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The Last Dispatch

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The Last Dispatch

This feature documentary chronicles the last days of Dispatch, quite possibly the biggest band that never signed with a record label. In a time of upheaval in the music industry, their do-it-yourself style started a grassroots fan phenomenon that is changing the way indie bands (and record labels) do business. The band's final concert, "The Last Dispatch" drew 110,000 fans from every U.S. state and 20 foreign countries for one last free show in Boston in July of 2004.

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Release : 2005
Rating : 7.7
Studio :
Crew : Director, 
Cast :
Genre : Documentary Music

Cast List

Reviews

AniInterview
2018/08/30

Sorry, this movie sucks

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SunnyHello
2018/08/30

Nice effects though.

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Bumpy Chip
2018/08/30

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

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Payno
2018/08/30

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

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bkdlays
2005/10/10

I don't need to write a 10 paragraph review after everyone else has done so. Read theirs. Its true. Its good... and do you have anything better to do anyways? This movie is good for all...fan of the band or not! Just watch it! I'm outOK I'm back.. 10 lines min!Okay the Sommerville theater where I saw the movie looks exactly like it did while they taped the movie. Duh. But coolIt also looks the same as it did 100 years ago I bet!The band was cool to meet. It this 10 lines yet? Anyways not sure where if anywhere it is playing anyway. But the DVD should be out sooner or later.

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cloilia
2005/07/31

One of the best rockumentaries I have seen since "I Am Going to Break your Heart," (possibly because despite Brian Wilson's erratic cameo in the very excellent "Theremin," I don't think it can be classified as a rockumentary) … certainly better than "Some Kind of Monster," but onto the film at hand… Coming from a person who doesn't have impeccable music taste and happened to randomly see a Dispatch show 5 years ago at the Avalon in Boston, I must say I fell in love with Dispatch as a unit and individually with Brad, Pete and Chad; their on-camera musings reminiscent of both lighthearted, entertainment fest "Spinal Tap" and heavier, reflective "The Kid Stays in the Picture." As you watch these three interact in rehearsals and recording sessions while preparing for their self-proclaimed (and fan-denied) final 2004 Hatch Shell show in Boston, one begins to wonder what exactly poisoned their seemingly perfect chemistry.The film is very well done, as Helmut Schleppi and his crew of pros and interns, turn their closeness and knowledge of the band on its head to explore the intricacies, dynamics and ultimate pain when the of love for music and creativity clash with the sudden and unconventional success of these Indie Rock Superheroes. Schleppi certainly hit the jackpot with all the pre-existing band footage which allowed him to avoid talking heads and pointing fingers; with this gift of grainy home-video, Schleppi visually explores the inexplicable relationships between the members that helped to solidify, "famil"iarize and ultimately dissolved the band. Through creative building and a "Pulp Fiction" like chronology, the audience begins to understand (and morn) the loss of Dispatch…. This being a rockumentary, one is pained to ignore the brilliant use of Dispatch's own recordings and jamming to further explore the band's uniqueness.Schleppi has been accused of short changing the band, the documentary, and ultimately the audience, by being "too close to his subject" (Matt Ashare, The Boston Phoenix, 29 July 2005). Ashare insists that the audience is left puzzled, never given an explanation as to why Dispatch and their problems as a band were exceptional… Schuleppi's closeness is not a handicap in the film, but by far its greatest advantage… The audience feels close to the band instead of distant voyeurs trying to understand the elusive intricacies of human relationships that may not have a simple explanation tied-up with a ribbon, as over-produced television shows like VH1's "Behind the Music," or Michael Moore's over-the-top antics would have us craving. Schleppi choose not to corrupt the film by adding an omniscient narrator, allowing raw footage and interviews to form a picture of the band. Yes, the film's presentation and validity may have been compromised by his personal stake in the project, but this is the reality of documentary film outside of NOVA and Animal Planet (even this is questionable). On that note, Schleppi could have used more fan footage: certainly, the fans of Dispatch will notify any critic of why the band is so special, because, quiet simply, it is the fans that make them unique … but it is this viewer's opinion that the film allows those less familiar with the band to see Dispatch's magnetism, and begin to understand why it all had to end…. This film does not try to draw water from a stone, and that may just be it. I am not sure if the band members themselves actually know the answer… so, as an audience, we must rely on our over-medicated, Reality-TV soaked brains to venture back to actual reality and watch, think, interpret, conclude and maybe even cry.-SL P.S. To those kids from the Quabbin Reservoir in western mass… Thanks for the ticket… use teas bags for the swollen eyes and good luck next summer on that SPED bus… I want to see your film at the Somerville Theater.

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babybluefetish
2005/07/11

I was also fortunate enough to attend the preview screening of "the last dispatch" movie. The film celebrates the lives of three of the most amazing, independent, live musicians...following their story and career within the band Dispatch. The film is not all "glitz" and "glam" like other Hollywood music films, but instead, it captures the real emotion of it all. I highly recommend this film to anyone who was a fan, anyone who attended the last dispatch, and to any other music fan. It's really fun, and also very musical. The reunion weekend in Boston (july 28-31) is going to be incredible, and I am definitely going to make it out to the premiere weekend just for that.

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Matt Isaacs
2005/07/04

I saw this movie at the pre-screening at Plymouth State University on April 22, 2005 and, trust me, it's very excellent. The film focuses on the reunion of the members of Dispatch in preparation for their final concert, "The Last Dispatch", on July 31st, 2004 in Boston, MA. You don't have to be a fan of the band to be captivated by the great story of three musicians who managed to rise out of the crowd with sheer talent and commitment, cementing their place in music history without ever signing with a record label. The film has the perfect mix of humor and drama as the band members' unique interests clash and the tension mounts before the final show. The film is particularly enjoyable to any of the 110,000 fans who attended the amazing final show, but I also highly recommend it to anyone who appreciates music, Dispatch or otherwise.

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