They Might Be Giants

Starring:George C. Scott, Joanne Woodward, Jack Gilford, Lester Rawlins, Al Lewis (III), Rue McClanahan, Ron Weyand, Oliver Clark, Theresa Merritt, Jenny Egan, Jane Hoffman, Michael McGuire, Eugene Roche, James Tolkan, Kitty Winn, Sudie Bond, Staats Cotsworth, F. Murray Abraham, Paul Benedict, M. Emmet Walsh
Director: Anthony Harvey (II)
Studio: Anchor Bay
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Watching Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is like stepping into a delightful alternate universe where wit and ingenuity are valued over sexual display and bombast. This energetic documentary explores the quirky world of They Might Be Giants, surely one of the most distinctive rock bands of all time. Through interviews with the band's creative duo, John Flansburgh and John Linnell, as well as concert clips, video snippets, and interviews with commentators and musicians like Ira Glass, Sarah Vowell, Frank Black, Conan O'Brien, Jon Stewart, and the gloriously deranged Syd Straw, Gigantic tracks the irresistible rise of They Might Be Giants to the curious cult niche they occupy with panache and aplomb. The movie ably captures the band's off-kilter humor while also appreciating their poetry and musicianship. In addition, there's enough bonus material (full videos, live footage, deleted scenes and interviews) to make any fan's head explode. --Bret Fetzer

Description

Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is the celebrated true story of They Might Be Giants, the Brooklyn-based musical duo of John Flansburgh and John Linnell. Embracing the Do-It-Yourself ethos of true independent artists, they have followed a unique and sometimes unconventional path to cult stardom - from their first meeting in grade school to their 2002 Grammy Award - aided by stunning low-budget music videos, trailblazing use of the internet and a telephone answering machine. Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) is a chronicle of the band's 20-year history, told through performances, animation, videos and hilarious commentaries from friends and fans.

Customer Reviews:

We get it -- they are nice guys who are good friends!.......2006-07-20

...you know, I got nothing against They Might Be Giants. I like some of their records, and they seem like nice guys who have found a unique niche and have weathered some tough times in a cruel and thankless industry. Their work is rooted in deep friendship and hard work. Very admirable. However, does that make for a good film? Not at all...their story has no genuine drama, no tension, no excitement. It's not that they're a bad band -- this is just a bad subject for a film.

This doc is pretty mediocre in almost every way: construction, execution, etc. Lots of talking heads, though aside from the wonderous Syd Straw, no one really distinguishes themselves as particularly charismatic. In fact, it just seems like they are lined up to kiss TMBG's co-rump. Sarah Vowell is particularly grating, steering the audience through a sea of incredibly obvious observations with a smug sense of self satisfaction, like she was Sir Francis Drake or something. I'm a nerd, and even I felt like giving her a swirly after hearing her talk for 30 seconds. Good thing I don't listen to the radio, because I hear she's on it from time to time.

Another thing that irks me about this picture is how everyone talks about their innovative early live shows and how they used tapes and props, and then the filmmakers' cut to a very conventional, dull contemporary show. Not that the current touring lineup of TMBG is bad...it's just that it's incongruous and shortsells some of the band's most artistically productive achievements.

Also, the device where comedians (Andy Richter, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer, etc) read TMBG lyrics just comes off as smarmy. The small-town quaintness segments (the Polk history lesson, the debate team, etc) are a good idea but inserted jarringly and with the carelessness of a film school freshman.

Another thing that's odd...most of the "we're doing the rock band thing around New York City" footage happens between September 7 and September 10th, 2001. I know, because the filmmakers put dates on it. I'm no prophet of doom, but don't you think it would have been better to leave the dates off? All I could think in my mind was "Our world is about to change irreversabley in 7 hours, but here we are at a TMBG in-store in Manhattan." Scarey. Could have easily been avoided.

That said, there are nice extras on the DVD, particularly the amazing Tonight Show performance (I'd like to see Brandford, Eubanks, and Co. pull that off today!) and Adam Bernstein's great early videos.

