DSB Everyman's Journey in theaters

[RocknRoll]

...and another one who actually respects Steve Augeri's time in the band.

http://timesofnews.co/2013/03/05/review ... s-journey/

Review] Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey
Posted about 7 hours ago | 0 comment


Theatrical Review

[Cinedigm Entertainment Group; 2013]
Director: Ramona S. Diaz

Runtime: 113 minutes


Written by Jared Mobarak, March 5, 2013 at 11:30 am

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It was Journey‘s album Trial by Fire from 1996 that opened my eyes to their insane library of hits upon entering high school. Here was their first new music since the year after my birth in 1983—”When You Love a Woman” was constantly on the radio, my father had the CD playing at home, and I began delving into the back catalog surprised to realize how many tunes I loved growing up were in fact the creation of Steve Perry and his group of Rock and Rollers. It was disappointing then to learn soon after about their internal strife, tour cancellation, and push out/quitting of the voice that made them great. Seeing them play Buffalo in 2003 with Steve Augeri at the mic was therefore a bittersweet thrill. We got the songs but not necessarily Journey.

Was the concert a glorified tribute show, though? Was Journey—and opener Styx for that matter—now a cover band because the vocalist we so easily made synonymous with their music was gone? I used to think so. I used to tell myself it didn’t matter because the new guy sounded so similar, not comprehending how dismissive such a thought was to the talent and individuality of the men I hastily labeled “the replacements”. Watching the documentary Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey gave me pause to think about what it means to be a rock band, the responsibility they have to fans, and our often unnecessarily mean reactions due to our own inability to adapt. We should applaud Augeri for giving us six more years of the music. We should thank Arnel Pineda for keeping it relevant today.

What an amazing Cinderella story this guy has. Growing up poor in Manila, Pineda had nothing but his voice. When his mother succumbed to rheumatic heart disease, his family was left penniless due to doctor bills and one less income. They separated, began living with relatives or on the streets in constant motion to survive. Arnel sang on the streets for pesos, at funerals for biscuits, and kept everything earned to help feed his brothers. Joining a band that covered all the great American 80s songs made him their number one breadwinner with an uncanny voice sounding as much like Perry as Steven Tyler, Sting, or whomever else was on their set list. Friend and fan Noel Gomez saw his appeal, uploaded some tracks to YouTube, and helped Arnel’s dream of success get fulfilled.

Director Ramona S. Diaz has culled together a ton of archival and fresh footage of the band and Pineda for her unlikely rags-to-riches story that’s as much about the Filipino’s rise as the rejuvenation of an American treasure. Journey was an afterthought in 2008 with its new singer’s voice unable to keep going and a new record ready to go that no one would care about unless Steve Perry somehow arrived at the studio. Lead guitarist Neal Schon spent hours on the internet searching for someone else who could fill Perry’s gigantic shoes and even when he showed keyboardist Jonathan Cain Pineda’s movies was unsure if this guy from the other side of the world could stand up to the pressure. It wasn’t just about stage presence and confidence—he needed the vocal endurance as well.

Well, it didn’t take long for them to find out after the little sparkplug ran back and forth on the catwalk of their opening 2008 show together in Chile. Arnel brings a personality they’ve never had with an undying athleticism and unwavering smile that lights up the audiences’ faces as much as the bandmates playing along. We see bassist Ross Valory mouth the word “wow” a couple times during stage shows and drummer Deen Castronovo‘s constant praise when Pineda brings the house down despite a cold is a contagious bit of love, support, and admiration. Journey found a new lease on life with their discovery, inherited an entire Filipino nation of fans Schon says thanks him whenever they recognize him on the street, and helped make a young kid’s dream a reality.

No matter how charismatic Pineda is, however, his inspiring tale isn’t enough to sustain two hours and Diaz was thankfully aware of this fact. It’s cute to see him return to his old school and to meet Filipino President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. It’s tragic to listen to him speak of a past with drugs and alcohol before finding current wife Cherry. But what about the rest? What about the band so many were quick to dismiss and mock for their selection? What about the house that Perry built being handed over to a nobody? It’s all here and then some with a brief but thorough history lesson that opened my eyes to the fact Journey began as a jam band and only enlisted Perry’s vocals when threatened by their label. Maybe Arnel has as much right to sing as the legend after all.

