Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

In 1972, the band Big Star released their first album #1 Record - by no means a modest title. The critics were ecstatic, and the Memphis band's self-confidence seemed to be paying off. But although today Big Star is a cult band with a big influence on groups such as R.E.M., they never managed to attract a wide audience and major success evaded them. This classic pop music documentary tries to find out what went wrong. The film is thorough (original studio recordings, archive footage, and everyone involved has been tracked down), amusing (ancient rockers, roadies, groupies and producers have their say), and moving (because of the band members' tormented lives). The focus lies on the first 10 of the 40 years the film covers. They made music back then - as members of Big Star and in solo projects - of a quality they would never again equal. And that's a great pity, because those songs are as good as any by their contemporaries that have stood the test of time. The music is clever, adventurous and sincere, and the film shows that there really was a lot at stake for these boys.