Rock the Bells.

"Whether Ol' Dirty can get his shizat together long enough to rock the mic (or just stand up without help) is the least of [concert promoter Chang] Weisberg's problems in Rock the Bells, an electrifying, occasionally terrifying documentary by filmmakers Denis Henry Hennelly and Casey Suchan," writes Nathan Lee. "Condensed from 20 hours of fly-on-the-wall footage, it follows the [Wu-Tang Clan reunion] from (naive) planning to (inadequate) preparation, to (sloppy) execution, to imminent disaster as thousands of frustrated Wu fans threaten to riot. Think Dave Chappelle's Block Party booked on United 93."

In the New York Times, Jeannette Catsoulis adds that the film "demands neither familiarity with the music nor a hankering for rhyme... [the] lively documentary grabs hold of the backstage drama and doesn't let go until the last weary fan has shuffled off home."

Updated through 4/12.

"If the film feels plagued by a lack of focus and relatively limited scope, the resolution of its subjects - both on and off the stage - succeeds in keeping it as potent as one of ODB's classic rhymes," writes Rob Humanick for Slant.

Rock the Bells opens tonight at the Pioneer in New York for a two-week run. Click here to check for future playdates around the country.

Update, 4/12: "I can't quite say enough for the tense, hilarious and totally serendipitous Rock the Bells," writes Salon's Andrew O'Hehir. It's "a must-see for music buffs."

Posted by dwhudson at April 11, 2007 1:01 PM