C D K · Culture Maven on Film: "The Velvet Undergroud"
Film Review & Podcast by c d kaplan
One thing that sort of took me by surprise when Lou Reed passed away a few years back was the extent of mainstream grief. The dark music of one of the leaders of the Velvet Underground had obviously touched a lot more folks that I would have imagined.
While I have been certainly aware of this band that germinated in the avant-garde art scene in Manhattan in the 60s, and acknowledge the group’s importance in the history of rock & roll, I honestly haven’t been very familiar with the band’s musical resumé.
Still I anticipated Todd Haynes’ documentary about the band.
And, correctly so. It showed at Speed Museum Cinema over the weekend, and can be streamed at Apple TV+.
It’s a really fine piece of filmmaking. Immediately in the upper echelon of musical biographies.
Haynes movie not only gives us the facts we expect. But does so in a way that truly evokes the scene from which it arose.
For a more complete examination of this marvelous film, listen to my podcast above.
