A Joe Meek biopic staring Kevin Spacey

jckinnick · Post by **jckinnick** » Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:07 am

Anybody seen the trailer for the Joe Meek biopic called Telstar? Looks like it might be pretty good.

;ivlunsdystf · Post by **;ivlunsdystf** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 8:47 pm

no waaaay

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi1703215641/

Interesting.

agrpap · Post by **agrpap** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 10:15 pm

looks excellent! the guy playing John Peel is a dead-ringer

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Jul 13, 2009 11:19 pm

Yeah, but Kevin Spacey's not playing Meek, right? He's just in it. I thought I remembered hearing about this one a while back.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

alex matson · Post by **alex matson** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 1:14 am

It wouldn't play from the link provided for me - but I just watched it on YT and people are saying that it already opened in England and went nowhere. A shame, it looks interesting.

centurymantra · Post by **centurymantra** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:42 am

Yes, this does look great. The comments/reviews on IMDB seem quite favorable. From the tone of this random reviewer, it looks like it could be a "must-see"...

random IMDB reviewer wrote:To be honest I only popped into see this at the LFF screening because it had Kevin Spacey in it and that bloke from Gavin and Stacey. I had no idea who Joe Meek was and couldn't sing one of his songs if you paid me. My expectations were low but I thought what the hell and settled into my seat. The first thing that struck me was the style of the piece, Nick Moran has captured the era beautifully, it looks incredible. The performances, to a man, are wonderfully heightened and there is an incredible energy to the piece. I laughed a lot and totally bought into the madness of the Holloway Road studio and its inhabitants. The second half of the film punches you right in the gut. Meeks descent from manic,comedic,volatile, music genius, to heart broken, paranoid, physco is painfully moving. Con O'Neill is amazing, it's one of those performances that just haunts you. Staying with you long after the credits role. I sat in the cinema with the rest of the spellbound audience and watched gobsmaked as Morans film launched into its final heart wrenching act. This is a British film to be proud of. Unlike anything we have seen for many, many years. A truly remarkable debut from Moran. Great stuff.

centurymantra · Post by **centurymantra** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:56 am

Actually...I read the IMDB comments a little further and it likes like it is getting a fair amount of negative commentary on a few points, and at least one person said the actual documentary film that preceded this was far superior.

Anyway...whatever - still looking forward to seeing it.

Dr Rubberfunk · Post by **Dr Rubberfunk** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 3:36 am

It's been getting a lot of press coverage here in the UK, and the clips I've seen look interesting for sure, but I've yet to go and check it out...
I get the impression that Joe Meek is still very much a 'specialist subject' with Joe Public ...

Marwood Williams · Post by **Marwood Williams** » Wed Aug 12, 2009 12:06 pm

I saw the film 2 months ago at the Seattle International Film Festival.

It was an interesting movie, apparently based on a long running English stage play.

It was insightful in giving us a glimpse of the British recording industry in the early 60's. Meek was obviously a recording innovator, which the film briefly touches on, The main focus pf the story has to do with Meek's many emotional issues and his deteriorating mental health.

If you are looking for a movie that details his technical accomplishments, this film isn't for you. (I would look for the aforementioned documentary.) If you want to see a psychological profile of a "mad genius," then this is your film.

kingnimrod · Post by **kingnimrod** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 5:21 pm

I saw the movie on a British Airways flight to London a couple of weeks ago. It was alright, but the music/recording technique aspects were really background to the British pop star/ music industry fluff, and the main focus of the story was Meek's descent into madness amid his gay relationships and related financial problems. Sort of like a dark, gay-themed, British version of 'That Thing You Do. '

Meek is not portrayed as a likeable character at all-- rather a bullying, loud-mouthed asshole running all over everyone.

I think the bedroom scenes will probably impede this movie from wide US theatrical release. Worth a watch, I guess, but not the movie I was hoping for. Kevin Spacey doesn't spend much time onscreen, by the way, and not a compelling character either.

Is the documentary on DVD?

AstroDan · Post by **AstroDan** » Sun Sep 20, 2009 7:56 pm

Sort of like a dark, gay-themed, British version of 'That Thing You Do.'

I've heard this was a proposed tagline for the movie poster.

cgarges · Post by **cgarges** » Mon Sep 21, 2009 12:57 am

kingnimrod wrote:Meek is not portrayed as a likeable character at all-- rather a bullying, loud-mouthed asshole running all over everyone.

That sounds pretty much like every description I've heard of him.

Chris Garges
Charlotte, NC

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A Joe Meek biopic staring Kevin Spacey

A Joe Meek biopic staring Kevin Spacey

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