Freddie's documentary "The Great Pretender" is leaked

[QUOTE] [b]jazzrazzmatazz wrote:[/b]
don't get me wrong, I absolutely love the documentary and I have watched it so many times by now but I was waiting too long for this and I just have the feeling that I expected more.
[/QUOTE]

Why could I take you wrong when I think exactly the same :)

[QUOTE]
this leaked version is the uncut version and there's still 17 minutes of something good on the DVD, and all that extra stuff. my hopes are still high and of course I'm buying the DVD :)[/QUOTE]

We'll see. hope U've got right.

From what I read on QOL, the leak comes from a fan who attended the preview screening of the documentary, then ripped/uploaded the DVD of the documentary that was part of the goodie bag at the screening.

I won`t see it full... i`m not agree with the leaked thing... but watching some snippets i realize there are many VHS (almost bootleg quality) source footage from gigs than i supposed they had in a better format...

I enjoyed the 2 parts there. But I rarely watch these things twice. It's very truthful and unflinching. A good film, but no need for David Arnold or George Dawes - unless I consider it an update of the Magic Years with talking heads from the likes of Mel Smith etc.

I am surprised that so many people think it is not okay to criticize the release. After all, the demo with Rod Stewart has been announced for months now as THE big bonus of this documentary. Also, Rhys Thomas said in a recent web interview that many bits from the Bob Harrismaterial was included which is quite obviously not true. Now we see that almost nothing of the Bob Harris material was used, most of the new stuff comes from ´"Living On My Own" rushes, Queen video rushes and the David Wigg interview. The demo with Rod Stewart is quite obviously not included but only a few seconds are played - the same with TMBMTLTT duet with Michael Jackson - there are only a few seconds - maybe even self mixed for the occasion?

The criticism is not based on overinflated fan expectations - it is based on what the producers announced to whet the appetites of the fans. Does anybody remember "Freddies last interview" on the "Champipons of the world" documentary? It was a fake and people were coaxed into buying the VHS under false pretense. I think we can criticise that without being accused of having false expectations - the expectations come from official announcements and false promises.

Six of one and half a dozen of the other on this.

Freddie is gone and there is only a limited amount of material to see left. But as Queen fans we have no entitlements to what we get to see. It is given, if those that can give it, choose to do so.

Having said that, they shouldn't misrepresent things either. If they say something is going to be on there in all its glory, then it should be. Its misleading advertising to do otherwise.

Having said all that, it still sounds like its going to be great.

"The most funny thing is "Let me live" with Rod Stewart - 2 lines. Why not full track?"

It's a documentary, you pillocks - not a bloody 'let's find an excuse to play rare stuff to people'. It wouldn't make any sense to play a full track with nobody talking in a documentary format.

Besides which, there's a precedent for things coming out as snippets first and full versions later. We got one song from Milton Keynes on the GVH2 DVD, and then a little while later the full show came out. It's not quite the same story with Bohemian Rhapsody, but with all of the documentaries being made and the special videos where people were playing with the multitracks, it was only a matter of time before someone was smart enough to just leak the thing out.

Just be bloody patient. I can't understand some people - we've been given a decent documentary with stuff that hasn't been seen yet. That's harder and harder to achieve considering the guy has been dead for 20+ years.

"I am surprised that so many people think it is not okay to criticize the release"
First: The thing is, we are commenting the leak, and not the release itself (so the quality comments seem out of place)
Second: I used to think that the problem was that people like greg brooks were the douches that burned the bridges between the fanbase and QP. but after the excellent approach from rhys thomas in the IAMA in reddit, to read this sort of dissapointment (when clearly in this video there's a lot of rare footage, so much more that we were used to have)
and to see those comments from respected people in the fanbase, make me think that the problem are the fans.
Queen Fans, even the mature ones, are just a bunch of spoiled brats. Some people just dont remember how hard was to get decent stuff released a couple of decades ago..

Maybe we don't deserve to get Q&A sessions or soapbox access. People can't handle well their expectations.

[b]Ozz wrote: [/b]Queen Fans, even the mature ones, are just a bunch of spoiled brats. Some people just dont remember how hard was to get decent stuff released a couple of decades ago..

Maybe we don't deserve to get Q&A sessions or soapboxaccess. People can't handle well their expectations.