Don’t Stop Believin’ doesn’t pass that kind of judgment, though, leaving it for the audience to decide. Pineda appears to have taken the fame and fortune in stride, remaining thankful and perpetually at his best to not ruin the opportunity given to him. He understands the backlash being a huge Perry fan too who acknowledges he’d still be unknown in Manila if not for Steve’s musicianship and songwriting. The smile never fades, his joy is never satisfied, and the future remains hopeful he could still one day step from his hero’s shadow. With some input on their latest album Eclipse he’s proven himself to be a full fifth of one of the world’s most loved rock outfits and we should give him and the band our full attention and appreciation for keeping the music alive.

Don’t Stop Believin’: Everyman’s Journey opens in select theaters on Friday, March 8th and hits VOD the next day.

[Don]

I had no idea that Staples (36k) had a larger concert seating capacity than ATT Park (33k). The things you learn. Without the screens though ATT can be configured for 40k.
I remember when you could sit behind the stage during shows. For Journey it was Great, Perry and Neal wondered back to us numerous times when I saw them at the Spectrum. We were the equivalent of being back about 15 rows but since we looked slightly down on the stage the viewing angle was fantastic. My back was to the wall so I didn't have to worry about blocking anyone's view.
Now all those seats are simply gone because of the video screens and what not.

[Don]

Weird, their 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

[steveo777]

Weird, their 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

That may have something to do with when they officially released their first album. (1975) They were a band before then, going back to 1973, but not offical, apparently, until the first album was released. Besides, they bore a different name in their infancy. (Golden Gate Rhythm Section) So, I understand why the 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

[Don]

Weird, their 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

That may have something to do with when they officially released their first album. (1975) They were a band before then, going back to 1973, but not offical, apparently, until the first album was released. Besides, they bore a different name in their infancy. (Golden Gate Rhythm Section) So, I understand why the 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

Yeah, I get that. But 40 years would then be in 2015. Why celebrate it this summer and with only one show, unless they're hoping to get Augeri and a bunch of the past members to show up for a one off.

[steveo777]

Weird, their 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

That may have something to do with when they officially released their first album. (1975) They were a band before then, going back to 1973, but not offical, apparently, until the first album was released. Besides, they bore a different name in their infancy. (Golden Gate Rhythm Section) So, I understand why the 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

Yeah, I get that. But 40 years would then be in 2015. Why celebrate it this summer and with only one show, unless they're hoping to get Augeri and a bunch of the past members to show up for a one off.

Maybe because Santana will be touring in support of Santana IV in the year 2015?

[Don]

Weird, their 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

That may have something to do with when they officially released their first album. (1975) They were a band before then, going back to 1973, but not offical, apparently, until the first album was released. Besides, they bore a different name in their infancy. (Golden Gate Rhythm Section) So, I understand why the 30th anniversary tour was in 2005.

Yeah, I get that. But 40 years would then be in 2015. Why celebrate it this summer and with only one show, unless they're hoping to get Augeri and a bunch of the past members to show up for a one off.

Maybe because Santana will be touring in support of Santana IV in the year 2015?

I thought that tour would happen in the summer of 2014. So, could that mean a final Journey album will come out in 2016?

[tater1977]

A Minute With: the director of a documentary about Journey singer

By Zorianna Kit

http://news.yahoo.com/minute-director-d ... 27200.html

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - When veteran rock band Journey chose unknown Filipino singer Arnel Pineda to become their new frontman it inspired a filmmaker to capture his rise from obscurity in the streets of Manila to performing on arena stages.

"Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey," directed by Filipino-American filmmaker Ramona Diaz, picks up Pineda's story soon after he was chosen to join Journey in 2007 after the group saw him on YouTube.

Diaz's documentary film opens in theaters on Friday. She spoke to Reuters about Pineda's story and working with the band.

Q: Were you worried about dealing with all the different personalities of a famous band?

A: My very first film was about the former first lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. She was very powerful and she was difficult. I hung out with her for two months. She ended up suing me because she didn't like the film. After that experience, I thought, I can handle anything now. I can handle rock bands!

Q: What surprised you most about Journey?

A: It was a surprise to me that for such a veteran rock band, they were not used to having cameras ... backstage or in their dressing rooms. I thought rock bands were used to it because of MTV, where backstage and tour buses are open to cameras. But at the height of Journey's fame, MTV was just forming as well. They didn't understand the reality of what full access meant. But at the end of the day, we got it.

Q: Do you consider this a music documentary or more of a documentary about Filipino heritage?

A: I think it transcends all that. It really is a Cinderella story with a very modern twist because of YouTube. This story could not have happened 10 or 15 years ago, not in this way with the help of social media. But at the heart of it, it's a Cinderella story. For non-Journey fans, Arnel's personal history is very compelling.

Q: How so?

A: He was a street kid in Manila. Success happened to him later in his life. I think he was 40 the year he joined the band. He had already lived the rock 'n' roll life, even without the money - the drugs, the women. He saw this as an opportunity for him to really get his life together.

