Ex Drummer

Last updated

Ex Drummer
Ex drummer.jpg
Screenshot from Ex Drummer
Directed byKoen Mortier
Written by Herman Brusselmans
Koen Mortier
Produced byKoen Mortier
Eurydice Gysel
StarringDries Van Hegen
Norman Baert
Music by Arno Hintjens
Flip Kowlier
Millionaire
Guy Van Nueten
Distributed byCCCP (Belgium)
Release date
  • 7 November 2007 (2007-11-07)
Running time
90 min.
Country Belgium
Language Dutch

Ex Drummer is a 2007 Belgian black comedy and rock music film directed and co-written by Koen Mortier, [1] whose previous work was limited to television commercials. It is based on the 1994 book by Herman Brusselmans of the same name. While receiving mixed reviews at the time, it went on to become a cult film. [2]

Contents

Plot

In Ostend, West Flanders, three physically disabled musicians are looking for a drummer for their punk rock band. They want to perform only one time at a music competition. They approach famous writer Dries to be their drummer, the idea being that he also has a "handicap" in that he cannot actually play the drums. They plan to master only one song, Devo's "Mongoloid." For Dries, this is an opportunity to get some inspiration for a new novel, so he accepts the offer. The band members decide to call the band The Feminists, since, they think four "handicapped" musicians are just as worthless as a group of feminists. Their main opponents are the band Harry Mulisch (an allusion to Harry Mulisch), also led by a writer, nicknamed Dikke Lul ("Fat Cock"). As the story goes on Dries becomes more and more obsessed by his new novel and he tries to manipulate the band members and tries to find their weak spot.

Cast

Soundtrack

The music of The Feminists was in fact performed by Belgian band Millionaire and the Harry Mulisch song was sung by Belgian singer Flip Kowlier. [3]

  1. Lightning Bolt – "2 Morro Morro Land"
  2. Madensuyu – "Papa Bear"
  3. An Pierlé & White Velvet – "Need You Now"
  4. The Tritones – "Chagrin De La Mer"
  5. Mogwai – "Hunted by a Freak"
  6. The Experimental Tropic Blues Band – "Mexico Dream Blues"
  7. Flip Kowlier – "De Grotste Lul Van 't Stad"
  8. Millionaire – "Mongoloid"
  9. Isis – "In Fiction"
  10. Isis – "Grinning Mouths"
  11. Arno Hintjens – "Een Boeket Met Pissebloemen"
  12. Augusta National Golf Club – "People in Pairs"
  13. Mel Dune – "Time Hangs Heavy on Your Hands"
  14. Ghinzu – "Blow"
  15. Funeral Dress – "Hello from the Underground"
  16. Millionaire – "Deep Fish"
  17. Blutch – "Moving Ground" [4]

Reception

The film received mixed reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has an approval rating of 44% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 4.81/10. [5] On Metacritic, the film has a rating of 36 out of 100 based on 4 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews". [6] In Belgium it caused some controversy due to the violence and explicit sex in the film.

Awards

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arno (singer)</span> Belgian singer (1949–2022)

Arnold Charles Ernest Hintjens, better known by his stage name Arno, was a Belgian singer. He was the frontman of TC Matic, one of the best-known Belgian bands of the 1980s. After the band split in 1986 he enjoyed a solo career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mongoloid (song)</span> 1977 single by Devo

"Mongoloid" is the first single released by American new wave band Devo in 1977, on the Booji Boy Records label. It was backed with the song "Jocko Homo". "Mongoloid" also had one of the first music videos made using collage. "Mongoloid" would later be re-recorded by Devo and appeared on the album Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo! in 1978. It is also a staple of Devo's live shows.

Millionaire is a Belgian indie rock band led by Tim Vanhamel, drawing on influences from stoner rock, indie and industrial rock music.

<i>Browns Requiem</i> (film) 1998 neo-noir film directed by Jason Freeland

Brown's Requiem is a 1998 American crime film written and directed by Jason Freeland. Brown's Requiem was the 1981 debut novel by noted crime author James Ellroy, and his third to be adapted to film following L.A. Confidential in 1997, and Blood on the Moon in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cinema of Belgium</span> Filmmaking in Belgium

Cinema of Belgium refers to the film industry based in Belgium. Belgium is essentially a bi-lingual country divided into the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) north and the French-speaking south. There is also a small community of German speakers in the border region with Germany. Belgium is further a federal country made up of three regions and three language communities . Due to these linguistic and political divisions it is difficult to speak of a national, unified Cinema of Belgium. It would be more appropriate to talk about Flemish or Dutch-language cinema of Belgium and Walloon or French-language cinema of Belgium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ghinzu</span> Belgian alternative rock band

Ghinzu is a Belgian alternative rock band founded in 1999 in Brussels.

<i>Bye Bye Monkey</i> 1978 Italian-French comedy-drama film

Bye Bye Monkey is a 1978 Italian-French comedy-drama film, directed by Marco Ferreri and starring Gérard Depardieu, Marcello Mastroianni, James Coco, Gail Lawrence and Geraldine Fitzgerald. It is about a man who finds a baby chimpanzee in a giant King Kong prop and decides to raise it like a son. It was filmed in English and shot in Long Island, New York. As this was a French-Italian co-production, French and Italian dubbed versions were made for their respective countries' theatrical releases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Vanhamel</span> Belgian rock musician (born 1977)

Tim Wessel Vanhamel is a Belgian rock musician who has been a member of and performed with a number of bands including Evil Superstars, Deus and Eagles of Death Metal. He is also the frontman of his own bands Millionaire and Eat Lions.

