Documentary, Music
Over a decade in the making, Swagger of Thieves follows rock band Head Like a Hole from the top of the charts to the bottom of a needle. Staring down their age, two pals and the main guts of HLAH, frontman Nigel Booga Beazley and 'co- conspirator' Nigel Regan strut the hard road out of hell, fighting to reconnect and return their band to past glory, amidst disgruntled band mates, a changed music industry, and disappointed wives. Struggling to place past addictions and sabotaged dreams behind them in their continuing quest for rock music relevance, the ever-collapsing binary stars of any Head Like a Hole lineup, are certain (not) to polish their legacy here. Swagger of Thieves captures what it means to be in a band with a reputation. Unrelentingly raw, wild and honest, to the point of being one of the most insightful music documentaries ever made. Essential viewing. New Zealand International Film Festival (NZIFF), Melbourne International Documentary Film Festival (MIDFF)
MOVIE COMMENTS
SIMILAR MOVIES
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits
Oils on the Water
Waldo
Fishmans
Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
Western Stars
The Noise of Fargo
Woodstock
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts: Real Wild Child - Video Anthology
Appointment in Bray
Heartbreakers Beach Party
Soultribe: A Dance of Life
Def Leppard: And There Will Be a Next Time - Live from Detroit
La Story de Serge Gainsbourg : Le Punchliner
Stereophonics Live in Cardiff: We'll Keep a Welcome
Super Duper Alice Cooper
Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
ONEFOUR: Against All Odds
Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS 102.3 FM
SIMILAR MOVIES
Eric Clapton: Life in 12 Bars
IMDB 7.4 | Mar , 2018
An unflinching and deeply personal journey into the life and work of guitarist Eric Clapton told through his own words and songs.Dire Straits: Sultans of Swing, The Very Best of Dire Straits
IMDB 7.4 | Aug , 1998
Sultans of swing - Lady writer - Romeo and Juliet - Tunnel of love - Private investigations - Twisting by the pool - Love over gold (live 1983) - So far away - Money for nothing - Brothers in arms - Walk of life - Calling Elvis - Heavy fuel - On every street (live 1992) - Your latest trick (live 1992) - Local hero - Wild theme (live 1992)Oils on the Water
IMDB 8 | Jan , 1985
On January 13th 1985, Midnight Oil performed the Oils on the Water concert on Goat Island, Sydney, to celebrate radio Triple-J's tenth birthday, before a select crowd of 400 (half competition winners and half staff, media and friends, though other fans swam across). The concert was simulcast live on ABC TV and Triple J radio, released on video, then later remastered as part of the 2004 Best of Both Worlds DVD set. Oils on the Water was a classic Midnight Oil performance and setting with the band in fine high-energy form, caught in the light of the setting sun, against the backdrop of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.Waldo
IMDB 7 | Nov , 2024
The morning of the 28th of March, 1977, the news broke out that the prestigious composer of "Ode to joy", Waldo de los Ríos, was found dead with two gunshots to the face. This documentary is a project trying to decipher all the secrets behind the public figure of the celebrated Argentinian musician, who lived in Spain since the 60s. During the investigation, we find a life of fame, luxury, passion, homophobia, dictatorship, esotericism, depression, solitud, an enigmatic suicide... and oblivion. We try to understand how one of the biggest composers of universal history transformed his own life into a requiem. From home-movies, photographs, personal letters, audio tapes and other inedit material, the documentary presents the most intimate and hidden portrait of this revolutionary musical genius.Fishmans
IMDB 10 | Jul , 2021
The words I promised to Kin-ichi Motegi, 'This is the first and last. I tell you everything about Fishmans without telling a lie.' The friends who made the sound of Fishmans devoted their lives to music. Shinji Sato's way of life is packed in this movie for nearly three hours.Once Were Brothers: Robbie Robertson and The Band
IMDB 6.8 | Feb , 2020
A confessional, cautionary, and occasionally humorous tale of Robbie Robertson's young life and the creation of one of the most enduring groups in the history of popular music, The Band.Western Stars
IMDB 7 | Oct , 2019
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.The Noise of Fargo
IMDB 0 | Sep , 2023
A group of local avant-garde musical artists in Fargo, ND, are preparing for their first show since the Covid-19 Pandemic. 12 artist showcase their local culture and passion for their Noise scene.Woodstock
IMDB 7.5 | Mar , 1970
An intimate look at the Woodstock Music & Art Festival held in Bethel, NY in 1969, from preparation through cleanup, with historic access to insiders, blistering concert footage, and portraits of the concertgoers; negative and positive aspects are shown, from drug use by performers to naked fans sliding in the mud, from the collapse of the fences by the unexpected hordes to the surreal arrival of National Guard helicopters with food and medical assistance for the impromptu city of 500,000.Joan Jett and The Blackhearts: Real Wild Child - Video Anthology