Nice guys shouldn't finish last, and they don't always. But that doesn't make the race interesting to watch.

For Giants Fans, this Comes Up Short.......2006-06-02

I have a few big caveats I need to give at the outset of this review. I came into this film with a lot of baggage. First, They Might Be Giants is one of my favorite bands (see CdC #9 & 10) and I've been dying to see this movie since I heard that it was being made. That said, it took an embarrassing amount of begging and pleading to get a screener copy. I contacted the producer, Shirley Moyers, on countless occasions, asking for a copy as it didn't come close to my hometown. Yet, for some odd reason, I was told that screeners would only be provided to journalists in towns where the film was playing. The logic of this escaped me.

Couple this with my knowledge that the filmmakers were offered a bevy of film footage starring the nascent Giants which they didn't accept and that could have finally uncovered the story behind Dave Kendall's claims that They Might Be Giants were roadies for The Replacements. The reluctance to have their film reviewed by a beseeching journalist and the brush-off of potential contributors (despite posting a desire for stories, pictures, et cetera) lead me to believe that A.J. Schnack's GIGANTIC: A TALE OF TWO JOHNS would be a suboptimal work.

Between the interviews and fleeting bits of archival footage is a kickass concert film. I think I'd rather that GIGANTIC was a full concert rather than putting up with the inane celebrity endorsements (Harry Shearer, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Richter, Michael McKean, et cetera) and the horribly awful voice of interviewee Sarah Vowell of NPR's "This American Life." After about a half hour of GIGANTIC I realized that I'd have gleaned more information about TMBG, from re-reading the liner notes of Miscellaneous T than from Schnack's documentary.

I tried to come in to GIGANTIC with an open mind. I also tried to look at the movie as both a fan and someone who might not have ever heard of They Might Be Giants before. As a fan, it was mighty fun watching TMBG going through their creative process. They're one of the most prolific and inventive groups I've ever had the pleasure of hearing. As a newbie, I didn't really have much of a reason to buy in to these two dweebs and their silly little songs. I would have liked to have gotten more of their impact and history much earlier in the film. Tell me the appeal of these guys rather than making me dig it out from amongst the interviews. And I could have done without the five minutes of stories about coffeemakers.

In short, GIGANTIC: A TALE OF TWO JOHNS wasn't worth the frustration or the wait. If you're a fan or coming to the band fresh stick to their music videos and albums.

Opposites Interact.......2005-04-11

When my nephew Tim did me the great favor of hooking me up with these two guys, I wondered what planet they came from. This and the other DVD make it obvious: Brooklyn.

What will you learn from this disc:

1. Creative people are obsessive. The output pours from one of our Johns like it did from Mozart. He almost cannot help it. There are simply people who exude creativity, and they cannot stop themselves.

2. The talents diverge and complement. You have a John who schmoozes and a John who stays back and creates. You have a tough John and a gentle John. You have a John with glasses and a John without glasses.

3. I've never heard anybody play around with musical form and poetry like these guys can.

A carp: why so little about Apollo 18?? That was one of their best, but it's shorted in the film.

Not to put too fine a point on it..........2005-01-20

This is a pretty good documentary about the two man band They Might Be Giants. I would by no means call it the "definitive" look at the group, but it is still interesting. It is sure to be of interest to fans of the band, but I am not really sure how non-fans will react to it. There are also plenty of bonus features, which will give TMBG fans hours of entertainment. All in all, this is a well put together DVD.

Hammer down, rabbit ears!.......2004-06-19

John Flansburgh and John Linnell burst onto the music scene in the mid-'80s as a two-man band with a name cribbed from an old George C. Scott movie: "They Might Be Giants."

Armed with accordions, clarinets, wicked guitars, tape loops, drum machines and voices like Big Bird, They Might Be Giants created their own hilariously geeky genre of music. They had catchy hooks to spare and a knack for existential, caffeinated Fisher-Price tongue-twisters and wordplay.

Much like Brian Wilson once created what he called "pocket symphonies," the Giants made "pocket pop songs."

