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Movies / On DVD / Standing in the Shadows of Motown
Standing in the Shadows of Motown

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Standing in the Shadows of Motown (2002)

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Reviews Counted:88

Fresh:81

Rotten:7

Average Rating:7.5/10

Consensus: A toe-tapping tribute to the band that gave Motown its sound.

Rated: PG [See Full Rating] for language and thematic elements

Runtime: 1 hr 50 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:Nov 15, 2002 Limited

Box Office: $1,234,246

Synopsis: By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them... By the end of their phenomenal run, this unheralded group of musicians had played on more number ones hits than the Beach Boys, the Rolling Stones, Elvis and the Beatles combined - which makes them the greatest hit machine in the history of popular music. They called themselves the Funk Brothers. Forty-one years after they played their first note an a Motown record and three decades since they were all together, the Funk Brothers reunited back in Detroit to play their music and tell their unforgettable story in STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN. Fourteen years in the making, this film is based upon a book of the same title that won the 1989 Rolling Stone / BMl "Ralph J. Gleason Music Book Award", STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN was shot entirely in film, on location in Detroit throughout December of 2000 and January of 2001. This one hour and fifty-six minute documentary tells the Funk Brothers' saga through archival footage and still photos, narration, interviews, re-creation scenes, 20 Motown master tracks, and twelve new live performances of Motown classics with the Funk Brothers backing up Chaka Kahn, Ben Harper, Bootsy Collins, Montell Jordan, Meshell Ndegeocello, Joan Osborne, and Gerald Levert. With the tumultuous sixties as a backdrop, Motown's unsung heroes take the viewer on a compelling journey in time as they trace the evolution of The Motown Sound" from its origins in Detroit to its demise in Los Angeles during the seventies. Through the eyes of the riveting characters who ruled Hitsville's studio by day and the club scene of Detroit by night, we enter a world of unparalleled soul and emotion as the Funk Brothers revisit the sites of their musical roots, triumphs, and eventual heartbreak. For more than four decades, from the dance floors of the world, to the Detroit riots of 1967, to the war in Vietnam, the music the Funk Brothers created has played a major role in the cultural fabric of all of our lives. STANDING IN THE SHADOWS OF MOTOWN finally puts some faces on that music and introduces these heroic musical figures to the world. -- © 2002 Artisan Entertainment [More]

Starring: Joan Osborne, Gerald Levert, Meshell Ndegéocello, Bootsy Collins

Starring: Joan Osborne, Gerald Levert, Meshell Ndegéocello, Bootsy Collins, Ben Harper, Chaka Kahn, Montell Jordan, Tom Scott, Jack Ashford, Bob Babbitt, Johnny Griffith, Joe Hunter, Uriel Jones, Joe Messina, Eddie "Chank" Willis

Director: Paul Justman

Director: Paul Justman
Producer: Sandy Passman, Allan "Dr. Licks" Slutsky, Paul Justman
Studio: Artisan Entertainment

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Release:

Apr 22, 2003

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Reviews for Standing in the Shadows of Motown

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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
04/29/09
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Eclipse Magazine | comment Comment
10/18/08
Michelle Alexandria
Michelle Alexandria
Eclipse Magazine
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile

Even after decades of performing the same songs, the energy never flags.

Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
08/22/08
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsweek | comment Comment
11/01/07
David Ansen
David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Dark Horizons | comment Comment
03/14/05
Garth Franklin
Garth Franklin
Dark Horizons

The feel-good documentary of the year, featuring the irresistible 1960s music that made Detroit famous.

Full Review Source: Boulder Weekly | comment Comment
02/16/04
Thomas Delapa
Thomas Delapa
Boulder Weekly

The cheap and easy recycling of old myths and superficial treatment given the significant social milieu of the time is startling.

Full Review Source: Apollo Guide | comment Comment
08/31/03
Dan Jardine
Dan Jardine
Apollo Guide
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/05/03
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
08/01/03
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

...guaranteed to turn Motown neophytes into fans.

Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | comment Comment
08/01/03
David Nusair
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
07/25/03
Jamie Russell
Jamie Russell
BBC

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Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
05/28/03
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An immensely entertaining look at some of the unsung heroes of 20th century pop music.

Full Review Source: Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia) | comment Comment
03/18/03
Mark Palermo
Mark Palermo
Coast (Halifax, Nova Scotia)

Like some of the poppier Hitsville U.S.A. songs, the film is a little too slick and a little too warm-and-fuzzy... but it is always engrossing and enjoyable...

Full Review Source: Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN) | comment Comment
03/17/03
John Beifuss
John Beifuss
Commercial Appeal (Memphis, TN)
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
03/07/03
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Unsung heroes of some of pop music's finest moments get to stand up and be counted in this documentary/concert/tribute.

Full Review Source: Netflix | comment Comment
02/11/03
James Rocchi
James Rocchi
Netflix
 
 
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