Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns) (2002) User Reviews

Pretty good if you are a fan

[xjuggernaughtx · 7/10 · 18 September 2005]

I'm not sure how this would play to someone who doesn't really love the band. The documentary really plays them up to be a big part of musical evolution, and perhaps they are, but I don't really see it that way. I remember seeing their videos on MTV and Nickelodeon, but it wasn't exactly like they were in heavy rotation. Ditto for the radio. I'm not sure that the doc would have held my interest if I wasn't already interested.

Having said that, I really liked this film. It's often times funny, and you really get a good sense for the two Johns, even if you don't really learn that much about them. It seems to me that this film could easily be twice the length. I would love to know more on every topic they touch on. It kind of feels like this is more of a movie to explain all of the weirdness that surrounds this band rather than documenting forward progress, but it is that very weirdness that is so intriguing. Learning the origins of the Stick and Dial-a-Song is great.

The one thing that I really don't like is the celebrities reading the song lyrics. It's just cheesy and boring. It really does nothing for the film.

I want to see more!

[redrumdumbdumb · 9/10 · 24 March 2005]

I loved this documentary. Although, I also love They Might Be Giants. If you aren't a fan of the band, this movie might not be too fun to watch, but as a enthusiastic listener of TMBG, I really enjoyed watching Gigantic. It really captured the essence of the the band and was overall fun to watch. If you enjoy this movie, I recommend Direct From Brooklyn, which is a VHS of TMBG's music videos. Although, the DVD of Gigantic also features some music videos. The only complaint I have about Gigantic is that I would like to hear more about TMBG, but I suppose that is really the purpose of making a documentary about them. "And the truth is we don't know anything." -Ana Ng by They Might Be Giants

Likable Documentary About Two Likable Guys

[JDono · 8/10 · 5 November 2004]

Nicely paced movie about two likable and talented friends whose band is the ultimate partnership. There's a reason the subtitle is "A Tale of Two Johns," as Linnell and Flansburgh are interlocking essential pieces of this quirky, inventive group. Director Schnack does an outstanding job capturing their relationship, their integrity, and their love for what they do.

I would like to have seen a little more Janeane Garafalo and a little less Sarah Vowell, but that's quibbling. The interviews with friends, fans, and fellow musicians were insightful and complimentary. I'm trying to think of good word for Syd Straw, though, and I keep coming back to "a little flaky."

Loved Gigantic

[writch · 9 October 2003]

I am a TMBG fan, so take this review with a grain of salt, but I found the previous diatribe about this fine and amusing documentary repugnant and wanted to offer an alternative to the slam posted by littlesiddie.

To say that TMBG's career is 'flagging' is simply ignorant, as the documentary itself points out many instances of their music being used in contemporary circumstances, such as 'Malcolm in the Middle' and the PBS specials.

TMBG are witty and on point most of the time. The movie reflects this. Their music continues to be high quality after twenty years, and they are still quite entertaining. The documentary gives a lot of background info for TMBG fans which fills the void of history for those of us who came across them later, yet still stands on its own as a documentary for those who are unfamiliar with their work.

The movie, as a whole, is entertaining for fans, and enticing for novices. I would suspect that many of those who have not been exposed to this group may wish to purchase their music after being exposed to them on the screen.

Of course, if one is a dolt, or otherwise slow-witted, this movie will be somewhat tedious, as most of the higher humor will go right over the viewers' head. On the other hand, for those with higher linguistic skills who appreciate puns and other plays on words, this will be a wonderful introduction to an amazingly talented band which has delighted fans for the last twenty years with a sly and sharp sense of the absurd.

I would recommend this movie to almost anyone. The worst that might happen is that (like littlesiddie) they just won't get it.

See This.

[zauis1234 · 10/10 · 5 December 2003]

A great movie made even better on DVD. Not just for fans of the band, it will be entertaining for non-fans as well. This film could be taught in film school as a primer on concise editing and pacing for the most difficult of genres, the documentary. Of course it will be ignored come Oscar time because it commits the two cardinal sins of documentaries: 1) it is in no way about World War II; 2) it is entertaining. The DVD is maxed out with deleted scenes (cut only, one presumes, for length not quality) and insightful commentary by the makers and "the Two Johns". Certainly one of the gems of 2003.