Amazon.com

The wit and whimsy of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, collectively known as They Might Be Giants, is on display in this thoroughly entertaining video compilation. Twelve of the group's videos (dating from the mid-'80s to 1998) are here, filled with all manner of craziness and looking and sounding great. But the real prize may be the two clips from Tiny Toon Adventures, marrying TMBG's silly but also smart and clever music with the cartoon series' riotous animation; the twin Giants actually didn't write "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," a "Puttin' On the Ritz" soundalike that's also one of the 12 main videos (with different animation), but it fits their style to a T. All of this quirkiness and freneticism can get a bit wearying after a while, but in small doses it's lots of fun. DVD extras include Linnell and Flansburgh's straightforward, informative audio commentary; there are also bonus audio tracks, a live video, and more. --Sam Graham

Description

Track Listing:

1. Doctor Worm

2. Snail Shell

3. The Guitar (The Lion Sleeps Tonight)

4. The Statue Got Me High

5. Istanbul (Not Constantinople)

6. Birdhouse In Your Soul

7. They'll Need A Crane

8. Purple Toupee

9. Ana Ng

10. (She Was A) Hotel Detective

11. Don't Let's Start

12. Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head

Customer Reviews:

Good TMBG, better time capsule.......2005-09-15

This excellent compilation of video work from They Might Be Giants could in one sense be a model of how to combine images with music. The artistry here shows that songs mixed with imaginative visuals can, in the right hands, become more than the sum of their parts, and with most of these, that is exactly what happens.

It's almost worth the DVD alone for not one, but two versions of "Istanbul(Not Constantinople)," both using animation, but in completely different styles. The song is catchy enough on its own, but the visual elements make it irresistible. Other favorites are "Snail Shell," "The Statue Got Me High" and "They'll Need a Crane," as well as the now-classic "(She Was A) Hotel Detective."

If not every single track is at the same high level, never mind. This DVD is still a terrifically entertaining document that shows these guys at their creative best, not to mention valuable for marking their progession over the years. The extras are good, too, but the videos are so good -- and the price is so low -- that any extras almost don't matter.

MTV - is it Art?.......2005-04-11

Maybe a Picasso or a Garfunkel. Like all new forms, a lot of the most creative usage of MTV occurred when MTV was brand new. These guys could dominate largely because there was so little there as precedent.

We institutionalize everything. That is the end point of human endeavor.

But these guys were successful so long as they could set the bar for the next player. If they've done that, they're going to be long remembered.

Oh, how paltry MTV looks now!.......2004-02-11

Jonathan, you might want to check your DVD player, because I had none of the problems you had -- "Play All" DOES play all, and all of the videos have commentary. A few of the older videos are grainy, but I suspect that's more due to the source material, and I doubt they'd go to the trouble of professionally touching up and restoring them.

I don't know why they bothered to put the Quicktime "home movies" on the disc. I thought it was odd that they didn't make them available as regular DVD "special features" videos, but then I found out -- they're VERY low quality, and they're only about a minute each -- just snippets of the songs. There could have been much more in the way of extras, but, fortunately, there's a treasure trove of extras available on the _Gigantic_ DVD, and the ones that are included here -- the "Tiny Toons" clips, the "fiery" live performance, and the audio tracks -- are not on the _Gigantic_ disc. Plus, the "commentary" for the "Snail Shell" video is actually another song! Overall, this is a great video collection for TMBG fans. (By the way, I'm sure that the reason "Boss of Me" is not included is that it's owned by Fox, so perhaps they couldn't get the rights to it, or didn't think it was worth it, or maybe they're saving it for the next collection...)

Great collection but..........2003-12-26

The collection is great but on the John & John commentary, John Linnell is extremely hard to hear which is extremely dissapointing.

Videos are fun, Commentary is Priceless!.......2003-10-12

This DVD is definitely a must-have for any TMBG Fan. The video commentary is absolutely hilarious! Other extras include a few audio-only songs, and a live video of "Why Does the Sun Shine?".