Q: It seems like you really bonded with Pineda. Did it help that you were Filipino?

A: I think so, mostly because of the language. I can speak Tagalog. That first summer when he toured with Journey, he had no entourage. It was just him in his dressing room. We (a crew of five) became his sounding board because no one else was traveling with him. The second year he had a roadie, his wife was traveling with him, and it would have been a completely different dynamic.

Q: In the film Pineda switches between speaking English and Tagalog. Sometimes the same sentence is a mixture of both.

A: We call that 'Taglish.' Taglish is very common in the Philippines. I actually encouraged him to speak Filipino in the documentary. There were certain things I don't think I would have gotten from him emotionally or with such strength and passion if he had to stick to English.

Q: The budget for this documentary was under $2 million. Was it easy to raise the money because of the band's name?

A: I've done three other features and I thought it would be very easy to fundraise for this because (the subject matter) is very accessible, but no. No one believed in us. We were never able to raise the money. So it was on our dime, on our credit cards, small investments from family. The title song, "Don't Stop Believin'" that's us - the crew, me and my producer.

Q: Didn't the band want to kick in some funds?

A: There are certain boundaries you don't cross. This is an independently produced film. If Journey had funded it, there would have been strings attached to it. Money isn't free. The final cut wouldn't have been ours. It would have been deemed a vanity project, which it isn't.

Q: The rock 'n' roll lifestyle is very male-centric. Did being a woman help or hinder you on this film?

A: I think sometimes it was to my advantage. I'm small - 5'1" - so I'm less threatening to people. They allow me more things.(Laughs) So I was allowed in dressing rooms and tour buses. They just say yes!"

(Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Patricia Reaney)

(This story was corrected to give full name of filmmaker in the second paragraph and gender in the third paragraph)

[tater1977]

The Price of Living a Fairy Tale in Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey

By Ernest Hardy

http://www.villagevoice.com/2013-03-06/ ... n-journey/

Long relegated to pop-culture punch line and music-critic whipping boy, Journey still stands among the most commercially successful American musical acts of the last four decades. The band’s meat-and-potatoes arena rock has inspired snickers from the cool kids, then became a badge of ironic hipster cool, and has always been the heartfelt soundtrack of middle-American blue-collar life.

As Ramona S. Diaz’s documentary Don’t Stop Believin’ illustrates, Journey’s songs have even resonated with struggling people around the world, a point illustrated by the film’s central story: the band’s search for a replacement for lead singer Steve Perry, whose vocal pyrotechnics on songs like “Open Arms,” “Faithfully,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’ ” prove almost impossible to match.

Thanks to the reach of YouTube, the band found their guy—in Manila. Arnel Pineda, a Filipino cover singer who specialized in Journey songs, was ready to throw in the towel on his career when he received the call to audition. Armed with a backstory that stops just shy of Dickensian—a childhood marked by homelessness and the death of his mother—he’s a small-framed man with a massive voice. The film sustains a current of tension as we watch Pineda make the leap from small bars to arenas, battling insecurities and fears—including worries that as a replacement for Perry, there’s no room for his own “voice.” It’s a moving tale made more so because even after he’s “won,” Pineda maintains a clear-eyed pragmatism about what living a fairy tale costs.

[jrny84]

USA Today
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movi ... w/1955837/

You don't need to be a Journey fan to savor this compelling global Cinderella story.

Story Highlights
Arnel Pineda was plucked from the Philippines to become Journey's lead singer
Documentary profiles his life and his time in the band
USA TODAY review: * * * stars out of four; opens Thursday nationwide
It's hardly business as usual when a rock doc opens in an elementary school in Manila in the Philippines.

This scene-setting device in Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (* * * out of four; not rated; opens Thursday nationwide) grabs the viewers' attention and keeps it throughout this well-structured and compelling tale. This is not your everyday concert film, as it profiles the newest, and most unlikely, addition to the 40-year-old San Francisco rock band Journey.

Arnel Pineda was born in the Philippines and sang in clubs in relative obscurity until a fan's video of him performing wound up on YouTube and caught the eye of Journey lead guitarist Neal Schon in 2007. Pineda was singing the Journey hit Faithfully, and Pineda's rendition was about as faithful a version as anyone could imagine.

"I thought 'this is too good to be true,' " says Schon, who was searching for a new lead singer at the time. "I said to myself, 'He's the guy.' ''

Pineda, meanwhile, was flabbergasted to get an email from Schon asking: "Interested in singing for the real band Journey?"

