Red Hot Chili Peppers: Funky Monks (1991 Video) User Reviews

Surprisingly classy look at the recording of a classic 90's album..

[KMW2000 · 8/10 · 26 November 2001]

Shot in black and white (what else? it IS a documentary after all..) this classy "home movie" is an interesting look at one of the best and most enduring rock bands of the past 20 years during the recording of their most notorious and best-loved record, 1991's "BloodSugarSexMagik". It's an absolute must for fans of the band. Easily the the most definitive picture of the Red Hot Chili Peppers yet put on film. Look out for mini cameos from everyone from film director Gus Van Sant to Beastie Boy Adam Horovitz.

The footage of the actual recording is (somewhat surprisingly) the most compelling part of the film. It is obvious that, despite the bands ridiculous cartoon-like media image and eccentric drug and nudity-fueled reputation, that at their core there is in fact a group of incredibly talented and passionate musicians dedicated to making a fabulous racket.

In all; plenty of great music, a bit of (dubious and slightly drugged-out) philosophy, a wealth of perverted anecdotes, childish antics, and (as with anything even remotely associated with the Chili Peppers) a nice bit of nudity. Great stuff.

Buy it if you're a fan, watch it even if you're not.

An Important Document

[starcher3-1 · 8/10 · 30 May 2005]

***SPOILERS**** This is an important document of the making of an album.

The movie is best seen in conjunction with the 1st half of "A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica"

It is a wonderful study in contrast between the producers of the two albums. Rick Rubin the producer from this movie(which documents the making of Blood, Sugar, Sex, Magic) has a very loose style where he(and the band with Rubin's encouragement)come up with creative songs and sounds, often improvised or made up just before recording. Bob Rock, the producer from the Metallica "the black album", has the opposite style he is an absolute tyrant scorning any type of improvisation and berating the band for not having every nuance of their songs ind out before entering the studio.

The result of each effort is a fantastic and critically acclaimed album.

Bob Rock's style nearly tear Metallica apart, causes infighting, and naked anger. The experience the Chili Peppers had with Rick Rubin was open, enlightening, happy and exciting.

My favorite contrast scenes are 1)in this movie Rick Rubin brings out a garbage can for the band to use for percussion, to get the creative juices flowing and they use pipes and experiment with other junk for the lush percussion sounds in "Breaking the Girl", and 2)in the Metallica movie Bob Rock fights for like five minutes about not allowing Kirk Hammett to improvise a guitar solo in one song and it shows the process by which rock works note by note until Hammett finishes the solo.

If you get a chance to see these movies---->do so. If you can watch both you can take in 2 wildly different styles of album production.

The Peppers funk it up in a home-made documentary...

[mags__ · 10/10 · 15 February 2001]

A must-have for any Red Hot Chili Peppers fan... This documentary, set in the time period during the recording of 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', shows a rare view of the Peppers at ease in their recording studio/lovely Hollywood mansion. Aside from a 'fisting' anecdote, care of John Frusciante, and comments by the band on porn magazines....the content is pretty clean. In this video, you get a glimpse at the home/recording life of Flea, Chad, John, and Anthony. All in black and white, 'Funky Monks' beautifully frames an incredible time in the Chili Peppers' illustrious history. I give it an A+!

Great documentary!!!!

[ezinner · 27 February 2002]

This is a very well made documentary. The group is very candid and passionate. I liked the fact that this was shot during the making thru completion of the record, but stops before it is released. Did they know how big and successful this album and touring would be? The guitarist, though spacey, left during the tour, but here, he is happy. No one is seen fighting. Are they a real band? Maybe that was edited or maybe they really do love each other? I think it is the latter.

I didn't notice that it was shot in black and white, it just simply fit(or I don't notice the obvious). The mansion that they used is magnificent, but under furnished. What a great idea to use a house instead of a "stagnate" recording studio as Anthony puts it. It shows the band at complete ease.

The movie shows what goes into recording an album. Songs that sound complete are shown rough, but still have the framework, compliments of Rick Rubin and the vision of the band (and the editing). Everyone's playing is great. Flea and John's backing vocals are a riot against Anthony's singing.

I wish band movies were longer than an hour. Who started that? Kudo's to the director. Good editing and shooting.

um..yeah..whatever

[harri_b · 19 October 2001]

i love chili peppers, they are the funkiest monks around, and this video does plenty of justice to their amazing sound, bla bla bla.. its also kinda funny coz u get to see how sh*t anthony is at singing when his voice isn't all modified and stuff, and how drugged up john frusciante obviously was, and how the bands' sick minds work when they read gross magazines. do we really need a running commentary?! and another thing. what is with the black and white? i suppose they didn't want you to see how dingy and cheap their clothes were as they spent all their money on drugs and women. there are also lots of other freaky people on here including this odd guy with an intriguingly long beard, and this girl who likes taking her top off. quality viewing as you can see.