The Flaming Lips: The Fearless Freaks

1 Review

How did a weird art-punk band from Oklahoma wind up selling out stadiums around the world? That’s the focus of this superb rock doc, and whether you’re already a Flaming Lips fan or just a casual listener, Brad Beesley’s film will make a believer out of you. Drawing on his 15-year-history with the Lips, Beesley achieves “a level of intimacy that most rock documentary directors can only dream of” (NY Times). Among the most raw and powerful stories Beesley captures is that of drummer Steve Drozd’s heroin addiction, which tears the band apart. Appearances by colleagues, including Cat Power, White Stripes and Liz Phair, make this a must-see for rock fans everywhere.

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Release Date:	Mar 13, 2005
Running Time:	103 minutes
Country:	United States
Language:	English

synopsis

“The Fearless Freaks is the most intimate portrait of a band you’re likely to see… as heartwarming and heartbreaking as the band’s music itself,” said Bill Crandall of Rolling Stone. Beesley captures the Flaming Lips’ deep-set Oklahoma roots with never-before-seen home movie footage and Coyne family photographs. Performance footage begins with the band’s early punk/noise phase, and continues throughout the years as the band’s shows become increasingly avant-garde. At any given Flaming Lips concert, there may be puppets and light shows, animal suits and theatrical blood, balloons and confetti, or even a gigantic, Coyne-inhabited plastic ball, and all are represented in Beesley’s film.