Film Review - Gigantic dir. A.J. Schnack

Despite the title, the two Johns in question would like you to know that this is not a porn film. 'Gigantic' is the story of They Might Be Giants, and what a story that is...

John Flansburgh and John Linnell met as school children in the middle class town of Lincoln, Massachussets. Linnell recalls how Flansburgh accosted him in the school hallway, and asked him to collaborate on a play which had 30 acts consisting of one line of dialogue. They were just teenagers, but the relationship between two boys just as strange as each other would continue into adulthood, and provide the world with an off kilter alternative to music, and to life.

Make no mistake about it, this documentary is a love story between the band and the audience. You will not find any semblance of objectivity in the director A.J. Schnack, or any of the dozen or so interviewees, the message being 'If you don't like They Might Be Giants, you should'. And would we have it any other way? Of course not. In true TMBG style, the story of how two boys named John met and became They Might Be Giants is peppered with animation and lyric readings by celebrity fans such as Harry Shearer and Janeane Garofalo. Director Schnack is careful to allow the auteurism of the band to enrich his raw footage.

The extras included on the DVD are superb. As well as deleted scenes and raw interview footage, there are a handful of promo videos and even radio interviews. The producers even manage to track down the performance of 'Birdhouse In Your Soul' from the Tonight Show, and the edition or Nick Rocks hosted by a very young looking John and John. The commentary by John, John, director AJ and journalist Sarah Vowell is by turns informative, insightful and hilarious, and well worth a listen. The documentary consists of studio and location interviews with the two Johns, and a supporting cast of musicians, journalists and record company and band staff who have some personal insight into this intriguing journey.

Fans are included, but the director has wisely chosen to concentrate on the people who were there seeing the band's history unfold. There is a significant amount of archive footage and early TV performances which really help to set the scene historically and do away with long expositional interviews which weigh down so many band biogs. Linnell and Flansburgh still look for all the world like two old friends who are having a great time being in a band. They treat the interviews very much in the spirit for which they were intended. You will not find their respective wives here, nor will you hear tales of debauchery or titbits of celebrity gossip. The closest we get to the offstage lives of the Johns is a rare sight of Linnell's son Henry being pushed around the park. This lack of personal information has frustrated some fans, but in a film which is such a celebration of music and particularly of haing fun with music, it would be jarring to have tell all accounts of the Johns' lives.

If you are not a fan of They Might Be Giants, you won't be reading this review anyway, so buy this DVD and get that little bit closer to the uplifting history of one of the world's most wonder filled bands.