If only it could have been longer!

[cammie · 9/10 · 28 June 2003]

For fans of TMBG, the only problem with this movie was that it was just too short!

The recitations of TMBG lyrics by actors such as Andy Richter and Michael McKean were quite unexpected, but an interesting way to show what the director felt was the poignancy of the TMBG lyrics. I know in my case, I found the music so catchy when I first began to listen to TMBG, it took me a long time to realize just how different the lyrics are.

For those who enjoy indie groups, and are open to anything that isn't mainstream, this is a great movie to get an overview of TMBG. While it is a documentary on the band, it is not just a run of the mill biography. In fact, due to time constraints, some of the band's history is glazed over. The two stories vying for time are the production of the 2001 album "Mink Car" and the (then) 18 year history of the band. Thus, there isn't a whole lot of in-depth history telling here.

However, mainstream entertainment lovers might want to pass on this film. If you think that "Istanbul" was the only legitimate work TMBG has ever performed, don't "waste" your money - go see the latest action movie on the big screen. But, if you ever really liked to listen to a TMBG album, come back into the fold, and watch "Gigantic"

good, if you're a die hard fan

[duke33 · 7/10 · 7 January 2004]

Let me start off by saying that i am a HUGE tmbg fan...i subscribed to tmbg unlimited, i go to their concerts, i even admin a tmbg site on the net. I think for rabid fans like me, this movie offers a little glimpse into what goes on behind the scenes, and does a nice job portraying the history of the band, which is something i can appreciate.

However, if i was not a tmbg fan before watching this movie, i'm not sure that this would be enough to make me run out and buy their cd's (or even download them off kazaa). Either you get this band, or you don't, and i don't see people who aren't already fans of the band being able to keep their interest and sit through the whole movie.

Then again, i might be wrong...

As Enigmatic and Consistently Entertaining as the Band...

[Lupin003 · 10/10 · 29 May 2003]

They Might Be Giants are one of the vanguards of rock music, and AJ Schnack's documentary does everything in its power to echo and reinforce that statement.

Gigantic is a great rock documentary, because it focuses on the band, the process, and their fanbase without becoming overly concerned with the personal lives of the artists. With the exception of musician Syd Straws scathing comments about the two "Johns" Flansburgh, and Linell : "So, are people being honest? Have they generally said NICE things about them? Yes? So, I guess those people don't really know them.", everybody involved in the film has nothing negative to say about the Johns, their creativity, their work ethic, and everybody from people who worked with the band early in their career, to people who work with them today all take great pleasure in extolling their own personal reasons for being TMBG enthusiasts.

No TMBG fan should go without seeing this movie, and fans of good rock documentaries will equally enjoy the great concert footage and musical interludes. (I submitted concert footage that didn't make it to the final cut of the film!)

John and John hosted the screening of the film that I saw, and as long as I've been a TMBG fan, I had never gotten a chance to meet and greet them personally. I'm pleased to say that they are as nice in person as one would imagine them to be!

My only gripe with the film, is that the filmmaker seems to build up to what can be noted as one of the bands greatest accomplishments, winning a Grammy in 2001 for the title track to Malcolm In the Middle "You're not the Boss of Me Now." then.....never gets there. The documentary ends right before that point in TMBG history. It's a small gripe, and I don't necessarily feel "cheated", but it's a very significant moment in the history of the band, and not many artists as far out of the "mainstream" as TMBG can make the claim that they have won the little gold gramophone statue for a million-selling album, much less a quirky TV theme song that didn't even make it to an full length TMBG album till AFTER they won the award.

But I digress.

A GIGANTIC film effort resulting in GIGANTIC fun.

-Frank

A small documentary

[FilmOtaku · 6/10 · 4 October 2004]

They Might Be Giants, one of the greatest alternative rock bands from the last two decades is the subject of this documentary by AJ Schnack. The 'two Johns' being founding band members John Flansburgh and John Linnell, the film shows their humble beginnings as performance artists in the East Village in NYC, to their current status as 'elder statesmen' as 40 year old alternative rockers.

