Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone

2011
7.5| 1h47m| en
Details

From the shifting fault lines of Hollywood fantasies and the economic and racial tensions of Reagan's America, Fishbone rose and became one of the most original bands of the last 25 years. With a blistering combination of punk and funk they demolished the walls of genre and challenged the racial stereotypes and the political order of the music industry and of the nation.

Director

Producted By

Tilapia Film

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Reviews

VeteranLight I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.
CrawlerChunky In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
SanEat A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."
AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
jrozof2 Fishbone is one of the great treasures of the American music scene. It is cliché to state that they are a band that transform boundaries and genres.What more can I say? I love this band and I love this movie (so much in fact, I saw it twice on the same weekend!). However, you don't need to be a Fishbone fan to appreciate this documentary. This is a must see for anyone interested in music, bands, or West Coast culture in general.It is a rare thing that true originators get any amount of respect and recognition that they should while they are around to appreciate it. Fishbone are a force to be reckoned with and this movie capitalizes on insight to band members and history that few people normally get a chance to see into.Fishbone is still, to this day, the best live band in the world. Long live Fishbone, and thank you, thank you, thank you for this doc.
tnevhsc Everyday Sunshine showcases a truly inspirational story of a group whose unwillingness to compromise their artistic beliefs helped shape the careers of countless other musicians. Fishbone is a criminally underrated band as far as popular culture goes, but as you will see, their contributions are well respected by others in the music industry. There is no way you can watch this film without becoming a Fishbone fan. It's heartbreaking to see that these guys have yet to really get what is due to them, while so many acts who have aped them achieved more mainstream success. The numerous appearances by A-list musicians really help make the case that every Fishbone soldier has been pleading for years: These guys should have been the biggest band in the world. Watching the film really brings a lot of clarity to their situation, chronicling everything from the very beginning of the band in South Central L.A. to now. It helps the viewer to understand what made Fishbone such a groundbreaking and influential band and how those same things may have limited their appeal to the masses. I would encourage anyone who isn't familiar with Fishbone to see this film. Following Norwood and Angelo through their realities really makes you feel a full range of emotions because their life has been such a series of ups and downs, and it continues to be. The passion that Fishbone has for music jumps off the screen, just as it does in their recordings, and you realize that these guys have nothing in their nature but to innovate. This documentary clearly demonstrates the power of adversity as a creative catalyst. It is comforting to know that the members of Fishbone are on some level content to have had the success that they have while also remaining true to their artistic ambitions. After all that Fishbone has done for music, they deserve to have their story heard. It made not be told enough, but Everyday Sunshine does a masterful job of telling it.
Alan John This is a highly enjoyable film which takes its subject matter and art form seriously without getting over sentimental. Whether you're a fan of the band or not, you should see this. It charts the very brief flirtation with commercial success of one of the most influential but overlooked bands of the last 25 or more years and deals with the often humorous, sometimes painful but overall highly endearing and optimistic efforts of the two main driving forces in the band as they try to keep the show on the road and remain true to their art and mission.Few music fans ever really get to see what really happens inside a working band apart from the carefully scripted press pieces and PR releases, which as bands move further away from mainstream commercial success, get fewer and father between. Also, folk often say that it's a bad idea to meet your heroes as they rarely live up to your expectations, but through this film, you get to meet the characters vicariously through the eyes and ears of the directors and take a really good long look at what makes a working band tick. The fact that the characters are so completely human, with all the dysfunctional frailties this includes, often writ very large, makes for a fascinating couple of hours.Many well know musician 'talking heads' eulogise about the influence this band have had on them both musically and through their live performances, which ensure that in spite of all the infighting, members dropping out, dropping back in, drama's, kidnappings and so forth, the band still remain heroes of the day for their uncompromising attitude to play their music on their terms.This coupled with some great live footage, both old and new to show the viewer what everyone else who's ever seen them knows: this is probably the best, craziest live band in the world, then and now.Hopefully this film will win the band a bunch of new fans. It should definitely open up a whole load of opportunities for the directors who've tackled a subject with great skill and heart, ensuring that a great story is well told.Seen at the London Open City Documentary Film Festival – June 2011
raspbury This is a must see for fans of the band. I found out a lot about things that went on with the band I hadn't heard about previously. Very insightful into the the music industry and how fickle it can be. This film touches on everything from personal infighting to race relations in America during the late 70's and 80's. Why does one band make it big while others are left by the roadside or still struggling after 30 years? This film won't exactly answer that, as there's so many factors that contribute, but it does explore many of the facets of one of the hardest working bands of the last 30 years. Go see it if it's playing near you. Bring a friend or three, even if they aren't fans, they may become one after.