Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2019 Brent Wilson Documentary)

[HeyJude]

I hope it’s available for purchase on iTunes…as convenient as streaming is, I’d also like to monetarily support this kind of movie.

Films that get a deal with a monthly subscription type streamer still get paid, just it'll be a lump sum or perhaps based on views. Or in other words, I don't know if paying per-time like on iTunes or Prime is better or worse for them than being on Netflix or HBO

The typical course for a film is to capitalize on both revenue streams, and others potentially. The typical scenario pre-pandemic is for a film to first hit theatrical (if it's going exclusively theatrical to start with), then it becomes available for digital *purchase*, then it comes available for physical purchase and digital and physical rentals. Then,  at some point after, it goes to a subscription-based streaming service platform.

There are exceptions to this, mainly consisting of original films produced *by* streaming services that are exclusive to those services (e.g. Amazon Prime, Disney+, Netflix, etc.).

A variation that I'm guessing the BW doc is going to use is one that existed pre-pandemic, which is to go day-and-date for theatrical and digital rental, with the rental price being a bit higher than a typical digital rental (e.g. $6.99 instead of $5.99). It's essentially mostly a "straight to video" model, but for digital/on-demand only. Any concurrent theatrical run is not expected to make much money. And from there, I'd expect eventually to see the BW doc available for both digital and physical *purchase*, and probably eventually on some subscription streaming service.

Things are changing in the last 1-2 years to some degree with some big movies going to straight to various iterations of digital ("Premium VOD" where you pay $20 to $30 to *rent* a film), but it looks like most films are already and/or will soon go back to having at least *some* type of theatrical window. It looks like a lot of studios are going to 30 or 45-day windows, at which point they then go the normal scenario as described above, sometimes with an intermediate step of having the film as a "Premium VOD" rental after that initial theatrical window (for instance, starting today the new Bond film can be rented for $20).

I think the BW doc would have bypassed all of this either way. A niche documentary is the sort of thing that even pre-pandemic would have had a small theatrical run and a concurrent VOD release as well, with the digital and physical purchase options still happening later, followed by a subscription service.

[Pretty Funky]

Listed on Rotten Tomatoes as being available on Vudu Nov 19 and a pre-order /trailer page on the Vudu website. $14.95

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Brian-Wilson-Long-Promised-Road/1947838?cmp=rt_where_to_watch

[HeyJude]

It looks like $14.99 is likely the price to purchase.

It may still be available to rent for less, but they obviously can't sell a rental as "pre-order." We'll probably have to wait until the 19th to see.

[UEF]

Listed on Rotten Tomatoes as being available on Vudu Nov 19 and a pre-order /trailer page on the Vudu website. $14.95

https://www.vudu.com/content/movies/details/Brian-Wilson-Long-Promised-Road/1947838?cmp=rt_where_to_watch

Well spotted, thank you. The site needs a US VPN to open in the U.K., and I would assume some/all other non-US countries.

[thetojo]

It looks like $14.99 is likely the price to purchase.

It may still be available to rent for less, but they obviously can't sell a rental as "pre-order." We'll probably have to wait until the 19th to see.

To paraphrase the Magilla Gorilla theme song -

 Take our advice
 At any price
 A Brian Wilson documentary is mighty nice!

[Margarita]

I'm highly annoyed that there isn't a LPR screening in or anywhere near Chicago.  The usual theaters for such events - including The Music Box, where we saw a fan preview of L&M with a Q&A by John Cusack and BW afterwards - do not have it listed.  
My mother, who lives in New Jersey, just told me about a screening that is on 11/17 in Asbury Park.  This is not listed on the Screen Media site.  

[thetojo]

Thought I'd share the Apple+/iTunes link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/brian-wilson-long-promised-road/id1592595798?ign-mpt=uo%3D4


While I'm at it - I hadn't realised this was on iTunes as well:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/brian-wilson-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times/id290374626

[rab2591]

Thought I'd share the Apple+/iTunes link:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/brian-wilson-long-promised-road/id1592595798?ign-mpt=uo%3D4


While I'm at it - I hadn't realised this was on iTunes as well:

https://itunes.apple.com/us/movie/brian-wilson-i-just-wasnt-made-for-these-times/id290374626

Thank you!!!! November 19th is going to be a wonderful Brian Wilson filled day for me!

