans "may salvage something from the mess, but everyone else will be bored rigid." It awards the film two stars out of five.

The Sunday Mail (Glasgow) gives the film five stars, noting "some shots aren't quite Oscar-winning standard but it captures beautifully the mood of the gig."

The Daily Telegraph (London) uses three odd words to describe the film: curious, cute, and dated. The Telegraph's critic goes way off the mark with crazy suggestions that fans should have edited the film and that it should have been streamed for free on Youtube.com.

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian (London) is a little more on the mark with his review, describing the film as "a real-time patchwork quilt of the fans' experience and unapologetic fan enthusiasm, unmediated by a professional documentarian's cynicism or condescension." That's a mouthful, but at least it's accurate. Bradshaw amusingly suggests that the film is worthy of being shown at the Tate Modern as a piece of art. In conclusion, Bradshaw strangely makes the same crazy suggestion that The Telegraph makes -- that fans should have edited the film. Bradshaw awards the film three stars out of five.

Anthony Quinn of The Independent (London) has an answer to the Beastie Boys' question "What's the time?" Quinn says it is "time to make for the exit sign." Quinn awards the film one star out of five.

David Edwards of The Mirror (London) describes the film as a "hyperactive music documentary" that feels "gimmicky." Edwards awards the film three stars out of five.

Martin Hoyle of The Financial Times (London) says he was so bored by the film that he almost fell asleep. Hoyle says, "If you like pounding monotony and unintelligible words, this is for you. If not, not."

Ben Walters of Time Out London says the film is "unusually ambitious and frequently intriguing, but it'll still struggle to hold your attention if Mike D, MCA and Ad-Rock don't do much for you." Walters continues to say "it's a great fat happy-slap of a movie."

Derek Malcolm of The London Evening Standard says "only fans of the Beastie Boys will put up with the awful visuals and sound that make it impossible to hear the rapping or the songs." Malcolm concludes, "Awesome, this is not."

James Christopher of The Times (London) is perhaps the cruelest in his review, calling Adam Yauch "mad" (true but unnecessary to point out) for having an idea that "was utterly doomed from the moment the thought popped into his head." Christopher continues to say the film is "unwatchable" and the Beastie Boys' music is "appalling." He concludes with insulting the Beastie Boys as "tuneless white rappers." Christopher awards the film one star out of five.