Rating: 
Summary: An English Perspective
Review: With the title of "24 Hour Party People" (A Happy Mondays song title) this film was always likely to be based on this band, and subsequently Factory Records. Admittedly New Order were my favorite band at the time, & their inclusion to me was a bonus. (The deleted scene of New Order forming from the ashes of Joy Division with new member Gillian on keyboards was important enough to be included in the film, in my opinion!).
Having seen the trailers & DVD cover, most UK fans would have realised that Tony Wilson was to be the main character of the movie. That's fair enough as he was integral to the whole "Madchester" scene & cofounded Factory Records.
From my perspective (having lived in Manchester & followed the scene), the film truly captures the spirit of the time. It is mainly based on fact, but like most films has exercised some artistic licence.
Tony Wilson may disagree with some of the film's facts, but people familiar with Wilson will know that his opinion is not always based on fact itself - a characteristic excellently portrayed by Steve Coogan.
This film was never going to be a definitive guide to the Manchester music scene (i.e Charlatans UK, Inspiral Carpets (neither actually from Manchester!), The Smiths, James etc), instead it's about Factory Records, The Happy Mondays, Joy Division, & New Order; this it did excellently.Steve Coogan is brilliant at capturing the mannerisms & essence of Tony Wilson during this period. Remember, Steve Coogan is from Manchester & witnessed the scene himself - his brother Martin Coogan was in the band "The Mock Turtles". One final word, nobody around at the time would claim that the UK, Factory Records or The Happy Mondays invented Rave or Acid House. This musical style originated from people like DJ Pierre & Marshall Jefferson etc in the Chicago House Scene.
However, two popular music scenes in the UK in the late 80's were "Indie" (i.e non-mainstream UK pop) and House/Acid House (either imported from the US/Italy or home-grown).
During this time bands like the Happy Mondays had dance remixes done of their early indie singles by people like Paul Oakenfold, Terry Farley, Jon Carter & Vince Clarke, which fused these musical styles together in a ground-braking way.
Rating: 
Summary: A great trip down memory lane!
Review: I was intrigued by the subject matter way before watching the film. Being a huge fan of Joy Division, New Order and other Manchester bands, I knew it would be entertaining. Steve Coogan is great as Tony Wilson. He's funny without really trying to be. My only criticism is that more Manchester bands weren't profiled. I know the film's focus is on Factory Records, but it would've been intersting to hear about The Charlatans, Stone Roses, Inspiral Carpets, etc. If you're in the know when it comes to the 'Madchester' scene, this movie's for you. Even if you're not familiar with the scene or genre, you won't be disappointed.
Rating:
Summary: brilliant!
Review: This was an especially fun movie for me to watch. These were my favorite bands in 1980, and it is fun to see them relived. There weren't many photos back then, and Factory Records had few, if any, liner notes.
The film has great cameos, such as Howard Devoto, and Marky Smith. I think it was well made, and anyone would enjoy it.
Rating:
Summary: Improves with Time
Review: If you are a Joy Divion acolyte or something of that nature, you will not enjoy this film as much as if you are a devotee of Manchester's music scene in general. Somehow I made the transition from Joy Division fan to dj afficinado, so I found the whole thing quite excellent. What I have noticed is that things grow funnier with time. Steve Coogan's performance reveals itself funnier every time. Example: Ian C's funeral and he says, in the midst of all this gaudy crap, with a straight face: "That is the musical equivalent of Che Guevera." Absolutely hilarious.
Rating:
Summary: wicked
Review: This is a fantastic film, with a fantastic cast. What people dont seem to understand is that the film is about an era, therefore a lot of bands and a lot of famous people. It is not paying attention to detail or telling any one person's story in depth.It would be impossible to do so and was never the film's intention. Steve Coogan is brilliant as Tony Wilson, yet the public fail to see that Alan Partridge is based on Wilson and not the other way around. Sean Harris who played Ian Curtis was incredible and any one who liked Joy Division will be utterly spellbound by the way Harris captures the essence of Curtis.This is a great movie,which chops and changes as much as the music industry and scene did during that time. Hats off to Michael Winterbottom.
