Fearless Freaks
Encyclopedia
Fearless Freaks is a 2005 documentary
, directed by Bradley Beesley
and edited by JoLynn Garnes
, chronicling the alternative rock
band The Flaming Lips
. While the film features cameo appearance
s by such actors as Adam Goldberg
and Christina Ricci
, most of the screen time is taken up by interviews with the band members and their families interspersed with clips of the band's recording sessions and live performances. Wayne Coyne
's mother and several of his brothers are prominently featured, as are members of Steven Drozd
's family, while Michael Ivins
' family receives comparatively little screen time.
The film traces the band from their roots as a local psychedelic
punk
band to an internationally renowned band that draws celebrities to its performances. Many of the interviews were filmed in the band's hometown of Oklahoma City
, although Wayne Coyne is the only band member still living there. In addition to the development of the Lips' music and performance, another theme running through the movie is the effect that drug
s have had on the band and their families. A notable scene in the film depicts Steven Drozd preparing to inject himself with heroin, and it is stated that paranoia over Drozd's addiction caused guitarist
Ronald Jones
to leave the band. Drugs have also affected the lives of members of both Drozd's and Coyne's families.
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
, directed by Bradley Beesley
Bradley Beesley
Bradley Beesley is an American independent film and video director, producer and cinematographer. He has long been associated with the alternative music band, The Flaming Lips....
and edited by JoLynn Garnes
JoLynn Garnes
JoLynn Garnes is an American film editor. She has edited feature documentaries, music videos, and TV commercials.Garnes's best-known work is the critically acclaimed documentary film The Fearless Freaks, about American rock band The Flaming Lips...
, chronicling the alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are an American alternative rock band, formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983.Melodically, their sound contains lush, multi-layered, psychedelic rock arrangements, but lyrically their compositions show elements of space rock, including unusual song and album titles—such as "What...
. While the film features cameo appearance
Cameo appearance
A cameo role or cameo appearance is a brief appearance of a known person in a work of the performing arts, such as plays, films, video games and television...
s by such actors as Adam Goldberg
Adam Goldberg
Adam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, producer, and musician.-Early life:Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg, a former lifeguard. His father is Jewish and his mother is a "lapsed" Roman Catholic of Irish, French, and German descent...
and Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci
Christina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...
, most of the screen time is taken up by interviews with the band members and their families interspersed with clips of the band's recording sessions and live performances. Wayne Coyne
Wayne Coyne
Wayne Michael Coyne is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
's mother and several of his brothers are prominently featured, as are members of Steven Drozd
Steven Drozd
Steven Gregory Drozd is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
's family, while Michael Ivins
Michael Ivins
Michael Lee Ivins is the bassist and one of the founding members of The Flaming Lips.Along with Mark Coyne and Wayne Coyne, he formed The Flaming Lips in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to Wayne, Michael was found as the bassist for the band because of his punk-rock look, and not...
' family receives comparatively little screen time.
The film traces the band from their roots as a local psychedelic
Psychedelic
The term psychedelic is derived from the Greek words ψυχή and δηλοῦν , translating to "soul-manifesting". A psychedelic experience is characterized by the striking perception of aspects of one's mind previously unknown, or by the creative exuberance of the mind liberated from its ostensibly...
punk
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band to an internationally renowned band that draws celebrities to its performances. Many of the interviews were filmed in the band's hometown of Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
, although Wayne Coyne is the only band member still living there. In addition to the development of the Lips' music and performance, another theme running through the movie is the effect that drug
Drug
A drug, broadly speaking, is any substance that, when absorbed into the body of a living organism, alters normal bodily function. There is no single, precise definition, as there are different meanings in drug control law, government regulations, medicine, and colloquial usage.In pharmacology, a...
s have had on the band and their families. A notable scene in the film depicts Steven Drozd preparing to inject himself with heroin, and it is stated that paranoia over Drozd's addiction caused guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ronald Jones
Ronald Jones (musician)
Ronald Jones is an American musician, who was a guitarist in the Oklahoma rock band The Flaming Lips from 1991 to 1996....
to leave the band. Drugs have also affected the lives of members of both Drozd's and Coyne's families.
