INXS: Never Tear Us Apart mini-series and biopic discussion

I'll be the first to admit it (I'm sure somebody else has already), I'm a sucker for biopics. I really do love them because you learn so much more about a band/artist that you never knew. Just when you thought you knew everything about your favorite band, a biopic comes along and changes all of that. I recently sat down and watched INXS: Never Tear Us Apart, a three-hour mini-series of the band INXS. Out of all the biopics I have ever seen, this was by far the best. Some biopics eschew the dark side of their main character. This one gives you a real account of what took place within the band and Michael Hutchence's life. There were some shocking moments and some touching ones.

I liked how it wasn't too downbeat with his funeral at the end. Instead, it was more of a celebration of Michael's life with INXS and the band itself. The actors who portrayed Michael Hutchence and Andrew Farriss played together at the end with the rest of the band in the room. Then, there was a live concert performance with the real Michael singing "Never Tear Us Apart" followed by old video footage of the band. The remaining band members cooperated with the producers on this mini-series and it turned out remarkably well. Thank you, INXS, for all the great music!

Biopics I have seen: Selena, The Doors, What’s Love Got to Do With It, INXS Never Tear Us Apart, and Rocketman. Surprisingly, I never saw Walk the Line but I liked Joaquin Phoenix's portrayal of Johnny Cash singing "Cocaine Blues."

Some have said that the makers of Bohemian Rhapsody omitted Freddie Mercury's shadowy past. I never got into Freddie Mercury's music, I only know his hits. But if I watch a biopic I like to be given the full story. Fortunately, I got that with all but one of the films I have seen. I loved The Doors with Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison. He should have won an oscar for that role. However, director Oliver Stone took many liberties in fabricating events that never occurred, and I don't understand why he did that. Despite the many inaccuracies of that film, the scenes were well executed.

I loved the "live" scenes from Rocketman and all the costumes. It was good acting all around and it captured the essence of Elton John. Rocketman's strong storytelling takes us through his childhood and progression into his young adult years where he finds his identity on and off stage, and finally into the performer we know today. It's a great movie for Elton John fans and for those who just want to learn more about him.

Here's a list of 30 biopic films. I had forgotten about some of them: https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/movie-lists/30-best-music-biopics-of-all-time-78623/im-not-there-2007-26465/

The biopic films I discussed contain profanity, violence, drug references, nudity, and sexual content. So if you have children at home you may want to watch them privately. Many biopic films and concert shows are now being restored in 4K quality, which is awesome! I still need to get INXS's Live Baby Live 4K DVD. I have an unopened copy (not 4K) that I will probably sell on eBay since I'm getting the 4K DVD. I'm scrolling down the list of biopic films on rollingstone.com and there are so many I didn't even know about. Some I had heard of but just have never watched like Ray and La Bamba. There's even one for R&B group TLC. They were big in the mid-nineties. The chorus to "Waterfalls" is now playing in my mind. "Don't go chasing waterfalls. Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to..." ♪♫

A poignant reminder of the passing of time is often songs that enter my mind like that. It's nice to have these biopic films to reflect on and relive the old days. Those who never had the chance to live through a band or artist's era can do so through them as well. Not to mention, they are fun to watch! If you like any of these groups, or are just the slightest bit interested in one of these bands or artists, it may be worth your while to watch one. Enjoy!