The Velvet Underground is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Todd Haynes that chronicles the life and times of the rock band the Velvet Underground.
The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 7, 2021. It was released theatrically and on Apple TV+ on October 15, 2021, to critical acclaim.
Synopsis The Velvet Underground was an influential band that arose from the music, art, and film avant-gardes of early-1960s New York City. Although not a commercial success at the time, it had a significant impact on underground, experimental, and alternative music and the development of punk and new wave music. Its core members were Lou Reed, Sterling Morrison, John Cale, Doug Yule, and Maureen Tucker. Artist Andy Warhol managed and promoted the bandconvincing them to add German singer and model Nico to their line-up. Haynes's film examines the cultural milieu of the band and its musical and cinematic influences. It tracks the band's history from formation to the break-up of its original line-up in the early 1970s. Interviews with surviving band members Cale and Tucker and musicians the band influenced are woven with archival music and film material.
Production In August 2017, Todd Haynes was hired to direct and produce a documentary film about the Velvet Underground. Haynes received cooperation of the surviving members of the band including founding members John Cale and Maureen Tucker. Interviews for the film were shot in 2018. Doug Yule, who replaced Cale in the band in 1968, appears in voiceover but was not filmed.
Release In October 2020, Apple TV+ acquired distribution rights to the film. It had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on July 7, 2021. It was released theatrically and on Apple TV+ on October 15, 2021. On December 13, 2022, it was released on DVD and Blu-ray by The Criterion Collection.
Reception Critical response On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 98% based on 132 reviews, with an average rating of 8.1/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "The Velvet Underground takes a fittingly idiosyncratic approach to delivering a rock documentary that captures the band as well as its era." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted score of 87 out of 100 based on 31 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".
Some critics felt the documentary glossed over the band's 1969 self-titled album and contributions by Yule.
Accolades Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result ACE Eddie Awards March 5, 2022 Best Edited Documentary (Feature) Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz Austin Film Critics Association Awards January 11, 2022 Best Documentary The Velvet Underground Boston Society of Film Critics Awards December 12, 2021 Best Editing Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz Chicago Film Critics Association Awards December 15, 2021 Best Documentary The Velvet Underground Cinema Audio Society Awards March 19, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for a Motion Picture – Documentary Juliana Henao Mesa and Leslie Shatz Cinema Eye HonorsMarch 1, 2022 Outstanding Non-Fiction Feature Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, and Carolyn Hepburn Audience Choice Prize Todd Haynes Outstanding Editing Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz Outstanding Sound Design Leslie Shatz and Jahn Sood Critics' Choice Documentary AwardsNovember 14, 2021 Best First Documentary Feature Todd Haynes Best Editing Affonso Gonçalves and Adam Kurnitz Best Archival Documentary The Velvet Underground Best Music Documentary The Velvet Underground Dorian Awards March 17, 2022 Best Documentary The Velvet Underground Hollywood Music in Media Awards November 17, 2021 Best Music Supervision – Film Randall Poster IDA Documentary Awards March 4, 2022 Best Music Documentary Todd Haynes, Christine Vachon, Julie Goldman, Christopher Clements, Carolyn Hepburn, and David Blackman London Film Critics' Circle Awards February 6, 2022 Documentary of the Year The Velvet Underground Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards March 13, 2022 Outstanding Achievement in Sound Editing – Feature Documentary Leslie Shatz and Jahn Sood National Society of Film Critics Awards January 8, 2022 Best Non-Fiction Film The Velvet Underground Online Film Critics Society Awards January 24, 2022 Best Documentary The Velvet Underground San Diego Film Critics Society Awards January 10, 2022 Best Documentary The Velvet Underground San Francisco Bay Area Film Critics Circle Awards January 10, 2022 Best Documentary Feature The Velvet Underground Satellite Awards April 2, 2022 Best Motion Picture, Documentary The Velvet Underground St. Louis Film Critics Association Awards December 19, 2021 Best Documentary Film The Velvet Underground Toronto Film Critics Association Awards January 16, 2022 Allan King Documentary Award The Velvet Underground
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