by Joseph Perry and Mike Imboden
In our “The Good, the Bad, and the Verdict” film reviews, Joseph and Mike give their thoughts on a slice of cinema. For this installment, it’s the documentary Devo by Chris Smith.
Synopsis
An exploration of the gloriously radical spirit that is Devo — a rare band founded by a philosophy; a Dada experiment of high art meets low, hellbent on infiltrating American popular culture.
Joseph: For those who simply consider(ed) Devo to be a wacky new wave band, Devo is going to be an eye-opening experience. Smith does a terrific job of presenting the history of Devo, from the band’s obscure beginnings at Kent State to the initial breakup of the group and the members’ lives and careers afterward. The documentary is both an excellent testimonial to the members’ artistic and philosophical visions, and an unfortunate affirmation of how little things have changed regarding American society since the group’s attempted spreading of their de-evolution messages. Historical clips — including music videos, of course — and current interviews with Devo members are plentiful and intriguing.
can sometimes be five or six steps removed from the subject matter. Smith eschews these self professed “experts” and goes right to the horses’ mouth (or in this case, mouths), giving us a detailed history of the band from Caasle, the Mothersbaughs, and others (bandmates, producers, etc).
There are tons of clips - from the very first ever Devo show at Kent State to music videos to TV interviews - which wonderfully details the impact they had on not just the music scene but on society itself. On a personal level, I never realized how many of my own beliefs were probably subconsciously planted by their lyrics and the whole basis of Devolution. I guess they did their job on me.
The Bad
Joseph: I don’t really have anything to state here. Devo is a fine documentary.
Mike: What’s not to like about a documentary covering Devo that is called, simply, Devo. There’s nothing to see here. Move along.
Joseph: Big-time Devo fans should consider Smith’s documentary to be required viewing. Fans of 1970s and 1980s music and anyone interested in sociology should consider this a must-see. Even the most casual of Devo fans and the Devo-curious will get much out of this fine effort. And if you have never experienced Devo before, prepare yourself and give this doc a watch.
Mike: Devo is one of those bands that most everyone knows, whether they actually know it or not. That is, “those guys with planters on their heads” or “whip it!” may be the extent of their familiarity with the band, but they’ll still find as much to enjoy about Smith’s doc as will diehard and casual fans.
The biggest takeaway from Devo is that we need their message now more than ever to remind a lot of people that “God made man, But a monkey supplied the glue”.
Highly recommended.
Devo
Directed By: Chris Smith
Written By: Chris Smith
Starring: Mark Mothersbaugh, Jerry Casale, Bob Mothersbaugh
Run Time: 1h 33m
Rating: NR
Release Date: January 21, 2024 (United States)
Comments
Post a Comment
Share your thoughts with us