Reviewer's Rating 3 out of 5
Awesome; I ... Shot That! (2006)
PGContains strong language

When it comes to moviemaking, there are two experiences you just don't touch: sport and music. The actual drama of these occasions will always be flat and fake on screen. Until now. In October 2004, 50 Beastie Boys fans were handed camcorders before the NY group's hometown gig and told to shoot whatever they liked. The results, painstakingly edited together as an entire concert film, Awesome; I... Shot That!, are immediate, intoxicating, and nearly as good as being there yourself.

Mike D (aka Michael Diamond), Adrock (aka Adam Horowitz) and MCA (aka Adam Yauch, aka Nathanial Hornblower) - aka the Beastie Boys - are not your average rappers. For one thing, twenty-odd years since they first fought for your right to party, they're still speaking to one another. Few artists have such strong relationships, and even fewer maintain the kind of bond with their fans demonstrated here. This is 89 minutes of shared, spontaneous, and noisy joy.

It was Yauch - under his Hornblower moniker - who came up with the idea of a fan's-eye-view experiment. He also undertook the colossal challenge of piecing it all together. The result is a true feat of editing and perseverance. It bombards the senses with a cluster bomb of grainy, handheld photography and raucous music.

"VISUAL CREATIVITY MATCHES LIVE ENERGY"

Yauch's visual creativity, playing with various effects and styles, keeps pace with the energy of the performance. The multiple points of view simulate that sense of shared experience which make concerts much more than a live renditions of recorded music. It's just a shame that, sitting in your cinema chair, you can't get up and, well, get down.

Set list:

MMM Intro
Triple Trouble
Sure Shot
Root Down
Hello Brooklyn
Time To Get Ill
All Lifestyles
Pass The Mic
Shake Your Rump
MMM Interlude
Sabrosa
Ricky's Theme
Something's Got To Give
Open Letter To NYC
Right Right Now Now
Paul Revere
Body Movin
Three MCs And One DJ
Brass Monkey
So What'cha Want
Ch-Check It Out
Intergalactic
Gratitude
Sabotage

End Credits

Director: Nathanial Hornblower

Writer: Doug E. Fresh

Stars: Mike D, Adam Horowitz, Adam Youch, Mix Master Mike, Money Mark

Genre: Documentary, Musical

Length: 89 minutes

Cinema: 07 July 2006

Country: USA

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