24 Hour Party People

The movie 24 Hour Party People from 2002 tells the somewhat comical yet tragic industry story of Tony Wilson, The Hacienda, and Factory Records. The film starts in 1970 with Tony as a small town T.V. journalist and moves through the 80s and to the eventual demise of Factory Records in the early 90s. For those who do not know, Tony Wilson was the creator of Factory records which distributed bands such as Joy Division, New Order, and The Happy Mondays. He also helped birth the club/rave scene in Manchester with his club The Hacienda. Sadly for Tony, and like many great artists, his genius would only really be appreciated after it had ended. The movie is a who’s who of great British comedy actors like Steve Coogan, Simon Pegg, and Andy Serkis. I recommend this film for any fan of the New Wave or rave movement from the 80s and 90s.