Mystify: Michael Hutchence

Summary

Shout!Factory recently acquired Richard Lowenstein’s documentary Mystify: Michael Hutchence. The film is a deeply personal look at the life and tragic death of singer Michael Hutchence, the Australian lead singer of the band INXS. I was admittedly never a big fan of INXS, but I was definitely addicted to VH1’s Behind the Music series as a teenager, so I figured I would check the film out. I am happy to report that the film gave me a new appreciation for the talent of Hutchence and his band. I have currently had the song “Never Tear Us Apart” stuck in my head for about five days.

The documentary uses archival footage shot by Hutchence and friends, concert footage, and audio interviews with close friends and family to tell the story of Michael’s life. The film shows his upbringing and strained family life as a young adult in Hong Kong and Australia. The film traces his unlikely rise to stardom. As his stardom with INXS began to peak with the album Kick and then diminish as he pursued other creative outlets, Michael had relationships with model Helena Christensen, singer Kylie Minogue, and Paula Yates (who was married to Bob Geldof at the time.) Unbeknownst to his band mates, Michael suffered brain damage when he was attacked by a cab driver on the streets of Copenhagen. The film shows how this brain damage likely led to his death by suicide.

Mystify: Michael Hutchence is really well done. Director Richard Lowenstein had directed numerous music videos for INXS and was definitely the right man for the task of assembling a tribute to the singer. He clearly understood the appeal of the music and the appeal of Hutchence, but he makes the personal life of the singer take the center stage. There are nine songs used in the film, but the film is not so much about the music as it is about the person behind the music. The amount of footage that was compiled to make the documentary is very impressive and Lowenstein conducted over sixty interviews to create a cohesive narrative that traces Michael’s life. We should all be so lucky to have a friend that would be willing to create a document like this when we pass.

Fans of INXS and Michael Hutchence will no doubt enjoy the film and its tender approach to the material. It is always a good sign when the daughter of the deceased goes out of her way to help the filmmakers receive clearance to use her father’s songs in the film. If that is not a ringing endorsement, I don’t know what is. Hutchence was enigmatic and the film itself is pretty mesmerizing. 

Video

Presented in 2.39:1 aspect ratio with an MPEG-4 AVC Encoded image, the 1080p presentation looks great. As can be expected from any documentary, the footage varies wildly in quality due to the numerous sources. The concert footage throughout the years of Hutchence and INXS looks sharp and professional, whereas the home videos shot by Hutchence look exactly like home videos look. Overall, what should be commended is the actual footage which was chosen for the film which at times has a fairly hypnotic effect. Fans of the film will be happy with the visual presentation. I can’t imagine a significant upgrade in visual quality if this received an UHD release, so I feel safe saying that this will be the best the film will ever look.

Audio

The audio presentation on Mystify: Michael Hutchence sounds great. The film has pretty impressive ambience thanks to the well appointed score. Whenever the film interjects the live performances by INXS or the music videos from Max Q, the surrounds go into overdrive and deliver very high fidelity sound. I also enjoyed hearing a Nick Cave song in the soundtrack. Presented in DTS-HD MA 5.1, the film has a lot more dynamic presence than would be anticipated for a regular documentary.

Supplements:

The supplements are made up of additional scenes and a theatrical trailer. Fans of the film will definitely enjoy the additional footage.

• “Early Days” – this focuses on the band’s formation
• “Acting” – this focuses on Michael’s years growing up among film sets of Hong Kong and then shows him acting in the Richard Lowenstein movie Dogs in Space and then acting in a small part in a Roger Corman film.
• “Prague” – this focuses on filming music videos in Prague prior to the Velvet Revolution 
• “And Now Max Q” – Michael and Ollie Olsen discuss the side project Max Q, with never-before-seen outtakes of Michael singing “Sometimes”
• “Way Of The World Max Q” – Michael on America with a restoration of Max Q’s music video, “Way Of The World”
• “How To Make A Music Video” – Michael discusses working with Richard Lowenstein.
• “Motorcycle Baby” – Michael discusses his love of motorcycles.
• “A Fish Commercial” – Michael on the use of INXS music in commercials – out of all the deleted scenes, I would have included this one in the film.
• “All The Lies You Find” – this piece finds Michael discussing personal philosophies.
• “Final Days” – those closest to Michael on the days leading up to his death.
• “Stuck In A Moment” – Professor Steve Ellen provides a clinical insight into how Michael found himself under the grip of the suicidal thoughts that claimed his life.
• “Absolutely No Way” – Producer Chris Thomas discusses the night he learned of Michael’s death. This is pretty sad.
• Theatrical Trailer

Overall Scores:

Video – 4.5/5

Audio – 4.5/5

Supplements – 4/5

Overall – 4.5/5

Mystify: Michael Hutchence goes a long way towards explaining the life and demise of singer Michael Hutchence. The documentary was put together by close friend and frequent collaborator Richard Lowenstein. I am happy to report that he did a great service to his deceased friend. While I am not a big INXS fan, I still found the film to be really well done and intriguing. Shout!Factory have provided a strong looking transfer and some additional scenes that help to flesh out additional aspects of Michael’s life. Fans of the late singer will definitely want to check out the film but fans of rock and roll documentaries should find a lot to enjoy here as well. Recommended.