01-24-2006, 09:50 PM
Matthew Solarski reports:
As obvious heirs to the Velvet Underground's cultural legacy, two dudes from Weezer have been selected to portray members of the VU in the forthcoming Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl. Weezer guitarist Brian Bell will put on his best Lou Reed swagger, while =w= drummer Patrick Wilson will attempt to invoke a John Cale cool in the George Hickenlooper-directed film, currently in production.
What's more, Bell and Wilson have recorded a new version of the classic VU track "Heroin", to be used in Factory Girl. Bell sings, while Wilson rocked the kit for the recording (VU drummer Moe Tucker, however, will be portrayed by Hole/Mötley Crüe/Eagles of Death Metal stickswoman Samantha Maloney in Factory Girl).
"Working on this project with Pat [Wilson] was a blast," Bell revealed on Weezer's official website. "There was no premeditated plan, no rehearsal, there was barely even a discussion of how to approach this seven minute ride-the lessons learned and the experience of recording-proved to be invaluable."
Seems like the Weezer boys are feeling pretty good about their try at "Heroin". "[Moe] Tucker did have an amazing feel," Bell said, "but she was no Pat, and Pat pulled out an ‘Only In Dreams' type crescendo that I think makes that aspect of the song better."
Wait a second. Did he just say that the guy who played on "Beverly Hills" does a better "Heroin" than Moe Tucker? Good lord, is this man confused.
Bell continued, "maybe we might help turn a new generation on to this amazing art rock band and change the perspectives of a few unknowing listeners. If your music has steered too far from the aesthetic of the Velvet Underground you have to ask yourself, ‘What the hell am I trying to do?'"
Um, dude? Maybe you forgot, but you're in WEEZER. What the hell are YOU trying to do?
Weezer's not the first rock act to play the Velvet Underground on the silver screen. Yo La Tengo did so previously in the 1996 Mary Harron-directed drama I Shot Andy Warhol.
Factory Girl tells the tale of Edie Sedgwick's meeting with Andy Warhol and her subsequent rise and fall in the 1960s New York scene. Sienna Miller (Casanova, Alfie, Layer Cake) plays Sedgwick and Guy Pearce (Memento, Two Brothers, The Count of Monte Cristo) is Warhol. The film also stars darksider Hayden Christensen (Star Wars Episode II and III), "Saturday Night Live"'s Jimmy Fallon, and relative newcomer Meredith Ostrom as Nico.
Patrick Wilson weighed in on the film's potential on his blog, stating, "the script is sweet and confidence is high that this movie wont [sic] suck."
Apparently the real Lou Reed thinks otherwise. "I read that script," Reed candidly told the New York Daily News. "It's one of the most disgusting, foul things I've seen - by any illiterate retard - in a long time. There's no limit to how low some people will go to write something to make money."
As obvious heirs to the Velvet Underground's cultural legacy, two dudes from Weezer have been selected to portray members of the VU in the forthcoming Edie Sedgwick biopic Factory Girl. Weezer guitarist Brian Bell will put on his best Lou Reed swagger, while =w= drummer Patrick Wilson will attempt to invoke a John Cale cool in the George Hickenlooper-directed film, currently in production.
What's more, Bell and Wilson have recorded a new version of the classic VU track "Heroin", to be used in Factory Girl. Bell sings, while Wilson rocked the kit for the recording (VU drummer Moe Tucker, however, will be portrayed by Hole/Mötley Crüe/Eagles of Death Metal stickswoman Samantha Maloney in Factory Girl).
"Working on this project with Pat [Wilson] was a blast," Bell revealed on Weezer's official website. "There was no premeditated plan, no rehearsal, there was barely even a discussion of how to approach this seven minute ride-the lessons learned and the experience of recording-proved to be invaluable."
Seems like the Weezer boys are feeling pretty good about their try at "Heroin". "[Moe] Tucker did have an amazing feel," Bell said, "but she was no Pat, and Pat pulled out an ‘Only In Dreams' type crescendo that I think makes that aspect of the song better."
Wait a second. Did he just say that the guy who played on "Beverly Hills" does a better "Heroin" than Moe Tucker? Good lord, is this man confused.
Bell continued, "maybe we might help turn a new generation on to this amazing art rock band and change the perspectives of a few unknowing listeners. If your music has steered too far from the aesthetic of the Velvet Underground you have to ask yourself, ‘What the hell am I trying to do?'"
Um, dude? Maybe you forgot, but you're in WEEZER. What the hell are YOU trying to do?
Weezer's not the first rock act to play the Velvet Underground on the silver screen. Yo La Tengo did so previously in the 1996 Mary Harron-directed drama I Shot Andy Warhol.
Factory Girl tells the tale of Edie Sedgwick's meeting with Andy Warhol and her subsequent rise and fall in the 1960s New York scene. Sienna Miller (Casanova, Alfie, Layer Cake) plays Sedgwick and Guy Pearce (Memento, Two Brothers, The Count of Monte Cristo) is Warhol. The film also stars darksider Hayden Christensen (Star Wars Episode II and III), "Saturday Night Live"'s Jimmy Fallon, and relative newcomer Meredith Ostrom as Nico.
Patrick Wilson weighed in on the film's potential on his blog, stating, "the script is sweet and confidence is high that this movie wont [sic] suck."
Apparently the real Lou Reed thinks otherwise. "I read that script," Reed candidly told the New York Daily News. "It's one of the most disgusting, foul things I've seen - by any illiterate retard - in a long time. There's no limit to how low some people will go to write something to make money."
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