6/01/2007

24 Hour Party People

Director: Michael Winterbottom

It’s hard to make a film about rock and roll that works without seeming overly nostalgic, sanitized or fake. Only a few films have succeeded in this goal such as Almost Famous and the more recent borage of musical biopics including Ray and Walk the Line; however it’s even more challenging to make a film about punk rock. Steve Coogan’s masterful portrayal of Tony Wilson, the Cambridge educated, Granada TV journalist who finds his life changed after seeing the Sex Pistols perform in 1976, is utterly fascinating in Michael Winterbottom’s lurid, wild, funny, shocking, and no-holds-barred postmodern true story about the punk boom in Manchester, England. The film benefits not only from the astute direction and acting but also by Frank Cottrell Boyce’s pitch-perfect script that, like the best of the music of the genre, celebrates the rebellion and desire not to sell out as we watch Wilson struggle with super-fame and all of the joys and pain that go with his delusions of grandeur when he, along with friends, creates the label Factory Records, signs Joy Division, A Certain Ratio and the Happy Mondays before ultimately opening Manchester’s version of Studio 54, the Hacienda. Nominated for numerous awards including the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival for Winterbottom, 24 Hour Party People also received an accolade from the British Independent Film Awards for Best Achievement in Production. Note: Music lovers will want to check out the soundtrack including iTunes selections below.

Music featured in 24 Hour Party People


“24 Hour Party People” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Squirrel and G-Man - 24 Hour Party People

“Janie Jones” by The Clash
The Clash - The Clash - Janie Jones

“Blue Monday” by New Order
New Order - International - The Best of New Order - Blue Monday

“The Passenger” by Iggy Pop
Iggy Pop - Lust for Life - The Passenger

“Here to Stay” by New Order
New Order - International - The Best of New Order - Here to Stay

“Digital” by Joy Division
Joy Division - Still - Digital

“Loose Fit” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Loads - Loose Fit

“World In Motion” by New Order
New Order - Singles - World In Motion

“Kinky Afro” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Step On - Kinky Affro

“Transmission” by Joy Division
Joy Division - Heart and Soul - Transmission

“WFL (Wrote For Luck)” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Step On - WFL (Wrote for Luck)

“In The City” by The Jam
The Jam - The Sound of The Jam - In the City

“Sunshine and Love” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Yes, Please - Sunshine and Love

“Go” by Moby
Moby - I Like to Score - Go

“Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division
Joy Division - Permanent - Love Will Tear Us Apart

“Solid Air” by John Martyn
John Martyn - Solid Air - Solid Air

“Hallelujah (Club Mix)” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Hallelujah - Hallelujah (Club Mix)

“Atmosphere” by Joy Division
Joy Division - Permanent - Atmosphere

“Tart Tart” by Happy Mondays
Happy Mondays - Squirrel and G-Man - Tart Tart

“Anarchy in the U.K.” by The Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols - Submission - Anarchy In the UK

“She’s Lost Control” by Joy Division
Joy Division - Permanent - She's Lost Control

“No Fun” by The Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols - Spunk - The Official Bootleg - No Fun

“No More Heroes” by The Stranglers
The Stranglers - Peaches: The Very Best of the Stranglers - No More Heroes