NFT: Scorcese making a Grateful Dead movie - Jonah Hill as Jerry

Looking at recent movies like Bohemian Rhapsody where Rami Malek nailed it and Rocketman where Taron Egerton came close, the issue to me is Jonah looking and sounding like Jerry. He was a very iconic figure. I can hear his speaking voice, his laugh in my head right now. And I don't mean to be 'if he doesn't look exactly like Jerry he has failed', but boy... I kinda feel like that will be Jonah's biggest challenge.

In comment 15457497 Bold Ruler said:

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Looking at recent movies like Bohemian Rhapsody where Rami Malek nailed it and Rocketman where Taron Egerton came close, the issue to me is Jonah looking and sounding like Jerry. He was a very iconic figure. I can hear his speaking voice, his laugh in my head right now. And I don't mean to be 'if he doesn't look exactly like Jerry he has failed', but boy... I kinda feel like that will be Jonah's biggest challenge.

BoldRuler, I didn't put as much careful thought into it as you have, but when I saw the OP, I could only think 'Moneyball' and thought it a hilarious misfit. It could work, but....

the guitar-playing I'm not so sure about.

I'm not a big Dead fan, but I'd definitely be interested in this.

the band being involved and making the full rights available will make all the difference.

Roaring version.
US Blues - ( New Window )

envision how they will (or if they can) accurately depict the quality of musicianship in a movie like this.

Other biopics that come to mind - they could at least make it seem like the actor can sing, which was the primary delivery of expression in most of those movies - Bohemian Rhapsody, What's Love Got to Do with It, Walk the Line, heck even Straight Outta Compton - so long as an actor can speak or sing, they can do most of the job that's being asked.

But this one? Jerry wasn't known as a talker. He didn't express himself in words, for the most part. So, unless Jonah Hill can play, or they have a CGI solution (in which case I'd be skeptical anyway), I wonder how/whether this part can be played on film in 150 minutes.

Then again it's Martin fucking Scorcese, so he'll come up with something?

In comment 15457535 Bold Ruler said:

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Roaring version. US Blues - ( New Window )

thanks for posting. never seen that version (and I've seen my share lol) def the most animated I've ever seen Jerry on stage

...definitely do. It was excellent. Scorsese was a producer. Directed by Amir Bar-Lev.

The whole story is kind of a tragedy, with deaths from addiction, etc.


Long Strange Trip - ( New Window )

That was at Duke. I was at their show a couple nights later at W&M, another great show. After the Deadheads spent the day entertaining themselves and the other patrons at Colonial Williamsburg, the band was never invited back.

In comment 15457524 Giantophile said:

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the band being involved and making the full rights available will make all the difference.

Having the band involved is great for getting access to the music and gear, but can force them to sugar coat some things. Much like the Freddy Mercury movie...

interesting to see how (or if) they depict Altamont, given what happened recently.

He certainly always had a definitive point of view about the stuff he discussed. Lesh and Kreutzman have written books and there is no shortage of other historical material in print about the band. Even if they don't always have primary source material to quote, I don't think they will have a problem with content -- though it will be interesting to see how they move the line between documentary and sort of a visual, semi-accurate memoir. I don't think they will sugarcoat his problems with drugs. Lesh's and Kreutzman's books portrayed occasional friction between individual band members (though not usually involving Garcia) while trying to keep focus on the ambitions of the whole group with the music. I will look forward to this, and I'll bet I wind up liking most but probably not all of it. We shall see.

Hey

They don’t sugarcoat Jerry’s heroin addiction. The dead couldn’t play certain venues because Jerry didn’t have a connect in that city.

with Kesey and the acid tests and the pranksters?
Because after that Jerry's life was pretty much: eat potato chips, smoke heroin, play live every night with or without the Dead.
Does not really make for the most exciting movie...

Looking forward to this.

Jonah is quite a serious actor. I look forward to what he comes up with.

Scorcese is a master of his craft.

In comment 15457535 Bold Ruler said:

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Roaring version. US Blues - ( New Window )

Good one!

Jerry Garcia led quite a life (albeit too short)
Jerry's wiki bio - ( New Window )

But, I will check it out.


Netflix(?) had a great documentary on BoB Weir from the time he was what 16(?) years old when he met JG and joined the DEAD. They weren't the Dead back then - Warlocks? till just about a year or 3 ago.

Anyway it really was great - I think it was Netflix (might have been Prime? I will go and find it on y channels and get back with more precise info.

"The Other One: The Long Strange Trip of Bob Weir" -

over 90 minutes on Bob Weir's life. It was great and I am not even really a Dead head. But, I definitely respect their place in music history.

I am very skeptical about this.

I listen to this pod and they just put this up about the Dead movie.
Full Cast and Crew on the Dead Movie - ( New Window )

It's really interesting.

In comment 15458424 short lease said:

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But, I will check it out. Netflix(?) had a great documentary on BoB Weir from the time he was what 16(?) years old when he met JG and joined the DEAD. They weren't the Dead back then - Warlocks? till just about a year or 3 ago. Anyway it really was great - I think it was Netflix (might have been Prime? I will go and find it on y channels and get back with more precise info.

Prime has a 4 hour Dead documentary. Long Strange Trip

In comment 15458772 RicFlair said:

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In comment 15458424 short lease said: Quote: But, I will check it out. Netflix(?) had a great documentary on BoB Weir from the time he was what 16(?) years old when he met JG and joined the DEAD. They weren't the Dead back then - Warlocks? till just about a year or 3 ago. Anyway it really was great - I think it was Netflix (might have been Prime? I will go and find it on y channels and get back with more precise info. Prime has a 4 hour Dead documentary. Long Strange Trip

Thanks Ric. I have Prime and will check it out. Was that presented in a "series" format? I might have seen it already.

Thanks again - I will go look for it. I love AAAAALLLLL documentaries - especially ones on legendary music groups.

In comment 15460085 short lease said:

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In comment 15458772 RicFlair said: Quote: In comment 15458424 short lease said: Quote: But, I will check it out. Netflix(?) had a great documentary on BoB Weir from the time he was what 16(?) years old when he met JG and joined the DEAD. They weren't the Dead back then - Warlocks? till just about a year or 3 ago. Anyway it really was great - I think it was Netflix (might have been Prime? I will go and find it on y channels and get back with more precise info. Prime has a 4 hour Dead documentary. Long Strange Trip Thanks Ric. I have Prime and will check it out. Was that presented in a "series" format? I might have seen it already. Thanks again - I will go look for it. I love AAAAALLLLL documentaries - especially ones on legendary music groups.

I believe it was. I forgot the name and googled it and it just had the running time.

In comment 15458424 short lease said:

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But, I will check it out. Netflix(?) had a great documentary on BoB Weir from the time he was what 16(?) years old when he met JG and joined the DEAD. They weren't the Dead back then - Warlocks? till just about a year or 3 ago. Anyway it really was great - I think it was Netflix (might have been Prime? I will go and find it on y channels and get back with more precise info.

There's a huge deep dive doc on Amazon. Think it's called "what a long strange trip." It's like 10 parts I have watched 1-2 eps so far. Quite good.

I guess it's not 10 parts either. But it's deep.

is very good but it is more about the people and the social impact of the band, than it is about the music.

Going to work in his trademark racist tropes and over the top everything? That's the real intrigue for me to.