TV Series of High Fidelity (and other depictions of 'music fans' in film and TV)

[holyzombiejesus]

Just saw the soundtrack to this advertised online.

Based on the novel and film of the same name, the all new 10 episode series (premiering this Valentine's Day) reimagines the story of our music obsessive, perpetually heartbroken record store owner Rob (Zoe Kravitz) in 2020 Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Naturally, the show has stellar music and we are proud to present the soundtrack to the series on vinyl — as Rob would've wanted it. Featuring classic tracks by the likes of Ann Peebles, Darando, William Onyebor, Blondie, as well as several original songs and covers from the series itself.

See the twist? Rob is a woman.

I'm guessing and may be being unfair here but I think this could sell be the most cliche riddled load of shit ever committed to whatever they commit stuff to nowadays. It seems that whenever people make shows or films that include 'music fans' (I hate that stupid phrase) then they automatically create a load of old cringey wank like in this 'Skins in a band' load of nonsense or this bit in Silk where Maxine Peake dance to Joy Division.

Anyway, I haven't even seen the trailer but I'm going to predict

Rob lives in an apartment in a downtown area but it's beautifully decorated, lots of brick walls, perhaps some neon and a bike
A male customer tries to patronise her but she belittles him with her extensive knowledge of obscure music.
She drinks Jack Daniels bin a bar whilst wearing a leather jacket
There's a shot of a needle hitting some vinyl with some crackles. Maybe a bit where she eulogises old vinyl.
She's bisexual
She buys a record collection and there'll be something really rare in there that sends her spider senses racing, like Lovejoy but not as good.

[DrGreggles]

Rob is a selfish prick in the film though.
It'll be interesting if they gave a female lead those characteristics.

Of course, her mum was in the film too.

[chveik]

you're being optimistic holyz. the trailer gave me cold sweats.

[notjosh]

Just watched the trailer.

Really bugged me that at the start she is counting off three things while flipping three switches one-by-one, but the second thing comes on the third switch, and the third thing comes a couple of seconds later. Not everything has to be directed like an Edgar Wright film, but FFS, it was right there.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Watch me sell 3 copies

[Enzo]

The daughter of the actress who played Marie de Salle in the movie is now playing Rob in the series? Interesting.

[Sebastian Cobb]

Sounds like a shit idea but Zoe Kravitz seems alright at doing what's she's doing.

[jobotic]

Horrible book, horrible film. Not hopeful for this. Might not watch.

[timebug]

Thought the book had some decent ideas, mainly badly executed! The film was toss though. Doubt I will watch this series given what I have read on this thread.

[C_Larence]

My girlfriend watched and liked this, but I won't say if that means it's more likely to be good or bad.

[The Culture Bunker]

Thought the book had some decent ideas, mainly badly executed! The film was toss though. Doubt I will watch this series given what I have read on this thread.

I think I must have been 16 or so when I first read it, at a point I was just getting into music myself, and quite enjoyed it. Then I re-read it  about ten years later and hated it for Hornby's tedious musical conservatism. I'm trying to remember how old the Rob character is supposed to be - early/mid 30s? - and yet had pretty much zero interest in any contemporary music.

The film was helped by the cast making both the Rob and Barry characters more likeable than they were in the books, though the actress playing Laura was hopeless.

[Shaky]

The daughter of the actress who played Marie de Salle in the movie is now playing Rob in the series? Interesting.

It's not really, let's be honest.

[dissolute ocelot]

The experience of being a female music fan is sufficiently different to being a male music fan that I'm at a loss as to what could be carried across (I don't think male music geeks usually get accused of only being music geeks to get dates). About the only commonality is the idea of a shop selling records, which seems pretty unlikely in itself.

[Jockice]

I really liked the book (at the time. I can now see the faults that others have pointed out on the thread. And I thought the ending was pretty crap) and quite liked the film but I'm very unlikely to watch this. Gorgeous women don't get dumped and suffer heartbreak. It's a well-known fact. So it's unrealistic from the off.

[Deyv]

Oh for FUCK'S SAKE.

[Jockice]

'm trying to remember how old the Rob character is supposed to be - early/mid 30s? - and yet had pretty much zero interest in any contemporary music.

I was in my early-mid 30s when I read the book and saw the film and Rob always seemed to be a lot older than me. I did know people like him though, only interested in 'classic' stuff that could be described as dadrock. Weller fans mostly.

Can anyone remember that book that Nick Hornby wrote about his musical influences? I've read it but found it so boring that all I can remember is him eulogising Teenage Fanclub and Rod Stewart and even making them sound boring.

[The Culture Bunker]

I was in my early-mid 30s when I read the book and saw the film and Rob always seemed to be a lot older than me. I did know people like him though, only interested in 'classic' stuff that could be described as dadrock. Weller fans mostly.

Can anyone remember that book that Nick Hornby wrote about his musical influences? I've read it but found it so boring that all I can remember is him eulogising Teenage Fanclub and Rod Stewart and even making them sound boring.

