Queue Tips: Hail stones.

Apparently, "Shine A Light" is not the sequel to "Shine".  Or "Little Miss Sunshine".  Or "Sunshine".  Or "Sunshine Cleaning".  Or "Visions of Light".

I don't know what to make of this Martin Scorsese film.  Is it a documentary, or a concert movie?  I don't think the director was sure either.

If it was a concert movie, then why break it up with behind-the-scenes and archival interview footage?  If it's a documentary, then why not explain things whenever possible.  For example, I would have appreciated knowing what songs they're playing.  I mean, I know the Rolling Stone enough to recognize "Jumpin' Jack Flash", "Shattered" and the rest of the popular stuff, but there are lesser known songs that I wouldn't automatically recognize.  "Shine A Light", for example.  Or they may be younger audiences out there who might not know who originated "Just My Imagination".

There was a point in the show when another musician joins them on guitar and vocals.  Obviously, I'm not "hip to the scene" because I had no idea who that guy was.  He must be somebody.  He was worthy enough to share the stage with the Stones.

The target audiences are definitely those who are big fans of the band and don't need anything explained to them, like me.  I like the Rolling Stones, and I like Martin Scorsese.  And I like hearing Stones music in Scorsese pictures, from "Jumpin' Jack Flash" in "Mean Streets" to "Gimme Shelter" in "The Departed".  However, I'm not crazy about him directing their concert movie/documentary.

I admit though, that the first few minutes brought up some not-so-happy experiences for me.  The film opens with the film crew trying to get on the same page with the musical act.  Decisions needed to be made, but didn't get made until the last hour.  Those kinds of memories were brought up, and I don't know whether it affected my enjoyment.  This film is still worth watching though.


This is not the first time I haven't been crazy about a Scorsese film.  When I rented "Kundun" many years I didn't know who made it.  I thought it was a foreign film and was rather shocked that it was set in Tibet but in the English language.  I liked it, but that minor detail always bothered me.

Having watched it again recently though, I appreciate it more.  It is about the Dalai Lama, who as you may or may not know, is believed to be reincarnated again and again.  I love how Scorsese casted different actors at different ages to play the part.  The audience sees a different body, but they are all just one person.

Lastly, apart from Scorsese's film, whenever I hear "Jumpin' Jack Flash", I think of the movie "Jumpin' Jack Flash".  When I hear "Fool to Cry", I recall "Beautiful Girls".  Whenever I hear "Paint It Black", I associate it with "Full Metal Jacket".  Whenever I hear "Dead Flowers", I always think of "The Big Lebowski", even though the song was covered by Townes van Zandt.  When I hear "Sympathy for the Devil", I remember "Interview with the Vampire" even though it was covered by Guns 'N Roses.

When I hear "Start Me Up" I think of Microsoft, and when I hear "She's A Rainbow" I think of Apple.