[/QUOTE]

Other than you (fan since 1991) I do remember decades ago and to be called a "spoiled brat" by you is really rich. Decades ago Queen released new albums and  played live concerts. It was not about scraping the barrell and about how many documentaries they can sell to the fans from the material that has been lying around for all these years. Apparently, Queenzone is being overrun by a bunch of Stepfords who think criticism is just not on when it comes to Queen. Criticism is ALWAYS on as long as it is not personal and is based on facts.

edit: in my anger about the above post I mingled Queen releases and releases by the FM estate which are, of course,  not the same although they can be mixed up easily with the same people responsible for the production and marketing of the release.

Also I will be the first to change my mind if the final release should be different from the recent leak and if there is more bonus material to match the announcements.

I agree the the internet has pretty much made ALL music fans spoiled brats. There is a new generation who have no idea what its like to travel round record fairs and dodgy record shops in the hope of finding a cd of a fan recording of a gig.

Everyone just wants to point, click and download. For free. And if that isnt posible just whinge about it.

[QUOTE] [b]Ozz wrote:[/b]
"I am surprised that so many people think it is not okay to criticize the release"First: The thing is, we are commenting the leak, and not the release itself (so the quality comments seem out of place)Second: I used to think that the problem was that people like greg brooks were the douches that burned the bridges between the fanbase and QP. but after the excellent approach from rhys thomas in the IAMA in reddit, to read this sort of dissapointment (when clearly in this video there's a lot of rare footage, so much more that we were used to have)and to see those comments from respected people in the fanbase, make me think that the problem are the fans.Queen Fans, even the mature ones, are just a bunch of spoiled brats. Some people just dont remember how hard was to get decent stuff released a couple of decades ago..Maybe we don't deserve to get Q&A sessions or soapbox access. People can't handle well their expectations.[/QUOTE]


Oh dear. Now I know why Jeffrey Dahmer dressed as a clown and ate people.

tons of stepfordism and hypocrisy... laughable.. the press release stated we will hear 'let me live' or see footage from AKOM and POTU shoots... 5 seconds of each is really just carrot dangling nothing else, nor 2 seconds of 'Calling all Girls outtakes.' With the Bob Harris stuff and the rediscovered video archive, there is literally tons of footage now ready for carrot dangling for another 30 years. Critisism of a product is not about being a good fan or a bad fan. Besides, we all agree that Freddie was a genius in the 20th rock music - so was Mozart in his own century . The latter's work is now publicly available, up to the tinyest discovered note - who says FM's oeuvre is different? in 100 years time maybe peoplemight be able to listen to every studio note he ever recorded. Yes people demand more, thats the human nature. Freddie's work is in huge demand, as is any artists in their field, who were similar geniuses, from painters to musicians etc. besides, form what i have seen from this docu, i dont like it.

[b]Promise[/b] - we were promised a huge amount of never seen material
[b]Reality[/b] - only a few SECONDS of never seen material are included on this documentary

[b]Promise[/b] - we were promised to get the demo of Let Me Live
[b]Reality[/b] - only a few seconds of the demo appear in the documentary

[b]Promise[/b] - we got promised "newly filmed contributions from fellow Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor"
[b]Reality[/b] - the documentary recycles interviews from the Days of our Lives documentary and other previously seen footage

[b]Promise[/b] - we got promised the full Royal Ballet 79 performance, the press release even emphasises that it was "never seen in full before"
[b]Reality[/b] - all we got is again just a few seconds of the performance, and it looked like downloaded from Queenzone

[b]Promise[/b] - " brings to the light Freddie’s earliest filmed interview from 1976 unearthed in Australia and another unseen interview from 1976 filmed by NBC in the USA"
[b]Reality[/b] - only a few seconds of ONE 1976 interview appear in the documentary

[b]Promise[/b] - "there’s much to be enjoyed in watching Freddie and his friends go full out in their efforts to help Freddie celebrate his last birthday before turning 40"
[b]Reality[/b] - I thought it's disgusting and they shouldn't release the footage, the only thing I remember never seen before was John Reid's naked butt and that's a thing I didn't NEED to see

[b]Personal opinion[/b] - I enjoyed the first 5-10 minutes and the ending with Freddie recommending everybody to get fucked, but that's it :-) I think BTW that we have a GOOD reason to criticise the release

there is another new documentary called becoming Queen, which is about how Brian & Roger met up and formed Queen.
has anyone seen that yet?
Beats me why they do such things now, if they are meant to be making A BIOPIC why spoil the suprises?

Loads of interesting bits of info, including even more confirmation that HS was NOT John Deacon's idea.