<i>Antonias Line</i> 1995 film

Antonia's Line is a 1995 Dutch feminist film written and directed by Marleen Gorris. The film, described as a "feminist fairy tale", tells the story of the independent Antonia who, after returning to the anonymous Dutch village of her birth, establishes and nurtures a close-knit matriarchal community. The film covers a breadth of topics, with themes ranging from death and religion to sex, intimacy, lesbianism, friendship and love.

<i>By Hook or by Crook</i> (2001 film) 2001 film by Harry Dodge

By Hook or by Crook is a 2001 buddy drama film written, directed by, and starring Harry Dodge and Silas Howard. The story follows two unlikely friends as they commit petty crimes and figure out their places in the world.

<i>Nothing Personal</i> (2009 film) 2009 Dutch film

Nothing Personal is a 2009 Dutch-Irish drama film written and directed by Urszula Antoniak. It was presented at the Locarno International Film Festival for the international competition. It won the Golden Leopard for best debut film and Lotte Verbeek won the award for best actress. The film won four Golden Calves at the Dutch Film Festival of 2009, including best film.

<i>Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage</i> 2010 Canadian film

Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage is a 2010 documentary film directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn. The film offers an in-depth look at the Canadian hard rock band Rush, chronicling the band's history and musical evolution. The film made its debut at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival, where it earned the 2010 Audience Award. The film was also nominated for Best Long Form Music Video at 53rd Grammy Awards, losing to When You're Strange, a documentary about The Doors. A limited theatrical run began on June 10, 2010 and the film was released on DVD and Blu-ray in the US and Canada on June 29 of that year. John Rutsey, the band's original drummer, died in 2008; tape-recorded comments from him are incorporated into the film.

<i>Hit So Hard</i> 2011 American film

Hit So Hard is a 2011 American documentary film directed by P. David Ebersole. The film details the life and near death story of Patty Schemel, drummer of the seminal '90s alternative rock band Hole, and charts her early life, music career, and spiral into crack cocaine addiction. The film weaves together Hi8 video footage Schemel recorded while on Hole's 1994-95 world tour with contemporary interviews with her, bandmates Courtney Love, Eric Erlandson, and Melissa Auf der Maur, as well as her family members. The film also features interviews with other female drummers and musicians, including Nina Gordon, Kate Schellenbach, Gina Schock, Debbi Peterson, and Phranc.

<i>Caesar Must Die</i> 2012 film

Caesar Must Die is a 2012 Italian drama film directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani. The film competed at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival where it won the Golden Bear. The film is set in Rebibbia Prison, and follows convicts in their rehearsals ahead of a prison performance of Julius Caesar.

<i>The Broken Circle Breakdown</i> 2012 Belgian drama film by Felix Van Groeningen

The Broken Circle Breakdown is a 2012 Belgian drama film directed by Felix van Groeningen with a screenplay by Carl Joos and van Groeningen. It is based on the stage play of the same name by Johan Heldenbergh and Mieke Dobbels.

<i>Suspension of Disbelief</i> (film) 2012 British film

Suspension of Disbelief is a 2012 English thriller film written, directed, edited, co-produced by Mike Figgis and starring Sebastian Koch, Lotte Verbeek, Emilia Fox, Rebecca Night, Eoin Macken, Lachlan Nieboer, Frances de la Tour, Julian Sands and Kenneth Cranham. It was premiered at the 7th Rome Film Festival in November 2012. It played in the 12th East End Film Festival on 6 July 2013 and in Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival on 26 September 2013. The film was released in the UK on 19 July 2013.

<i>Holy Lands</i> 2017 French film

Holy Lands is a 2017 French-Belgian comedy-drama film written and directed by Amanda Sthers and starring James Caan, Tom Hollander, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Rosanna Arquette, Efrat Dor and Patrick Bruel. It is based on Sthers' novel Les Terres saintes.

<i>Death in Sarajevo</i> 2016 film

Death in Sarajevo is a 2016 Bosnian drama film directed by Danis Tanović. It was selected to compete for the Golden Bear at the 66th Berlin International Film Festival. At Berlin it won the Jury Grand Prix, as well as FIPRESCI prize for films shown in competition. It was selected as the Bosnian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 89th Academy Awards but it was not nominated.

<i>Where Hands Touch</i> 2018 film directed by Amma Asante

Where Hands Touch is a 2018 romantic war drama film directed and written by Amma Asante and starring Amandla Stenberg, George MacKay, Abbie Cornish, Christopher Eccleston, and Tom Sweet. It was produced by Charlie Hanson and tells the story of Leyna (Stenberg), a teenage girl under threat because of her mixed heritage while surviving in Nazi Germany.

Transference: A Bipolar Love Story is a 2020 independent drama film directed by, produced and written by and starring Raffaello Degruttola.

References

  1. "Programmes - Error - Channel 4". Archived from the original on 18 January 2014. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
  2. Brown, Todd (27 April 2010). "Cult Hit EX DRUMMER Finally Hits US DVD". Twitchfilm.com. Archived from the original on 8 December 2015. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
  3. Luijsterburg, Jan (20 September 2007). "Recensie Ex Drummer" [Ex Drummer review]. hifi.nl (in Dutch).
  4. "Soundtrack ex drummer". Archived from the original on 18 February 2008. Retrieved 18 September 2009.
  5. "Ex Drummer (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved 10 June 2020.
  6. "Ex Drummer (2011)". Metacritic. Retrieved 10 June 2020.