My favourite movie from last year’s Toronto International Film Festival was Ken Loach’s Sweet Sixteen. It opens today in New York and Los Angeles, and might make it to an art-house cinema near you, though it’s far from an art film. Elvis Mitchell liked it, too (NY Times, free registration required). Try to see it, even though it might get lost in the hype around that other movie.
Category: Film
Urgh!
Back in the early 80s, I remember seeing a soundtrack album for a film I’d never seen. The lineup was impressive: The Police, XTC, Echo and the Bunnymen, Devo, Oingo Boingo. The film was called Urgh! A Music War (1981) and it was a compilation of concert performances from about 35 of the best of the current “New Wave” bands. I never saw the film, nor did I buy the soundtrack, but I’ve been trying to track it down for a few years now.
The film is long out of print, but luckily for me, I found a Yahoo! group dedicated to its revival. Through them, I’ve managed to obtain a DVD copy ripped from an old laserdisc. Though the goal of the group is an authorized DVD release, there is so much red tape due to the licencing of music rights, etc. that this will have to do. I’m excitedly watching the film right now. And, due to some delays with customs, I was mailed a second copy. If you live in Canada, and you’re interested, send me an email or comment below. We’ll work something out.
Wild In The Streets
One of my favourite Toronto bands from the punk era is The Diodes. And recently I discovered that one of my favourite Diodes songs was actually a cover. The Shape of Things To Come was actually written by the well-known songwriting team of Cynthia Weil and Barry Mann, for a film called Wild In The Streets (1968). Reading about the film made me eager to see it, and also to hear the song as it was originally performed. Unfortunately, the film is long out of print and never came out on DVD. But thanks to Suspect Video, I was able to rent an old VHS copy, and this morning, I sat down to watch it.
While the phrase “so bad it’s good” comes to mind, it’s really not even that good. Though I laughed a lot, I’m not sure I was meant to. I’ve never really been a fan of “exploitation” films, so I’m not sure my criticisms will make any sense, but I think this is the sort of film that was made in the 60s to try to cash in on the youth market, while at the same time exposing some of middle-class America’s irrational fears of the youth movement.
Max Frost (Christopher Jones) is a 22 year old rock star, with his own entourage of druggy hippies (including Richard Pryor as drummer “Stanley X” and a guitarist with a hook for a hand!). After lending his support to Senate hopeful Johnny Fergus (Hal Holbrook), he somehow manages to get the voting age lowered to 15, and then has himself elected President. He quickly enacts legislation banishing everyone over the age of 35 to concentration camps where they’re permanently dosed with LSD. Very very weird. Oh, did I mention that Shelly Winters gets to play his shrieking mother?
I think this might be a good movie to watch with some friends while drinking heavily. Otherwise, it makes no sense at all. For instance, I had no idea that America’s youth were so interested in voting. And when they descend on Washington to demand the vote, they seem to have no other political issues to protest. There are no civil rights marches, no anti-war protests, just free love and LSD, babies!
And the songs? Well, let’s just say The Diodes rock.
Two Music Documentaries
I’ve watched two very different documentaries about musicians over the past couple of days. Standing In The Shadows Of Motown (2002) gives some long-overdue attention to The Funk Brothers, who were the backing band for more than 50 Number 1 hits from Motown recording artists. While the film was enjoyable, it suffered a bit from a lack of historical context, as well as some glaring interview omissions (where were Berry Gordy, Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, etc.?). Since it was dealing with a large group of musicians, it took a sort of wide-angle look, but it didn’t look very deeply.
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart (2002) is an entirely different sort of film. Director Sam Jones follows the band Wilco as they record their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Along the way, original member Jay Bennett is fired, and the band are dropped by Reprise Records. With their completed album in hand, they are forced to shop it around to other labels for almost another year. This is a close-up view of a group of highly talented and creative people in the crucible, being ground down by the business side of the music industry, even as they are making the most ambitious music of their lives.
Both films feature lots of performances. In the Funk Brothers film, the band play old Motown classics, backing present-day vocalists, with mixed results. Ben Harper, for instance, doesn’t quite fit the Marvin Gaye mold. The Wilco film more seamlessly blends the performances into the flow of the film. Jones also filmed entirely in black and white, and though a first-time director, he’s an award-winning photographer and his sense of composition is flawless. Like Wilco’s music, the film is polished and beautiful.
Both films are worth your time, though, and if you are able to see them on DVD, both include lots of outtakes and extra music.
Just Say No To J.Lo and Ben!
I just heard about Jennifer Lopez and fiancé Ben Affleck’s plan to remake the classic film Casablanca with themselves in the lead roles. Luckily, there is a petition online to try to stop this madness. My favourite comment from one signatory: “Just kill them both and send me her body.”