John Cusack was 34 when the film came out, which tallies in with my view of the character. The part of the book that bugs me most now is when the Rob character doesn't snap up that huge record collection for £5 or whatever, because he sympathises with the fanny-rat who used to own them all rather than the wife left behind. Plus the fact that five minutes after getting back with his girlfriend, Rob is already thinking of copping off with the young journalist from a local paper.

Quite funny, really, that every Hornby book I've read (the first four), all of them have deeply unlikable male leads. Re-reading Fever Pitch, I almost wished Michael Thomas had shanked his shot at Anfield in 1989, just to have fucked up Hornby's life beyond repair.

And yes, his book of favourite songs was pretty wretched too. I daren't listen to the Ben Folds album he did lyrics for.

[Small Man Big Horse]

I've seen the first episode and did a short review of it for my site:

Twenty five years on from the release of Nick Hornby's novel about a record shop owner and the way he explores his past, shitty relationships, and twenty years on from the film adaptation with John Cusack, and we've been given a ten part series exploring the same ground, though the big difference is that it's been gender flipped with Zoe Kravitz in the lead role. She's great in it too, smart, funny and slightly self-obsessed, and so very similar to the original version found in Hornby's novel, but otherwise the show feels a bit lacking, there's a fair amount of fourth wall breaking as Robyn talks about her favourite music and the relationships that she's been in, it's the kind of humour which might raise a wry smile but that's about all. The dialogue is otherwise vaguely okay but apart from Robyn all of the characters we're introduced to are pretty bland, or quite pretentious and so a bit irritating, her two co-workers especially, to the extent that however appealing Robyn is they made me want to stop watching it at several points. Perhaps it improves as I've only seen this first episode but right now it's hard to see why it exists when it's not covering any new ground, and I won't be watching any further episodes unless new tv suddenly stops being made for some traumatic and disturbing reason.

That last line was written before new tv stopped being made for traumatic and disturbing reasons, but there's a fuck load of other shows I plan to catch up on first before giving this another shot as it really didn't do much for me.

[Custard]

I've had this on my neverending 'To Watch' pile since it came out, mainly cos I like Zoe Kravitz and anything involving people stood around in record shops talking shit. See also: Empire Records. Dunno if I'll ever actually sit down and watch it, mind

Still, Zoe Kravitz!

[holyzombiejesus]

I've seen the first episode and did a short review of it for my site:

That last line was written before new tv stopped being made for traumatic and disturbing reasons, but there's a fuck load of other shows I plan to catch up on first before giving this another shot as it really didn't do much for me.

Were any of my predictions from the OP in there?

[Jockice]

Were any of my predictions from the OP in there?

Malf of them were in the trailer.

[Andy147]

The part of the book that bugs me most now is when the Rob character doesn't snap up that huge record collection for £5 or whatever, because he sympathises with the fanny-rat who used to own them all rather than the wife left behind.

Plus "wife selling cheating husband's possessions for a pittance" is an old urban myth.

[kidsick5000]

Plus "wife selling cheating husband's possessions for a pittance" is an old urban myth.

True. In reality they just throw the things out.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Were any of my predictions from the OP in there?

The following was: Rob lives in an apartment in a downtown area but it's beautifully decorated, lots of brick walls, perhaps some neon and a bike.

And there's a spin on "A male customer tries to patronise her but she belittles him with her extensive knowledge of obscure music" where it's a bloke she meets (and still fucks) in a bar.

And as far: "She drinks Jack Daniels bin a bar whilst wearing a leather jacket" There was definitely solo alcohol drinking, can't remember if it was Jack Daniels or what she was wearing though.

But when it comes to: She's bisexual - I don't think she is. Could be wrong though, it's faded from my memory very quickly.

[Dr Syntax Head]

The only good bit of the film was the use of You're gonna miss me. And the beta band part

[Deyv]

I like the way Barry has a go at the middle aged guy for wanting to buy a schmaltzy Stevie Wonder song for his daughter and the film's credits being to the sound of I Believe When I Fall in Love With You It'll Be Forever.

[The Culture Bunker]

Reminds me how amused I was on my second reading of how the best name Hornby could come up with for some modern band, one of those noisy mobs that he doubtless thought was a load of old rubbish, was Sonic Death Monkey. Then how they abandon all that to instead play "proper" music.

I was never quite sure whether they were supposed to be a send up of My Bloody Valentine (noisy) or Ned's Atomic Dustbin (crap name).

[Dr Syntax Head]

Sonic (youth) (napalm) death and (the) monkees. Very lazy

[The Culture Bunker]

I never considered the Monkees. I thought that part might have been a Pixies reference ie 'Monkey Gone to Heaven'. In my mind, I picture Hornby sat at his desk in 1990 or so, making an effort to listen to the Peel show and muttering "why don't they go and listen to some proper music, like Van or the Boss?"

I never really get the impression he loves music, or football, it's just a way of escaping his own tedious nature/middle class angst.

[Dr Syntax Head]

Actually probably was the pixies reference. Lazy bastard