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Dig!
Palm Pictures


9.2

based on 28 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 8 votes
Read user comments
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MUSIC:

MPAA RATING:

Starring Anton Newcombe, Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Joel Gion, Matt Hollywood, Peter Holmstrom, Zia McCabe, Brent DeBoer, Eric Hedford, and Dean Taylor

Dig! is a feature-length documentary shot over seven years about musicians Anton Newcombe, leader of the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and Courtney Taylor, head of the Dandy Warhols, star crossed friends and bitter rivals. (Palm Pictures)

GENRE(S):	Documentary
WRITTEN BY:	Ondi Timoner
DIRECTED BY:	Ondi Timoner
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: April 12, 2005 Theatrical: October 1, 2004
RUNNING TIME:	105 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

Grand Jury Prize (Documentary), 2004 Sundance Film Festival

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

100

San Francisco Chronicle Joel Selvin

Remarkable rockumentary.

100

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It's a teeming, steaming, bubbling stew, a tremendous good time, a rich entertainment and a heck of a lesson in music, human etiquette and the politics of making it (or not) in show biz.

100

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

What makes the movie powerful is Timoner's decision to structure it via Taylor's perspective on his competitor, with no holds barred.

100

Boston Globe Ty Burr

The result is one of the most unforgiving ground-level documentaries about the music business ever made -- the six-string equivalent of "Hoop Dreams."

100

Empire Steve O'Hagan

A vibrant and vivid documentary masterwork, DiG! will have you celebrating independent filmmaking while lamenting the state of independent music-making.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

The fascination of Dig! is that it invites those of us who aren't alt-rock obsessives into the hive, yet it never feels like a dilettante's tour.

Slate James Barber

The movie has become a kind of highway-safety film for the rock community.

Austin Chronicle Marrit Ingman

There's a genuine sense of loss when dreams go unrealized, and in these moments Dig! transcends the typical "rock movie" format and aspires to something greater: an examination of why we create and what we receive from art.

Miami Herald Marta Barber

DiG! is raw, just as the band members themselves.

Chicago Tribune Allison Benedikt

Anton, because after watching your tantrums, abuse and addiction in DIG! I went straight to the record store to buy your music. And that's something.

New York Daily News Robert Dominguez

A riveting rock documentary.

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

Should be required viewing for youngsters thinking about a music career. It's a great reminder to be careful what you wish for.

Variety Dennis Harvey

The terrific DIG! offers a unique chance to watch two classic rock band scenarios unfold simultaneously.

LA Weekly Ernest Hardy

The no-frills documentary also makes it clear that Newcombe is the real deal -- both supremely gifted and organically nuts.

Film Threat Tim Merrill

Fascinating, horrifying and hilarious.

Newsweek David Ansen

It's like a spectacular roadside accident: you can't turn away.

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

The video is narrated by Taylor, who magnanimously presents Newcombe as a Byronic hero, but ultimately proves that the pursuit of success and the pursuit of cool can be equally pointless.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White

Captures the infantile fantasies of rock 'n' roll's self-made messiahs with an honesty that is rare in today's MTV world of promotional entertainment.

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Timoner offers a resonant, often painfully funny, drama about two good friends who become enemies against the backdrop of the pop-music business.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

A hip eye-opener.

TV Guide Ken Fox

It's a fascinating film that manages to touch on subjects as diverse as mental illness and what's wrong with the record industry, set to brilliant music by the one of the best bands you've probably never heard.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

If universities ever start graduate programs in rock stardom, Dig! will surely be a cornerstone of the curriculum, for it works as both an instruction manual and a cautionary tale.

Premiere Aaron Hillis

DiG! never delves deep enough to act as a true cautionary tale. It's an amusingly drunken PBS-worthy human-interest doc, unless you're too old or not cool enough to have played in the embarrassing hipster zoo, in which case DiG! may be the closest you'll ever get to the uncaged animals.

The Hollywood Reporter James Greenberg

May not be for all tastes, but it's an up close and personal look at a true rock 'n' roll animal.

Village Voice Laura Sinagra

These flashes push Dig! beyond recording-industry kvetch, causing it to stay with you longer than either band's ephemeral music.

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

By giving Taylor the last word, Dig! becomes little more than a self-serving, unconvincing infomercial for a musician who comes across as functional and bearable only when compared to his counterpart.

Dallas Observer Melissa Levine

Whether or not you like this film may depend on how much interest (or patience) you have for the antics of a self-proclaimed prophet.

Washington Post Richard Harrington

Ultimately undermined by the fact that the two rock bands Timoner chose to focus on -- the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols -- simply don't matter as much as she thinks they do.

The average user rating for this movie is 9.2 (out of 10) based on 8 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Mojo P. gave it a10:
Funny, fun, amazing music, and most of all, it's inspirational and teaches you a lot about the music industry and how to make it and how to fail. It was an adventure through and through and at no point did it get slow or boring. Plus the music was fantastic. Although it was a bit of a Springeresque portrayal of the Massacre, it wasn't overly innacurate either. A mad fun flick to watch any given night. Rent it!

Greg B. gave it a9:
If you like this kind of stuff, documentaries about music, people, mental illness, then this is a good one.

[Anonymous] gave it a 10:
Cmon, dandy warhols need i say more.

Bonnie B. gave it a 9:
It's a cross between VH1's "Behind the Music" and MTV's "The Real World." However, before you judge Anton too harshly, you may want to read his side of the story here: http://www.brianjonestownmassacre.com/dig_statement.html

Mona N. gave it a 9:
It was awesome! an intimate view of the Portland scene.

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Dig! Palm Pictures

Dig!
Palm Pictures