This is obviously a low-budget documentary, (I can't imagine any large production company giving a decent budget for this subject) but it is quite thorough. Featuring interviews by those who have worked with the band over the years, contemporaries like Syd Straw and Frank Black, and fans like writer Sarah Vowell and 'This American Life' creator and host Ira Glass; we get a great idea of how the band has been perceived in the industry. Interviews with the Johns throughout the film provide their personal take on their careers. Intercut throughout the film are various celebrities who are fans (Harry Shearer, Michael McKean, Annette O'Toole, Janeane Garofalo, Andy Richter) addressing the camera while reciting lyrics to the Giants' songs, something that I found particularly effective, because the Giants' music is generally so peppy and eclectic that it sometimes masks the complex and beautiful lyrics. Particularly, I was delighted to see the discussion of the song 'Birdhouse' as I have always found the line '…make a little birdhouse in your soul' to be one of the most gorgeous and compelling lines in music history.

The low key and no-frills spirit of They Might Be Giants is captured wonderfully in this simple documentary, and the number of interviews and footage is impressive for what I would imagine the budget allowed. As a long time fan of the group, I found a kinship with the interviewees' adoration and almost nonsensical delight in discovering that alternative rock gods like Frank Black also wore the hell out of their tape of 'Flood'. But I'm not going to kid anyone – this is for die-hard fans only. 6/10

--Shelly

This was the best Documentary I have Ever seen!! A 1000 out of 10!!! kevin Diehl

[KevinDL · 10/10 · 13 December 2002]

This was the best Documentary I have Ever seen!!

I have seen They might Be Giants 11 Times in the last year, and this Film really gave New Insight.

Excellent Direction, Editing and Presentation!!

A 1000 out of 10!!!

I will be the 1st person in Line to BUY the DVD!!

Kevin Diehl (CNA, CWNA, CWNE, MENSA )

An important story for anyone into independent music

[darrell-19 · 10/10 · 25 February 2006]

You may think that it would be nearly impossible for a fan of the band to write an objective review of this documentary, but I am going to try. Yes, this movie contains a lot of rare footage, live performances, and interviews with people who may not be familiar to anyone not utterly obsessed with They Might Be Giants; but it also contains Mark Hoppus and Frank Black. It is a documentary about They Might Be Giants; but it is also a unique story of a band breaking into the independent music scene. I only have one other friend that likes They Might Be Giants. Everyone else who has watched this movie had either (a)never heard of them, or (b)decided they didn't care for them too much. EVERYONE who has seen this movie with me has enjoyed it. It's funny, sad, and informative. By the end of the film you may not like TMBG but you WILL have an awesome respect for them and acknowledge their importance to the independent music scene.

glory show = documentary?

[punkrocher · 5/10 · 20 October 2003]

i saw this recently and was, to say the least, very dissapointed. im certainly not a TMBG fan, but i do appreciate some of their music. but having seen this, it seems that fans try to make much more out of TMBG than there really is. they try to pry some meaning out of songs, that are devoid completely of meaning whatsoever. but my biggest beef with the film is the lack of showing the john's lives outside the band, and how that may influence song writing. there was no mention of their families, with the exception of the scene with his son. and the single most concerning part, was the lack of naming other influential bands during TMBG's hayday. Yes, Frank Black was interviewed... but no where was it mentioned who he was! given, most viewers of the film probably know who he is, but the Pixies were only mentioned once, and very nonchalantly. no real comparison was made between them and TMBG and either's path further down the road, or how they inflenced bands nowadays. who knows, maybe i just wanted to see a documentary about the Pixies. but it was just pieced together poorly and was definately a last hurrah rather than a documentary. 6/10

Good, but not great

[poingly · 21 August 2003]

I am a pretty die-hard TMBG fan. I enjoy this movie for that reason, but as a film it was a little lacking. My main complaint was the story telling. Though it did have the beginnings of a nice little story (which is something many documentaries forget to have), it somehow felt glossed over by the end.

I suppose, in part, this is due to a confidentiality agreement with Elektra, which they probably have. That was where much of the conflict lied.