[UEF]

Still no legal way of purchasing or watching in UK:(

[UEF]

Another US host https://ondemand.spectrum.net/movies/20749079/brian-wilson-long-promised-road/

[B.E.]

I'm highly annoyed that there isn't a LPR screening in or anywhere near Chicago.  The usual theaters for such events - including The Music Box, where we saw a fan preview of L&M with a Q&A by John Cusack and BW afterwards - do not have it listed.  
My mother, who lives in New Jersey, just told me about a screening that is on 11/17 in Asbury Park.  This is not listed on the Screen Media site.  

I hadn't heard about the showing in Asbury Park until you mentioned it. At the time, 19 of the 25 seats were still available. Now it's sold out and they've added 11 additional showings over the next week. I wonder if you helped get the word out better than their social media and whatever newspaper it was in!

[Shady]

Really annoying not being able to watch this

[rab2591]

Really annoying not being able to watch this

Are you able to use a VPN?

[shadownoze]

Just got back from seeing the film. Only nine people in the theater...
I have to admit I did not have high hopes for the movie. Even the trailer didn't seem to show that Brian was much more forthcoming than he normally is in interviews. And, in truth, there are not many new revelations in this documentary...
But I loved it.
It's incredibly well-done and this will be the thing to show people who don't know why Brian Wilson matters. The celebrity interviews are deeper and more insightful than usual; and it was a surprise to hear Springsteen talk knowingly about Pet Sounds and even Smile.
More than anything else, it'll make you want to give Brian a big hug. His life story is covered very well and the sadness in his eyes is heart-rending. There are, however, a couple of laugh-out-loud moments that are really indicative of the true Brian.
Technically, the movie is gorgeous. Every old photo looks amazing, and the skillful use of instrumental and a cappella tracks is very impressive. Don Was is shown playing the vocals-only tag of God Only Knows and it is so amazing that he laughs out loud and says something like, "I've been making music for more than 40 years...and I don't know how to do THAT...NOBODY knows how to do that!"
In short, it's a great look at the great BW; I could watch it again right now and enjoy it just as much.

[rab2591]

Thanks so much for the review! I can’t wait to see this - just one more day. I wish I could’ve seen it in theaters but there wasn’t really a local option for me.

I have so many questions but I also don’t want to spoil any surprises.

[CenturyDeprived]

I had the profound pleasure of seeing the film at the Laemmle theater in Westwood last night along with a post-film Q&A by Brent Wilson, Jason Fine, and Brian Wilson.

In a nutshell, the film is a GAME CHANGER. It's a truly worthy (and very different) documentary counterpart to Love & Mercy. For anybody learning about the story of Brian Wilson, *both* of these superb films are absolute must-sees.

Among many other unexpected firsts that this film shows, latter day Brian is seen in the studio fully in charge, kicking butt, very much engaged, getting stuff done, which definitely goes a ways to prove how much confidence and self sufficiency Brian Wilson still has at this time in his life when he's feeling it. The amount of empathy gained for what Brian has to go through on a daily basis to deal with the voices in his head is quite profound.

There have been many people who over the years have claimed otherwise, and many assumptions by fans have been spoken about how Brian doesn't do anything much in the studio and lets people do everything for him…, but this film proves Brian has still got it, which as the filmmakers noted afterwards in the Q&A was shown in the film virtually live and mostly unedited just as the events happened in front of them.

The film is a brave piece of filmmaking, and many raw moments that might be considered a bit surprising that they let in the film were right there for the audience to see. Both in terms of raw sounding latter-day live performances, and also just in terms of Brian physically looking like a dude who is almost 80 and has lived a hard life in many ways, you're going to see some stuff on film that isn't sugarcoated and I really appreciate that they let this level of honesty into the film.

The new song heard in the film "Right Where I Belong" is super, and I think most people would agree it's among the best top shelf songs in his solo career.

Brian speaks about topics that you would not expect him to speak about, and so much of the credit goes to Jason Fine for setting a comfortable tone and environment which Brian was extraordinarily responsive to.

Brian Wilson is very much still there, but it takes the right environment for him to come out of his shell - and this film provides such an environment in a way that I think will be stunning for people to see. It's unlike any documentary ever done about Brian; in my opinion it was made with a similar level of filmmaking artistry, emotion, and craft that Love & Mercy was made with, which is a rare compliment.

