DiG! poster & wallpaper
Get movie widget Recommend it Add to Favorites

The Dandy Warhols, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Courtney Taylor, Anton Newcombe, Joel Gion ... see more see more... , Matt Hollywood , Peter Holmstrom , Brent DeBoer , Courtney Taylor-Taylor , Dean Taylor , Eric Hedford , Zia McCabe

Courtney Taylor of the Dandy Warhols provides the narration for Ondi Timoner's DIG!, which documents the divergent paths of two rock bands with similar influences. While the Warhols, self-described as... read more read more... the "most well-adjusted band in America," sold a lot of records in Europe before achieving commercial success in the U.S., the Brian Jonestown Massacre, led by the mercurial Anton Newcombe, self-destructed in an orgy of drug abuse and internal squabbling. Timoner followed the groups' fortunes for about seven years. In the late '90s, the groups met, and Taylor forged a friendship with Newcombe, whom he greatly admired. The bands often played together, and while BJM were being courted for a seemingly surefire major label deal, the Warhols signed with Capitol. As Timoner documents, the record deal and its attendant perks marked the beginning of a rift between the bands, as BJM members seemed to resent the Warhols' success, while the Warhols seemed all too willing to rely on their association with their out-of-control counterparts in BJM to gain a certain punk credibility. Timoner focuses more heavily on the antics of Newcombe and his band, capturing a spectacular meltdown at an industry showcase, a poorly planned tour that finds the band playing a ten-hour show for an audience of around ten people, and an embarrassing drug bust on the road. Eventually, the division between the former friends reaches the point where BJM puts out a record attacking the Warhols, and Newcombe, struggling with a life-threatening drug problem, begins stalking them at their shows, either in a misguided attempt to gain publicity or with sincere ill will. DIG! won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2004 Sundance Film Festival, and was selected for the 2004 edition of New Directors/New Films. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Flixster Users

89% liked it

7,533 ratings

Critics

90% liked it

69 critics

R, 1 hr. 50 min.

Directed by: Ondi Timoner

Release Date: October 8, 2004

Invite friends to see

DVD Release Date: April 12, 2005

Stats: 721 reviews

report incorrect info

Photos

Jammin' Out DiG! DiG! DiG! DiG!
Upload a Photo | View All DiG! Photos

Your Rating


clear rating

Flixster Reviews (721)

  • ythelastman89
    April 18, 2010
    ythelastman89
    An extremely well done documentary on bands that I never really knew much about before. Sure I've listened to and own albums from each, but hearing and seeing the background of their inspiration only makes you see them in a different light. If anything, you can sure admire and at... read more the same time hate the bizarre nature of Anton Newcombe. His thought process is like no one else, except for maybe a young Charles Manson. Courtney Taylor is pretty much who you'd expect him to be, but I don't think he's nearly as self centered as he was made out to be. The fact that he was the narrator made him out to be an all knowing prick, but he really is a hard working and brilliant person. It's got everything you can ask for in a Rockumentary; Drugs, gossip and music.
  • tsigur
    August 8, 2007
    tsigur
    Brian Jamestown Massacre guy is a fucking dipshit.
  • mjgildea
    June 13, 2007
    mjgildea
    This document of a douchetard convention is either the worst music documentary ever made or the best comedy ever made. The battle between Newcombe and Taylor as far as who's more pretentious is easily won by Taylor, but Newcombe definitely takes the cake for being more fucked up.... read more Dig is great if you're looking for laughs, but Taylor's "I'm so fucking cool" narration drags it down when Newcombe isn't acting like a total asswipe in the most entertaining of ways. Any interest I had in listening to Brian Jonestown Massacre is now completely out of my system and if I had any Dandy Warlhols albums to sell that would definitely make the top of my to-do list even though I don't mind the Warhols' music. But the more I think about this, the more I laugh. The BJM show at the communist headquarters, Newcombe's ramblings and impromptu fights, Taylor playing shirtless--it's all gold.
  • lesleyanorton
    July 21, 2009
    lesleyanorton
    Like watching Big Brother
  • Dracula787
    March 16, 2008
    Dracula787
    This 2004 rock and roll documentary follows the careers of a pair of rival alternative bands over the course of seven years. I hadn?t heard of wither band before watching the documentary, and I can?t say that it makes me want to run out and buy music from either, but it was stil... read morel a very interesting story. The film is essentially trying to be Metallica: Some Kind of Monster meets Hoop Dreams, I liked it more than the former and nowhere near as much as the later. Of the two bands The Dandy Warhols came off as not only a more interesting band but also a more agreeable and professional outfit, whereas Anton Newcombe came off as a self destructive cocksucker. The film felt a bit disorganized in the beginning, particularly the continuity, but it reall came together in the second half. I would have liked to hear a little more music, Newcombe is constantly getting high praise and grandiose comparisons and I heard almost nothing in the music displayed here that to explain where this is coming from. The morale of the story is that it takes more than raw talent to succeed, you also need to have your shit together.
  • mattsigur1
    August 7, 2007
    mattsigur1
    great rock documentary
  • KLFilmmaker
    July 19, 2006
    KLFilmmaker
    Good music doc.
  • PillowPantss
    February 21, 2009
    PillowPantss
    two bands that know each other..struggle..bond,,party...experience highs and lows...in a really good doc.
  • jules07d
    January 25, 2009
    jules07d
    I love this documentary soooooooooo much!!! Anton Newcombe is a dick but one talented musician. We seeing The BrainJonestown Massacre in SF Anton kicked someone out of the show, cussed at us profusely, and since he now lives on France ( was SF) thinks he can do whatever he wants.... read more Would have to say one of my favorite shows.
  • dippitydoo2
    May 7, 2008
    dippitydoo2
    The juxtaposition of these two bands provides an incredibly fascinating back-and-forth. While both bands are growing musically, one is growing commercially and the other is gaining critical acclaim, yet imploding. I'm still marveling that someone turned on the cameras and kept ... read morethem rolling. Some of what was captured was just simply incredible. You couldn't have made a doc about either band alone, but putting them in contrast was such an inspired take.

