Documentarians Brett Morgen and Alex Gibney paid tribute to “Super Size Me” filmmaker Morgan Spurlock, who died at 53 on Thursday of complications from cancer.
Morgen — whose films include “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” about legendary producer Robert Evans; “Jane,” about celebrated anthropologist Jane Goodall; and “Moonage Daydream,” about David Bowie — wrote that the Oscar-nominated Spurlock “actually changed the world with his art.”
He was referring to the 2004 film “Super Size Me,” in which Spurlock ate only at McDonald’s for 30 days. After the Oscar-nominated movie’s release and gargantuan success, the fast food chain discontinued its “super size” promotional campaign.
“Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art. He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time. My heart breaks for his family and friends,” Morgen wrote on social media.
“Going Clear” director Alex Gibney tweeted,...
Morgen — whose films include “The Kid Stays in the Picture,” about legendary producer Robert Evans; “Jane,” about celebrated anthropologist Jane Goodall; and “Moonage Daydream,” about David Bowie — wrote that the Oscar-nominated Spurlock “actually changed the world with his art.”
He was referring to the 2004 film “Super Size Me,” in which Spurlock ate only at McDonald’s for 30 days. After the Oscar-nominated movie’s release and gargantuan success, the fast food chain discontinued its “super size” promotional campaign.
“Morgan Spurlock achieved what most artists only dream: he actually changed the world with his art. He was an amazing father, brother, friend and one of the most important and influential filmmakers of my time. My heart breaks for his family and friends,” Morgen wrote on social media.
“Going Clear” director Alex Gibney tweeted,...
- 5/25/2024
- by Sharon Knolle
- The Wrap
Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes took home the best cinema documentary prize
Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes won the best cinema documentary prize at The Grierson Trust’s 2023 British Documentary Awards last night (November 9) in London.
The film about two brothers who rescue and care for thousands of New Delhi’s black kite birds premiered at Sundance last year. All That Breathes, which is produced by Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films and Tangled Bank Studios, also won the best single documentary – international at the Griersons, the prestigious UK documentary awards.
The film is sold internationally by Submarine Entertainment and...
Shaunak Sen’s All That Breathes won the best cinema documentary prize at The Grierson Trust’s 2023 British Documentary Awards last night (November 9) in London.
The film about two brothers who rescue and care for thousands of New Delhi’s black kite birds premiered at Sundance last year. All That Breathes, which is produced by Rise Films, Kiterabbit Films and Tangled Bank Studios, also won the best single documentary – international at the Griersons, the prestigious UK documentary awards.
The film is sold internationally by Submarine Entertainment and...
- 11/10/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
True, the title of writer-director Brett Morgen’s documentary about David Bowie, Moonage Daydream, refers to the song of the same name from Bowie’s classic 1972 album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. But it could also be said to describe the feeling that Morgen inspires with the impressionistic way that he renders the life and art of the glam-rock icon on screen. Even more so than in Cobain: Montage of Heck, his 2015 film about Kurt Cobain, Morgen is less interested in factual biography than in eliciting a sense of the man as an artist and personality.
The means by which Morgen accomplishes his goal are startling to behold. For the film, the David Bowie Estate gave Morgen access to a wealth of rare recordings, films, drawings, and journals, and he hasn’t shied away from showing off that access on screen. Moonage Daydream...
The means by which Morgen accomplishes his goal are startling to behold. For the film, the David Bowie Estate gave Morgen access to a wealth of rare recordings, films, drawings, and journals, and he hasn’t shied away from showing off that access on screen. Moonage Daydream...
- 10/1/2023
- by Kenji Fujishima
- Slant Magazine
How does one make a documentary about David Bowie, a prolific musician who frequently reinvented himself as a performer, sound great? That was the challenge facing the Emmy-nominated sound crew behind Brett Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream.”
“He’s a unique artistic genius,” points out re-recording mixer David Giammarco. “How do you do something like we’ve never seen before?”
Giammarco worked with fellow nominee Paul Massey and Morgen, writer-director-editor-producer on the documentary, to navigate their way through telling Bowie’s story. Morgen’s vision was not to use talking heads or a narrator.
Instead, he tells the story through archival footage made up of clips, interviews and performances.
Essentially, Bowie is telling his own story in the documentary. And it’s not a conventional bio either; rather, Morgen takes audiences on a musical odyssey. The director spent four years on his assemble and edit. It took another 18 months to construct the ambitious soundtrack.
“He’s a unique artistic genius,” points out re-recording mixer David Giammarco. “How do you do something like we’ve never seen before?”