Still, it was entertaining for TMBG fans, but I personally hope the DVD has the entire concert on it, that'd make the purchase worth it's value, well, immensely.

hilarious, fast-paced, and in depth

[polavision · 10/10 · 10 July 2002]

Even if you're not a fan of TMBG, you'll enjoy this superbly entertaining doc. Not only are there terrific behind the scenes clips of the world of TMBG now and then, but there are great interviews with the two Johns. Interviews with lots of well known TMBG fans including Sarah Vowell, Ira Glass and the very strange Syd Straw add not only another perspective to the doc but are hilarious.

Great music, fascinating history, nice guys -- what's not to love?

[grchereck · 10/10 · 26 November 2003]

So much has been said about the quirky touches -- the lyric readings, the opening speech from Illinois senator Paul Simon, the parodies of Ken Burns' Civil War documentary -- that director A.J. Schnack gives his feature-film debut, Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns), a documentary about the alternative-pop duo They Might Be Giants. The band is well-known for writing about subject matter that you don't normally expect to find in pop songs and working in a wide range of musical styles, and this film is often as clever and unpredictable as TMBG themselves.

Gigantic's narrative arc is surprisingly straightforward, though. The two bandmates -- wiry, floppy-haired singer-keyboardist-accordionist John Linnell and paunchy, bespectacled singer-guitarist John Flansburgh -- relate their entire history from their school days in Lincoln, Massachusetts in the 1970s to their late-'90s film and TV work after they got dropped by the Elektra label. In addition to some terrific archival footage and music-video clips of the Johns, many of their current and former associates are on hand to help tell their story. (Okay, so there are a few too many fan testimonials, and there isn't a whole lot of information about the Johns' personal lives -- although both Johns sport wedding bands, Linnell has a son named Henry, and Flansburgh's wife Robin is alluded to as the singer of "Dr. Evil," TMBG's song for 1999's Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me.)

This often fascinating backstory is interwoven with scenes of the Johns in action, circa 2001: They record Mink Car, their first studio album in 5 years; Flansburgh records a dial-a-song demo; Linnell takes his son to the park; the Johns give an in-store performance at a Tower Records in New York to celebrate the midnight release of the Mink Car CD (just hours before the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11, no less), and so on. Gigantic turns unexpectedly touching when the Johns each discuss what the other brings to the table and they open up about their own feelings of inadequacy, but otherwise, the film refrains from taking itself too seriously. It doesn't necessarily present the Johns as great men; they're just a couple of nice, adorable, funny, talented, smart, independent-minded and basically decent guys who -- with their integrity, strong friendship and unique musical collaboration -- have managed to achieve success (however modest and unlikely) on their own terms for over 20 years.

You will probably buy the DVD...

[drewbiehle · 10/10 · 10 July 2002]

I just watched the LA premiere of this rockumentary about the biggest little band to consistently entertain college students. The film matches They Might Be Giants's quirkiness without becoming a nuisance and the interviews cleverly examine the Johns's lasting appeal.

Though the running time is a little long, I couldn't think of any bit that should be cut. And from what I understand, some prime material was cut for length.

Do what you can to bring this film to your local movie theater. It will prove worth your time, whether you're a fan or not.

Can't get enough

[Omenofnight · 10/10 · 6 May 2004]

I am VERY new to they might be giants. At 19, I've heard of them quite a few times over the years, but I never gave them more than just a thought of "Oh that's a cool song" and moved on. Then, it was almost like a sign. I was listening to some music on the internet one day when I heard "Istanbul". I loved it and listened to it about 15 times. Then,I went home to check one of my favorite sites "Homestarrunner.com" to find that they had written the music for one of the songs in a strong bad e-mail. That's when I had to find more about these guys. I bought the DVD and it was awesome. I've never really been interested in seeing any documentaries before, but I found the film hilarious. The Johns are great. The only part of it I didn't like was Syd Straw. She was bland and not funny. I rolled my eyes at her and went on. Besides that, I would tell ANYONE to go buy this film. It made me into a true fan.

The definitive ( and only, as of the time of this writing) documentary on They Might Be Giants

[Unit6 · 10/10 · 16 October 2002]

They Might Be Giants, as a band, have always tread the line between being and becoming, between greatness and obscurity. You've heard their work on the theme song to "Malcolm in the Middle" and that one episode of "Tiny Toons". Now true fans and curious onlookers get to see the men behind the magic of They Might Be Giants. Meet their friends and influences, see their fans and fanatics. Gigantic is more than the name of the movie, it's the effects they have had on an entire generation.