Product Description

DVD includes eleven original video clips along with an original narration by former literary agent John Hodgman in the role of the Deranged Millionaire. Bonus video material includes "Damn Good Times," "Bastard Wants to Hit Me," "Experimental Film" (with Homestarrunner), and "I'm All You Can Think About" The Venue Songs CD includes over an hour of music-all for the first time on CD. All the new studio recordings of the Venue Songs are included in full CD fidelity. The disc also features rarities "Renew My Subscription," "Love Is Eternity," "Taste the Fame" and The Bloodmobile and compiles all the original Venue Song recordings from the 2004 tour. While this two disc set will probably be commercially released at a later date, and much of the visual material will be shown on the new TMBG website, it is offered now as a definitive copy of all this fine material in one deluxe two-disc set, and just in time for the holiday!

Customer Reviews:

Home Run!.......2006-04-07

Venue Songs is an amazing collection of videos, and nothing short of what every TMBG fan should come to expect from the group.

The entire collection is binded together like a Twlight Zone episode with a guy who sort of me reminded me of Rod Serlingh. Videos like "garage" (which I think is for their trip to Glasgowe) and the Homestar Runner one are hilarious. Other good videos are the ones they did for the House of Blues, which are really sarcastic (I guess they don't like playing there?), and the Charlottesville video that has a ridiculous hitch-hikin cowboy that has super powers.

I not only recommend this DVD to hardcore fans, but also to people who appreciat music video as an artform.

Average customer rating:

OUTSTNDING!!!
They Are Giants
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Mildred Watson, George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward: Two fine teams
Please re-release on DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A film that ponders, "What is insanity?"

They Might Be Giants
Starring: George C. Scott , Joanne Woodward , Jack Gilford , Lester Rawlins , and Al Lewis (III)
Director: Anthony Harvey (II)
Manufacturer: Anchor Bay
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video

Drama | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Comedy | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

( T ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
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ASIN: B00004KDEP
Release Date: 2000-01-25

Amazon.com

Former judge Justin Playfair (George C. Scott) lost his wife a few years back, and ever since he's thought he's Sherlock Holmes, determined to find his archnemesis Professor Moriarty, in this thoroughly charming tale of madness and romanticism. Playfair (er, Sherlock) is about to be committed by his brother, who wants his money, when by serendipity he's teamed up with psychiatrist Dr. Mildred Watson, no less (Joanne Woodward). She finds him fascinating, being a bit daffy herself, and together they get involved in various intrigues, mostly aimed at evading the medical authorities, but which allow the two to fall in love. Though the farcical tone of the film keeps it a lighthearted comedy, the heavy-handed slaps at authority, who are set up for such abuse, seem programmed to succeed. To what degree is lunacy, charming though it may be at times, an appropriate reaction to complex times? "To the utmost degree!" says this film, though the viewer may enjoy it and still disagree. During a comic battle in a supermarket (reminiscent of a silent comedy pie fight), one patient chases her keeper with an oversized hypodermic to the rallying cry of "I hope the loonies win!" That expresses the sympathies of the film nicely. --Jim Gay

Customer Reviews:

OUTSTNDING!!!.......2007-05-20

This is an excellent movie. Not a waste of time, but good entertainment!! Funny, suspensefull, interesting among other things. If you like George C. Scott you will like this movie. Women seem to like this movie and not many have seen it in recent years so a good movie for a single guys collection. No, realy I actually like this movie, but, you know... Romantic comedy with a little crazy to the whole thing, which makes it realy good. Get this movie!!

They Are Giants.......2007-02-01

This cult film is a classic, and very difficult to find. My only wish is that someone would reissue on DVD. George C. Scott (Holmes) and Joanne Woodward (Dr. Watson), and the wonderfully convoluted plot they uncover, are enchanting.

