Whatever you think of QUEEN

Watched a video that says they flipped a few things around to make it more movie like rather than it being true, like the fact they had been touring before the live aid performance yet in the movie they made it seem like they just remand hit the stage.
See I didn't mind that one bit, while factually incorrect it made perfect sense to get Freddie's life story in and finishing the film at Live Aid.

I can see why the die hard's are annoyed by it however, for someone who wasn't a massive fan of Queen it's certainly made me a bigger one now.
 


Watched a video that says they flipped a few things around to make it more movie like rather than it being true, like the fact they had been touring before the live aid performance yet in the movie they made it seem like they just remand hit the stage.
if you don't know a lot about queen, this wouldnt be an issue and you can enjoy the film as 2 hours entertainment. if you know the inside out story of queen you're probably better off watching a documentary, or 2 hours on youtube instead.
 
if you don't know a lot about queen, this wouldnt be an issue and you can enjoy the film as 2 hours entertainment. if you know the inside out story of queen you're probably better off watching a documentary, or 2 hours on youtube instead.

I'm a huge fan of Queen and the flipping of the timeline didn't bother me that much as it more or less showed what did happen. I think it did suffer though when it changed what happened to simply paint Taylor and May in a better light. Before Live Aid Queen chased the £££'s by breaking ranks and played concerts in Apartheid South Africa for which they received huge criticism and by the end of 84 they were on the verge of breaking up (also notable that Mercury nor the band was asked to contribute to Band Aid allegedly due to their standing in music circles at the time).

Just seemed a shame as the bands story stands up in its own right for me but May/Taylor seemed to make Mercury the villain at the expense of their own failings.
 
One for the pedants.

In the trailer and in the film, we see U2 leaving the stage before Freddie going up the steps (suggesting they were on before)

The order of appearance early evening was Roxy Music / Paul Young / U2 / Dire Straits / Queen / Bowie

Apparently, Freddie was sen flirting outrageously whilst Knopfler was doing his stuff. "So is Bone-O your real name, handsome?"
 
Here is a bit of trivia for you, from YouTube.

When Queen are on tour in the USA and Freddie is at the payphone and is eyening the trucker up, the trucker is none other than Adam Lambert the guy who took over as lead singer with May and Taylor
Aye. I thought that was the case.
But didn’t know for sure. I swear I spotted Taylor Hawkins sat behind the console in either the WWRY or AOBTD scenes.

I'm a huge fan of Queen and the flipping of the timeline didn't bother me that much as it more or less showed what did happen. I think it did suffer though when it changed what happened to simply paint Taylor and May in a better light. Before Live Aid Queen chased the £££'s by breaking ranks and played concerts in Apartheid South Africa for which they received huge criticism and by the end of 84 they were on the verge of breaking up (also notable that Mercury nor the band was asked to contribute to Band Aid allegedly due to their standing in music circles at the time).

Just seemed a shame as the bands story stands up in its own right for me but May/Taylor seemed to make Mercury the villain at the expense of their own failings.
Though you make some good points, your last point seems to be one that is simply “doing the rounds”. I don’t think they have done that at all. The simple fact remains that; as a huge Queen fan it’s hard to say it, but, the public wanted to see a story about Freddie and that’s what they have. There is plenty of piss taking of Taylor as a man whore and writer of some dodgy tunes and I think the edit that had to be done when Brian’s first wife kicked up a fuss may let him off a bit, I don’t think it is entirely intentional. I keep coming back to the fact that if you were to include all of the band’s failings, affairs etc it would be a 4 hour epic that only die hands would endure and it wouldn’t be half the movie this one is. There are numerous documentaries if you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But if you want entertainment, I think this is the one.
 
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Aye. I thought that was the case.
But didn’t know for sure. I swear I spotted Taylor Hawkins sat behind the console in either the WWRY or AOBTD scenes.