Documentary? I think not!

[bologna4 · 2/10 · 11 March 2005]

Definition of documentary: A work, such as a film or television program, presenting political, social, or historical subject matter in a factual and informative manner and often consisting of actual news films or interviews accompanied by narration. The key word here is informative. I love They Might Be Giants, and barely learned a thing about them.

The interviews with all the celebrities were pretty much worthless. I don't care what Sarah Vowel thinks of anybody and Syd Straw was downright irritating. And is listening to people recite TMBG lyrics like they were supposed to be funny/interesting? It was neither. I think that was the problem: the movie spends time discussing TMBG's love for coffee. So what?? Millions of people love coffee. Was the presentation of the material funny? No! There were hints that both men are married, yet it was never discussed. And what about the solo material they did? What motivated them to do it? These type of questions are not addressed nor answered.

I could go on and on with the negatives. I did find the segment on Dial-a-Song very interesting. If you want to learn about They Might Be Giants, just buy a few CD's and listen. Seriously. This movie is a gigantic disappointment. I can't believe so many folks gave it a 10. Incredible.

Pretty much for die-hard fans only.

[swampmarsh · 10/10 · 1 May 2011]

I believe Gigantic is an awesome piece of work, coming from an extreme TMBG fan standpoint. It gave great insight into some of the little bits and pieces of the band's history. My opinion is based off subject, not film production.

As a documentary, it isn't so hot, but given it was A.J. Schnack's first ever feature film, he did a decent job. The only thing I have a problem with is that had the film been made a few years later, so much more could have been touched on. Their venturing into children's music as well as their collaboration with Homestar Runner and whatnot. Other than this small detail, Gigantic is an awesome film.

Masters of Syncopation

[Blake Jarred · 20 November 2007]

I have long valued the music of this group, though they seem to have been on a gradual slide since this was released. It's a very intelligent work. It has an effluence of dim exposition like in similar presentations, but stands apart in that it doesn't depend on same. It's quite self-aware and competently engineered, as a stylized annotation of this type of music.

If you read most dissertations on They Might Be Giants, it's a lot of stuff about whimsicality and the macabre. Hogwash. If that's the essence of these guys then they're no more notable than countless other musicians.

Their appeal lies entirely within their ethic. That is, the song subject is subservient to the orchestration and not vice versa. The result is an inverse of rigid songwriting standards. The energy of the songs is within the shifting layers of their composition, which is highly transitory (an explanation for this is overtly given in the film, and why the Giants chose this direction. Hint: it's in the segment about Dial-A-Song); the notes veer off trajectory from what listeners normally expect from pop music, because most of the time in pop the complex interaction of sounds is reduced to being a mere extension of the lyrics. Two dominating concepts are, turgid filler about love heartaches, or narrative story that steers the sound like a train. Blunt, unvaried, no creativity, no adventurousness.

With TMBG it's the opposite. The words hover at a distance from the instruments, sometimes above, sometimes beneath, sometimes in both places concurrently, always as discordant strands. Yes, colorful and evocative as fans often express but that isn't the only facet. And it's that antithesis of pop's bland sameness which the label execs tried to corner these two into adopting after they enjoyed some early success, and endures through tripe like Britney.

Most of the running commentary here struck me as facile; mundane espousals made funny by the commentators being totally sincere in their blather. Paradoxical that Syd is not and yet she is particularly tiresome. Same as her writing. You get much more sublimity just from the various recitals (by no less than Janeane Gorofalo!).

The director knows all this. His work here approaches greatness in how he mirrors the Giants aesthetic in concept and execution. He uses those bits of chatter as swatches and arranges them according to the requirements of the abstract fabric he's weaving. This shows a highly developed understanding of the "rock-doc" form.

One of the talking heads describes the band as the "vanguard of alternative," which illustrates the basic difference of this production vis-à-vis other rock-docs. A minor overview of the Hell's Kitchen scene, the arguments with record label execs, and a tidbit about coffee addiction replace rote enumerations of band member drama, rampant sex, and drugs. These are all explicitly referenced and made fun of.

