Monday Lesson From History

The old trope is that history repeats itself. While certainly true, almost as dependable is that Hollywood will sacrifice creativity for dollars. I do not need to expand on that idea anymore than has already been done, but simply look at the glut of Marvel movies, Star Wars movies, and pretty much anything that may resemble a film that made money in the past. And now Hollywood has latched on to rock star biopics, certainly coming off the financial success of 2018’s Bohemian Rhapsody which told the story of Queen frontman Freddy Mercury. This was followed by Rocketman, the 2019 movie about the life of pop superstar Elton John. You can almost hear the studio moguls screaming “Get us a rockstar movie, pronto!” as they chomp the last inch of their soggy cigars. Which explains the recently announced project on the life of David Bowie, or at least a significant segment of his life when he was at his creative peak in the early 1970s. And what could be more ironic than a movie company following the herd and making a film about one of the most uniquely creative artists in music history? Of course, all judgement on the quality of the movie is held until it is released. But the idea itself seems lazy and safe. If Bowie (and history) taught us nothing, is that it is better be hardworking, creative, unique and true to yourself.