The Velvet Underground Documentary is a Tribute To The Experimental Rock Band

Apple TV+ has released the trailer for Todd Haynes’ documentary The Velvet Underground. The film will arrive in theatres and on AppleTV on October 15th.

Credit: Apple TV

The new trailer offers a brief overview of the film’s events, starting with the unique New York City array of art, music, film and opportunity that birthed the band.

Todd Haynes, director of films like I’m Not There, Velvet Goldmine, and Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story has directed a documentary about one of the most influential rock bands in history.

The trailer looks at the Velvet Underground’s experimental sound. Touching on the band’s avant-garde sound, the combination of film, music, and art of the era. Lou Reed’s esoteric approach to making music and The Velvets undying influence will also be amplified. 

The film will document the band known to be ahead of their time and how they suffered as a result. The Velvet Underground will feature exclusive interviews with surviving members of the band and other key players. It also boasts a number of previously unreleased performances and other footage.

The film will be accompanied by a massive soundtrack featuring both classic Velvet Underground tracks and rarities. Haynes himself curated the soundtrack with the film’s music supervisor, Randall Poster. The soundtrack will be released on October 15th digitally and as a two-CD set.

Synopsis

A synopsis provided by AppleTV gives us a brief description of the documentary:

“The Velvet Underground created a new sound that changed the world of music, cementing its place as one of rock ’n’ roll’s most revered bands. Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Todd Haynes, ‘The Velvet Underground’ shows just how the group became a cultural touchstone representing a range of contradictions: the band is both of their time, yet timeless; literary yet realistic; rooted in high art and street culture. The film features in-depth interviews with the key players of that time combined with a treasure trove of never-before-seen performances and a rich collection of recordings, Warhol films, and other experimental art that creates an immersive experience into what founding member John Cale describes as the band’s creative ethos: ‘how to be elegant and how to be brutal.’”

The Velvet Underground will simultaneously release on Cinemas and stream on Apple TV+ on October 15.

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