Cocksucker Blues (1972)

"Blues" is right: I think the Stones had this infamous doc suppressed not because of the groupie-fucking and drug abuse but because it makes them look like the most boring band on the planet. This, of course, has to be by design -- the film is one of the only rock docs I can think of that expresses something left out in most films of its ilk. In a time period where Antonioni, Schlesinger and Schatzberg (among others) were in creative bloom, this film gets deeper into the heart of geniune ennui more than most films can even imagine. Life on the road can be soul-crushingly dull and lonely, and this film demonstrates that again and again. We see the Stones driving across America, performing gigs and trying to live up to the reputation of "most dangerous band alive" when they all really look like they'd rather just go home and become shut-ins. Trouble is, it does its job TOO well, to the point where audience involvement is nigh well impossible. After half an hour, I was ready to buy Mick and Co. that plane ticket home. The shitty video quality didn't help either (if this ever gets a legit release, I might give it another look). It's a vital film, probably one of the most important and canonical rock documentaries ever made; shame it's more interesting to hear about than sit through.

Grade: C