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Mildred Watson, George C. Scott and Joanne Woodward: Two fine teams.......2006-10-09

How likely is a whimsical romance between a classic, delusional paranoid and his doctor? Perhaps not likely, unless the paranoid is Justin Playfair, who since his wife died two years previously believes he is Sherlock Holmes (George C. Scott), and the psychiatrist hired to commit him for life to an insane asylum, who is named Dr. Mildred Watson (Joanne Woodward). The movie sounds too cute for words, but is in fact a witty, clever look at how solitary people can find all kinds of strength and affection when they come together. Well, that's true for most of the movie. There are two weaknesses, one minor and one major, to deal with before Holmes and Dr. Watson prepare themselves for their meeting with Moriarty.

Playfair was an astute and wealthy New York judge, noted for his analytical mind and dedication to justice. When his wife died he descended into paranoia. Now he is Sherlock Holmes, obsessed with finding the evil genius Moriarty. He dresses like Holmes, sounds faintly British and possesses an acute eye for analysis. "Half the trick in finding clues is knowing that they're there," he says. He is superb at finding clues everyone else misses. His younger brother, Blevins Playfair, is determined to have him committed to an insane asylum. Not because Holmes is a danger to anyone, but because Blevins is in debt to criminals. With Holmes institutionalized, Blevins will control the family fortune. The criminals believe that simply shooting Holmes would be a far quicker way to insure that Blevins gets the money to pay them back.

Dr. Watson is the one person who must sign the documents to put Holmes away. She's not going to do this until she can examine him. The last thing Blevins wants is for Watson to think Holmes can be cured. "You don't think he can be, do you?" Blevins asks Watson. "Cure a classic? Once in a generation. It's a marvelous disease, you know. The victim's faculties grow keener and ultra-sensitive...and he's capable of things that seem like genius." Before long, however, Holmes is on the trail of Moriarty and Watson must follow along if she's going to fully diagnosis her patient. In the process, Holmes finds a grudging respect for Watson. He's been waiting for his Watson for a long time and is prepared to accept the fact that this Dr. Watson is a woman. "If I'm such a liability," she tells him with acerbity, "what do you want me for?" Holmes looks at her in a mildly friendly way. "Oh, you mustn't feel inferior. Try saying to yourself, 'I'm adequate.'" Mildred Watson, a slightly dowdy woman with a messy apartment who can't cook, is finally drawn to Holmes' integrity and passion. Will this be love? In an odd sort of way, yes, it will be.

As Holmes pursues Moriarty's clues throughout New York City, he and Watson encounter a number of engaging misfits, lonely people and eccentrics. It all works until we get to the first bump in the road...that minor weakness. Taken one at a time, the eccentrics make for engaging and touching vignettes. Put all the eccentrics together, marching purposefully behind Watson and Holmes down a dark street and then rescuing the two from the police in a huge, empty supermarket, and we come dangerously close to the whimsical cutes.

Then we must deal with a major question, and we encounter the major weakness. How will the movie end? Each one who sees the movie will most likely find their own answer. Perhaps that was the author's and director's intention. For me, I can't help but think that they simply couldn't come up with an effective conclusion based on the plot they had developed. Since I had come to like Holmes and Watson so much, I was left with wanting a conclusion I could smile at. What I was left with was a head scratch.

Scott and Woodward do marvelous jobs in creating two lonely characters we begin to root for. As actors, they were worth every penny they were paid. For lessons in star quality and acting skill, pay close attention to Scott as he teases out of a mute patient why the man doesn't speak, and later to Woodward as she prepares a dinner for Holmes in her apartment. For a lesson in team acting by two equally matched pros, watch Holmes and Watson realize how they feel about each other at Watson's apartment. Scattered throughout the movie are some fine actors playing the eccentrics and assorted other characters, a few so quickly seen they're easily lost. Some to look for include Jack Gilford, Eugene Roche, Al Lewis, James Tolkan, F. Murray Abraham, M. Emmet Walsh, Rue McLanahan, Staats Cotsworth (of Casey, Crime Photographer fame on radio), Kitty Winn and Worthington Minor. He was the producer a long time ago behind Studio One when television every week presented live drama.

