Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (Netflix)
This is a true crime documentary that has interviews and footage from the actual event that took place in 2017 and there is a really good chance that you heard about this in the news when it was actually going on.
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The story centers around the much ballyhooed Fyre Festival that was meant to take place on a remote island in the Bahamas. Billy McFarland was the founder and creator of the ill-contrived festival and on many levels the dude is a genius of marketing. The marketing for this festival was so well-done that it sold out in 48 hours but there was just one problem: They hadn't actually planned any of the event properly and were facing impossible deadlines in order to make it happen.
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The festival was touted as an ultra-luxurious 3-day party that was meant for the elites of the planet. Tickets were absurdly expensive but as I just mentioned Billy was so adept at marketing that the world's elite took the bait and paid through the nose for a festival that was logistically impossible. The tent in the above picture was the eventual accommodation for people that were promised the finest in luxury - needless to say they were not pleased.
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Instead of world-renowned chefs from around the world, this is what the patrons received and they even had very limited access to water and toilets. All of the bands / DJ's that were supposed to perform there didn't even turn up. It really was an enormous mess that resulted in many lawsuits and also jail-time for McFarland.
I was excited to see this doco because I actually ended up on a list that targeted me as a potential attendee. Of course I was on the other side of the planet at the time and was not going to go no matter what but I do remember seeing the marketing and thinking "wow, that looks like it is going to be the most amazing party ever."
If you enjoy documentaries about fiascos such as this one I think it is a good way to spend 90 minutes or so. A vast majority of the footage is actual clips from the disaster as it developed. After watching it I don't really think McFarland intended to con everyone, he just reached a point where there was no turning back and didn't have the money to cover the losses if he cancelled. Well, he has plenty of time to think about his mistakes during the 6 years he will be spending in a federal prison .
Yea dude! I watched this last week, when I read the description I wasn’t too keen, but went for it and wow it’s super engaging and just straight up CRAZY! How on earth did they managed to set all of that up and then have that huge f**k up!
A crazy documentary that’s for sure, I’d recommend it too! 😀
This was funny and sad at the same time!