From the Sky Down
From the Sky Down | |
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Larry Mullen, Jr. | |
Directed by | Davis Guggenheim |
Produced by |
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Starring |
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Cinematography | Erich Roland |
Edited by |
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Music by | Michael Brook |
Production company | Documentary Partners |
Distributed by | Universal Music Group |
Release dates |
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Running time |
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Country | United States |
Language | English |
From the Sky Down is a 2011 American
The film premiered at the
Background
After the commercial and critical success of their 1987 album
Wishing to reinvent themselves and seeking inspiration from
Production
To commemorate the 20th anniversary of Achtung Baby's original release, U2 reissued the record in several formats in October 2011.[11][12] Leading up to the anniversary, the band was unsure how much attention to pay to a past album while still actively writing and recording new material. Guitarist The Edge said, "How big a deal do we make of an anniversary when we're in the middle of what we're doing now? We had a hard time figuring that out. We're not a heritage act. We're still very active. But this record was so pivotal that we felt it was OK to revisit it."[10] Director Davis Guggenheim was subsequently commissioned by the band to make a film about Achtung Baby in six months. As a fan of U2 since his youth and having previously collaborated with The Edge for the 2008 documentary It Might Get Loud, Guggenheim agreed to the project.[13] His goal for the film was to explain how U2 managed to remain together for so long, in contrast to other rock groups that have been undone by internal conflict;[14] he described the band's longevity as "fighting against that law of physics".[15] Guggenheim also sought to tell the story of how the band transformed themselves musically over the course of Achtung Baby's recording sessions.[16]
While U2 were on the South American leg of their
The band expected a less personal treatment for the film and were at times uncomfortable with the extent to which Guggenheim probed into their history. Responding to the band's concerns, Guggenheim said, "I tell the story that's in front of me, warts and all. In the rock 'n' roll business, it's about adding layers. My process strips layers away. Rock stars are more comfortable creating an aura and mystique." Despite U2's discomfort, they allowed Guggenheim to have creative control over the film.[10] He remarked, "They said from the beginning, we want you to make the movie that you want to make and they let me make the movie I wanted to make. It was pretty astounding. I think part of it is the trust we gained doing It Might Get Loud, they sort of let me have a free hand."[18] Bono said that it was the least involved the band had ever been in a U2 project.[10] Additional filming took place on May 27 at Burton Cummings Theatre in Winnipeg during the band's rehearsals for the Glastonbury Festival 2011.[19][23] A rough cut of the movie was shown to the group in July, much to their satisfaction. According to Guggenheim, "They were over the moon. They loved it."[19] The only request the band made was that the film should be shortened in length, and Guggenheim agreed.[10]
Release
From the Sky Down premiered at the
Reception
Critics' reviews of From the Sky Down were mixed.
Other reviewers were more critical. Neil Genzlinger of The New York Times said the film "has a few segments that get beyond platitudes". He enjoyed the sequences that highlighted individual songs but noted the documentary "doesn't have much in the way of full songs".[37] Steven Zeitchik of the Los Angeles Times called From the Sky Down a "procedural look" at the album's inception. Although he enjoyed Bono's humorous insights, Zeitchik said that "much of the movie is abstract, insider stuff about how he and others find inspiration".[38] John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter pointed out the limited scope of the film, calling it "neither a comprehensive portrait nor one of those tossed-off featurettes that would be at home only as the filler for a commemorative Achtung Baby boxed set". Commenting on Guggenheim's filmmaking style, DeFore judged that some of his attempts to make the film more "movie-ish" failed to enhance the subject material. In the reviewer's opinion, this gave the "impression of a filmmaker who can tell this story competently but isn't quite up to making a lasting film about one of rock history's most successful bands".[39] Steven Hyden of The A.V. Club gave the film a C+, calling it "occasionally enlightening but mostly frustrating". The review lamented the lack of coverage of most of the album's songs, and in Hyden's opinion, it was ironic that the band was trying to live down the "ego-inflating" Rattle and Hum in a film that he also considered "ego-inflating".[40]
From the Sky Down was nominated for the
References
- Footnotes
- ^ a b c Fricke, David (October 1, 1992). "U2 Finds What It's Looking For". Rolling Stone. No. 640. pp. 40+. Archived from the original on October 26, 2007. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ a b Sullivan, Jim (February 22, 1989). "'U2 Rattle and Hum': Lighten up!". The Boston Globe. section Arts and Film, p. 46.
- ^ Gardner, Elysa (January 9, 1992). "U2's 'Achtung Baby': Bring the Noise". Rolling Stone. No. 621. p. 51. Retrieved April 26, 2010.
