Miscellaneous - Joy Division
by Anthony Strutt
published: 24 / 5 / 2008

intro
New documentary 'Joy Division' is the second film about the seminal 80's group in just over six months, but unlike the recent Anton Corbijn biopic 'Control', it tells the band's rather than Ian Curtis' story. Anthony Strutt finds much there for both long term and new fans
'Joy Division' was directed by Grant Gee, who also directed Radiohead's 'Meeting People is Easy', and who was the cinematographer on 'Scott Walker : 30 Century Man'. The film was written by Jon Savage, the author of 'England's Dreaming', the legendary book on the Sex Pistols and the history of punk rock, which, published in 1991, remains one of the best books on the subject. The London premiere of the film was attended by both the director and the writer who did a questions and answers session after the film. Also present on the night were Stephen Morris, the only member of Joy Division there ; his wife Gillian Gilbert who was in New Order ; former Suede guitaist Bernard Butler ; St Etienne's Bob Stanley ; Trembling Blue Stars, and Neil Tennant who worked with Bernard Sumner in Electronic. Many things have been written and said about Joy Division especially over the last few years, which has seen the remastering on vinyl and CD of all three Joy Division albums, their two studio records, 'Unknown Pleasures' and 'Closer' and live album 'Still'. Unlike the recent Anton Corbijn-directed film 'Control', this is not the Ian Curtis story. It is the band's story told by the band and its associates, which includes unreleased rehearsal footage and some very rare live footage from Holland which is of dreadful bootleg quality. It also includes interviews with Curtis' lover Annik Honore, who goes on camera to talk about their relationship for the very first time. Everything you want to know about the band is here. Even if you don't know a lot about them, this is as good a possible an introduction as any to joy Division, other than discovering the two studio albums which sold poorly at the time of their release but have gone on to sell millions ever since.
Label Articles:-
Distant Noise (2)most viewed articles
current edition
Robby Krieger - Set The Night on Fire, Living, Dying, And Playing Guitar with The DoorsBoomtown Rats - Ten Songs That Made Me Love....
Lida Husik - Interview
Cathal Coughlan - Interview
Rick Wakeman - Interview
Peter Doherty and Frederic Lo - Cavern Club, Liverpool, 27/3/2022
Cliff Richard - Not Fade Away
Simon Bromide - Interview
Candlelight Tribute to Coldplay - Manchester Cathedral, Manchester, 1/4/2022
Wolfgang Flur - Interview
previous editions
World Party - InterviewSam Brown - Interview 2008
Cliff Richard - Vs Elvis Presley
Trudie Myerscough-Harris - Interview
Eric Chappell - Interview 1
Pete Brown - Interview
Ruskin Arms - The Image That Made Me Weep
Half Man Half Biscuit - Ten Songs That Made Me Love...
Joy Division - The Image That Made Me Weep
Melanie Blake - Interview
most viewed reviews
current edition
Rupert Wates - For The PeopleBanjo Jen - Fine Line
Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri - The Long Ride Home
Bonham-Bullick - Bonham-Bullick
Dead South - Easy Listening for Jerks Parts 1 and 2
Family - A Song for Me
Loop - Sonancy
Stereophonics - Oochya!
Weather Station - How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars
John Mayall - The Sun is Shining Down
Pennyblackmusic Regular Contributors
Adrian Janes
Adrian P
Amanda J. Window
Andrew Twambley
Anthony Dhanendran
Benjamin Howarth
Carl Bookstein
Chris O'Toole
Cila Warncke
Daniel Cressey
Darren Aston
Dave Goodwin
Denzil Watson
Dixie Ernill
Dominic B. Simpson
Eoghan Lyng
Fiona Hutchings
Harry Sherriff
Helen Tipping
Jamie Rowland
John Clarkson
Julie Cruickshank