Rating: 
Summary: 24 hr Party people :|
Review: Well i just got finished watching 24 hr party people/ I am a fan of new order and joy division and i thought since i liked them maybe i would like this movie or it would be half decent. It looked intruiging when i first started watching it then the thing went on n on and didnt really give me any information i didnt know- it was a very strange movie/if you would like to watch some english guy who started out funny then turn into more boring and boring and see pigeons poisoned and stupid stuff then watch this , i doubt new order or joy division were as idiotic as this in real life-the characters were annoying as hell , after listening to these english people talk the accent lost all its charm, i couldnt wait for the film to end about a hour and a half into it and when it finally ended i said is that it? This didnt help me understand new order or joy division or any of the other bands and the music is the best thing in the film. I did get an idea of how the whole music/rave scene came to be but other than that this film has nothing new to offer. I am shocked it got so many good reviews. Like i said i love new orders music but i wouldve liked to see more about them and thier life storys and how they came to be and focus more on the characters but this went from band to band and you couldnt really follow it or understand the characters. Lacked character depth/was mediocre at best. I would like to see another movie based on these bands but make it a better more interesting film. Overall- 2.5 stars i also recomend Velvet Goldmine which is a great film. 5 stars/
Rating:
Summary: Winterbottom mesmerizes and entertains on highest level...
Review: 24 Hour Party People is a drama-comedy-documentary that displays the roots of the Manchester club, The Hacienda, which was the undisputed birthplace of rave. Tony Wilson (Steve Coogan) is a well educated TV personality who runs a small talk show that presents unknown bands and odd leisure activities. Tony is also a big enthusiast of progressive music as he attends small shows by the Six Pistols and other big time stars before their break through. This leads Steve to form a record company, Factory Records, with some friends that will help him promote unknown artists in the best interests of the artists and not the company. The owners of Factory Records build The Hacienda in order to further their stars' success, but the club also begins to form its own drug culture as the new music attracts a young audience. This culture is also known as rave. 24 Hour Party People is a witty take on how 20 years of music development in Manchester created a subculture that has been given large amounts of attention due to its link to drugs. Winterbottom directs a well written story that mesmerizes and entertains on all levels as it provides notions of large and small proportions that offer food for thought leaving the audience with an excellent cinematic event.
Rating:
Summary: Funny, smart, and entertaining
Review: 24hr party people is simply an amazing movie about tony wilson and his exposure of punk rock to the people of manchester, Not only did this movie make me laugh, but it was also very cool, learning new things about some of the great bands of the past, i strongly suggest you go out and purchase this film, Music lovers, and people who enjoy good movies , should really look into this film cause its a masterpeice from beginning to end
Rating:
Summary: Welcome to Manchester -- the birthplace of rave culture.
Review: BRILLIANT!Here we have an elegy that chronicles the glory days of the Manchester music scene. Manchester was to new wave what Seattle was to grunge. Tony's Wilson's quip, "I'm post-modern before it's fashionable" adequately sums it all up. This movie shows us what was magical about Manchester without posturing or being self-serving. It appeared to be a truly accurate and informative look at the creative zeitgeist that fueled this lower-middle-class British city.I recommed Joy Division's SUBSTANCE as a companion CD for this movie.
Rating:
Summary: Um, it's a COMEDY
Review: How can the same DVD inspire love and hate? Easy. If you feel a deep need for a historically accurate, dispassionately comprehensive survey of the Madchester scene, give up now. 24HPP will drive you nuts--the picture is murky, the sound is muddy, and the facts bend to the story whenever necessary. If, on the other hand, you're looking to learn a little and laugh a lot, you might see 24HPP for what it is: a comedy. From the get go, 24HPP is pulling your leg. The lead role is played by a comedian, and the screenwriter uses the opening lines of the film to poke fun at, well, the opening images of the film. The legendary moment when Shaun Ryder first meets Bez is epically ridiculous. Even the slapdash picture and sound quality are deliberate--they reinforce 1)the discombobulated nature of a scene bustling with innovators, charlatans, clever operators and pathetic incompetents, and 2) they echo Tony Wilson's comically distorted point of view as he jumps back and forth between being an enthusiastic, shrewd, enterprising champion of Madchester and a self-absorbed, arrogant, destructively impulsive buffoon. 24HPP populates Tony Wilson's rise and fall with a whole host of talented but bumbling characters, all contributing to the central joke of the film: when a scene like Madchester is really percolating, it's possible to be an utter genius and a complete moron at the same time. Funny stuff. Get this DVD.
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