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The Sparks Brothers

  • 20212021
  • RR
  • 2h 20m
IMDb RATING
7.8/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Ron Mael and Russell Mael in The Sparks Brothers (2021)
'The Sparks Brothers' is a 2021 music documentary film directed by Edgar Wright about Ron and Russell Mael, the creators of the pop and rock band Sparks.
Play trailer2:28
6 Videos
34 Photos
  • Documentary
  • Biography
  • Comedy

A musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.A musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.A musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks.

IMDb RATING
7.8/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Edgar Wright
  • Stars
    • Ron Mael
    • Russell Mael
    • Beck
Top credits
  • Director
    • Edgar Wright
  • Stars
    • Ron Mael
    • Russell Mael
    • Beck
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 60User reviews
    • 93Critic reviews
    • 80Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 26 nominations

    Videos6

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:28
    Official Trailer
    Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Trailer
    The Sparks Brothers
    Trailer 2:25
    The Sparks Brothers
    A Guide to the Films of Edgar Wright
    Clip 2:17
    A Guide to the Films of Edgar Wright
    The Sparks Brothers
    Clip 0:59
    The Sparks Brothers
    The Sparks Brothers
    Clip 1:07
    The Sparks Brothers

    Photos34

    Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Edgar Wright, and Sparks at an event for The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    The Sparks Brothers (2021)
    Ron Mael, Andy Bell, and Sparks in The Sparks Brothers (2021)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Ron Mael
    Ron Mael
    • Selfas Self
    Russell Mael
    Russell Mael
    • Selfas Self
    Beck
    Beck
    • Selfas Self
    Jane Wiedlin
    Jane Wiedlin
    • Selfas Self
    Christi Haydon
    Christi Haydon
    • Selfas Self
    Dean Menta
    Dean Menta
    • Selfas Self
    Harley Feinstein
    Harley Feinstein
    • Selfas Self
    Tony Visconti
    • Selfas Self
    Mike Myers
    Mike Myers
    • Selfas Self
    Fred Armisen
    Fred Armisen
    • Selfas Self
    Giorgio Moroder
    Giorgio Moroder
    • Selfas Self
    'Weird Al' Yankovic
    'Weird Al' Yankovic
    • Selfas Self
    Muff Winwood
    • Selfas Self
    Nick Rhodes
    Nick Rhodes
    • Selfas Self
    Steve Jones
    Steve Jones
    • Selfas Self
    John Taylor
    John Taylor
    • Selfas Self
    Todd Rundgren
    • Selfas Self
    Flea
    Flea
    • Selfas Self
    • Director
      • Edgar Wright
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
    • All cast & crew

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    Storyline

    Edit
    Growing up in the '60s, Los Angeles brothers Ron and Russell got by on a heavy diet of popcorn matinees and pop music until the spotlight of school talent shows illuminated their way on a musical journey as Sparks and spawned 25 studio albums. Edgar Wright's vision brings five decades of invention to life through animations and interviews, digging deeply into the band's rich, career-spanning archival. —Sundance Film Festival
    • american in london
    • american in great britain
    • american in england
    • pop band
    • reference to jacques tati
    • 5 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Genres
      • Documentary
      • Biography
      • Comedy
      • History
      • Music
    • Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)
      • Rated R for language
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      None of Ron's snow globes were harmed during the making of this documentary.
    • Quotes

      Jack Antonoff: All pop music is rearranged Vince Clarke or rearranged Sparks. That's the truth.

    • Connections
      Featured in Late Night with Seth Meyers: Peyton Manning/Bowen Yang/Edgar Wright/Stevie Nistor (2021)

    User reviews60

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Absolute Blast!
    "All pop music is rearranged Sparks. And that's the truth."

    The Sparks Brothers is a musical odyssey through five weird and wonderful decades with Ron and Russell Mael celebrating the inspiring legacy of Sparks. I had no idea who Sparks were going in. I knew by the end of the documentary I would have some reason to care about them, but it's hard watching a documentary about something you don't have much interest in- especially if it's about a person or people. Not that I didn't want to see this, but if I had no intentions to seek out this band before, I think it would be harder to get me to watch it. The one thing that actually got me to watch this is the fact that it was at Sundance earlier this year, and Edgar Wright was in the directors chair for this. Edgar Wright has yet to make a movie that is just decent. Everything he makes is fun and full of energy, and his first documentary is no exception. The Sparks Brothers is such a blast. It's the ultimate crowd pleasing music doc. Wright manages to incorporate his distinct style with every scene. He and Sparks were born to collaborate together. What we learn about the Sparks brothers is exactly what you'd want to know knowing Wright's previous films. They are a strange group and have a mysterious sort of quality. Watching their story unravel is just good fun.

    The way the documentary is setup is sort of different from the rest. As usual, there's interviews and fun animations throughout like most. What's strange is how everything progresses. Usually we get stories of people trying to make it big, but they face challenges and defeats that make them grow as a group. The Sparks Brothers just focuses on their success. Sometimes things didn't always work out, but there's always a comeback and those defeats are still celebrated today. The film is always on a high and soars all the way through. I think the runtime could've been cut down a bit. With it running close to two and a half hours, it's pretty long for a doc. It never feels slow and the runtime doesn't feel long at all. But by the end, I looked at the clock surprised at the length. I think it's a bold move to make it this long and cover every album and a surplus of their songs. The Sparks Brothers is probably the most fun you'll have with any documentary. I left extremely glad to know just about everything there is to know about each Sparks album and how it all came to be. Also, you'll probably catch a few songs every now and then that you didn't realize was by them. If you get the chance to see this, I would highly recommend!
    helpful•5
    2
    • sweidman-28016
    • Jun 27, 2021

    FAQ1

    • Where can I see THE SPARKS BROTHERS? Will it be shown on the Sundance Channel? Will it be offered as Pay-Per-View? Will it be released on Blu-Ray?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 18, 2021 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • Official site
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Братья Sparks
    • Filming locations
      • O2 Forum, Kentish Town, London, England, UK
    • Production companies
      • Focus Features
      • Media Rights Capital (MRC)
      • Complete Fiction
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $648,665
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $273,530
      • Jun 20, 2021
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,243,024
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 20 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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    Mar 5Slash Film

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