Cult Classic #1
Title: "Twenty Four Hour Party People"
Studio: MGM
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Native Release: 4/5/2002    U.S. Release: 8/9/2002
Rating: **** 1/2 out of 5
Starring: Steve Coogan, John Thompson, Nigel Pivaro
Rated: R
(Images courtesy of Rotten Tomatoes)

    “24 Hour Party People”, directed by Michael Winterbottom, tells the story of the late Tony Wilson, founder of legendary Factory Records, who discovered such bands as Joy Division, New Order, and the Happy Mondays.  It all begins when the Sex Pistols play a small venue in Manchester, hosted by Wilson, who at the time worked as a news personality on Granada Television.  This begins to solidify the Manchester scene.
   
    This movie is basically broken into two sections.  The first half of the movie shows how Tony Wilson (played Steve Coogan, “Around The World In 80 Days) starts a small venue where local artists can play.  The main focus of the first half of the film is the band Joy Division and their troubled lead singer Ian Curtis.  For anyone who knows the sad ending to the Joy Division story, I will not need to explain here.
   
    The second half of the film focuses more on the Factory Records label as well bands New Order and the Happy Mondays.  It also focuses on the legendary Hacienda Club Wilson founded, as well.  
    

    This movie falls somewhere between a comedy and drama.  There are some funny soliloquies given by Tony Wilson (Coogan) to give a little more insight of the story.  There are dramatic points of the story as well, the end of Joy Division, and ultimately a failed relationship. 

         
   Pictured: Paddy Considine, Steve Coogan, Lennie James in this tale of the fast paced nature of life and death in the music industry.

    This is the story of the Manchester music scene of the late 1970’s through the early 1990’s.  It deals with the rise and fall of the band like Joy Division, the Factory Records label, and ultimately the Hacienda Club.  The openly hedonistic lifestyle of the characters film’s characters may bother some, but hey, that’s rock and roll right?

    So if you want a good time movie that has a lot of great music and hilarious lines and antics, then this movie is for you.  It is also a great precursor to the movie “Control” about the life of Ian Curtis and Joy Division which will be released on DVD March 25th (I will review that when it comes out).  Do not let the cover art of the DVD scare you off though, it really has nothing to do with the movie what so ever.  I highly recommend this film.