Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002)

Documentary about the music group They Might Be Giants.

Director:

AJ Schnack

Stars:

John Flansburgh, John Linnell, Gina Arnold

1 win & 1 nomination.

Cast

Credited cast:
John Flansburgh	...	Himself
John Linnell	...	Himself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gina Arnold	...	Herself
Michael Azerrad	...	Himself
Adam Bernstein	...	Himself
David Bither	...	Himself
Frank Black	...	Himself
Linwood Boomer	...	Himself
Brian Cohen	...	Himself
Patrick Dillett	...	Himself (as Pat Dillett)
Sue Drew	...	Herself
Dave Eggers	...	Himself
Jake Fogelnest	...	Himself
Joe Franklin	...	Himself
Janeane Garofalo	...	Herself

Storyline

Gigantic is the story of They Might Be Giants, a unique musical group centered on John Flansburgh and John Linnell. We're introduced to the duo's lyrical and melodic craft when, for example, well-known actors recite Giants lyrics, underscoring the dark words often coupled with bright tunes. We also catch a glimpse of the band's ideas about performance from the blend of footage from concerts, television, music videos, and other media. Running through the whole film is a portrayal of the Johns' friendship and ultimately, their view of the world, which we see in interviews with the Giants themselves, their colleagues, and their fans.

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Plot Keywords:

band | interview | music video | six word title | parenthesis in title | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Music

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Details

Official Sites:

They Might Be Giants Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 March 2002 (USA)

Also Known As:

Гиганты: История двух Джонов

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$6,411, 26 May 2003, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$160,621, 5 October 2003

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bonfire Films of America

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

The documentary shows They Might Be Giants holding a release party for their CD "Mink Car" at a New York City Tower Records store. Left unstated is that this party took place at midnight on September 11th, 2001, slightly less than nine hours before the attacks on the World Trade Center several miles away.

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Quotes

John Linnell: We ARE the shitty Beatles.

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Connections

References Cocksucker Blues (1972)

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Soundtracks

Boss of Me
Written by John Linnell and John Flansburgh
Performed by They Might Be Giants

User Reviews

If only it could have been longer!

For fans of TMBG, the only problem with this movie was that it was just too short!

The recitations of TMBG lyrics by actors such as Andy Richter and Michael McKean were quite unexpected, but an interesting way to show what the director felt was the poignancy of the TMBG lyrics. I know in my case, I found the music so catchy when I first began to listen to TMBG, it took me a long time to realize just how different the lyrics are.

For those who enjoy indie groups, and are open to anything that isn't mainstream, this is a great movie to get an overview of TMBG. While it is a documentary on the band, it is not just a run of the mill biography. In fact, due to time constraints, some of the band's history is glazed over. The two stories vying for time are the production of the 2001 album "Mink Car" and the (then) 18 year history of the band. Thus, there isn't a whole lot of in-depth history telling here.

However, mainstream entertainment lovers might want to pass on this film. If you think that "Istanbul" was the only legitimate work TMBG has ever performed, don't "waste" your money - go see the latest action movie on the big screen. But, if you ever really liked to listen to a TMBG album, come back into the fold, and watch "Gigantic"