Film (band)
Film is a Croatian and Yugoslav rock band formed in Zagreb in 1978. Film is generally considered one of the most prominent acts of the Yugoslav new wave scene, as well as one of the most notable acts of the Yugoslav rock scene in general.
Film was formed in 1978 by vocalist Jurislav "Jura" Stublić, guitarist Mladen Juričić, bass guitarist Marino Pelajić, and drummer Branko Hromatko, after four of them left the band Azra. They were soon joined by saxophonist Jurij Novoselić and gained the attention of the Yugoslav public and music press as a live act. Their debut album Novo! Novo! Novo! Još jučer samo na filmu a sada i u vašoj glavi, recorded with the new drummer Ivan "Piko" Stančić and released in 1981, established them as one of the leading acts of the Yugoslav new wave. After their second, thematically and musically darker studio album Zona sumraka, released in 1982, the band moved towards more mainstream rock sound with the albums Sva čuda svijeta and Signali u noći, released to large commercial success and critical acclaim, the group becoming one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslav rock scene.
Despite commercial and critical success, the original incarnation of the group split up in 1986 due to long-time disagreements about future musical direction between Stublić and the rest of the members. Stublić would continue with a backing band, performing under the name Jura Stublić & Film, releasing two successful pop rock-oriented albums in the late 1980s, while the rest of the members continued with the more artistic approach under the name Le Cinema. Jura Stublić & Film's latest studio release, Hrana za golubove, appeared in 1992, and in the following years Stublić would release new songs on compilation albums only. Stublić, Juričić, Pelajić and Stančić made a one-off reunion in 1998. During recent years, Jura Stublić & Film, although officially still active, perform live occasionally only.
History
Original incarnation of the band (1978–1986)
New wave years (1979-1982)
During 1977 and 1978, guitarist Mladen Juričić, bass guitarist Marino Pelajić, and drummer Branko Hromatko were the members of the Zagreb new wave band Azra, when the band's vocalist and guitarist Branimir "Johnny" Štulić brought in Jurislav "Jura" Stublić as the new vocalist. Stublić did not have much experience as a vocalist before joining the band, however, since his father had been an opera singer, he often visited the theatre and opera, and at the age of 13 he started playing the guitar, earning money as a street performer at seaside resorts. Prior to joining Azra, Stublić was also considered by the members of Aerodrom as their new frontman, but eventually they opted not to include him in the lineup due to his deep vocals. The Azra lineup featuring Stublić functioned for a few months only, and after a quarrel with Štulić, in early 1979, Stublić, Juričić, Pelajić and Hromatko left Azra and formed their own band. The band was initially named Šporko Šalaporko i Negove Žaluzine, after a story from the Polet youth magazine, the members soon deciding to rename the group to Film. The memories of the Azra lineup later inspired Štulić to write the song "Roll over Jura", released on the album Filigranski pločnici in 1982.Film was soon joined by saxophone player Jurij Novoselić, who at the time worked under the pseudonym Kuzma Videosex, inspiring others to use pseudonym instead of their original names: vocalist Stublić became Jura Jupiter, bassist Pelajić became Mario Baraccuda and guitarist Juričić became Max Wilson. After their first live appearances in Zagreb, they were quickly described by the Yugoslav music press as a new wave club attraction, which gave them an opportunity to appear as an opening act for Lene Lovich on her 1980 Yugoslav tour. At the time, the band recorded their first single, "Kad si mlad", with the song "Zajedno" as the B-side. The single was, however, released a year later, due to Suzy record label refusal to accept the band's idea of putting a screen-shot from the film Barbarella on the single cover, deeming the idea noncommercial. In the summer of 1980, the band played in the play Ljetno popodne ili što se dogodilo s Vlastom Hršak, performed by the Kugla glumište theatre on the Dubrovnik Summer Festival, and in the autumn of the same year they performed on the prominent Youth Festival in Subotica, winning the first place with the song "Neprilagođen".
In 1981, Hromatko went to serve his mandatory stint in the Yugoslav People's Army, and was replaced by Ivan "Piko" Stančić, a former member of Grupa 220, Time and Parni Valjak. With Stančić, the band recorded their debut album Novo! Novo! Novo! Još jučer samo na filmu a sada i u vašoj glavi, released in 1981 through Helidon record label, to large commercial and critical success. The album, produced by Buldožer member Boris Bele, brought a series of urban ska songs, all authored by Stublić, inspired by the Zagreb city life: "Neprilagođen", "Moderna djevojka", "Radio ljubav", "Odvedi me iz ovog grada", and "Zamisli", also known as "Zamisli život u ritmu muzike za ples" on some of the band's later releases. The initial number of album copies was issued on green vinyl.