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2003
The career-spanning anthology features more than 35 videos, tracing Jett's record-breaking career as the front woman of the Blackhearts. Both concert footage and classic videos are presented in chronological order on REAL WILD CHILD, with no-holds-barred commentary from Jett and longtime manager/partner Kenny Laguna, as well as rare and previously unreleased bonus material.Appointment in Bray
IMDB 4.5 | Dec , 1971
In 1917, the First World War is raging. Julien is from Luxemburg, so instead of having to go to war he studies piano in Paris. One day his friend Jacques, also a musician and now a fighter pilot on the front, invites him to spend a few days in his family's empty house in Bray. The housekeeper, a beautiful stoic woman lets Julien in, but his friend is late and he is obliged to wait. In the meantime, he starts reminiscing of the pre-war days spent with his friend and Jacques' girlfriend Odile.Heartbreakers Beach Party
IMDB 8 | Oct , 2024
Documentary that captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). It aired only once on MTV in 1983. After the long lost 16mm reels were finally found, a restored version with 19 minutes of extra footage was released in 2024.Soultribe: A Dance of Life
IMDB 0 | Nov , 2023
Three families struggle to find their true selves and their soulmates in a world full of expectations, pressure and obstacles. Inspired by real events, this film shows how they pursue their dreams and potential without losing themselves.Def Leppard: And There Will Be a Next Time - Live from Detroit
IMDB 7.5 | Jul , 2016
Def Leppard rock Detroit! In the summer of 2016, Def Leppard's World Tour rolled into the DTE Energy Music Theatre on the outskirts of Detroit. As the sun began to set over a packed crowd the huge video wall behind the stage came to life with the exploding image of the band's latest album cover and Def Leppard began to power their way through a stunning setlist of classic hits and new tracks. Featuring superb surround sound and amazing visuals this film captures the full-on experience of Def Leppard live in concert like never before. Includes 'Pour Some Sugar On Me', 'Dangerous', 'Hysteria', 'Let's Get Rocked', 'Photograph', 'Love Bites', 'Rocket', 'Let's Go', 'Animal', 'Rock Of Ages' and more.La Story de Serge Gainsbourg : Le Punchliner
IMDB 6 | Feb , 2021
Stereophonics Live in Cardiff: We'll Keep a Welcome
IMDB 0 | Jun , 2022
Welsh rock royalty Stereophonics return home to Wales to headline a special performance live from Cardiff's iconic Principality Stadium. This celebratory homecoming show, the second of a two-night stand, features all of Stereophonics' hits, including Dakota, Have a Nice Day and Just Looking, along with tracks from their recent album Oochya! and a few surprises.Super Duper Alice Cooper
IMDB 7.1 | Apr , 2014
Emerging from the Detroit music scene of the 1970s in a flurry of long hair and sequins, Alice Cooper restored hard rock with a sense of showmanship, while simultaneously striking fear into the hearts of Middle America with the chicken-slaughtering, dead-baby-eating theatrics that would cement his identity as a glam metal icon. Meticulously crafted from rare archival footage, Super Duper Alice Cooper tells the story of the man behind the makeup, Vincent Furnier, the son of a preacher, who got caught in the grip of his own monster.Beyond the Valley of the Dolls
IMDB 6.2 | Jul , 1970
An all-girl rock band moves to Hollywood in the hope of achieving success, only to fall into a whirlpool of wickedness and decadence.ONEFOUR: Against All Odds
IMDB 6.8 | Oct , 2023
A group of Sydney-based, Pacific Islander kids start recording drill raps to avoid a life of crime. Two years into their meteoric rise, a police task force shuts down their sold-out national tour due to concerns that the group's music will incite violence.Feast Your Ears: The Story of WHFS 102.3 FM
IMDB 0 | Oct , 2023
Built out of “a pile of radio junk,” Bethesda, Maryland’s WHFS was a music fan’s dream of a radio station: the place on the dial to hear music listeners loved and new tunes they soon would, all with an anything-goes mentality and an ear for the sounds of social change. This doc pays loving tribute to free-form radio and WHFS’s influence over FM stations across the US from the 1960s to the 1980s. All good things come to an end, and so did the disc-jockey-driven format that WHFS pioneered and made successful, but its legacy lives on. The station’s DJs relate its history with passion in this film that captures the tenor of an era, abetted by reminiscences of performers including Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal, Jesse Colin Young, and others whose music found its way to ears and minds eager for something more than the same old Top 40 programming.