Beystiman It's fun, it's light, [but] it has a hard time when its tries to get heavy.

Yash Wade Close shines in drama with strong language, adult themes.

Skyler Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Scarlet The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

Vultural ~ Elusive documentary about famed Alabama studios, mother lode of Southern swamp 'n Delta blues. Lots of music clips, as well as recollections / thoughts from Jagger, Richards, Bono, Aretha, Pickett, Sledge, Wexler. Also the original Swampers and FAME studio chief, Rick Hall. After awhile, every time Hall started talking, we braced for the next tragedy: Ma, brother, wife, Pa, one by one the Reaper picked 'em off. Kept waiting for Old Shep to buy it. FAME began to dry up in the 70s, barely mentioned in doc. The Swampers' Muscle Shoals Sound Studio was sold in '85, likewise a scant mention. Incredible amount of hits referenced - "When A Man Loves A Woman" "Land Of 1000 Dances" "Brown Sugar" "Main Street" "Kodachrome" "Respect" "Patches" "Tell Mama" "Mustang Sally" and "Sweet Home Alabama" Highly entertaining, perhaps depending on your age and memories.

romath Early in Muscle Shoals the point is made by all concerned that Rick Hall's studio was color blind, just top quality musicians producing top quality music. A true haven in the 1960s South. But then the Swampers go off to form their own studio in town and along the way pick up and then lose Lynyrd Skynyrd (until after the plane crash). Yet, nothing is even mentioned in passing about the racist substance of the band's music or their presentation as defenders of segregation and, in effect, the Slave South. Director Greg "Freddy" Camalier might have gotten away with that as a simple presentation of musical history were it not for his choice to end the movie, to celebrate Muscle Shoals and all it had accomplished, by using Lynryd Skynyrd's openly racist "Sweet Home Alabama," along with another showing of the Confederate flag behind them, which was their standard practice. Talk about taking a dump on your own movie.

r-remmers OK, I plead guilty to living within a stones throw of the subject of this movie.If you are a fan of the music that started out in the '60s in this country, this is a must see. It gives you an insight into how the music we listen to has come into being. From the roots in the blues and R&B morphing into Rock and Roll. You may find something out about your favorite songs that you never knew.The setting for the interviews focuses you on the person speaking. There are some amazing images in the film. In some ways it shows the area in an almost idyllic frame. The historical footage is worth the ticket price alone.Bonus points if you actually recognize the unnamed blues legend show while they talk about Sam Phillips. If you are going to create a list of must see movies about music and musicians, this will be on the short list.

gregking4 Anyone who is interested in rock music should rush to see this fantastic, well made and impeccably researched documentary about the famous recording studios. Muscle Shoals is a nondescript little town with a population of about 8000 along the Tennessee River in Alabama, but it is also home to the the highly influential Fame Studios that has hosted a veritable who's who of the music world and produced lots of memorable number one hits and some of the greatest songs of the past fifty years. The studio was built by Rick Hall, who was basically following his dream. Hall assembled some of the best session musicians who had an instant chemistry and as the in-house backing band provided the rich rhythm and blues sound on many hits. Surprisingly though the musicians were all white, and they worked with artists no matter their colour, creed and ethnicity. The studio broke down some of the racial barriers that existed in America at that time, and the film depicts the divisive racial politics that were raging in Alabama at the time. Artists of the calibre of Wilson Pickett, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, and even The Rolling Stones all recorded here during their careers, and the songs that emerged from this humble little studio often changed their musical direction and gave them some of their biggest hits. And while the townsfolk barely tolerated the black singers they were openly disdainful of the long haired hippy types, like the members of Lynard Skynard who also briefly recorded there and developed their distinctive swamp rock sound. Muscle Shoals has been directed by Greg Camalier, making his feature film directorial debut here, who incorporates plenty of rich archival footage with some revealing interviews with the likes of Bono, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Aretha Franklin and Clarence Carter. And Hall himself talks at length about his own life and personal tragedies, as well as giving some candid revelations about the humble recording studio that he founded. We also learn about his bitter falling out with legendary record producer Jerry Wexler. Muscle Shoals is jammed full of great music, colourful characters and wonderful anecdotes. A must for music fans!