Killing Bono On DVD: Death Rattle And Hum

Killing Bono isn't a great movie by any means, but the true story that inspired it is definitely a fun one to talk about: it's the tale of Neil McCormick, a young Irish musician with perhaps the worst career sense in the history of rock music. When a band from the same neighbourhood tried to recruit Neil's guitar-playing brother Ivan to join their group, Neil turned down the offer on Ivan's behalf, only to watch that other band go on to become U2. Even after he and Ivan tried to make it on his own, Neil had a gift for scheduling their most important showcase concerts on the worst possible days—opposite the Pope's visit to Ireland, or on the same day as Live Aid. And even when his old friend Bono would offer to help him get a record deal or open for them on tour, Neil would stubbornly refuse.

I am not sure how many of the factual details in Killing Bono are true, but as I say during this week's Hidden Movie Gem segment for CBC Radio, I think the movie's depiction of how a less successful artist relates to a friend who becomes hugely successful in the same field really rings true. (The movie is also a nice showcase for Robert Shannon, who's a big favourite with me and my girlfriend as a result of his work on the British TV series Misfits.)

Click here to listen to the segment. The hosts seemed a little taken aback when I said that sometimes you just want to punch Bono in the face, but that's not that crazy a statement, is it? Isn't that part of the joke of the movie's title—that you can hardly blame a guy for briefly wanting to kill Bono?