Review of Beastie Boys Story
midlandsmovies • August 7, 2020
Beastie Boys Story (2020) Dir. Spike Jonze
The New York City-formed hip hoppers Beastie Boys are the subject of this “documentary” from their long-time collaborator Spike Jonze. I use quotation marks as the film is a strange blend of on-stage monologues (or duologues) between members Michael "Mike D" Diamond & Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz and archive footage. And the passing of band member Adam "MCA" Yauch permeates throughout, in what is an emotional tribute as they reminisce about their entire music career and bonds of brotherhood.
Formed out of a hardcore punk band in the late 70s, the three friends’ passion and musical experimentation saw them end up opening for Madonna before their debut album, Licensed to Ill, rose to the top of the charts.
On their way to becoming the biggest-selling rap group of all time, the two men tell stories from their upbringing, through to the misinterpretation of (You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!). The upbeat anthem being a parody of jock-culture was lost on most at the time. But they also tread a path through their low-points when they avoided repeating that mainstream success the record company demanded.
As a film, it’s an unconventional set-up but you wouldn’t expect any less from the band and Spike Jonze who have never been conformist in their art. What it does look like though is a more informal Apple product launch. But the stories and level of enthusiasm is so infectious that the simplicity is one of its huge pluses.
The conversation flows naturally so we really get a sense of the band’s ethos and creativity, and when it strays away from the script we get a large dollop of humility. And humanity too.
The emotional hit comes when they recollect on the passing of their friend. It’s a hard watch as their two voices break in sorrow such was the brother-like bond the trio had. But it’s amazing and compelling viewing throughout.
With Jonze directing the band’s music videos "Ricky's Theme", "Sabotage" and "Sure Shot" amongst others, the director wisely sits in the background (and sound booth at the auditorium) and lets the tales come across in an honest and enlightening way.
In the end, it could be argued that the documentary is the best PowerPoint presentation you will ever see given its construction. But with its musing on musical memories and a straightforward and sincere delivery, it is two hours of ‘Beastie’ bliss.
★★★★
Michael Sales
On the 4th of December 2025, as the cold moon rose, evil spirits and terrifying creatures lingered in the darkness. In rural Derbyshire, the full moon welcomed in the premiere of The Winster Werewolf – Amberwell Productions' new short, the fourth in their six-part ‘creature anthology’.
Sarah Hughes is a Midlands-based actress & TV, film and SFX artist is about to begin production on her first ever full feature film.
As part of our Midlands on the Move features, we speak to Carl Staples, a Midlands storyboarder and filmmaker with a wide range of regional experience who went on to be involved in the Oscar-winning short film The Silent Child. Find out more about Carl's work...
Our resident local film critic @_jacob.holmes headed off beyond the region's boundaries to the BFI London Film Festival. In our latest Midlands on the Move feature, Jacob shares some helpful hints for first timers, as he provides a guide for local filmmakers and film fans as to what to expect when visiting events further afield... In 2025 I had the honour of attending the 69 th BFI London Film Festival for a week, I attending premieres for some of my most anticipated films of the year. And even grabbed a press pass too. This wasn’t my first film festival, but this was my first London Film Fest and to be brutally honest, in the build-up, I was nervous! Sadly, I found the BFI and Accreditation websites not very intuitive and quite confusing. So this this article hopes to give some peace of mind and let people know what they can expect when attending such UK festivals - both as a regular guest and as press. Tickets Getting regular tickets can be stressful, akin to a big concert. And in a way it's like the Hunger Games, a survival of the fittest type of vibe. First off, BFI advertise tickets go on sale at 10am in September, which is true but not wholly accurate. Instead, at 9am you head to the website and get put in a waiting room with a random allocated number for when the actual sale start at 10am. At that time it tells you where you are in the queue. If you get lucky, you could wait 15 minutes, but often the wait can be an hour plus. Finally when you can make a purchase, you are let in and can put all tickets into your basket. I have two years of experience with this queue! The first time, I failed completely and all movies I wanted to see were sold out. But this year I had a plan! The key to success is knowledge to how to play the game. Tip 1: For the best possible chances, subscribe to the BFI and become a member. The year membership was £35 at its cheapest. And if you're in the Midlands like I am, outside the festival a membership can be fairly useless unless you go to London often. But what this membership gives you is important. A week before general release there is a presale for BFI members. Not only is this a benefit, it also gives you a crucial second chance. By that I mean if things don't go your way the first time, you can try again in the general sale. And I had to do exactly this. When general admissions came out, I tried again for tickets for Wake Up Dead Man and got my ticket! Tip 2: Quantity. There's nothing against the rules saying you can’t enter the queue on multiple devices! I was placed very low down in the queue in my first year on one laptop, but this year I used my phone, PC, laptop, my friend's laptops AND my friends' devices! But it all paid off. Devices can take 2 hours or only 30 minutes. More Devices = Higher chance of getting tickets. Tip 3: Know the films you want to see beforehand. If you don’t know what films you want to see or when they screen you will be completely lost. Write a timetable - and furthermore, have back up plans. Sometimes you'll click on what you want and it will be sold out, but having a backup plan will be much easier overall. Tip 4: Even if you don’t get tickets, it's not the end of the world. There are plenty of second-hand ticket websites selling tickets at normal (or sometimes cheaper) prices. Websites like Twickets, social media accounts like @LFFstubs on X or the r/londonfilmfestival on Reddit will have second-hand tickets. In fact, I sold one of my tickets on Twickets and had no complaints either. Press passes As you can imagine, this process is very different for industry passes. The biggest issue is tickets go on sale in waves each day. Instead of one go, pass holders book their tickets day by day. Tickets go on sale at 8am two days before, usually taking place on the accreditation app or website. In some ways this is easier, but it's also a gigantic pain. Although it's MUCH easier to get a ticket, do have to wake up every single day to go onto a laggy website and book a few tickets. You may even have to book tickets in the cinema. Another issue can be if you plan to see both general and press screenings. One you book way in advance, but press screenings are booked during the fest. Ticket prices for public screenings vary, but the gala/premiere screenings are usually £30-£40. Whilst the press screenings are completely free, you just have to pay for the pass itself which is around £55.