The DVD picture looks fine. There are a handful of extras, including a commentary by the director and a valentine to the joys of New York City. They Might Be Giants is a fine movie. It's well worth watching for the skilled characterizations by two star actors and for an excellent script. While I might find the last ten minutes a bit unsatisfying, Sherlock Holmes and Mildred Watson are still worth believing in. As Holmes says as he and Watson stand together looking into the dark, "We're coming for you, Moriarty. We may not look like much. We may not have your weapons. We may lack your dark allies. Why, we may even lose...I'm not invincible. But together, sir, we may surprise you!"

Please re-release on DVD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-06-01

Please re-release this wonderful George C. Scott movie on DVD so that humble people such as myself can afford it.Thanks!!!!!!

A film that ponders, "What is insanity?".......2005-05-10

What does it mean to be insane in a world that doesn't make sense? Movies have revisited that question in a host of films over the years, from MR. DEEDS GOES TO TOWN to HARVEY to A THOUSAND CLOWNS to THE RULING CLASS to HAROLD AND MAUDE to CATCH-22 to OFFICE SPACE. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS is one of the more compelling films in this genre. The film concerns the former Justice Playfair, who upon the death of his wife, loses his mind and believes that he is Sherlock Holmes. His brother becomes enmeshed in a blackmail scheme, and to gain control over his brother's estate to pay off the blackmailers, attempt to have him committed. To that end, he approaches the Strauss Clinic, whose head is anxious to commit because of the sizable amount of cash that Playfair's joining them will bring. But they need to have their resident psychologist, Dr. Mildred Watson, sign the commitment papers, and before she is willing to do this, she insists on interviewing Playfair. Our hero is resistant to her investigating him until it strikes him that she is truly Dr. Watson. Perhaps not the male he was anticipating, but a Dr. Watson nonetheless. So, the game is afoot, with the initially sceptical and resistant Watson following Playfair/Holmes in his investigation of a series of clues left by his great nemesis Moriarty. What makes it easy for her to believe in Holmes is the fact that he is such a remarkably compelling Holmes. His deductive powers are extraordinary, even Holmes-like. Like Holmes in the novels, he can look at a person an deduce an extraordinary number of details about them.

The title is taken from the greatest story of an insane individual in an insane world ever created, Cervantes's DON QUIXOTE. Holmes explains to Watson that Quixote took it too far: "He thought that every windmill was a giant. That's insane. But, thinking that they might be, well . . . " As he explains later, one thing that shows how extraordinary human beings are the enemies arrayed against them, which is what Moriarty comes to represent. Holmes comes to represent the quixotic aspects of human nature, which nutty everyday life violently opposes. The film's title, by the way, inspired the founders of the group They Might Be Giants.

This is one of George C. Scott's finest roles. He was such a powerful, unique actor, that it is natural to think that he had a greater career than he did in fact. The truth is that he made perhaps a half dozen truly great films, and many of those in supporting roles, such as ANATOMY OF A MURDER, THE HUSTLER, and DR. STRANGELOVE. It is bizarre, in looking at his career, to realize that he managed far fewer great roles than his talent should have merited. THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS came out a year after Scott's greatest screen role in PATTON. This role as Playfair/Holmes was perfectly suited to his talents, and in many ways parallels his performance in Patton. Both Patton and Holmes did not quite fit in the world in which they lived. Both were idealists. Both were in fundamental conflict with the society as a whole. Part of what makes THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS work is the passion with which Scott sells the central role. Joanne Woodward is marvelous as Dr. Watson. Like Scott, she is someone who has been underutilized in her career. Scott is a powerful presence, but Woodward manages not to be overwhelmed by his strong acting style. The rest of the cast is a good deal less talented than the two principals. You can, if you pay careful attention, recognize a very young F. Murray Abraham as the usher in the movie theater. And I'm not certain of her name, but I've always felt grateful to the character actress who delivers one of my all time favorite surreal movie lines. In their search for Moriarty, Holmes and Watson end up in the balcony of a theater, where a Western is showing. We are not really shown what is happening on the screen, but at one point the woman who is the object of my gratitude leans forward in her chair, and reacting to what she sees in the film, utters passionately, "God bless you, Barbara Stanwyck."

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