Though you make some good points, your last point seems to be one that is simply “doing the rounds”. I don’t think they have done that at all. The simple fact remains that; as a huge Queen fan it’s hard to say it, but, the public wanted to see a story about Freddie and that’s what they have. There is plenty of piss taking of Taylor as a man whore and writer of some dodgy tunes and I think the edit that had to be done when Brian’s first wife kicked up a fuss may let him off a bit, I don’t think it is entirely intentional. I keep coming back to the fact that if you were to include all of the band’s failings, affairs etc it would be a 4 hour epic that only die hands would endure and it wouldn’t be half the movie this one is. There are numerous documentaries if you want the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. But if you want entertainment, I think this is the one.

It’s doing the rounds because the way Freddie was portrayed in the film casts him as the one that nearly split the band but the reality was the band had grown tired and the Sun City reaction was what nearly pushed them over the edge.

I take you point about trying to fit it all into a film but the whole lead up to the live aid concert was all bollocks and didn’t need to be in, especially as what did happen was just as interesting IMO albeit an embarrassing reminder for Taylor and May.
 
It’s doing the rounds because the way Freddie was portrayed in the film casts him as the one that nearly split the band but the reality was the band had grown tired and the Sun City reaction was what nearly pushed them over the edge.

I take you point about trying to fit it all into a film but the whole lead up to the live aid concert was all bollocks and didn’t need to be in, especially as what did happen was just as interesting IMO albeit an embarrassing reminder for Taylor and May.
It was interesting for a more engaged fan but it wouldn’t have been as interesting for the movie going public. It isn’t all “bollocks” as there has been a strong perception for a long time that this actually was the case and as we all know, perception is reality! The band were tired and wanted to try their own things, Roger was already on his second solo album at this point for instance, the Works Tour; although headline grabbing in terms of their audience sizes in South America, saw some of Queen’s poorest live performances (the Wembley Arena gigs are very poor). So the general perception was that Queen were “washed up” stands up; this is obviously difficult to portray in a movie with time constraints, so they have done what they needed to do. I agree Sun City was a big factor in them not being invited to play a part in the Band Aid single (though the band have disputed this), but Bob Geldof wanted them for Live Aid from day 1 - this by his own admission, it’s talked about in the Magic Years documentaries and how they, particularly Freddie had to be tracked down individually to get them to play, again Freddie was the last to commit. It wasn’t Mary that saved Freddie from oblivion in Munich, it was Barbara Valentin, she saw what the pressure of the big solo deal and Paul Prenter’s insidious manipulation were doing to him, and helped him realise this. But again, it’s easier told in the context of a one true love storyline. The money involved in Freddie’s solo deal was also a major factor, more so than the album itself.

The May, Taylor thing is crap honestly. They loved him and clearly still do. See how vehemently they defended him in the days and weeks following his death - even when a lot of the allegations made were based on truth. Freddie was no angel and neither were the others, but I truly don’t believe there is an agenda in this movie to make the rest of the band look good at Freddie’s expense.
 
I double Imax’d it. Even took our lass the second time- I’m starting to drift off to the pictures these days now I’ve got a bit of time on my hands and it being all very relaxing.

My Queen background is watching in wonder, the Bohemian Rhapsody video as a 6/7 year old, nobody did that, we had lasses dancing when the band didn’t turn up, plus I didn’t have a f***ing clue what it was all about which helped, the anthems after, that concert with all the Love Of My Life singing, the Bowie one, then really liking them as a young teenager with The Works album, aye anar, but the bloke could sing like no one else.
Geoff Capes as part of some panel reviewing the Break Free video on Swap Shop or summat saying it wasn’t right blokes dressing up as lasses and whatnot. But it was, even then to me, because it was Freddie.

Then watching Live Aid, still the best voice out there, then going to the hotch potch to see them the year after, to having to put my weetabix down unfinished while getting ready for work on a Monday morning, when the telly told me he had died.

Now like then I don’t give two shites about his private life. I’ve read the film reviews. They all agree it’s crap with a good lead actor. Yes he was excellent if a bit short. I want to be a critic. Maybe a food critic. So I can steal a living as well.

So the fillum then. I was enthralled. It took me back to those times in my life and what I was doing. I’m glad it stopped at Live Aid. The Wembley bit took me right back to how I felt then except I wasn’t watching it on a little telly with a fat back on it, it was on a f***ing massive screen with amazing camera angles and sound that shook the f***ing seat.

I was a bit emotional truth be told.
 

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