Rolling Stone - Under My Thumb
Genre: Drama
Director: Oliver Stone
Writer: D.R. Cobb
Based on the Rolling Stone magazine
Cast: Josh Hartnett, Karl Glusman, Aimee Teegarden, James Urbaniak, Ross Butler, Alicia Witt, Stephen Dorff, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Lily-Rose Depp and David Meunier
Plot: March 1970. Brady Conroy (Josh Hartnett) is in the Rolling Stone offices touching up his article on Darrell Banks when he is called into an office by Jann Wenner (Karl Glusman). Wenner asks him if he wants to do a bit of a follow up to his Altamont article. Brady wonders what Wenner has in mind. Wenner tells him that one of the Hells Angels was just acquitted on the grounds of self-defense for the stabbing of one Meredith Hunter. Conroy recognizes the name as the one of the young man who he saw rush the stage with a gun during the Rolling Stones' set that day. Brady agrees to work on the article, but it not exactly sure what else he could possibly add to his recounts of the event.
Brady looks over copious amounts of notes and articles on the event from other publications. He takes a look at the mugshot of the Hells Angels biker and decides that he can start by meeting with him. Ralph J. Gleason (James Urbaniak) gives Brady a tip on how to reach out to the biker. He tells him that Hunter S. Thompson is pretty tight with those rough types and that maybe he'd be willing to give an introduction.
Brady finds Thompson (Stephen Dorff) at a strip club and asks him if he knows the biker who was acquitted. Thompson thinks he knows where he hangs out and offers to show him where. Thompson insists on driving Brady's car, which he drives on the wrong side of the road while wearing sunglasses at night. Brady holds on for dear life and Thompson screeches the car to a stop in front of beat-down house on the outskirts of San Francisco. They head inside the house where a party is currently going on. Brady sticks out like a sore thumb among the rowdy bikers in the house. Thompson takes Brady through to the back patio where the man they are looking for is hanging out. Thompson introduces Brady to Alan Passano (David Meunier). Brady tells him that he is with Rolling Stone magazine, but Thompson urges him to shut up and pulls out a joint. Thompson, Brady and Passano smoke weed on the back porch, when finally Passano acknowledges that Brady clearly wants to hear his side of that day at the Altamont Free Concert. Passano tells him that it's simple: he saw a gun, so he attacked. He wouldn't change the way he reacted at all. The bands had asked them to protect the stage, so he was just protecting himself and others, and clearly the jury agreed.
After hearing from Passano, Brady tries getting a hold of Meredith Hunter's girlfriend who was with him at the concert, but she refuses to meet with him for an interview. Brady then finds out that the girl, Patty Bredehoft, goes to UC Berkeley. He then goes to see Celeste (Aimee Teegarden) and asks her if she can ask around for Patty and try to set something up. Celeste agrees to help, and finally tracks Patty (Lily-Rose Depp) down in the campus library. Celeste works at befriending Patty. Celeste invites Patty to get some food, which she accepts. They head to a diner where Brady is waiting. Patty is angry that Celeste tricked her, but decides to sit down with Brady anyways. She tells him that Meredith was out of his mind on drugs that day. He was way worse than she'd ever seen him before. She tried to talk him into leaving, but he was crazed. Celeste asks Patty if she knew Meredith had a gun, impressing Brady. She says he always had a gun on him since he sold weed on campus and didn't want anyone giving him a hard time.
Brady heads over to the Rolling Stone offices to start typing up what he has so far. When he enters he sees Ben Fong-Torres (Ross Butler) and Kylee Hargrove (Alicia Witt) talking with a man he vaguely recognizes, but can't quite place. Kylee introduces him as Grateful Dead road manager Rock Scully (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Brady then remembers seeing Scully at the Altamont Free Concert. He asks Scully if he can ask him about what he remembers regarding the death of Meredith Hunter. Scully recounts seeing Hunter near the front of the stage during the show, looking crazy and drugged out, and looking like he had murderous intent. There is no doubt in his mind that Meredith Hunter intended to do serious harm to somebody that day, maybe to Mick or another Rolling Stone, or somebody else on that stage. He is very glad that the Hells Angels were able to stop him before he was able to hurt someone else. Brady thanks Scully for his time and rushes to a typewriter. Scully then asks Kylee who the hell Brady is. She tells him that he was the one who covered the Altamont Free Concert for the magazine. Scully shrugs and asks Kylee if she wants to grab a drink.
