I mean, was there any doubt I’d go see Blinded By The Light? Would any true Bruce Springsteen fan possibly skip this movie? Some observations…
* first things first, the title is very helpful in establishing to people that “Blinded By The Light” is actually a Bruce song, not a Manfred Mann song. I guess I can understand the confusion, though the fact that Springsteen is a bigger star than Manfred Mann by multiples of 1000, you’d think it would be a more widely-known fact.
* Javed’s new-wavey friend Matt? Played by none other than King Tommen Baratheon himself! He survived that fall off the balcony just in time for the fall of late-80’s synth pop. It’s probably for the best that we never actually got any scenes of Matt’s band in action, since that would’ve tipped the scales into outright comedy.
* okay, so my main source of confusion with the film, and perhaps those more well-versed in British music culture can let me know about this. Javed’s Springsteen fandom is seen by many as something of an anachronism, with the Boss representing “old” or outdated music that only someone like Matt’s manchild father (oh man did I laugh when I realized it was Rob Brydon) would still be into. But…..the movie is set in 1987. “Born In The USA” had been released just three years earlier, to monster worldwide acclaim. Even the Born in the USA tour ended not even two years prior to when the film is set, a tour that included no less than six big shows in the U.K. itself. And “Tunnel Of Love” was released in 1987 itself. Hell, that album even had a bunch of synths, Matt would’ve been enthralled!
I guess my point is that it seems odd that Javed and Roops are seemingly the only two young Springsteen fans at their school, nay, in the whole movie. It’s even played for laughs that Javed rushes to the HMV to get concert tickets***, only to learn that he’s the first one to even ask. Wasn’t Springsteen still a big deal in the U.K. in 1987? I’m not even sure what the modern equivalent would be, given today’s fractured musical climate, but in terms of a huge-selling modern act who is perceived as appealing more to older audiences….maybe Adele? But if you made a movie set in 2019 about a teen who finds inspiration in Adele’s music, would their classmates be all “Adele? Who?” or “Adele? She’s nobody!”
*** = man, did this ever bring back some memories. “Standing in line at a record store the day tour tickets go on sale” is one of those definite generation gap moments that young people today simply have no concept about.
* anyway, quibble with the premise aside, I guess it did relate to the general idea of how music can make you feel like a band is singing to you, and you alone. The film is entertaining and a good watch, if a tad cheesy and predictable in spots. Probably could’ve done without the goofiness of Javed actually dressing himself up like Springsteen, as if a teenager would ever do something absurd like dressing as one of their pop idols in real life! On a totally unrelated note, we just recently passed the 20-year anniversary of my wearing large fly sunglasses throughout much of the 12th grade in order to emulate Bono.
* needless to say, this movie is full of great music. Acoustic “Promised Land”? Hell yes.
* first things first, the title is very helpful in establishing to people that “Blinded By The Light” is actually a Bruce song, not a Manfred Mann song. I guess I can understand the confusion, though the fact that Springsteen is a bigger star than Manfred Mann by multiples of 1000, you’d think it would be a more widely-known fact.
* Javed’s new-wavey friend Matt? Played by none other than King Tommen Baratheon himself! He survived that fall off the balcony just in time for the fall of late-80’s synth pop. It’s probably for the best that we never actually got any scenes of Matt’s band in action, since that would’ve tipped the scales into outright comedy.
* okay, so my main source of confusion with the film, and perhaps those more well-versed in British music culture can let me know about this. Javed’s Springsteen fandom is seen by many as something of an anachronism, with the Boss representing “old” or outdated music that only someone like Matt’s manchild father (oh man did I laugh when I realized it was Rob Brydon) would still be into. But…..the movie is set in 1987. “Born In The USA” had been released just three years earlier, to monster worldwide acclaim. Even the Born in the USA tour ended not even two years prior to when the film is set, a tour that included no less than six big shows in the U.K. itself. And “Tunnel Of Love” was released in 1987 itself. Hell, that album even had a bunch of synths, Matt would’ve been enthralled!
I guess my point is that it seems odd that Javed and Roops are seemingly the only two young Springsteen fans at their school, nay, in the whole movie. It’s even played for laughs that Javed rushes to the HMV to get concert tickets***, only to learn that he’s the first one to even ask. Wasn’t Springsteen still a big deal in the U.K. in 1987? I’m not even sure what the modern equivalent would be, given today’s fractured musical climate, but in terms of a huge-selling modern act who is perceived as appealing more to older audiences….maybe Adele? But if you made a movie set in 2019 about a teen who finds inspiration in Adele’s music, would their classmates be all “Adele? Who?” or “Adele? She’s nobody!”
*** = man, did this ever bring back some memories. “Standing in line at a record store the day tour tickets go on sale” is one of those definite generation gap moments that young people today simply have no concept about.
* anyway, quibble with the premise aside, I guess it did relate to the general idea of how music can make you feel like a band is singing to you, and you alone. The film is entertaining and a good watch, if a tad cheesy and predictable in spots. Probably could’ve done without the goofiness of Javed actually dressing himself up like Springsteen, as if a teenager would ever do something absurd like dressing as one of their pop idols in real life! On a totally unrelated note, we just recently passed the 20-year anniversary of my wearing large fly sunglasses throughout much of the 12th grade in order to emulate Bono.
* needless to say, this movie is full of great music. Acoustic “Promised Land”? Hell yes.
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