Lowell Northop - Have You Seen Axl Rose?

"Have you seen Axl Rose?" is a short form documentary directed by Lowell Northrop. It was released in 2003 and screened on numerous festivals. Over the years it gained a cult status in the G'n'R community due to its loving tongue in cheek treatment of the subject.

The short is a concise recount of encounters different people had with Guns'n'Roses frontman Axl Rose during his so-called "Wilderness Years" when he fully went out of spotlight and became a recluse minding his own business. This period started after early 90s band's extreme overexposure and burn-out and lasted up until early 2000s when Axl embarked on seemingly neverending quest to finish the "Chinese Democracy" album.

Axl Rose impersonation in the film is top notch. He is shown barely in focus and all you can see is his movement. And it totally sells the impression as legit - you get this small, hulking figure in a baggy cloth awkwardly bumbling through space like a panda bear - it seems out of place and that's what makes it tick.

The film treats Axl Rose like a Big Foot. The film aesthetic emulates the way Big Foot sighting footage are presented. The thing with Big Foot footage is that it is evocative. There is not really much to talk about, but there is sure something worthwhile. It amps up the mystery factor and sparkles an intrigue.

You get a talking head voice over recounting the experience combined with the footage that is borderline nondescript, fly on the wall, not really comprehensive. You can definitely spot Axl Rose somewhere doing something close to what is described but it does not really mean anything substantial.

The stories have similar structure. The protagonist was doing something else and then Axl went by and that somewhat disrupted the flow, but made no significant impact but left that odd feeling of something something warbled once and gone.

One story is about how the spectator thought Axl was taller, and Axl overheard it and bumped into his shoulder menacingly and then went on and the spectator's cigarette had burned his shirt. That's the most action-packed episode.

Then there is Hard Rock Cafe episode where Axl just wanted to eat his meal when "Paradise City" came on the playlist and everyone turned their heads on him causing him to intensely eyeroll.

Or Santa Monica story - where Axl was spotted late at night in spacesuit-like orange jumpsuit looking at the stars being quite lonely.

The funniest bit is when one of the narrator's says that he had never seen Axl, but have seen Slash in the strip club. That bit cracks me up every time.

This short is a charming document of fan appreciation turning into a creative act. It tackles the subject matter lovingly and tries to describe its certain aspects. At the same time, the big foot footage styling keeps the mystery surrounding the character intact. But due to cognitive dissonance between the presentation and the well-known subject - the things turns out really funny.