Giammarco worked with fellow nominee Paul Massey and Morgen, writer-director-editor-producer on the documentary, to navigate their way through telling Bowie’s story. Morgen’s vision was not to use talking heads or a narrator.
Instead, he tells the story through archival footage made up of clips, interviews and performances.
Essentially, Bowie is telling his own story in the documentary. And it’s not a conventional bio either; rather, Morgen takes audiences on a musical odyssey. The director spent four years on his assemble and edit. It took another 18 months to construct the ambitious soundtrack.
- 8/27/2023
- by Jazz Tangcay
- Variety Film + TV
Sometimes when you’re a director of television. it’s the moments you don’t expect to be more than connective tissue on a project that prove most interesting and surprising. Take the project that earned directing partners (and husband and wife) Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton their Emmy nomination this year, the FX limited series “Fleishman Is in Trouble.” Dayton points to a scene involving co-star Claire Danes in which her character has just engaged in primal scream therapy. “She’s just gone down this rabbit hole and she’s with this guy she’s having an affair with, and just silently eating a salad,” Dayton says. “Taking really big bites,” adds Faris. “And it’s so funny and weird and loaded,” Dayton continues. “Claire showed you can make eating a salad a layered performance. “We were just thinking, ‘Do we even need this scene?’,” Faris admits, and she...
- 8/18/2023
- by Ray Richmond
- Gold Derby
This story about Brett Morgen and “Moonage Daydream” first appeared in the Down to the Wire: Comedy/Variety/Reality/Nonfiction issue of TheWrap’s awards magazine.
Three years into the editing of his challenging David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen was pretty sure he was in big trouble. He’d run out of money for the production, and he was working toward the nebulous idea of creating what he would later call “an expression of Bowie rather than an explanation of Bowie,” which meant he could pretty much go in any direction at any time, both visually and aurally.
“I thought I was off the rails, that I was deceiving myself that this will make sense,” Morgen said. “I’m not exaggerating to say that three years into the edit, no one had seen a frame—no one in my office, no financiers, no assistant editor. It was all in my head.
Three years into the editing of his challenging David Bowie film “Moonage Daydream,” Brett Morgen was pretty sure he was in big trouble. He’d run out of money for the production, and he was working toward the nebulous idea of creating what he would later call “an expression of Bowie rather than an explanation of Bowie,” which meant he could pretty much go in any direction at any time, both visually and aurally.
“I thought I was off the rails, that I was deceiving myself that this will make sense,” Morgen said. “I’m not exaggerating to say that three years into the edit, no one had seen a frame—no one in my office, no financiers, no assistant editor. It was all in my head.
- 8/17/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Mitchell Travers likened being a costume designer on the set of “George & Tammy” to being “a host at a party.”
“I get to work with everybody,” Travers said. “I get to work with production designers, hair and makeup, sound and I feel I get to make introductions between these departments. It would be impossible to do this without that collaboration — in a way that A.I. can never take from us.”
During Variety’s Creative Collaboration: The Nominees brunch the Emmy-nominated panelists of directors, costume designers, editors and other vital members of this season’s favorite programming discussed the power in partnership in every aspect of creating outstanding TV. Because, well, there is no “I” in Emmy.
When putting together the 2023 Oscars Award ceremony, director Glenn Weiss wanted to create an “immersive” experience for viewers on the opposite sides of TV screens. This was only possible if he worked with...
“I get to work with everybody,” Travers said. “I get to work with production designers, hair and makeup, sound and I feel I get to make introductions between these departments. It would be impossible to do this without that collaboration — in a way that A.I. can never take from us.”
During Variety’s Creative Collaboration: The Nominees brunch the Emmy-nominated panelists of directors, costume designers, editors and other vital members of this season’s favorite programming discussed the power in partnership in every aspect of creating outstanding TV. Because, well, there is no “I” in Emmy.
When putting together the 2023 Oscars Award ceremony, director Glenn Weiss wanted to create an “immersive” experience for viewers on the opposite sides of TV screens. This was only possible if he worked with...
- 8/9/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
This season, television was pushed to its limits and into spaces that teetered genres and kept audiences guessing. From an improv show about a fake court trial to mockumentaries about public schools and vampires, a sci-fi drama about nuns, the 2023 Emmy nominations were a grab bag full of interesting television, and artisans helped take them even further.
Variety’s Creative Collaborators: The Nominees brunch, hosted by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, brought together this year’s Emmy-nominated casting directors, designers, editors and other exciting creators to reflect on how they defied tropes and took fresh approaches to TV.
