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Movies / On DVD / Lightning in a Bottle
Lightning in a Bottle

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Lightning in a Bottle (2004)

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Reviews Counted:60

Fresh:52

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7.4/10

Consensus: Lightning in a Bottle pays dazzling tribute to the blues by capturing its power and excitement through backstage interviews and performance footage.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Synopsis: A slice of musical history was created on February 7th, 2003, when a dazzling array of blues artists gathered at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. With luminaries such as B.B. King, Solomon... A slice of musical history was created on February 7th, 2003, when a dazzling array of blues artists gathered at New York City's Radio City Music Hall. With luminaries such as B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Ruth Brown, Mavis Staples, Buddy Guy, and Dr. John among the lineup, this was always destined to be a night to remember. But the organizers were savvy enough to up the ante even further by integrating a comprehensive--albeit by their own admission, incomplete--history of the genre into the evening's festivities. Director Antoine Fuqua (KING ARTHUR) was there with a full crew to record the event, capturing moments of magic both on stage and behind the scenes for LIGHTNING IN A BOTTLE. Fuqua also splices in some of the archival footage that the organizers showed on the night, including many of the Radio City artists performing and speaking at a much younger age. The influence of the blues over popular music is vast, and so performers such as Aerosmith, Chuck D from Public Enemy, and David Johansen are brought on stage to vie with their counterparts from a more traditional strain of the genre. Poignant moments come thick and fast, with many of the musicians reminiscing about the old times, and realizing that this would probably be the last occasion on which they were all gathered in the same room. An inspiring historical document, Fuqua's film captures a dying breed of artists, but also points to their lasting legacy and influence which will indefinitely loom large over the music scene. [More]

Starring: B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples, Aerosmith

Starring: B.B. King, Solomon Burke, Mavis Staples, Aerosmith, Robert Cray, Ruth Brown, Dr. John, Buddy Guy

Director: Antoine Fuqua

Director: Antoine Fuqua
Producer: Margaret Bodde, Alex Gibney
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

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Reviews for Lightning in a Bottle

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
02/09/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
10/18/08
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/16/07
Ben Walters
Ben Walters
Time Out New York

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Rolling Stone | comment Comment
08/14/07
Peter Travers
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
05/13/05
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

It is as much a lesson in musical appreciation as it is a thrilling concert.

Full Review Source: EricDSnider.com | comment Comment
03/28/05
Eric D. Snider
Eric D. Snider
EricDSnider.com

Lightning in a Bottle is a feel-good film, ironically, for fans of the blues and a solid primer for newcomers to the sound.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
03/25/05
Jeffrey Bruner
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register

This is music for which there are not enough superlatives.

Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | comment Comment
03/04/05
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
eFilmCritic.com

Features performances by such masters of the form as Buddy Guy, Solomon Burke, B.B. King. But the movie doesn't depend on your knowledge of them or their works.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
01/07/05
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

[It] achieves the goal of every concert film, to make you feel like you were there - or at least wish you were there.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
01/07/05
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

... we'll save the arguments about the patronizing nature of blues fetishism for another time. If you wish you were there, you'll want to see this film.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
01/07/05
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

A thrilling experience for jazz fans, and if you're not in that category, the film's overpowering atmosphere could have you changing your tune within minutes.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
12/31/04
Phil Villarreal
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
12/17/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The event's musical director, Steve Jordan, marvels at one point: 'Looks like y'all hired the phone book . . . just looked up "Blues" in the Yellow Pages.'

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/17/04
Richard Harrington
Richard Harrington
Washington Post

Features a who's who of world-wise bluesmen (and women) and newbie practitioners.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
12/17/04
Sean Daly
Sean Daly
Washington Post

Mostly, director Antoine Fuqua's straightforward film gives the greats a chance to shine, and they deliver.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
12/16/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Every so often there comes a must-see movie. This one's a must-hear.

Full Review Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune | comment Comment
12/16/04
Colin Covert
Colin Covert
Minneapolis Star Tribune

Lightning in a Bottle is at once deliberate and agile.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
12/10/04
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters
 
 
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