View All DiG! Reviews

Critic Reviews

Peter Travers
August 14, 2007
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

[An] unflinching look at the rock world.

Roger Moore
January 28, 2005
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

It's a classic music soap opera, but never told with a more raw scream for help at its center. Full Review

Chris Riemenschneider
November 11, 2004
Chris Riemenschneider, Minneapolis Star Tribune

In a year that has seen several fascinating documentaries on famous rock stars and their problems, Dig! stands out for being about musicians who only think they should be famous. And, man, do they hav... Full Review

Bob Townsend
November 11, 2004
Bob Townsend, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Its power comes from Timoner sticking with the story over the long haul -- on the road, in hotel rooms, backstage -- getting in-your-face footage and telling a good tale with it. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
November 5, 2004
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

There's nothing cautionary in DiG! that you couldn't learn by renting the 1986 Sex Pistols-related biopic Sid and Nancy -- or exploring the commercially still-born yet revered career of the Velvet Und... Full Review

Chris Vognar
October 28, 2004
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Dig! strikes it rich by contrasting the stories of two bands going in different directions and the animosity that builds between them. Full Review

Richard Harrington
October 22, 2004
Richard Harrington, Washington Post

Ultimately undermined by the fact that the two rock bands Timoner chose to focus on -- the Brian Jonestown Massacre and the Dandy Warhols -- simply don't matter as much as she thinks they do. Full Review

Ty Burr
October 22, 2004
Ty Burr, Boston Globe

I don't know that I've seen a film that better captures the tension between authenticity and ambition that bedevils modern rock music -- the sense that a mass audience is something to be desired and d... Full Review

Allison Benedikt
October 21, 2004
Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune

After watching your [Anton's] tantrums, abuse and addiction in DIG! I went straight to the record store to buy your music. And that's something. Full Review

Liam Lacey
October 8, 2004
Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail

Through that mixture of luck and diligence that makes the best documentaries, Timoner offers a resonant, often painfully funny, drama about two good friends who become enemies against the backdrop of ... Full Review

View more DiG! reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Cast

More Like This

Click a thumb to vote on that suggestion, or add your own suggestions.

  • This Is Spinal Tap
    This Is Spinal Tap (71%)
  • Metallica - Some Kind of Monster
    Metallica - Some Kind of Monster (92%)
  • I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - A Film About Wilco
    I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - A Film Abou... (67%)
  • Live Forever (Live Forever: The Rise and Fall of Brit Pop)
    Live Forever (Live Forever: The Rise and Fall... (67%)

More Movies like DiG!

Facts

No facts approved yet. Be the first

DiG! : Watch Free on TV

DiG! Trivia

  • In what movie do Sigourney Weaver and Jon Voight make troubled teenage boys dig endless holes in the desert??? (hint: this movie also starred Patricia Arquette!)  Answer »
  • In the movie Stir of Echoes, what word is on the screen when Kevin Bacon is hypnotized the second time  Answer »
  • In which movie did Sigourney Weaver forced kids to dig holes? *Hint: Shia LeBeouf debut movie*  Answer »
  • What movie contained the following quote: "You see, there are two kinds of people in this world, my friend, those with loaded guns, and those who dig. You dig."  Answer »
More DiG! Trivia

Movie Quizzes

Create a Quiz |

All Quizzes

Video Clips

No video clips yet. Want to upload one?

Meet Other Fans

Add DiG! to favorites

Recent News

No recent headlines. Got one?

Recent Lists

Make a List |

View All Lists

Most Popular Skin

No skins yet. Interested in creating one?