Plot: March 1970. Brady Conroy (Josh Hartnett) is in the Rolling Stone offices touching up his article on Darrell Banks when he is called into an office by Jann Wenner (Karl Glusman). Wenner asks him if he wants to do a bit of a follow up to his Altamont article. Brady wonders what Wenner has in mind. Wenner tells him that one of the Hells Angels was just acquitted on the grounds of self-defense for the stabbing of one Meredith Hunter. Conroy recognizes the name as the one of the young man who he saw rush the stage with a gun during the Rolling Stones' set that day. Brady agrees to work on the article, but it not exactly sure what else he could possibly add to his recounts of the event.
Brady looks over copious amounts of notes and articles on the event from other publications. He takes a look at the mugshot of the Hells Angels biker and decides that he can start by meeting with him. Ralph J. Gleason (James Urbaniak) gives Brady a tip on how to reach out to the biker. He tells him that Hunter S. Thompson is pretty tight with those rough types and that maybe he'd be willing to give an introduction.
Brady finds Thompson (Stephen Dorff) at a strip club and asks him if he knows the biker who was acquitted. Thompson thinks he knows where he hangs out and offers to show him where. Thompson insists on driving Brady's car, which he drives on the wrong side of the road while wearing sunglasses at night. Brady holds on for dear life and Thompson screeches the car to a stop in front of beat-down house on the outskirts of San Francisco. They head inside the house where a party is currently going on. Brady sticks out like a sore thumb among the rowdy bikers in the house. Thompson takes Brady through to the back patio where the man they are looking for is hanging out. Thompson introduces Brady to Alan Passano (David Meunier). Brady tells him that he is with Rolling Stone magazine, but Thompson urges him to shut up and pulls out a joint. Thompson, Brady and Passano smoke weed on the back porch, when finally Passano acknowledges that Brady clearly wants to hear his side of that day at the Altamont Free Concert. Passano tells him that it's simple: he saw a gun, so he attacked. He wouldn't change the way he reacted at all. The bands had asked them to protect the stage, so he was just protecting himself and others, and clearly the jury agreed.
After hearing from Passano, Brady tries getting a hold of Meredith Hunter's girlfriend who was with him at the concert, but she refuses to meet with him for an interview. Brady then finds out that the girl, Patty Bredehoft, goes to UC Berkeley. He then goes to see Celeste (Aimee Teegarden) and asks her if she can ask around for Patty and try to set something up. Celeste agrees to help, and finally tracks Patty (Lily-Rose Depp) down in the campus library. Celeste works at befriending Patty. Celeste invites Patty to get some food, which she accepts. They head to a diner where Brady is waiting. Patty is angry that Celeste tricked her, but decides to sit down with Brady anyways. She tells him that Meredith was out of his mind on drugs that day. He was way worse than she'd ever seen him before. She tried to talk him into leaving, but he was crazed. Celeste asks Patty if she knew Meredith had a gun, impressing Brady. She says he always had a gun on him since he sold weed on campus and didn't want anyone giving him a hard time.
Brady heads over to the Rolling Stone offices to start typing up what he has so far. When he enters he sees Ben Fong-Torres (Ross Butler) and Kylee Hargrove (Alicia Witt) talking with a man he vaguely recognizes, but can't quite place. Kylee introduces him as Grateful Dead road manager Rock Scully (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). Brady then remembers seeing Scully at the Altamont Free Concert. He asks Scully if he can ask him about what he remembers regarding the death of Meredith Hunter. Scully recounts seeing Hunter near the front of the stage during the show, looking crazy and drugged out, and looking like he had murderous intent. There is no doubt in his mind that Meredith Hunter intended to do serious harm to somebody that day, maybe to Mick or another Rolling Stone, or somebody else on that stage. He is very glad that the Hells Angels were able to stop him before he was able to hurt someone else. Brady thanks Scully for his time and rushes to a typewriter. Scully then asks Kylee who the hell Brady is. She tells him that he was the one who covered the Altamont Free Concert for the magazine. Scully shrugs and asks Kylee if she wants to grab a drink.
The talent involved alone make this series a must-see for any television fan. I mean it's Oliver Stone, D.R. Cobb and Josh Hartnett, what more can you ask? Solid from top to bottom, Rolling Stone deserves all the praise it can get
A solid ensemble led by Josh Hartnett navigates through music history with ease, helmed by same duo who brought us the excellent Jonestown. A few missteps once in a while, but nobody's perfect, right?
I previously said that the pilot set the bar pretty high, and aside from the second episode, it has yet to reach that level of brilliance. What I feared the most is what happened. By starting like that and with famous guest stars, it was hard, too hard for Rolling Stone to keep the pace and it seems like the show has lost his shine since the legendary music stars left.
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