With The Many Saints of Newark, David Chase returns to New Jersey. But he and James Gandolfini have gone back home before, nearly a decade ago, in this overlooked autobiographical jewel.
This is the first Substack I’ve paid for, and it’s already more than worth the price. A terrific piece on a wonderful movie. Makes me want to watch it again with a new perspective, and what more could you ask from a work of criticism?
Always been curious about this film, but haven't gotten around to it yet. This has definitely stoked my curiosity further. I'm thrilled to be subscribed to this newsletter, and thrilled to have good longer-form writing about movies in my email!
Great review. I rewatched it this AM for the first time since seeing it in the theater by myself (literally by myself - the theater was empty). I loved it this time as much as before - a smart portrait of a 60s garage band that doesn't succeed for many reasons. The kind you didn't know existed until you find their 45 at Jersey flea market.
Me agree with other comments that this newsletter already off to good start. This kind of piece — reflection on obscure older film with current relevance — is kind of thing me always loved reading on Dissolve and AVC, and which AVC has gotten away from in recent years. Wiki Wormhole was eventually cancelled because they now want everything to be "current", (and in fairness, me astonished that non-pop-culture-related feature survive for so many years on pop culture site), but it impossible to consider culture in perpetual now, without considering context and weight of history. David Chase know this, which presumably on his mind when he made this movie.
I saw this film twice in theaters and felt very alone in my love for it at the time. It's nice to see it slowly build something of a reputation. I recall a common critical canard at the time being that it should have been a TV show, which always struck me as pretty facile. It stretches out over a longer period, but it feels very much in the Amarcord/Radio Days/Crooklyn tradition of episodic memory plays and would feel bogged down by incident if stretched to miniseries length. It's clearly from the same point of view as The Sopranos, but the feature film form opens up new storytelling avenues for Chase. The ups and downs of the central romance are more potent for their juxtaposition over years than they might be if you followed every downturn and upswing over the course of a season.
Anyway, it's great to have a regular place to read your work again, Keith (and Scott). Thanks for giving me a reason to revisit this film!
I still need to catch up on NOT FADE AWAY, but based on stills and clips I've caught over the years, I'll give it massive credit for getting all the music gear pretty period appropriate. I feel the same way about someone playing a Marshall amp that came out in 1982 in a movie set in 1976 as some people care about the wrong cars being used in the wrong period in films!
Loved this movie and, much in the same way, loved Many Saints of Newark. Chase seems to make films and TV series with the bottom line being that he himself has to respect the work. There are some hardcore Sopranos fans disappointed with Many Saints, but he didn't create the best TV show ever by trying to please the masses. Both these films (Not Fade Away & Many Saints) are excellent, nuanced efforts.
I really wish he'd have been the one to direct Many Saints, because it feels the background details that make Not Fade Away so great have been flattened quite a bit-- though that may also be the at-times tortured obligation to pay off Sopranos mythology. I hope Chase gets another chance to break away and try something different.
I agree to a point. Just saw the film last night and it exceeded my expectations. I hear what you're saying about tortured obligations to pay off Sops mythology, but I had already factored that into expectations. And it followed the series formula of taking one of their best directors and leaving final editorial decisions to Chase. It would have been different and potentially better had he directed, but as a collaborative and given the heavy mythological pressures, I was pleased.
The scene after they did ain't going eat out my heart anymore in the recording studio. Who was tht gene is talking to about the situation with him and Douglas taking over his lead. Who was tht he was talking to & wat did he mean by wat happened to side b & the other guy he said he didn't care to much about. I was always wondering about tht scene because I always thought it Steph Wolf another great artist
I am definitely in the right place if the first piece here is about this gem of a film. Looking forward to the posts to come.
This is the first Substack I’ve paid for, and it’s already more than worth the price. A terrific piece on a wonderful movie. Makes me want to watch it again with a new perspective, and what more could you ask from a work of criticism?
Always been curious about this film, but haven't gotten around to it yet. This has definitely stoked my curiosity further. I'm thrilled to be subscribed to this newsletter, and thrilled to have good longer-form writing about movies in my email!
Great review. I rewatched it this AM for the first time since seeing it in the theater by myself (literally by myself - the theater was empty). I loved it this time as much as before - a smart portrait of a 60s garage band that doesn't succeed for many reasons. The kind you didn't know existed until you find their 45 at Jersey flea market.
Me agree with other comments that this newsletter already off to good start. This kind of piece — reflection on obscure older film with current relevance — is kind of thing me always loved reading on Dissolve and AVC, and which AVC has gotten away from in recent years. Wiki Wormhole was eventually cancelled because they now want everything to be "current", (and in fairness, me astonished that non-pop-culture-related feature survive for so many years on pop culture site), but it impossible to consider culture in perpetual now, without considering context and weight of history. David Chase know this, which presumably on his mind when he made this movie.
So nice to see you here, CM.
I just saw the Stones on Sunday and this totally passed me by so a perfect time to watch!
How was the show?
I saw this film twice in theaters and felt very alone in my love for it at the time. It's nice to see it slowly build something of a reputation. I recall a common critical canard at the time being that it should have been a TV show, which always struck me as pretty facile. It stretches out over a longer period, but it feels very much in the Amarcord/Radio Days/Crooklyn tradition of episodic memory plays and would feel bogged down by incident if stretched to miniseries length. It's clearly from the same point of view as The Sopranos, but the feature film form opens up new storytelling avenues for Chase. The ups and downs of the central romance are more potent for their juxtaposition over years than they might be if you followed every downturn and upswing over the course of a season.
Anyway, it's great to have a regular place to read your work again, Keith (and Scott). Thanks for giving me a reason to revisit this film!
I still need to catch up on NOT FADE AWAY, but based on stills and clips I've caught over the years, I'll give it massive credit for getting all the music gear pretty period appropriate. I feel the same way about someone playing a Marshall amp that came out in 1982 in a movie set in 1976 as some people care about the wrong cars being used in the wrong period in films!
Loved this movie and, much in the same way, loved Many Saints of Newark. Chase seems to make films and TV series with the bottom line being that he himself has to respect the work. There are some hardcore Sopranos fans disappointed with Many Saints, but he didn't create the best TV show ever by trying to please the masses. Both these films (Not Fade Away & Many Saints) are excellent, nuanced efforts.
I really wish he'd have been the one to direct Many Saints, because it feels the background details that make Not Fade Away so great have been flattened quite a bit-- though that may also be the at-times tortured obligation to pay off Sopranos mythology. I hope Chase gets another chance to break away and try something different.
I agree to a point. Just saw the film last night and it exceeded my expectations. I hear what you're saying about tortured obligations to pay off Sops mythology, but I had already factored that into expectations. And it followed the series formula of taking one of their best directors and leaving final editorial decisions to Chase. It would have been different and potentially better had he directed, but as a collaborative and given the heavy mythological pressures, I was pleased.
The scene after they did ain't going eat out my heart anymore in the recording studio. Who was tht gene is talking to about the situation with him and Douglas taking over his lead. Who was tht he was talking to & wat did he mean by wat happened to side b & the other guy he said he didn't care to much about. I was always wondering about tht scene because I always thought it Steph Wolf another great artist