Big Easy Express
{{short description|2012 longform music film directed by Emmett Malloy}}
{{about|the music film|corresponding tour|Railroad Revival Tour}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2019}}
{{Infobox film
| name = Big Easy Express
| image =
File:BigEasyExpressMoviePoster.png
| alt = Poster depicting winged buffaloes gathered in a grassy field as a red train passes through. The title Big Easy Express by Emmett Malloy appears in bold blue font at the top center, with the featured bands, Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show, listed below.
| caption = Big Easy Express Movie Poster
| director = Emmett Malloy
| producer = {{plainlist|
- Bryan Ling
- Tim Lynch
- Mike Luba
}}
| starring = {{plainlist|
}}
| music = Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Old Crow Medicine Show
| cinematography = Giles Dunning
| editing = {{plainlist|
- Matt Murphy
}}
| distributor = S2BN Films
| released = {{Film date|2012|3|17|SXSW|2012|6|26|United States - iTunes}}
| runtime = 66 Minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| gross =
}}
Big Easy Express is a music film by the three folk and americana bands: Old Crow Medicine Show, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, and Mumford & Sons. This Emmett Malloy film follows the three bands on their joint April 2011 Railroad Revival Tour. The film won the 2013 Grammy Award for Best Music Film.
Release and Reception
The film debuted on March 17th, the final night of the 2012 SXSW film festival to positive critical reviews.{{cite web |url= https://www.mumfordandsons.com/big-easy-express-sxsw-premiere-details/ |title= BIG EASY EXPRESS SXSW PREMIERE DETAILS | publisher=Mumford & Sons |date=2012-02-29 |accessdate=2025-05-26}}{{cite web|author=Jeff Miller |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/sxsw-2012-mumford-sons-big-easy-express-edward-sharpe-301489/ |title=SXSW 2012: Mumford and Sons Doc ‘Big Easy Express’ Brings Festival to a Close |publisher=Hollywood Reporter |date=2012-03-18 |accessdate=2025-05-26}} The film also won the Headliner Audience Award at SXSW that year.{{cite news|last=Smith|first=Nigel|title=SXSW Film Announces 2012 Features Lineup; 'Big Easy Express' to Close Festival|url=http://www.indiewire.com/article/sxsw-film-announced-2012-features-lineup|access-date=31 October 2013|newspaper=IndieWire|date=1 February 2012}}{{cite news|last=Fernandez|first=Jay|title=SXSW 2012: 'Big Easy Express' Wins Headliner Audience Award: Emmett Malloy's film follows folk rock bands on the road|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/sxsw-2012-big-easy-express-headliner-audience-award-301659|access-date=31 October 2013|newspaper=Hollywood Reporter|date=19 March 2012}}
Despite the commercial and critical success of the featured bands, Mumford & Sons had received two Grammy nominations the previous year, while recent albums by Old Crow Medicine Show and Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros had charted in the top 100 of the Billboard 200, Big Easy Express did not follow a traditional theatrical release strategy. Instead, the film employed a "running-in-reverse" distribution model, launching first on iTunes in 50 countries on June 26, 2012, followed by a DVD release on July 24, and concluding with a theatrical release several months later.{{cite news|last=Dale|first=Austin|title=Rock Doc ‘Big Easy Express’ Launches Worldwide on iTunes Today, Months Before Theatrical Run |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/general-news/rock-doc-big-easy-express-launches-worldwide-on-itunes-today-months-before-theatrical-run-46318/#:~:text=traditional%20film%20audiences.-,We%20are%20delighted%20to%20be%20working%20with%20all%20of%20our,albums%20on%20the%20iTunes%20Store.”&text=Read%20More:,Mumford%20&%20Sons|newspaper=IndieWire|date=26 June 2012}} Following its digital release, the film continued to receive favorable reviews.{{cite web|author=Bob Boilen |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/allsongs/2012/06/26/155791809/big-easy-express-three-bands-one-train-a-ton-of-music |title='Big Easy Express': Three Bands, One Train, A Ton Of Music |publisher=NPR |date=2012-06-27 |accessdate=2025-05-26}}
In 2013, Big Easy Express was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Music Film.{{cite AV media |title=Big Easy Express Wins Best Long Form Music Video |people=Emmett Malloy |date=2013-02-10 |publisher=Grammy.com |url=https://www.grammy.com/videos/emmett-malloy-at-the-55th-annual-grammy-awards-pre-telecast-ceremony |access-date=2025-05-26 |medium=Video}}