In January 1981, the band triumphed at the Pozdrav iz Zagreba festival held in Belgrade Youth Center. At the time, rock critic Dražen Vrdoljak occasionally performed with the band playing organ. The band performed with him in Subotica Sports Hall during the 1981 Youth Festival as the winners of the previous festival, causing a spectacle with the audience massively occupying the stage. The energy of their live appearances was captured on the live mini album Film u Kulušiću – Live, recorded in the Zagreb club Kulušić on 11 February 1981. The record, the first of the many live releases recorded in the same club, featured a witty band introduction by Vrdoljak in French language, and live versions of six tracks originally released on the first album. The album was a commercial success, selling more than 100,000 copies.
After the mini album release, the band went on an Adriatic coast tour with the Belgrade new wave band Idoli, with whom Film members became close after the 1980 Youth Festival, on which the both bands had performed. Two bands loaded their equipment in a boat, sailing from one coastal town to another, holding improvised concerts for tourists. At the time, Jugoton rereleased Film u Kulušiću – Live and Idoli EP VIS Idoli as a split compilation Zajedno.
At the end of 1981, after a quarrel between Stublić and the rest of the band on the new studio album conception, the band went on a two-month work break; the reason for the quarrel was Stublić's desire to record an album of optimistic and romantic songs, while the rest of the members wanted their next album to be thematically and musically darker. Having agreed on the future of their work, the band recorded the second studio album Zona sumraka, released in 1982 through Yugoslavia's biggest record label, Jugoton, offering a more depressive view of the city life, covering loneliness, alienation, crime and drug addiction. Successful with the songs "Zagreb je hladan grad" and "Krvariš oko ponoći", the album featured two instrumental tracks, "España" and "Džems Bond", the latter a cover of the theme from the film serial of the same name. This time, as authors on the album beside Stublić appeared Juričić, Stančić and Novoselić. During the promotional tour, the band performed in Linz, Austria, which was the only concert the original incarnation of the band held outside Yugoslavia. Film's performance in Linz was praised by the Austrian press.
Mainstream rock years (1983-1986)
For the recording of the third studio album, the band went to Sweden, where, with producer Tihomir "Tini" Varga, the band recorded their third album. Due to Pelajić's departure to the army, Juričić recorded the bass parts. The album's working title was Himne radosti, but it was eventually named Sva čuda svijeta, featuring cover designed by artist Mirko Ilić. The album opens with the recording of Clint Eastwood voice from the film Dirty Harry, followed by the hit songs "Boje su u nama", "Kada budu gorijeli gradovi", "Sva čuda svijeta", "Istina piše na zidu", the ballad "Mi nismo sami" and "Na drugoj strani neba". More pop-influenced and optimistic than the band's previous works, the album was a commercial and critical success, establishing Film as one of the top mainstream acts of the Yugoslav rock scene. After the album release, Juričić also went to serve his army stint, being temporarily replaced by former Drugi Način member Robert Krkač on the promotional tour, while Pelajić was replaced by Mladen Žunjić.The band prepared their following album during a month and a half they spent on the island of Olib. The album, entitled Signali u noći, was recorded with the returned Pelajić and Juričić and the new drummer Dražen Šolc. The album was produced by the band themselves and the English musician and producer Nick Van Eede. Guests on the album recording included Massimo Savić of Dorian Gray on guitar and backing vocals, Davor Slamnig on guitar, Ljerka Šimara on harp, and Nikola Santro on trombone. Released in 1985, the album was another commercial and critical success, bringing audience's concert favorites "Pjevajmo do zore", "Rijeke pravde", "Osmijesi", and the title track. During the same year, Stublić took part in the YU Rock Misija project, a Yugoslav contribution to Live Aid, contributing vocals to the song "Za milion godina". In addition, Film, alongside 23 other acts, performed at the corresponding charity concert held at the Red Star Stadium in Belgrade.
At the time of Signali u noći release, Juričić, Pelajić and Stančić formed the band Le Cinema, performing cover versions of foreign new wave hits, expressing their musical differences to the ones Stublić had, which led the band to part ways in the spring of 1986.