'Hung Up On A Dream: The Zombies Documentary' Review
They'd never get a biopic, even though their story is more compelling than most.
Compared to last week’s Pick of the Week (the fellow Utopia release Pavements), Hung Up on a Dream: The Zombies Documentary is a fairly conventional music doc, but not in a boring way at all. Directed by the distributor’s co-founder, Robert Schwartzman (whose brother, Jason, appears in Pavements), the film chronicles the history of the English rock band The Zombies, from their formation as teenagers, through their popularity in the 1960s, to what became of the members after their abrupt breakup following the recording of their brilliant second album, Odessey and Oracle.
The stories of the bandmates after the breakup make up almost half of the documentary, which is somewhat unusual for this kind of film, but this second act is when things really get compelling. Some members went on to new bands or other gigs in the record business, two of them took unrelated jobs out of necessity, the singer became a whole new person (in a way), and meanwhile, Odessey and Oracle found delayed success and everlasting critical appraisal. Of course, the industry took advantage in various ways, before and after they disbanded.
The Zombies are the type of band that could never get a biopic, partly because they’re not famous enough today, but mostly because their narrative doesn’t fit into an easy dramatic structure. In fact, despite their troubles now and then, not to mention their premature breakup, there doesn’t seem to have been much drama at all. They remained good acquaintances if not friends over the decades, some continued to collaborate on and off, and at least as the surviving members appear in Hung Up on a Dream, they now get along remarkably well with seemingly no regrets.
Their story is too low-key interesting for a biopic, but it’s perfect for a well-made documentary, as evidenced here. Through the interviews, with their detailed anecdotes and explanations (the amount of specific songwriting spotlights here is rare), and snippets of archival footage of their performances in their heyday, the film makes it very easy to picture everything just as it all played out. And there are so many little fascinating yet trivial moments and remarks, often asides, that wouldn’t fit in any other telling (I won’t spoil how ZZ Top is relevant, but it made me listen twice to make sure I heard it correctly).
It may not be an original masterpiece like Pavements, but Hung Up on a Dream is an informative and entertaining watch for fans of The Zombies (who will be very grateful for its existence) or anyone curious about the lesser-known British Invasion band behind such classic songs as “Time of the Season” and “She’s Not There.” I guarantee you’ll come away wanting to give their music another listen, with a whole new perspective, and wishing you could give them each a high five and a hug, especially singer Colin Blunstone, and maybe challenge them to a thumb war (you’ll see).