Cast
- Wayne CoyneWayne CoyneWayne Michael Coyne is the lead singer, guitarist, and principal songwriter for the band The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
- Himself - Steven DrozdSteven DrozdSteven Gregory Drozd is an American musician. He is a multi-instrumentalist and lead guitarist for The Flaming Lips.-Early life:...
- Himself - Michael IvinsMichael IvinsMichael Lee Ivins is the bassist and one of the founding members of The Flaming Lips.Along with Mark Coyne and Wayne Coyne, he formed The Flaming Lips in 1983 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. According to Wayne, Michael was found as the bassist for the band because of his punk-rock look, and not...
- Himself - Bradley BeesleyBradley BeesleyBradley Beesley is an American independent film and video director, producer and cinematographer. He has long been associated with the alternative music band, The Flaming Lips....
- Narrator - BeckBeckBeck Hansen is an American musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, known by the stage name Beck...
- Himself - Niels Rasmussen - Poul Power
- Steve BurnsSteve BurnsSteven Michael "Steve" Burns is an American entertainer. He is best known as the original host of the long-running children's television program Blue's Clues.-Early career:...
- Himself - Jonathan DonahueJonathan DonahueJonathan Daniel Donahue is an American rock musician. He has been an integral member of two of North America's more influential indie/experimental bands of the 1990s; The Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev....
- Himself - Adam GoldbergAdam GoldbergAdam Charles Goldberg is an American actor, director, producer, and musician.-Early life:Goldberg was born in Santa Monica, California, the son of Donna and Earl Goldberg, a former lifeguard. His father is Jewish and his mother is a "lapsed" Roman Catholic of Irish, French, and German descent...
- Himself - Gibby HaynesGibby HaynesGibson Jerome "Gibby" Haynes is an American musician, radio personality, and painter, and the lead singer of the group Butthole Surfers.-Early life and career:...
of the Butthole SurfersButthole SurfersButthole Surfers is an American alternative rock band formed by Gibby Haynes and Paul Leary in San Antonio, Texas in 1981. The band has had numerous personnel changes, but its core lineup of Haynes, Leary, and drummer King Coffey has been consistent since 1983. Teresa Nervosa served as second...
- Himself - Juliette LewisJuliette LewisJuliette Lewis is an American actress and musician. She gained international fame for her role in the 1991 thriller Cape Fear for which she was nominated for both an Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress...
- Herself - Tyson MeadeTyson MeadeTyson Todd Meade is best known as the singer and principal songwriter for Norman, Oklahoma-based alternative rock groups Defenestration and the Chainsaw Kittens...
& Trent Bell of The Chainsaw Kittens - Kelly Peterson - Fan with camera at Coachella
- Liz PhairLiz PhairPhair's entry into the music industry began when she met guitarist Chris Brokaw, a member of the band Come. Brokaw and Phair moved to San Francisco together, and Phair tried to become an artist there...
- Herself - "Chan" Marshall (Cat PowerCat PowerCharlyn Marie Marshall , also known as Chan Marshall or by her stage name Cat Power, is an American singer/songwriter and occasional actress and model. Cat Power was originally the name of Marshall's first band, but has come to refer to her musical projects with various backing bands...
) - Herself - Christina RicciChristina RicciChristina Ricci is an American actress. Ricci received initial recognition and praise as a child star for her performance as Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family and Addams Family Values , and her role as Kat Harvey in Casper...
- Herself - Jack WhiteJack White (musician)Jack White , often credited as Jack White III, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer and occasional actor...
- Himself - Meg WhiteMeg WhiteMegan Martha "Meg" White is an American drummer best known for her work in the Detroit rock duo The White Stripes.-Early life:...
- Herself