Rated R’n’R

David Chase’s Not Fade Away

If you’re looking for some rock ‘n’ roll viewing over the holiday stretch, Netflix has loads of great documentaries and a few cool dramas. But if you’re like us, you may often get lost in the search engine abyss and find yourself settling for something called Pitch Perfect, which isn’t.

Well buried beyond the most viewed you’ll find, David Chase’s Not Fade Away. Truth be told, it’s not perfect either, but if your friends ask you what you’ve seen recently, you won’t have to lie. We can also say with confidence that fans of David Chase’s Sapronos will find lots to like about this rock ‘n’ roll drama set in 1960’s New Jersey.

Ed Sullivan was broadcasting the Beatles and the Stones into America’s living rooms and after each broadcast a thousand bands were born. As the opening scene quickly points out, we all know about the successes, but what about the almosts. (Speaking of almosts, Almost Famous is a fantastic music film.) Not Fade Away is about a band that didn’t make it. If you were ever in a band that made it or not, you’ll recognize some of the characters and conversations here. All the clichés are covered, which is part of the problem. One can’t help to think that Not Fade Away was written as a miniseries as it tries to cram so much in to the story.

Still a good bit of R’n’R for your holidays.