I can't wait to hear what everybody else about the film once they see it.

[Dan Lega]

Hey!  I got to see "Long Promised Road" in the theater last night!

It was very moving, and very well put together. 

But... the idea that Brian opened up while driving around in the car doesn't really pan out.  He pretty much gives his usual short answers and repeats many answers he's given before.  (Such as "We shelved SMiLE because it was ahead of its time and so we waited 40 years for when people could appreciate it".)

Now... that's not to say there aren't a lot of poignant moments that come out of Jason Fine's interviews in the car, but for the most part Brian appears just as shut down with this method of interviewing as he is with usual interviews and interviewers.

Still definitely worth seeing though!

<SPOILER ALERT>

Especially for the music. There were definitely shots of Brian and the gang recording songs that haven't been released yet!  One was called "Honeycomb", but I couldn't tell if it was the "Honeycomb" that was released in the 50's or 60's, or if this was a brand new song by Brian. 

There were other songs that sounded like Brian originals, but I couldn't tell if all of them were previously released or if they were new.

One thing that I didn't expect... Brian seems to really like "It's OK"!  He requests it to be played while driving in the car numerous times.  AND THEN... they show him recording it in the studio!  What's even weirder?  They had shown Brian on a Pet Sounds tour doing his talk/singing for the songs.  Then they show him re-recording "It's OK" and he sings it beautifully!  I... could... not... believe... it!

He re-records "Long Promised Road", too, and delivers a few of the lines perfectly!  If only there were someone who Brian trusted enough to tell him when a line wasn't perfect and when it was, and got him to keep working on it until it was perfect.  Because it appears that with a little concentration he still has the chops to deliver a great vocal!

Definitely go see it if you have the chance!  (Though that chance in the theaters may be gone as it appeared to play for one time only in a lot of cities on Wednesday night, November 17, 2021.)

Love and merci,
Dan Lega

[Bedroom Tapes]

There's at least half of an album in there with new songs and covers sprinkled throughout this outstanding documentary!  Hoping for an official soundtrack soon.  *fingers crossed*

[Aomdiddlywalla]

'If only there were someone who Brian trusted enough to tell him when a line wasn't perfect and when it was, and got him to keep working on it until it was perfect'

Anyone got Steve Levine's phone number?

[rab2591]

Thanks for all the reviews! I’m so glad it is getting positive feedback. I’ve got it ordered on iTunes and later today I’ll sit down to watch.

[pudge104]

According to the documentary’s official Instagram, the soundtrack comes out next Friday.  I asked about it under the most recent post.

[JakeH]

I had the profound pleasure of seeing the film at the Laemmle theater in Westwood last night along with a post-film Q&A by Brent Wilson, Jason Fine, and Brian Wilson.

In a nutshell, the film is a GAME CHANGER. It's a truly worthy (and very different) documentary counterpart to Love & Mercy. For anybody learning about the story of Brian Wilson, *both* of these superb films are absolute must-sees.

Among many other unexpected firsts that this film shows, latter day Brian is seen in the studio fully in charge, kicking butt, very much engaged, getting stuff done, which definitely goes a ways to prove how much confidence and self sufficiency Brian Wilson still has at this time in his life when he's feeling it. The amount of empathy gained for what Brian has to go through on a daily basis to deal with the voices in his head is quite profound.

There have been many people who over the years have claimed otherwise, and many assumptions by fans have been spoken about how Brian doesn't do anything much in the studio and lets people do everything for him…, but this film proves Brian has still got it, which as the filmmakers noted afterwards in the Q&A was shown in the film virtually live and mostly unedited just as the events happened in front of them.

The film is a brave piece of filmmaking, and many raw moments that might be considered a bit surprising that they let in the film were right there for the audience to see. Both in terms of raw sounding latter-day live performances, and also just in terms of Brian physically looking like a dude who is almost 80 and has lived a hard life in many ways, you're going to see some stuff on film that isn't sugarcoated and I really appreciate that they let this level of honesty into the film.

The new song heard in the film "Right Where I Belong" is super, and I think most people would agree it's among the best top shelf songs in his solo career.