Panel guests included Tom Campbell, EP of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; Susie Farris, casting director on “Jury Duty”; Chris Gehrt, casting director on “Abbott Elementary”; Yana Gorskaya, editor for “What We Do in The Shadows”; Michael Harte, picture editor for “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”; Charlene Lee, casting director on “Beef”; Arlene Martin,...
Variety’s Creative Collaborators: The Nominees brunch, hosted by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, brought together this year’s Emmy-nominated casting directors, designers, editors and other exciting creators to reflect on how they defied tropes and took fresh approaches to TV.
Panel guests included Tom Campbell, EP of “RuPaul’s Drag Race”; Susie Farris, casting director on “Jury Duty”; Chris Gehrt, casting director on “Abbott Elementary”; Yana Gorskaya, editor for “What We Do in The Shadows”; Michael Harte, picture editor for “Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”; Charlene Lee, casting director on “Beef”; Arlene Martin,...
- 8/9/2023
- by Sophia Scorziello
- Variety Film + TV
Magnolia Pictures announced today they’ve acquired worldwide distribution rights to “Joan Baez I Am a Noise,” an exploration of the famous 1960s folk singer. The film was presented at this year’s Berlinale as well as SXSW. Magnolia has plans to give it a full-scale theatrical release in October.
The documentary, directed by Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle and Karen O’Connor is being touted less as a traditional documentary and more along the lines of Brett Morgen’s 2022 film on David Bowie, “Moonage Daydream.”
In the wake of Warner Bros. “Elvis” and Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream” last year, music docs continue to see an uptick in interest. However, the exploration of female singers remains lacking. Baez is a groundbreaking figure in the 1960s folk scene with a fascinating story. Magnolia has been especially interested in propelling original content forward, even pairing with NBC streamer Peacock back in April to stream their films.
The documentary, directed by Miri Navasky, Maeve O’Boyle and Karen O’Connor is being touted less as a traditional documentary and more along the lines of Brett Morgen’s 2022 film on David Bowie, “Moonage Daydream.”
In the wake of Warner Bros. “Elvis” and Morgen’s “Moonage Daydream” last year, music docs continue to see an uptick in interest. However, the exploration of female singers remains lacking. Baez is a groundbreaking figure in the 1960s folk scene with a fascinating story. Magnolia has been especially interested in propelling original content forward, even pairing with NBC streamer Peacock back in April to stream their films.
- 7/11/2023
- by Kristen Lopez
- The Wrap
Brett Morgen has signed with Entertainment 360.
Morgen is is considered one of the most influential and acclaimed nonfiction filmmakers of the past 25 years, with credits that include Moonage Daydream, Jane, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Crossfire Hurricane and The Kid Stays in the Picture.
Moonage Daydream premiered to critical acclaim at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and went on to become the highest-grossing nonfiction film this decade. The film was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Documentary and received WGA, Cas, Mpse and Critics Choice awards.
In 2018, Morgen won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Director for his work on Jane. In addition, he has been awarded DGA, PGA, Ace, Mpse, WGA and IDA awards for Outstanding Documentary. In addition, he has received eight individual Emmy nominations, two Peabody Awards, two BAFTA nominations, three Ace Eddie nominations, and an Oscar nomination in 2000 for the documentary On the Ropes. ...
Morgen is is considered one of the most influential and acclaimed nonfiction filmmakers of the past 25 years, with credits that include Moonage Daydream, Jane, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, Crossfire Hurricane and The Kid Stays in the Picture.
Moonage Daydream premiered to critical acclaim at the 2022 Cannes Film Festival and went on to become the highest-grossing nonfiction film this decade. The film was nominated for a BAFTA Award for Best Documentary and received WGA, Cas, Mpse and Critics Choice awards.
In 2018, Morgen won the Primetime Emmy Award for Best Director for his work on Jane. In addition, he has been awarded DGA, PGA, Ace, Mpse, WGA and IDA awards for Outstanding Documentary. In addition, he has received eight individual Emmy nominations, two Peabody Awards, two BAFTA nominations, three Ace Eddie nominations, and an Oscar nomination in 2000 for the documentary On the Ropes. ...
- 6/8/2023
- by Justin Kroll
- Deadline Film + TV
Editor’s note: The following interviews were done outside of the FYC event series, as there was no panel or screening.
When director Brett Morgen invited Oscar winners Paul Massey and Nina Hartstone to collaborate on the sound for Moonage Daydream, he told them what he was aiming for with his David Bowie documentary.
