disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

ALL I CAN SAY -- A Disappointingly Dull Video Diary

6/30/2020

1 Comment

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Even though his lyrics would imply otherwise, rockstar Shannon Hoon lived a life that was anything but plain. But despite unprecedented access to Hoon’s personal perspective and a wealth of interesting life events to pull from, All I Can Say is a shockingly dull and uninspired music documentary.

Assembled from Hoon’s personal video diaries, the documentary takes a look at the life of the late Blind Melon frontman, exploring both his on-stage and off-stage antics. And though one would expect a film about someone who once got into massive trouble for peeing on a stage to be interesting, the movie gets too caught up in the mundanities of Hoon’s life to be entertaining.

It becomes pretty clear early on that the purpose here is to humanize Hoon and make him feel more approachable. As he says in “No Rain” (the song which inspired the title of the film), “All I can say is that my life is pretty plain.” And yet, since the audience will know this to not be the case, something is left to be desired.

The best moments of the movie are those which show Hoon as the charming and playful person that he was. These moments allow a greater personal connection with the character than anything involving his music (the repetition of rehearsal footage does become overwhelming at a certain point).
Picture
That said, there is also a giant elephant in the room here, and that is Hoon’s death from an accidental overdose. Fans will know that Hoon faced a lot of demons in his life, and while capturing his positive essence is important, it is arguably more essential that audiences learn from the mistakes he made.

Perhaps the single biggest issue here, though, is the lack of structure. The film presents a bunch of clips in a seemingly random order. There’s very little sense of time here apart from the occasional timestamp on the footage. Even a basic thematic connection would have been enough to make the movie feel more cohesive.

Still, the archive footage here is admittedly pretty phenomenal, and it is reason enough to make the film a worthy watch for fans of the singer. Hoon obviously liked to play around with the camera, and the result is an aesthetic experiment. The soundtrack is also very unorthodox, as it isn’t entirely rooted in the sounds of Blind Melon.

There are some really interesting things about All I Can Say, but sadly, much of it doesn’t work out in a satisfying way. More often than not, this is a movie made primarily for diehard Blind Melon fans.

All I Can Say is now screening online in partnership with indie theaters. A list of participating locations can be found here.

Rating: 2.5/5
               
1 Comment
Jakob
7/3/2025 04:38:45 pm


In a kaleidoscope of colors, the luminous nebula drifted through the cosmos like an ethereal whisper of serendipity. Each quasar pulsed with euphoria, illuminating the labyrinth of space.

Amidst the solitude, one could find a mosaic of translucent dreams, where every paradox unraveled into a cascade of possibilities. The symphony of the stars reflected an axiom of life, reminding us that in the heart of chaos, there exists a hidden enigma and a soft zephyr of hope.

As we stood under the velvet sky, the night felt both ephemeral and radiant, a fleeting moment captured in the tapestry of time.

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About