Too much of everything

One of the worst movies I've ever seen

Film Perfection

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I just woke up from watching this documentary before bed....and literally had nightmares and uneasy feelings all through the night.It's not just that they are disrespectful to the band members who they shared the stage with, and contributed to the success of the group.It's not just that they seem to have contempt for their fans. (henley during hotel californtia interview)It's not that they seem completely devoid of gratitude for the good fortune, or humbled by the experience.It's just that they're both the kind of guys you meet and afterwards go...."What a dick."And rather than see them as somewhat troubled artists and geniuses, their lack of reverence for their own music, and the craft of writing it and recording it... makes them seem more like record executives who pulled off a brilliant ten year scam.What's worse is that time hasn't healed their wounds - they seem to have gotten even more bitter. Which is truly sad, Frey got to take his unwillingness to forgive to his death bed. You can literally see him seething as he relays the story of his and Felder's onstage near fist fight. Some of the early footage and story was interesting. Love seeing Linda and Jackson. But the interviews were so formulaic, and pre-scripted, you could literally tell they were reading from a teleprompter. No moments of vulnerability. No insight or introspection. Above all, no LOVE. For the music. For the memories. And certainly not for each other.I was left seeing their songs in a new light. Formulaic and contrived and utterly lacking in heart.

It wasn't until Glenn Frey died that I discovered that he and the rest of the band members-past and present-did this documentary in two parts a few years ago. So I ordered both discs from Netflix. The first part covered the Eagles' heyday in the '70s with many of their hits accounted for like their first one-"Take It Easy" which is always my favorite of theirs-or "Take It to the Limit" which Frey mistakenly ID's as the group's first No. 1 single. (It was actually "Best of My Love" which, strangely, was one of the few hits not showcased in the film. "TITTL" actually went to No. 4.) In both parts, the emphasis is on Frey and Don Henley since they wrote most of the songs, were in the band for both runs, and had successful solo careers in between. Other current members Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit also frequently comment alongside former members Bernie Leadon who recently returned to the fold, Randy Meisner, and Don Felder. While I'll always admire Frey as a songwriter and artist, I can't help but think that he's the main reason some members left. I'd like to think they've all made peace with him before he passed. Certainly, I was very glad when Don H., Bernie, Joe, and Tim appeared on the Grammys several weeks ago in tribute to Glenn and performed "Take It Easy" with Jackson Browne-who co-wrote the song some 44 years ago-singing lead even though Browne forgot some of the lyrics. Anyway, I highly enjoyed History of the Eagles so that's a high recommendation.

Aside from a few moments that made we want to cringe (such as Glenn Frey's comments about Don Felder being fired during their reunion of the 1990s), this is a very enjoyable and thorough documentary about the Eagles. Not surprisingly, it focuses mostly on Frey and Don Henley-- the pair that wrote most of the songs, sang most of the songs and created the group. It follows the pair from their early pre-band days and ends around 2000. Through the course of the film, there are tons of interviews, lots of odd tidbits and a very comprehensive history of the group. For practically everyone except someone hating The Eagles (who would that be?!), a very well made and as complete a picture of the group as you can find.

Don't walk into "History of the Eagles" expecting an actual history of the band. This is a story steeped in revisionism, told from the perspectives of Glenn Frey and Don Henley. And you don't get far into the film before you start to wonder what's been left out. This is a band with an almost legendary period of drug use, infighting and unchecked egos, and only a fraction of the bad stuff is paid any lip service; just a formality so they go back to self-praise. Randy Meisner and Bernie Leadon don't receive any attention once they've left (no insight or commentary). Two integral founding members are but a memory. But the film's biggest disappointment is the short shrift given to Don Felder. We don't get much in the way of input from him as Frey and Henley continue telling the story. He had legitimate issues with the way the band was being handled (power being taken away from himself, Timothy B. Schmidt and Joe Walsh, getting screwed out of song credit and royalties), but they're summed up with "Felder was unhappy".But I was surprised to hear the audio between Frey and Felder as they were figuratively at each other's throats in 1980. Equally surprised that David Geffen flat-out stated that Don Henley is a malcontent (not that anyone else was lining up to say anything less than flattering about the man). The Eagles are the quintessential American band, and their story deserves to be documented in full. This is little more than a puff piece. Which is hilarious because Glenn Frey still comes off as a dick.5/10