“He wanted this to be incredibly immersive,” Massey explained as part of Deadline’s FYC House + HBO Max event series, “and not just immersive in an Atmos kind of a way with using objects in the room, but immersive for the audience to the point where they could shut their eyes and be on a rollercoaster ride of audio without even watching some of the [visuals].”
‘Moonage Daydream’
For re-recording mixer Massey, that meant taking a fresh approach to the Bowie songs in the film.
“We were really blessed by having access to pretty much all of...
When director Brett Morgen invited Oscar winners Paul Massey and Nina Hartstone to collaborate on the sound for Moonage Daydream, he told them what he was aiming for with his David Bowie documentary.
“He wanted this to be incredibly immersive,” Massey explained as part of Deadline’s FYC House + HBO Max event series, “and not just immersive in an Atmos kind of a way with using objects in the room, but immersive for the audience to the point where they could shut their eyes and be on a rollercoaster ride of audio without even watching some of the [visuals].”
‘Moonage Daydream’
For re-recording mixer Massey, that meant taking a fresh approach to the Bowie songs in the film.
“We were really blessed by having access to pretty much all of...
- 6/1/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Photograph by Courtesy of David Bowie Estate/HBO HBO Documentary Films’ Moonage Daydream, from Academy Award(R)-nominated and Emmy(R)-winning filmmaker Brett Morgen (HBO’s “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”), debuts Saturday, April 29 (8:00-10:15 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Guided by Bowie’s own narration and told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, this feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores his creative, musical, and spiritual journey. In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and personal collection of his own art and poetry. He spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color...
- 4/7/2023
- by Hollywood Outbreak
- HollywoodOutbreak.com
Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream is one step closer to becoming small-screen reality. After getting its premiere at Cannes last year, the David Bowie documentary is slated to debut on HBO Saturday, April 29th, at 8:00 p.m. Et, and will then be available to stream on HBO Max.
Described as a “cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream pieces together never-before-seen footage of Bowie’s personal life and professional performances, narrated by the man himself. The documentary will also extend into Bowie’s creative endeavors beyond music, highlighting his work in dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting, and live theatre.
Notably, Moonage Daydream is the first Bowie biopic made with the blessing of his family. With that mammoth co-sign, Morgen was granted access to Bowie’s personal archives, including all of the musician’s master recordings and hours of discovered 35mm and 16mm film of his stage performances.
Morgen wrote,...
Described as a “cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream pieces together never-before-seen footage of Bowie’s personal life and professional performances, narrated by the man himself. The documentary will also extend into Bowie’s creative endeavors beyond music, highlighting his work in dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting, and live theatre.
Notably, Moonage Daydream is the first Bowie biopic made with the blessing of his family. With that mammoth co-sign, Morgen was granted access to Bowie’s personal archives, including all of the musician’s master recordings and hours of discovered 35mm and 16mm film of his stage performances.
Morgen wrote,...
- 4/6/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Brett Morgen’s Moonage Daydream is one step closer to becoming small-screen reality. After getting its premiere at Cannes last year, the David Bowie documentary is slated to debut on HBO Saturday, April 29th, at 8:00 p.m. Et, and will then be available to stream on HBO Max.
Described as a “cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream pieces together never-before-seen footage of Bowie’s personal life and professional performances, narrated by the man himself. The documentary will also extend into Bowie’s creative endeavors beyond music, highlighting his work in dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting, and live theatre.
Notably, Moonage Daydream is the first Bowie biopic made with the blessing of his family. With that mammoth co-sign, Morgen was granted access to Bowie’s personal archives, including all of the musician’s master recordings and hours of discovered 35mm and 16mm film of his stage performances.
Morgen wrote,...
Described as a “cinematic odyssey,” Moonage Daydream pieces together never-before-seen footage of Bowie’s personal life and professional performances, narrated by the man himself. The documentary will also extend into Bowie’s creative endeavors beyond music, highlighting his work in dance, painting, sculpture, video and audio collage, screenwriting, acting, and live theatre.
Notably, Moonage Daydream is the first Bowie biopic made with the blessing of his family. With that mammoth co-sign, Morgen was granted access to Bowie’s personal archives, including all of the musician’s master recordings and hours of discovered 35mm and 16mm film of his stage performances.
Morgen wrote,...
- 4/6/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Film News
HBO Documentary Films’ Moonage Daydream, from Academy Award®-nominated and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Brett Morgen (HBO’s “Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck”), debuts Saturday, April 29 (8:00-10:15 p.m. Et/Pt) on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Guided by Bowie’s own narration and told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, this feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores his creative, musical, and spiritual journey.
