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:-