Dig! (2004)
92%RT Audience Score: 90%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 10 nominations total
So you wanna be a rock ‘n’ roll star? Dig! compellingly chronicles the ups and downs of the Dandy Warhols and the Brian Jonestown Massacre, two ambitious bands whose love/hate relationship embodies many of the potential pratfalls of the music business.
If you’re looking for a wild ride through the world of rock and roll, Dig! is the documentary for you. It’s like watching a train wreck, but with guitars and drugs instead of locomotives and cargo. The film follows the tumultuous relationship between the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols, two bands that couldn’t be more different. There’s drama, there’s tragedy, and there’s even a little bit of comedy. But most of all, there’s some seriously great music. So buckle up and get ready for a wild ride through the highs and lows of the music industry.
Production Company(ies)
Bold Films, Blumhouse Productions, Right of Way Films,
Distributor
Palm Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Shackleford, Surrey, England, UK
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief sensuality and partial nudity
Year of Release
2004
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:2.00 : 1
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Runtime:1h 45m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 2004 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 12, 2005
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, music, rock and roll, bands, Portland, San Francisco, alternative music, fame, ups and downs, love/hate relationship, music business, R rating, English, directed by Ondi Timoner, written by Ondi Timoner, produced by Ondi Timoner, cinematography by David Timoner and Vasco Nunes, reviewed by David Ansen, Peter Travers, Jamie Russell, Sacha Molitorisz, Roger Moore, Marta Barber, Mark Robertson, Dorothy Woodend, Dave Segal, Jay Antani, Urban Cinefile Critics, Jeffrey M Anderson, starring Courtney Taylor-Taylor, Anton Newcombe
Worldwide gross: $693
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $754
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,161
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 82
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Ondi Timoner – Writer
Ondi Timoner – Film Editing
Ondi Timoner – Producer
David Timoner – Cinematographer
Vasco Nunes – Cinematographer
Director(s)
Ondi Timoner
Writer(s)
Ondi Timoner
Producer(s)
Ondi Timoner
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 10 nominations total
Academy Awards
All Critics (75) | Top Critics (30) | Fresh (67) | Rotten (8)
It’s like a spectacular roadside accident: you can’t turn away.
March 13, 2018
David Ansen
Newsweek
TOP CRITIC
[An] unflinching look at the rock world.
August 14, 2007 | Rating: 4/4
Peter Travers
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
Erratic, tragic, and absolutely hilarious: Dig! is fantastic filmmaking.
July 5, 2005 | Rating: 5/5
Jamie Russell
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
Linked together by the deadpan, melancholy drawl of Taylor’s narration, it’s filled with parasites, charlatans and oddballs. Not to mention a succession of wonderful songs.
May 13, 2005
Sacha Molitorisz
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
It’s a classic music soap opera, but never told with a more raw scream for help at its center.
January 28, 2005 | Rating: 5/5
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
I must admit that I came out of DiG! with a certain degree of admiration for Newcombe — and for this documentary.
January 28, 2005
Marta Barber
Miami Herald
TOP CRITIC
While overall Dig! is a great film, it does feel a little drawn out in places.
April 24, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Robertson
The List
One of the things that the film also explores, quite consciously, is how the music industry is actually designed to work against artists.
August 24, 2017
Dorothy Woodend
The Tyee (British Columbia)
As tempest-in-a-teapot music documentaries go, Dig! is entertaining-especially if you like the good psychedelic-rock groups Brian Jonestown Massacre and/or the Dandy Warhols.
August 22, 2017
Dave Segal
The Stranger (Seattle, WA)
fulfills the function and promise of all great documentaries
January 20, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jay Antani
Cinema Writer
This remarkable first feature by Ondi Timoner transcends its subject matter by engaging our emotions and making us care about the likes of Anton Newcombe, even if we don’t like him very much.
October 18, 2008
Urban Cinefile Critics
Urban Cinefile
DIG! is also brave enough to show the real, ugly warts of the music business, whereas more established bands would probably prefer a polished, PR-approved vision.
May 26, 2006 | Rating: 3.5/4
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid…
Plot
An archaeologist embarks on the historically important excavation of Sutton Hoo in 1938.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features the self-conscious and career-minded Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols and the abrasive and unpredictable Anton Newcombe of the Brian Jonestown Massacre.
Ondi-Timoner.jpg
