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The Sparks Brothers

  • 2021
  • R
  • 2h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
6.3K
YOUR RATING
Ron Mael, Russell Mael, and Sparks in The Sparks Brothers (2021)
'The Sparks Brothers' is a 2021 music documentary film directed by Edgar Wright about Ron and Russell Mael, the creators of the pop and rock band Sparks.
Play trailer2:28
13 Videos
59 Photos
Music DocumentaryBiographyComedyDocumentaryHistoryMusic

A musical odyssey through five decades with Ron Mael and Russell Mael celebrating the legacy of the band Sparks.A musical odyssey through five decades with Ron Mael and Russell Mael celebrating the legacy of the band Sparks.A musical odyssey through five decades with Ron Mael and Russell Mael celebrating the legacy of the band Sparks.

  • Director
    • Edgar Wright
  • Stars
    • Edgar Wright
    • Sparks
    • Ron Mael
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.7/10
    6.3K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Edgar Wright
    • Stars
      • Edgar Wright
      • Sparks
      • Ron Mael
    • 65User reviews
    • 96Critic reviews
    • 80Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 26 nominations total

    Videos13

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:28
    Official Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Trailer
    The Sparks Brothers
    Trailer 2:25
    The Sparks Brothers
    A Guide to the Films of Edgar Wright
    Clip 2:17
    A Guide to the Films of Edgar Wright
    The Sparks Brothers
    Clip 0:59
    The Sparks Brothers
    The Sparks Brothers
    Clip 1:07
    The Sparks Brothers

    Photos58

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    + 52
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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Edgar Wright
    Edgar Wright
    • Self, also narrator and interviewer
    Sparks
    Sparks
    • Themselves
    • (archive footage)
    Ron Mael
    Ron Mael
    • Self
    Russell Mael
    Russell Mael
    • Self
    Meyer Mael
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    The Beatles
    The Beatles
    • Themselves
    • (archive footage)
    Earle Mankey
    • Self
    Harley Feinstein
    Harley Feinstein
    • Self
    The Who
    The Who
    • Themselves
    • (archive footage)
    The Kinks
    The Kinks
    • Themselves
    • (archive footage)
    Larry DuPont
    • Self
    Mike Berns
    • Self
    Todd Rundgren
    • Self
    Pamela Des Barres
    Pamela Des Barres
    • Self
    James Lowe
    • Self
    Patricia Lowe
    • Self
    Alex Kapranos
    • Self
    Beck
    Beck
    • Self
    • Director
      • Edgar Wright
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    5.5
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    5.8
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    Seymour: An Introduction
    7.5
    Seymour: An Introduction

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      None of Ron's snow globes were harmed during the making of this documentary.
    • Quotes

      Jack Antonoff: All pop music is rearranged Vince Clarke or rearranged Sparks. That's the truth.

    • Connections
      Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Peyton Manning/Bowen Yang/Edgar Wright/Stevie Nistor (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us
      Performed by Sparks

      Written by Ron Mael

      Published by BMG Rights Management (UK) Ltd., a BMG Company.

      Courtesy of Island Records

      Under licence from Universal Music Operations Ltd

    User reviews65

    Featured review
    8/10

    Exotic Creatures

    Greetings again from the darkness. Over the past 5 decades, the number of bands that have broken up is, well, almost all of them. For two brothers to write songs and perform together over that span, and still be at it in their 70's is remarkable. Sparks is made up of Ron Mael and younger brother Russell. They've published 25 albums with 300 songs, and performed thousands of concerts. Somehow they still like each other, respect each other, and work well together. As unusual as their music is and as strange as their stage show can be, it seems only fitting that their cinematic profile would be directed by Edgar Wright, who is best known for SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2002) and BABY DRIVER (2017). This is his first documentary.

    Mr. Wright establishes the necessary unconventional start by having Sparks perform the opening credits. Not a song to open the film, but rather they actually perform the opening credits. We are then introduced to Ron and Russell, and we get some childhood family photos and an explanation about how their artist father taking them to the movies would later influence their work. And other than learning that Ron has a massive snow globe collection, that's the end of the insight into their personal lives. Normally that would be a mistake, but there is nothing normal about Sparks.

    Instead of personal profiles, director Wright opts for a chronological discography - a walk through the band's timeline of recordings. Each step is punctuated with insight from fellow musicians or celebrities, and clips of the band performing their music from each era. The interviews are filmed in black & white so that the color of the stage performances really pop on screen. Some of those interviewed include producer Todd Rundgren, Jane Wiedlin (The Go-Go's), Flea (Red Hot Chili Peppers), Pamela Des Barres (a musician and, umm, certain other skills), and other musicians who played with Sparks over the years.

    Often thought of as a novelty act, Sparks music and shows are filled with humor, but are not a joke. The two brothers have stayed committed to the music and the performances. To cover an extended gap in their career, director Wright utilizes 6 years of "Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve", but more impactful is finding out that they worked on the music every day during those 6 years. The Mael brothers define persistence. The brothers' desire to break into film music fizzled a couple of times due to Jacques Tati and Tim Burton, but they do appear in the 1977 thriller ROLLERCOASTER.

    Songwriter Ron is the brother with the Hitler/Chaplin mustache, while singer Russell was the matinee idol in the early years. They are referred to as the "Best British group to come out of America", and their musical influence can be traced to many more popular bands. A collaboration with Franz Ferdinand pushed their creativity, but it's an outlandish 21 shows in a row, each featuring a different album performed live that may best define their love of music and performance (and stamina). So while Mr. Wright offers zip in regards to their personal lives, the abundance of live performance clips and the quite funny Sparks "Facts" over the closing credits make this a documentary worth watching (even with its 140 minute run time).

    In theaters June 18, 2021.
    • ferguson-6
    • Jun 16, 2021
    • Permalink

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    FAQ17

    • How long is The Sparks Brothers?Powered by Alexa
    • Where can I see THE SPARKS BROTHERS? Will it be shown on the Sundance Channel? Will it be offered as Pay-Per-View? Will it be released on Blu-Ray?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 18, 2021 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • 火花兄弟
    • Filming locations
      • O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Focus Features
      • Media Rights Capital (MRC)
      • Complete Fiction
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $648,665
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $273,530
      • Jun 20, 2021
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,249,115
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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