Police documentary: Stewart Copeland fights back

On Day 2 of Sundance 2006, our own Jason Calacanis wrote a review of Everybody Stares, a documentary by Police drummer Stewart Copeland about the band that was his life. The film was cobbled together from Copeland's home movie footage, and Jason was less than impressed. He wrote: "Documentaries rise and fall with their credibility, and this film feels as credible as a father cutting a son's football highlights in slow motion to the Chariots of Fire soundtrack. Someone should take this footage, add some objective 3rd parties commenting on The Police, and redo the voiceover to tell the real story."

That line rubbed Copeland the wrong way, and he commented on the post to let Jason know exactly how he felt.

"Yes," Copeland wrote. "That is just what it felt like to make this movie and you shouldn't be expecting anything more.  I just don't have the shots you are looking for (sex and drugs) and maybe I forgot to pick up my camera during the shouting matches...Who would care about an "objective 3rd party commentary" on The Police?  The band itself has been defunct for twenty years." Well, by that rationale, should anyone care about a non-objective Police documentary?

Check out Copeland's full comment after the jump.


Yes, that is just what it felt like to make this movie and you shouldn't be expecting anything more. I just don't have the shots you are looking for (sex and drugs) and maybe I forgot to pick up my camera during the shouting matches. But you can see, throughout my fifty hours of footage that we enjoyed each other's company and that strange stuff happened to us. Truth is, we liked each other. Your myth or mine?

Who would care about an "objective 3rd party commentary" on The Police? The band itself has been defunct for twenty years. This movie is about the ride. Could've been any band that conquered the world.

You have never seen these shots before. I'm sure that you are confusing my material with dramatic portrayals of life in a band, such as SPINAL TAP or ALMOST FAMOUS, and yes my non-fiction shots are uncannily similar. But that's the gag you fool! Our life was just like a movie but my footage is real. Figure that out.

Thanks for printing my poetry. It's not many drummers who get to see their verses in print.