- ^ Flanagan (1996), pp. 4, 25–26
- ^ de la Parra (1994), pp. 138–139
- ^ Flanagan (1995), p. 7
- ^ Flanagan (1995), pp. 6–11
- ^ Dalton, Stephen (November 2004). "Achtung Stations". Uncut (90): 52.
- ^ Graham (2004), p. 44
- ^ a b c d e Gundersen, Edna (October 26, 2011). "Revisit U2's dark, dramatic 'Achtung Baby'". USA Today. Retrieved October 26, 2011.
- Live Nation. 2011. Archived from the originalon August 6, 2011. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- Live Nation. October 4, 2011. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
- ^ Howell, Peter (September 7, 2011). "Q&A: From the Sky Down director Davis Guggenheim". Toronto.com. Torstar Media Group. Archived from the original on March 23, 2012.
- ^ "2011 Films – From the Sky Down". Toronto International Film Festival. Archived from the original on May 2, 2012.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad (September 8, 2011). "How Davis Guggenheim stumbled upon U2's breakthrough moment". The Globe and Mail. Archived from the original on September 8, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ a b c d Kennedy, Gerald D. (October 27, 2011). "Davis Guggenheim talks U2's 'Achtung Baby' documentary". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 28, 2011.
- ^ Sperling, Nicole (September 8, 2011). "Toronto Film Festival: Director talks opening night U2 doc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ a b Doherty, Mike (September 8, 2011). "Davis Guggenheim on filming an intimate, honest U2". National Post. Archived from the original on January 29, 2013. Retrieved September 8, 2011.
- ^ The Toronto Sun. Archived from the originalon March 3, 2016. Retrieved September 7, 2011.
- ^ a b Tassoula (May 3, 2011). "U2 Shoot Video in Berlin". atU2.com. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- ^ "Zoo TV Station Talent". Propaganda (16). U2 Information Service. June 1992.
- ^ "(Ăhk-tŏŏng Bāy-bi) Covered". Propaganda (15). U2 Information Service. December 1991.
- )
- ^ "U2 documentary to open Toronto Film Festival". BBC News. BBC. July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 28, 2011.
- ^ Pond, Steve (September 9, 2011). "U2 Rocks Toronto, Launches Film Fest". Reuters. Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- ^ "Imagine, U2: From the Sky Down". BBC One. BBC. Retrieved October 11, 2011.
- ^ a b "From The Sky Down – To be Released on Blu-ray and DVD" (Press release). PR Newswire. November 28, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ Guggenheim, Davis (2011). From the Sky Down (Achtung Baby Super Deluxe edition). Universal Music Group.
- Universal Music. Retrieved August 4, 2011.
- ^ Benzine, Adam (November 15, 2011). "Super Channel picks up Guggenheim's U2 doc". RealScreen.com. Brunico Communications Ltd. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- ^ Guggenheim, Davis (2011). From the Sky Down (Director's cut). Universal Music Group. 2784770.
- ^ Gleiberman, Owen (September 15, 2011). "Toronto: The U2 documentary 'From the Sky Down' isn't just good, it's downright transcendent". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 16, 2011.
- Steuver, Hank (October 30, 2011). "A frank look at U2's past". The Washington Post. p. C1. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Wheeler, Brad (September 7, 2011). "From the Sky Down: U2's struggle to get its joy back". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
- ^ Cross, Alan (September 9, 2011). "U2's From The Sky Down: A Review". alancross.ca. Archived from the original on April 2, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2011.
- ^ McWeeny, Drew (September 9, 2011). "Review: 'From The Sky Down' offers intimate look at U2 recording 'Achtung Baby'". HitFix. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- ^ Genzlinger, Neil (October 29, 2011). "The Past Brought Into the Light: Breaking Down a U2 Breakthrough, Chord by Chord". The New York Times. p. C5. Retrieved October 31, 2011.
- ^ Zeitchik, Steven (September 10, 2011). "U2 gets a red carpet". Los Angeles Times. p. D9. Retrieved September 29, 2018.
- ^ DeFore, John (September 9, 2011). "From the Sky Down: Toronto Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
- Onion, Inc.Retrieved October 30, 2011.
- telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. December 6, 2012. Retrieved December 6, 2012.
- Bibliography
- de la Parra, Pimm Jal (1994). U2 Live: A Concert Documentary. London: ISBN 0-7119-3666-8.
- ISBN 978-0-385-31157-1.
- Graham, Bill; van Oosten de Boer, Caroline (2004). U2: The Complete Guide to Their Music. London: ISBN 0-7119-9886-8.
External links
- From the Sky Down at IMDb
- From the Sky Down at Rotten Tomatoes