In 2004, DIG! felt fresh and unrelenting. The documentary from Ondi Timoner instantly caught on with underground rock fans. After all, few bands were like The Brian Jonestown Massacre or The Dandy Warhols. Yet Timoner’s work, despite earning praise from those outside the bands, was often criticized by its subjects. With the 40th anniversary of Sundance at hand, Timoner decided to revisit the seminal documentary, providing more than forty minutes of new footage and new narration to boot. The result, DIG! XX**, may not improve on the original film. However, this extended edition provides more context and insight into the groups, while providing a brief update on their careers since the movie.

Coming up in the late 1990s, The Brian Jonestown Massacre seemed poised to make the jump to rock royalty. However, frontman Anton Newcombe pushed his bandmates at every turn, leading to contentious moments with the group. Meanwhile, The Brian Jonestown Massacre started a semi-fictitious rivalry with The Dandy Warhols. While the Massacre wanted to drum up the rivalry to generate press for both bands, they forgot to tell Warhols frontman Courtney Taylor-Taylor. Over seven years, Timoner follows both groups, watching the Warhols ascend to greater and greater successes while the Massacre struggled to function.

With the extra twenty years of hindsight, plenty could be said about Newcombe’s antics. His abuse issues are all over the footage, and while the bands have tried to insinuate the plots are fabricated, the semi-regular fist fights on stage indicate a larger trend. We do not just mean in the original footage – the update provides footage of a brawl in November of 2023.

However, Newcombe’s behavior and feuds with Taylor-Taylor only spark interest for so long. What has made Dig! – and now DIG! XX – so influential is the unique intimacy on screen. The men often joke around and open up to each other about issues. At the same time, they can barely stand each other, leading to wildly toxic behavior. Timoner’s film is as much a time capsule of an era defined by its excess. In that sense, Dig! landed with a Gen X crowd torn between finding artistic success and terrified of “selling out.” That warring ideology is present in every frame of DIG! XX. Even Courtney

Perhaps the most interesting new element stems from increased narration for the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Those duties fall to Joel Gion, whose tambourine skills are only surpassed by his humor. Gion’s additional asides add levity and self-awareness to DIG!XX that helps this extended cut feel less daunting. Keeping the pace, and sometimes pushing it forward, is a boon to the recut as a whole.

While DIG! XX may notappeal to those unaware of The Dandys or the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Still, it’s a fascinating document to understand the era of rock music. With plenty of entertaining scenes and larger-than-life antics, the last twenty years helps DIG! XX remain a poignant tale about the pursuit of superstardom.

Alan’s Rating: 8/10Watch DIG! XX as part of Sundance 2024, either in-person or virtually. Check out tickets here! Read all our reviews from the 2024 Sundance Film Festival here! Buy tickets for online screenings here! Check out our reviews, interviews, preview pieces, and more!The post Sundance 2024: DIG! XX – A Return to the 2000’s Underground Scene appeared first on Sunshine State Cineplex.