Beesley answered questions after the screening and was understandably a bit apprehensive since this was the first time he had seen it with an audience larger than three people. He has nothing to worry about as the film will please Lips fans and indoctrinate those new to the band. While the film is a little long, this is a band with a lot of history to cover and one that has done many notable things. Sadly, there are a few moments that are not captured but Beesley wanted to focus more on the Lips recounting fascinating epiphanies more than the band's recorded output. He is wise to have done that because the two most outstanding scenes have little to do with the band and more to do with the shape of the lives of Wayne, Stephen, and Michael.

The first outstanding, and hilarious, scene has Wayne Coyne reenacting a robbery he endured as a teen while working at the Long John Silver's where he was employed for eleven years. The reenactment takes place in a Vietnamese restaurant that now inhabits the former LJS building. Wayne enlists what appear to be the owner's children to play the essential roles of cashier and Wayne himself. Wayne plays the robbers complete with swearing. Maybe the young Vietnamese kids don't understand certain more colorful English that well. Either way it is side-splitting and even though Wayne is only coercing children it is plan to see that he is a master persuader. People go along with his plans.

The second remarkable scene is an appropriately bleak look at drug addiction. Stephen Drodz was at the tail end of a 5 year long heroin addiction during the recording of "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots". Beesley captures Drodz discussing his addiction, how it is actively ruining his life, and then stays on him as he cooks up, turns away briefly as he shoots up (it takes him some time to find a vein), and then continues as he describes the resulting high. Drodz's family has a history of suicide and to hear Coyne and Drodz candidly talking about the possibility of Drodz not being alive in the near future.

Drodz has done an impressive job of hiding his suffering during the band's recent success. It is heart wrenching footage and while some will find it difficult to watch it is certainly going to set the documentary apart from other band bios. It is rare to find a documentary about a significant band that has so much insight into what has made them tick as a band and as people.

There were a few omissions that I wish could have been handled. First, I would have liked to hear more about the band's shifts in direction. From the psychedelic noise rock of the early years came a the first shift towards a more approachable sound with "Hit to Death in the Future Head". This record isn't really mentioned and the turning point that is highlighted is the success of the "She Don't Use Jelly" single. While it is undeniably true that the single catapulted the Lips in front of new fans their sound had already evolved with their previous record.

Secondly, it would have been great to see the band recording in the studio and some discussion of how they put together their recent symphonic releases. As a musician I find the process of recording endlessly fascinating. I have to admit I'm being a bit selfish and perhaps such information would be better suited to a run down by Dave Friedman in an internet article (have to go looking back through my Tape Op magazines).

Finally, the concerts the Lips performed where audience members were given walkman FM radios so they could listen in to a broadcast of the live performance were not mentioned in the film. Thankfully there is footage of the more significant happenings that Wayne orchestrated leading up to the Zaireeka 4-cd set.

These are minor detractions to an otherwise fantastic film. Beesley has done a great service to Lips fans everywhere. "Fearless Freaks" is to be released on DVD in March by Shout Factory. It will also be showing at various film and music festivals. If you get a chance to see it, take that chance. You won't be disappointed.