Brian speaks about topics that you would not expect him to speak about, and so much of the credit goes to Jason Fine for setting a comfortable tone and environment which Brian was extraordinarily responsive to.

Brian Wilson is very much still there, but it takes the right environment for him to come out of his shell - and this film provides such an environment in a way that I think will be stunning for people to see. It's unlike any documentary ever done about Brian; in my opinion it was made with a similar level of filmmaking artistry, emotion, and craft that Love & Mercy was made with, which is a rare compliment.

I can't wait to hear what everybody else about the film once they see it.

Thanks for the report.  Anything else interesting occur during the Q&A, aside from what you mentioned above?

In a nutshell, the film is a GAME CHANGER. It's a truly worthy (and very different) documentary counterpart to Love & Mercy. For anybody learning about the story of Brian Wilson, *both* of these superb films are absolute must-sees.

[***]

Brian speaks about topics that you would not expect him to speak about, and so much of the credit goes to Jason Fine for setting a comfortable tone and environment which Brian was extraordinarily responsive to.

[***]

Brian Wilson is very much still there, but it takes the right environment for him to come out of his shell - and this film provides such an environment in a way that I think will be stunning for people to see.

I thought the doc was good - well made and sincere - probably, as is usually the case - intended for viewers who don't know too much about the Beach Boys or Brian Wilson but who might be interested to learn more.  At the same time, for more seasoned and/or knowledgeable viewers, it's still worthwhile. You have to assume this is the last Brian Wilson documentary - kind of an updating of the Don Was doc from the 1990s (but with a new set of talking heads attesting to Brian's greatness, including notably, conductor Gustavo Dudamel of the L.A. Phil likening Pet Sounds to a song cycle by Mahler or Schubert lieder) and as somebody already said somewhere, a kind of addendum to the 2015 movie.

I disagree with the idea that Brian speaks about topics you wouldn't expect him to speak about, and I disagree that Brian "came out of his shell" or was "extraordinarily responsive" to any of Jason Fine's comments and gentle prodding.  Keep in mind, though, that as early as 1967, David Anderle accurately assessed Brian as "nonverbal" or a "nonverbal human" who "doesn't talk." That aspect of Brian has always been there, and over time - due significantly to the way the circumstances of his life and the kinds of people who he was surrounded by drove him further and further inward - it has intensified to the point where he is scarcely communicative at all in any kind of public or semi-public situation.  Hopefully watchers of the new documentary will understand that Brian is not there in the movie to provide answers for us or to explain - he has done enough of that already over the years in various forms - but is there in the movie just to be there. (the cynical viewpoint is that he is again being exploited in this film by his "handlers")  It's up to the viewers to be curious enough to wonder why Brian is the way he is, and what happened over the course of his life. The doc doesn't provide answers (it shows the "what" but is light on "why") and shouldn't necessarily be expected to do so.

[thetojo]

Anyone outside the US actually able to buy or stream this yet?

[juggler]

Keep in mind, though, that as early as 1967, David Anderle accurately assessed Brian as "nonverbal" or a "nonverbal human" who "doesn't talk." That aspect of Brian has always been there, and over time - due significantly to the way the circumstances of his life and the kinds of people who he was surrounded by drove him further and further inward - it has intensified to the point where he is scarcely communicative at all in any kind of public or semi-public situation.  

I haven't seen the film yet, but you're right. The non-communicative Brian has always been there.  Silence and obfuscation clearly have been his defensive weapons of choice for a long, long time.  IIRC, there was a story about Jules Siegel bringing Thomas Pynchon to meet Brian during the Smile era, and neither Brian nor Pynchon said a word to each other.

And yet Brian is an enigma. We can talk about his non-verbalism until we're blue in our faces, and then someone will pull out a radio interview from the '70s where Brian is chatty as hell, a veritable motormouth.  And someone will say, "Well, he's probably coked up." And that's possibly true, but it's more complicated than that.  There's an interview from 2008 with Zooey Deschanel where Brian is more talkative than normal, expanding upon comments more than just his usual minimalism.  Zooey is a very attractive, charming young woman, and it's not unreasonable to infer that Brian is a bit enchanted with her.

[UEF]

Anyone outside the US actually able to buy or stream this yet?

It looked to me as if you could buy a Vudu gift card and then pay for the film with that. Zip code? Any will do...