Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben Fong-Torres

2022

Action / Documentary

2
Rotten Tomatoes Critics - Rotten 100% · 9 reviews
Rotten Tomatoes Audience - Upright 100%
IMDb Rating 7.3/10 10 501 501

Plot summary

Suzanne Joe Kai's intimate documentary shows us how the Rolling Stone writer and editor defined the cultural zeitgeist of the ’60s and ’70s.

Director

Suzanne Kai Photo
Suzanne Kai

Top cast

Stevie Wonder Photo
Stevie Wonder as Self - Musician
Quincy Jones Photo
Quincy Jones as Self
Steve Martin Photo
Steve Martin as Self
Mick Jagger Photo
Mick Jagger as Self - Vocalist, The Rolling Stones
720p.WEB 1080p.WEB
911.23 MB
1280*720
English 2.0
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds ...
1.83 GB
1920*1080
English 5.1
NR
Subtitles us  
23.976 fps
1 hr 39 min
Seeds ...

Movie Reviews

Reviewed by moonspinner55 6 / 10

The epitome of "nice"

This documentary on author/interviewer/DJ/philanthropist Ben Fong-Torres is the epitome of "nice". The son of Chinese immigrants attending school in Oakland, CA, Fong-Torres (his surname deriving from the story his father told of buying the appropriate papers to leave China on the black-market, becoming a "Torres" inadvertently) lucked into a job at the then-fledgling newspaper-styled magazine Rolling Stone, a countercultural publication mixing rock music and politics. Crafting "The Rolling Stone Interview", Fong-Torres became a celebrity himself among music business insiders, with some famous names only willing to talk with him. We learn almost as much about the rest of the RS team (co-founder Jann Wenner, writer Cameron Crowe, photographer Annie Liebowitz, etc.) as Ben Fong-Torres himself, even going back to visit the old office building where it all happened. An entertaining 99mns featuring guests Elton John, Steve Martin, Bob Weir, Country Joe McDonald, Carlos Santana and Quincy Jones. There's nothing kinky or scandalous or salacious about Ben Fong-Torres. He still grieves the murder of his older brother Barry (the target of '70s-era anti-Asian violence), but he's also a beloved husband and father who isn't into drugs and remains devoted to his still-living mother. He's a nice guy. **1/2 from ****
Reviewed by richardguion 10 / 10

The story of a legend

Count me in on the fans who bought Rolling Stone in the early 70s and was always thrilled to see a profile written by Ben Fong-Torres! This documentary has everything I wanted to learn about his life and career. Not only is it the story of 60s/70s music, it's the story of the counter culture in San Francisco, as well as an Asian American story. I was shocked by what happened to his brother, that was tragic and previously unknown to me. The documentary shows him reconnecting with many famous people from the past, including Steve Martin, Annie Leibovitz, Quincy Jones and Jann Wenner. They probably shot so much footage but they had to trim all of these for time.
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