In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and personal collection of his own art and poetry. He spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color palette while working with Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend, and...
Moonage Daydream illuminates the life and genius of David Bowie, one of the most prolific and influential artists of our time. Guided by Bowie’s own narration and told through sublime, kaleidoscopic, never-before-seen footage, performances, and music, this feature length experiential cinematic odyssey explores his creative, musical, and spiritual journey.
In 2018, Morgen was granted unprecedented access to Bowie’s archives encompassing a lifetime of materials, including an extensive catalog of unseen footage and personal collection of his own art and poetry. He spent four years assembling the film and another 18 months designing the soundscape, animations, and color palette while working with Bowie’s long-time collaborator, friend, and...
- 4/6/2023
- by TV Shows Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid - TV
As a musician, David Bowie transcended any traditional definition of a rock star. Through the documentary Moonage Daydream, director and producer Brett Morgen sought to transcend the traditional constraints of a biographical documentary.
Speaking at the Deadline’s Contenders Documentary panel, Morgen shared his approach in the HBO Documentary Films project to understanding a subject as complex and enigmatic as Bowie.
Related: Contenders Documentary — Deadline’s Complete Coverage
“I felt that by avoiding some of the tropes of the biography that we’re accustomed to … I would hopefully be able to arrive at something that David sort of discussed in that sequence, which is some of the intangibles, the mysteries of an artist that are often hard to describe via facts,” he said. “So I think that the goal was ultimately this aim to invite the audience to have an intimate and sublime experience with the subject and hopefully arrive...
Speaking at the Deadline’s Contenders Documentary panel, Morgen shared his approach in the HBO Documentary Films project to understanding a subject as complex and enigmatic as Bowie.
Related: Contenders Documentary — Deadline’s Complete Coverage
“I felt that by avoiding some of the tropes of the biography that we’re accustomed to … I would hopefully be able to arrive at something that David sort of discussed in that sequence, which is some of the intangibles, the mysteries of an artist that are often hard to describe via facts,” he said. “So I think that the goal was ultimately this aim to invite the audience to have an intimate and sublime experience with the subject and hopefully arrive...
- 12/4/2022
- by Alex Cramer
- Deadline Film + TV
Moonage Daydream is returning to the really big screen.
Brett Morgen’s award-winning documentary about David Bowie will be re-released on Imax screens around the country for limited engagements, beginning on Monday, December 5 at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. From Dec. 7-13 it will play at six Imax locations in the Los Angeles area, including the Chinese, as well as Imax screens in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Diego and other cities.
Moonage Daydream has already become far and away the top-grossing documentary in theatrical release this year, earning more than 12 million globally to date, including 4.2 million domestically. Theatrical distributor Neon calls it “the greatest rock movie of the decade.”
David Bowie in ‘Moonage Daydream’
In a release, Neon said, “David Bowie fans worldwide were immersed in the ultimate Bowie experience in the initial theatrical launch [in mid-September] and can once again experience this one-of-a-kind film in exceptional picture clarity and next-generation Imax precision sound.
Brett Morgen’s award-winning documentary about David Bowie will be re-released on Imax screens around the country for limited engagements, beginning on Monday, December 5 at the Tcl Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. From Dec. 7-13 it will play at six Imax locations in the Los Angeles area, including the Chinese, as well as Imax screens in New York, Chicago, Boston, San Diego and other cities.
Moonage Daydream has already become far and away the top-grossing documentary in theatrical release this year, earning more than 12 million globally to date, including 4.2 million domestically. Theatrical distributor Neon calls it “the greatest rock movie of the decade.”
David Bowie in ‘Moonage Daydream’
In a release, Neon said, “David Bowie fans worldwide were immersed in the ultimate Bowie experience in the initial theatrical launch [in mid-September] and can once again experience this one-of-a-kind film in exceptional picture clarity and next-generation Imax precision sound.
- 12/3/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
One summer a few years ago, Frances Bean Cobain worked as an intern in the New York offices of Rolling Stone. Frances – the daughter of Nirvana singer-guitarist Kurt Cobain and an executive producer of the new HBO documentary on his life, Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck – was “a 15-year-old Goth kid, so stoked,” she recalls with a laugh during a recent interview for the cover story in our new issue. She remembers providing research assistance on a cover about the Jonas Brothers – and working in a cubicle across from...
- 4/8/2015
- by David Fricke
- Rollingstone.com
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