26 Oct
New Order + Ian Curtis' mistress Annik Honoré contribute

So you’re a Joy Division fan. You own Control, you’ve listened to Unknown Pleasures a gajillion times, and you’ve plastered your bedroom walls with Ian Curtis bus poster art. You think you’ve heard the whole story of love lost, brilliant talent squandered and tragic suicide. Well you haven’t. Filmmaker Grant Gee directs the succinctly named Joy Division documentary which for the first time features full participation by all living members of the band, now known of course as New Order: Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris. Also offering their perspectives on the band and that sooty era of English/Manchester history is Throbbing Gristle frontman Genesis P. Orridge, the late Factory Records owner Tony Wilson, iconic Factory Records graphic artist Peter Saville (you remember that “Erotic House” spread he did for Wallpaper?) and photographer Anton Corbijn, who directed the excellent Ian Curtis biopic Control. But perhaps most interesting is the participation of Belgian journalist Annik Honoré, who for the first time ever speaks publicly about her notorious relationship with Ian Curtis. Gee has combined never-before-seen live performance footage, personal photos, period films and newly discovered audiotapes to create a compelling 90-minute documentary that attempts to flesh out a larger, more detailed and accurate essence of that seminal time and place, and of a band that despite its short lifespan influenced generations of bands (here’s looking at you Interpol, Bravery, She Wants Revenge, Killers, etc etc). You can see the entire documentary below, or buy the DVD for around $18. Oh, and if you like New Order, you probably want to download that Live at The Paradise Garage 1983 recording if you haven’t already done so, it’s pretty epic…

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