Brett Morgen
Brett Morgen Knows That His David Bowie Doc, Moonage Daydream, Is a Great Drug Movie
Moonage Daydream, a cinematic trip into the psyche and legacy of the iconic David Bowie, has been out in theaters for a week now, and director Brett Morgen confirms that mind-altering substances are being enjoyed in those theaters. “It’s happening a lot,” he tells Consequence via Zoom, a few days after the unconventional documentary’s IMAX premiere. “I’m having people come up to me at the end of screenings lit and tripped out.” Officially authorized by the Bowie estate, Moonage Daydream uses decades of archival footage to craft a visually-driven look at Bowie as an artist, from the Ziggy Stardust days to the more grounded, yet still ethereal, man he eventually became. Given the beautiful visual soundscapes designed by Morgan, blending animation and music and color to capture the essence of...
Moonage Daydream Captures David Bowie’s Legacy and a Life Lived Magnificently: Review
The Pitch: The new David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream, succeeds not only for what it is, but what it isn’t. That has a lot to do with the clichés — and, occasionally, limitations — of the well-trodden format of the music documentary. We know bad ones — or just boilerplate ones — when we see them. They typically open in medias res; the subject mumbles something backstage through celluloid grain and a plume of smoke. Here come the talking heads: Jakob Dylan, Dave Grohl, Bono. The director takes us from the cradle to the grave — and you’re left a few bucks poorer, wondering if this is all music is, in the end. But never fear: Brett Morgen is at the wheel of Moonage Daydream, the new documentary plumbing the depths of Bowie. You may remember Morgen because he directed Kurt Cobain: Monta...
Moonage Daydream Shows the Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust
For months, filmmaker Brett Morgen was lost in his David Bowie obsessions, sidelined by writer’s block. Now he was wandering a train station in Albuquerque, New Mexico, seeking clarity in his quest to create Moonage Daydream, a vibrant, fully immersive and wildly non-traditional documentary about the late groundbreaking recording artist. Decades earlier, Bowie himself had spent some time in Albuquerque while making his first film, 1976’s far-out sci-fi drama The Man Who Fell to Earth. He also preferred trains to air travel. Morgen hoped Bowie’s example might help, and documented his moments of desperation in a video diary on his phone. In the recording, you can almost see the anxiety in Morgen’s face, bearded and incognito in sunglasses and a hat, as he hurried to his train back home to Lo...
David Bowie Documentary Moonage Daydream Picked Up by Neon, Universal, HBO
Back in November, news broke that director Brett Morgen was making the first-ever fully authorized David Bowie documentary. Now, the film — dubbed Moonage Daydream — has been acquired for release by Neon, Universal, and HBO Documentary Films (per The Hollywood Reporter). Neon will release Moonage Daydream in the United States, and IMAX screenings of the film are expected to follow. Universal is handling the picture’s international release, while HBO holds cable and streaming rights. Described as a “feature-length experiential cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream is narrated by Bowie himself and features never-before-seen footage, performances, and music. Beyond his illustrious music career, the documentary will also delve into Bowie’s work in dance, painting, sculpture...
David Bowie Documentary ‘Moonage Daydream’ Is Coming to Theaters, HBO
An all-new documentary celebrating the life of late British rockstar David Bowie is nearing completion and will be released by NEON and Universal Pictures Content Group, the companies announced Wednesday (April 13). Titled Moonage Daydream, the film will be released by NEON in the U.S., while Universal Pictures Content Group has international distribution rights. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news No theatrical release date has been announced, though the film is slated to premiere on HBO and HBO Max in spring 2023 via HBO Documentary Films. Theatrical engagements for Moonage Daydream — which marks the first film under a multi-picture deal between Morgen and BMG for IMAX Productions — will include IMAX screenings in select markets. Five yea...
David Bowie Film Coming from Director Brett Morgen
Brett Morgen, director of immersive, collage-like documentaries including Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and Jane, is working on a movie about David Bowie based on thousands of hours of unseen concert footage of the late musician. While a lot of information about the project remains under wraps (no titles or release dates yet), Variety quotes a source who describes the film as “neither documentary nor biography, but an immersive cinematic experience.” This makes sense, given Morgen’s history: his Cobain film utilized home footage and animations of the musician’s own art, which proved much more compelling than the talking heads featured. Plus, Bowie’s widow, the model Iman, has long rejected authorization requests for a traditional biopic. “It’s always a no. We always ask each ...
