Masterpiece Cinema - Vieuphoria

This week -

Vieuphoria

Starring Billy Corgan, James Iha, DArcy Wretzky, Jimmy Chamberlain (as themselves).

Genre: Documentary / Music

Released: 1994

Running time: 90 mins.

Rated: No idea, but there is a Parental Advisory for Explicit Lyrics.

IMDb link: http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0156171/

In 1996, I discovered a band by the name of the Smashing Pumpkins and my world would never be the same again. Whereas before I only had a passing interest in music, I was now passionate about it. I lived and breathed it. It spoke to me. I become a teenage clich, writing bad poetry, drawing pictures of guitars, dreaming of being a rock star and I loved it.

The Pumpkins tapped into something in me that no other bad ever had before, or even since, really. So when a friend of mine said to me in the autumn of 1998 that he had a copy of their video Vieuphoria, I knew I had to see it.

Vieuphoria isnt one of those super-personal music documentaries like Wilcos I Am Trying to Break Your Heart or Metallicas Some Kind of Monster. There is no unflinching depiction of what its really like to be in the band although Vieuphoria does feature a scene in which the band members each speak to a therapist. The only difference to Some Kind of Monster is that, in Vieuphoria, its a joke. Metallica ais the band that actually went out there and got in touch with the inner 'little rockers.'
[BB]
Im getting sidetracked. The real draw of Vieuphoria is the performances it shows, ranging from the kick-arse opening number of Quiet, showing the band at their alt-rockin best, to the stripped-back, restrained version of Cherub Rock they perform for European MTV. Theres the rare track Slunk that they perform on Japanese television, where the hosts ask them the meaning behind their band name and get the enigmatic reply of Gods joke. And theres the stomping, blaring rendition of Geek USA performed to a live German crowd, where lead-singer and guitarist Billy Corgan ask the rowdy audience, who are throwing their beer cups, to please to be stoppen ze throwen ze cuppenz, before he starts catching the cups and throwing them back.

But in addition to the great performances, theres a number of skits in which the band takes part. Theres the aforementioned therapy sessions, where drummer Jimmy Chamberlain makes a plea to his band mates to respect and love him though he gets a little upset at the fact that his band mates arent there, and are instead represented by small toy ducks.

Guitarist James Iha pays tribute to his pet dog, Bugg, through a poetic monologue and a little muzak-like diddy that plays in the background. And were shown what the recording sessions for Siamese Dream, the bands second album, were like, with Billy trying to proudly show off the sitar theyre using on a track, only to be foiled by the locked clasp on the guitar case.

Like I said, Vieuphoria doesnt offer the viewer any real insight into the band. The fact that the ' Siamese Dream ' era is reputed to be the most tumultuous and strife-ridden time the band ever faced goes by completely unaddressed and unseen. What the film does have to offer is a look at a band performing at a time that many also agree was their creative pinnacle, when the sounds they were creating were rich and inspired, before the excesses of rock really started to take their toll.

And if nothing else, the rendition of Today my all time favourite song really kicks arse.

Next time: Someone let in those kids in the hall!

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