He thought it was a hoax. As his wife Cherry Pineda says, "He didn't want to believe."

Pineda, now 45, is charmingly self-effacing and engaging throughout the film — besides being a dynamic stage presence. He is shown visiting his elementary school 29 years after leaving, and when a teacher asks if he sings well, he answers, "Not really."

But his new bandmates beg to differ.

"This kid can sing," says keyboardist/guitarist Jonathan Cain. "He's unbelievable."

But Cain had some doubts: "I think my biggest concern was how do you take someone from a third-world country and throw him into this circus?"

Not to worry. Pineda navigated the circus with aplomb and focused on savoring the experience.

"I'm living a fairy tale," he says.

The film captures the sense of un-reality, the fan adulation and also some of the daily grind as Journey tours. It could, however, have used more scenes of interaction between the band members.

While Pineda comes off as remarkably adaptable, director Ramona S. Diaz catches him in moments when he repeatedly smooths and flicks back his long black hair, capturing perhaps his underlying nervousness. Which is understandable: He grew up poor, and his family was homeless for a time. When his mother died, Pineda became the family breadwinner.

Some fans were not happy about the addition of Pineda, complaining about his ethnicity and dismissing his voice as a "copycat'' of popular former lead singer Steve Perry.

"They're just die-hard fans who got used to Steve Perry's voice, and I have no argument with that," says Pineda philosophically. "I'm also a very big fan of Perry. I know where they are coming from."

But since he joined the band, Journey has drawn a huge Filipino fan base.

"It's just totally incredible how Arnel Pineda has made the world smaller," says one concertgoer.

Pineda has expanded his role beyond covering the hits by collaborating on writing songs for the second of two albums he recorded with the band. He has also formed a foundation to provide education and health services to children living on the streets of Manila.

The film is engrossing, if a bit padded, but it's somewhat strange that it's being released now, six years after Pineda joined the band. And predictably, the story ends at a concert, with Pineda singing the band's biggest hit Don't Stop Believin'.

It's a story that could only happen in an era of YouTube and American Idol. Well-chronicled and fascinating, Don't Stop Believin' is a cinematic journey well worth taking.

.
About the Author
Claudia Puig
Claudia Puig is USA Today's Film Critic and a diehard movie lover. She'll gladly watch even the bad ones--so you don't have to! USA Today's movie critic since 2001, Claudia is also a regular on NPR's Film Week.
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[RocknRoll]

This is probably one of the most interesting articles about this movie; the directors viewpoint.

2013 | DSB: EVERYMAN’S JOURNEY
MOVIE RELEASE

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey (2012/2013)

Opening: 03/08/2013 Limited
Genre: Music Documentary

From the slums of Manila, to star-spangled hysteria.

Synopsis

Don't Stop Believin': Everyman's Journey follows the real life rock 'n' roll fairy tale of Filipino Arnel Pineda, who was plucked from YouTube to become the front man for iconic American rock band Journey. In this Cinderella story for the ages, Arnel, having overcome a lifetime's worth of hardships, must now navigate the immense pressures of replacing a legendary singer and leading a world-renowned band on their most extensive world tour in years.

Director's Statement

It was the winter of 2008. I had just finished shooting a documentary that took two years to film, and I had to face the daunting task of sifting through six terabytes of footage. The Internet was a great source for avoiding what ultimately had to be done. As I was procrastinating, an email from a cinematographer friend from Manila caught my attention. It was titled "Best U.S. Embassy Visa Application Story I've Ever Heard." As a Filipino living in America, I was very familiar with these sometimes funny, but mostly sad stories of trying to get to the promised land. I read it and was in stitches.

It was written by one of the immigration agents at the American Embassy in Manila, and it was about this guy Arnel Pineda, who said that the reason he was going to the U.S. was that he was invited by the band Journey to audition for lead vocals. "Journey? The rock band Journey?" Arnel nodded meekly, producing some flimsy emails and correspondence from the band. In a dubious voice, the agent asks Arnel to sing "Wheel In the Sky." Arnel belts it out loud enough for the entire waiting room to stop and listen to an amazing rendition of an old classic. "Look sir, there isn't a person in this Embassy who would believe that story--going to try out for Journey! So I tell you what, I'm giving you that visa. You're going to try out. And you're going to make it." The email ends with a link to the YouTube clip of Arnel singing "Faithfully."

As I watched the clip, I got goose bumps. I Googled Arnel and discovered that he DID get the gig, and was now about to record and go on tour with Journey. I forwarded the email to my manager in Los Angeles, Peter McHugh, with a note saying someone should really make a documentary film about this. He emailed right back with "YOU should. I will track down their management."

