Winner of the 2004 Sundance Grand Jury Prize for documentaries, DIG! builds slowly like an ordinary promotional film for two indie bands with various testimonials about their outstanding musicianship and from family members relating stories of ordinary dysfunction. But then all Hell breaks loose during a Brian Jonestown Massacre concert when leader Anton Newcombe gets pissed off at a fellow member and begins punching him mercilessly on stage! Now THIS is different, and it doesn't stop there—on stage fights break out regularly when volatile Newcombe feels his band doesn't play up to his standards, when the band is on the verge of landing a recording deal, or when an audience member heckles. On the same night his son is born, Newcombe lands a heavy soccer kick to the head of one spectator, resulting in his arrest and a restraining order from ever seeing his son.

Filming over a period of seven years and collecting 1500 hours of footage, director Ondi Timoner completed the finishing touches on her documentary the same week her own child was born, and it paid off with a striking original chronicle comparing two rival bands that is scheduled for theatrical release in the Fall. Besides documenting how similar bands diverge between recognizable success and self-destruction, the film also takes on the age-old conflict that plagues all artists—the struggle to remain true to your creative vision without selling out to commercial interests.

Naming his San Francisco based group as a tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones' guitarist, Newcombe first formed Brian Jonestown Massacre in 1990, and have independently released 11 albums over the decade. In 1996 the Indie punk retro-60's band recorded three albums and was convinced they were leading a musical revolution along with their friends The Dandy Warhols, led by Courtney Taylor. A number of their fans and rock band aficionados agree, but their Thank God for Mental Illness album more accurately prophesizes the band's fate. Many incredibly creative geniuses suffer personal issues, and Anton's take him into various obsessions, drugs, and angry rages that prevent his band from achieving financial success. When contrasting Brian Jonestown Massacre to the legendary psychedelic sixties groups, one fan quips that "bands back then destroyed themselves after they were famous."

The far more mentally balanced Dandy Warhols, first formed in 1992 in Portland, Oregon and remain with the same original four members (wildly contrasting with the 40 different band members that Anton's group has gone through so far). Often compared with The Velvet Underground, the Dandy's biggest challenge becomes maintaining their artistic integrity in light of successfully landing a recording contract with Capitol Records. Lesser challenges come from warding off Anton's stalking behavior and harassment. Courtney Taylor sadly discovers that maintaining a close friendship with Anton is as likely as the Brian Jonestown Massacre keeping its band together, yet he remains firmly supportive of Anton's musical genius and listens intently to all his albums.

Taylor also provides the narrative voice in DIG!—one of the stronger aspects of the documentary that provides an unprecedented insider view of the garage band terrain. Although Director Timoner scripted the narration, Taylor treats it as a basic outline and talks in his own knowledgeable vernacular. Brutally honest, the Dandy's leader neither elevates his band nor denies Anton's remarkable gifts, so viewers know that they are witnessing the real deal.

The same can be said for the visuals, as this is no sugar coated promotional venture for either group. Ondi Timoner deftly edits her massive raw footage to a smooth flowing film that tells an original story of the two talented bands. Although the inner psyches of the two leaders seems to form the crux that divides the fortunes of the two groups, occasionally fortune favors one over the other—as in the times that both bands are busted for marijuana. While the Dandy Warhols receive a gentle "slap on the wrist" from the French gendarme, Brian Jones Massacre are arrested in rural northern Georgia to end their touring gig and contribute to another breakup. Some bands are just plain unlucky.

Both groups should gain added recognition when DIG! is released on DVD, so Brian Jonestown Massacre may finally receive its due. Courtney Taylor believes that future musicologists will recognize Anton Newcombe's pioneering contributions, but that may happen sooner than he anticipates due to this documentary. Hopefully, Timoner's project will lead to another movement in rock music films so that viewers don't have to suffer through so many banal studio promotional vehicles. Its Sundance recognition and "quick" distribution deal are both positive signs, along with the Metallica documentary that also premiered in Park City. Thus, 2004 may well mark the year that modern rock music turned the corner with documentaries that intimately explore their subjects.