MTV
was nearly invisible on the cable radar and in danger of disappearing
completely in 1982, until one of the most successful advertising slogans in
history rocketed the network to cultural prominence. Years later, grown-up
Eighties kids still want their MTV, but not the bastardized version now carried
by cable systems. The founding of Music Television and its 1980’s glory years
are chronicled in Tyler Measom & Patrick Waldrop’s documentary, I Want My MTV, which screened during the
2019 Tribeca Film Festival.
Before
reality television and stilted political propaganda, MTV played music videos.
They made and revived careers. The conceptual godfather of MTV was the Monkees’
Michael Nesmith, but he stepped aside once it became clear this crazy idea
could actually become a business. It was John Lack and Robert Pittman of
Warner-Amex Satellite Communications (which no longer exists), who shepherded
the project to fruition.
We
hear a lot from Lack and Pittman, but that is cool, because they have a lot to
say (Lack is a particularly colorful interview subject). Although ostensibly
working in a corporate environment, they were definitely risk-takers who pulled
off a big gamble. We also hear from the three of the four surviving original
VJs (but some fans will be disappointed Alan Hunter and Mark Goodman both get
considerably more screen-time than Martha Quinn).
Measom
& Waldrop basically imply the real MTV ended with the departure of the last
remaining original VJs and the sale of the network to Viacom. Most
first-generation fans would agree with that (even though we eventually warmed
to Kennedy). Despite the interview and archival appearances of some of the
biggest rockers of all time (Sting in a sit-down, David Bowie on tape), I Want My MTV is still primarily a business documentary, which is its strength.
This
doc will really take the target demo back in time to when MTV was fresh and
fun—and mostly—you know—music. Yet, most of the behind-the-scenes info will be
new to viewers who haven’t read Rob Tannenbaum & Craig Marks’ nonfiction
book of the same title. Frankly, it is a bit mind-blowing to revisit the
realities of the early cable era, which the film nicely puts in perspective.