After tussling with Imelda Marcos (the former first lady of the Philippines, about whom I had made a film) in open court for sullying her "good name"--even though she had signed an airtight personal release--I swore I would never make a film about anyone famous again. And on top of that, Journey? The thought of music rights clearances was already making my head hurt. Little did I know that Peter was serious, and soon enough I was talking to John Baruck, the band's manager--and my filmmaker self could not stay away from a great story.

After some back and forth, they decided that they were not ready for a documentary to be made about them. "Maybe next year," was the decision. I said, "Next year, there is no story. This year is the story. Let me film one day with the band rehearsing with Arnel. I'll put together a ten-minute sample, and if you decide there's no story, you'll never hear from me again." This was also my way of hedging my bets--what if this was a ten-minute film? Iconic rock band finds unknown on YouTube, period. What if Arnel was not really willing to be filmed?

All my doubts were put aside when I was finally allowed to film for one day and met Arnel in person. I found him to be profoundly articulate about his inner life, and a genuinely nice person with an extraordinary personal history. Documentary gold. I cut a ten-minute sample for the band and sent it off. John Baruck got back to me immediately. I remember the phone call because I had just wrapped a day of shooting a commercial, and I was afraid to return his call and get a negative verdict. When I finally got the energy to call back, John said, "Okay, when can you get your crew out here?"

Well, be careful what you pray for. I had no money to go out there and just follow the band on tour! Meanwhile, Capella Fahoome Brogden, an established producer based in Baltimore, got in touch after seeing the sample. I told her where I was with it and she said, "Let's just do it." I reminded her that these things cost money. She had a little put away and she was willing to gamble what she had to start the process. So with a lot of trepidation and a gigantic leap of faith--I had never made a film without funding in place--we crewed up and joined the band on tour.

Journey had been touring for some thirty years by the time we joined them on the road. It is a well-oiled machine with very many moving parts. Imagine a big organization moving locations--personnel, equipment, even the cafeteria--every other day or so. That's what touring with a big act is like. To insert ourselves into this scenario was not an easy task. Although the band's management agreed that my crew and I were going to be filming every aspect of the tour, little did we know how unprepared the company was for us. They were used to the networks parachuting in for a day or two to film short pieces for the morning talk shows and then leaving--out of their lives and never to be seen or heard from again. But filming day in and day out for a feature length documentary? The road manager had to integrate us into a fragile ecosystem. And some days were tougher than others, like when Arnel was sick or the sound check didn't go as planned. There were so many things that could go awry. I remember filming Neal Schon in the dressing room right before a show and, per usual, he was practicing on his guitar. After a few minutes, he looked up and said, "You're still here?" Uh, this was months into the filming. "Yes, Neal, we're still here. "

And on our part, it was tough keeping up with this humungous moving caravan. With extremely limited resources, Capella, myself, and the crew--along with our equipment and luggage--were crammed into a mini van driving all night, singing Journey songs to stay awake after having filmed the entire day, and trying to keep up with big tour busses as they raced through highways and byways to get to the next stop--only to do it all over again the next day.

What kept us going was a great story, and Arnel remaining open and accessible throughout the summer. In some ways, we ended up being his companions on the road. For starters, I was the only other person who could speak Filipino and I believe Arnel found comfort in being able to lapse into his native tongue. If we had filmed him in subsequent years (he finished his fifth tour with the band this past summer), we would have ended up with a very different film. By the second year, he had a roadie, his wife, and a few friends traveling with him; the entire dynamic had changed forever.

As a documentary filmmaker, one of the most exciting things about the process is not knowing how it's all going to turn out. Observing life as it unfolds through the prism of the camera's lens is a privilege. The fact that Arnel was--and remains--successful makes this a feel-good film. It's a quintessentially modern rags-to-riches story, one that could only have happened in this self-referential age of social media. And no matter how cliche it seems, it really is a story of never giving up. Or, at the very least, surrounding yourself with friends who never stop believing in you.

As Capella, Josh Green (Executive Producer), and I have travelled to film festivals the world over, it is apparent to us that audiences young and old feel a powerful kinship with Arnel. Over and over again, the hearty bursts of applause and standing ovations have overwhelmed us. Audiences truly like Arnel, they want him to succeed, they root from him because his success affirms that in this crazy world we live in, good things still happen to good people. He truly is everyman.

I resist calling this a music documentary. It is a documentary that has, at its center, a profoundly charismatic figure with a great story to tell. And yes, it also has great music. You will leave the theater humming.

-- Ramona S. Diaz, Director

http://www.coveringmedia.com/movie/2013 ... l#trailers