But the most essential point of all is the flow. See how it careens forward and backward in chronology and off-topic, equivalent to the music itself. A passage here and there interrupted right in the middle with a long concert footage excerpt. Now back to the film. Now backtrack to a few years ago for a forgotten aside. Meticulously designed, yet an apparent jumble. That's where it's at.

Oh, and I do prefer John and John's output prior to the Band of Dans. But if you aren't familiar with these fellows I recommend you seek out their "Lincoln" LP before watching this. It's a prime example of how well they can layer and shift dissonant sounds throughout the listening space to arrive at something both tangential and harmonious. It is entirely what this film defines and is defined by.

Blake's rating: 3 (out of 4)

Get this DVD and thank me later, Sparky.

[LittleDogNamedSnuggles · 10 January 2004]

Okay, maybe I'm gushing like this because I'm a big fan of the Johns and the Band of Dans who back them up. But whether you're a casual or a rabid one, this DVD is great viewing. But the real coolness comes in the great extras...I cracked up at watching TMBG's appearance on the old "Nick Rocks" show! Toss in some of their best videos, TV appearances, and a nice little segment about who that giant head is that appears with them on stage, and you have several hours of highest quality entertainment.

A great film

[crogman · 14 August 2003]

Ignore the comments about this being boring. This is a documentary and I suspect that they find all documentaries uninteresting. I know several people who saw this movie, own no TMBG albums, and are now big fans.

This film repeatedly made an audience of a few hundred laugh and inspired me to dig out some of my old tapes. The interviews are far more insightful than the usual rockumentary and leave you feeling like you'd like to hang out with those guys.

Some material is taken from a This American Life piece on the band. If you don't get a chance to see the film, at least listen to the 15 minute interview on ThisAmericanLife.org.

An amazing documentary about Alternative Rock's Greatest unsung Heroes.

[rabidium · 10 July 2002]

I saw this Doc at the LA premier, at the beautiful Egyptian theater. Present at the screening were Director A.J. Schnack, (SHNAHK), Producer Shirley Moyers, and star Mr. John Flansburgh Himself, all of whom participated in an interesting, if poorly organized, Q and A session after the of the screening.

The documentary was done in a pretty straight-forward style, with a couple of humorous little bits, owing to the giants interest in writing songs about diverse subjects. Mostly the doc was just straight-forward interview stuff, with some surprising interviewees, intermixed with concert footage, home video, (not enough) early archival footage, and witty anecdotes. everything was very well done, and focused on the more mainstream parts and successes of the Johns' careers. The documentary, it should be noted, is not actually about the Johns, but more about the Band itself. Very little is said of their personal lives, With Flans' wife getting a mention, mostly for her work on Dr. Evil, and Lin's wife getting no mention. Unless of course he's married to Syd Straw (credited as a former opening act, but someone said she was his wife) who got way more screentime than her random ranting and strange stories warranted. She was the only interviewee who came off badly though, so that's a pretty good percentage for a band documentary. All the interviews in general were with known faces and names, and almost all came off as literate fans. The film highlights the resurgence the band experienced as late, saying `the band's been around long enough that their biggest fans are now in positions of power.' Oh, and after the film, in the QA time, someone asked how the interviewees liked the film, and John made a crack about Syd Straw probably not liking the way she came off.

The doc had a great pace and a great story arc. It was definitely a professional production, and had really good editing and direction for a documentary. On the level of those Ken Burns-type doc's, but with an indie feel.

There were some unexpected guests, and some shots of celebrities reading lyrics, (which celebs and lyrics I won't spoil.) which were highlights, but the best parts of the film were when the Johns were onscreen doing their thing. The old concert footage of them, the newer footage, and especially the intervies and home video, which showed them to be much more than bandmates, it showed how much they are just great friends.

And that's really what this documentary is about. Two friends, getting together, and making a life and career out of songs about puppets, toupee's, nightlights, and anything else they wanted to. Make no mistake about it, these guys are largely responsible for the success of alternative rock in the late 80's and early 90's, and this documentary tells us how and why. Plus it's the funniest damn documentary you'll ever see.

See it. Love the band. -Olaf