Bluecoats Movie to release in October

[Lukecoats]

I'm going to give a more detailed review of the film in a separate thread and try and answer whatever questions I can there, but let me just say this: my name is Luke Bauerlein, and I marched with the Bluecoats for five years. I'm interviewed in the Bluecoats documentary Throw It Down, and I just got back from Connecticut this weekend laying down some vocals for the narration in the final cut of the film. There was, in fact, a grossly unedited hour and forty five minute version of the film that was shown to the corps in August of this year. And no doubt, despite its obvious flaws, it was a pretty darn good film, just too long.

Well, I have seen the most recent cut of the film this weekend (the same cut the producers have sent to the execs at BOA...) and I believe the movie to be a more cohesive, beautiful, and powerful piece of cinema than I possibly could have imagined being made about drum corps. I have not seen the Troopers documentary and so cannot speak to the power of that film, but what I can attest to, is that Throw It Down has a great, great amount of artistry and emotion held within it. Clocking in at just under 88 minutes, the most recent cut is leaner, more compact and hits all the harder for it. I could see the potential the film had in August, but I still had my reservations about what the final product might look like. I no longer hold such reservations.

In terms of release, I do not think the producers believe it will be ready for October. As previously mentioned, they have sent a recent cut of the film to the folks at BOA in the hopes that they might be interested in showing it on screens in Indianapolis during Grand Nats week. I think BOA would be silly not to take part in the release of this movie (DCI too for that matter.) To me, it has enormous potential to bring both the casual fan of drum corps and the die hards an intimate look at life on the road. As is true with most of the best art in this world, Throw It Down gains a kindof universality through its specificity. By following the members, traditions, history, and quirks of the 2006 Bluecoats’ Connexus season (a good one for the corps competitively to be sure…) the film strives to offer the experience of any corps, in any summer. It could be your kids up there on screen, your corps, your summer.

Some of you may dismiss this post as mere hype, and perhaps some of it is. I readily admit that it was extremely difficult to make an objective assessment of the movie when I saw it this past weekend, and I think it’s pretty obvious that I’m very excited about it. All I can say is that the movie I saw in August did not produce such bubbling enthusiasm from me. This new cut does.

For more, check out the Bluecoats Documentary: Throw It Down thread... which I’m currently posting.

Luke Bauerlein

[Steve709]

I personally saw the raw cut finals week, and from what I hear, this more recent cut is on another level. Very engaging, effective, and it captures drum corps right on, but in its own unique, and sophisticated way. From what I heard from people directly involved, it's very top level, high quality stuff. The makers of this movie took it very seriously and have really immersed themselves in it, and from all I have heard, it has really paid off.