The Screengrab : d. a. pennebaker

Screengrab’s Favorite Movies About Music: Non-Fiction Edition (Part Six)

Andrew Osborne — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 22:30:00 GMT

Scott Von Doviak's Favorites:

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT (1979)

My first exposure to the Who was the 1982 HBO special The Who Rocks America, which was actually shot in Toronto at the final concert of their farewell tour. (That’s their first farewell tour, approximately 37 Who concert tours ago.) I had no idea at the time that this was quite possibly the worst performance they ever gave; I was just enthralled by the whole thing – the songs, the guitar windmilling, the microphone-swinging, and probably the hatred and self-loathing seething from Pete Townshend’s every pore. But it wasn’t until I tracked down a copy of The Kids Are Alright that I really experienced the Who in all their glory. Directed – or, more accurately, assembled – by Jeff Stein, who would go on to direct some of the seminal music videos of the 1980s, Kids is a scrapbook of television performances, promotional video, talk show appearances and assorted Who ephemera. It was exactly the right movie at the right time for any Who fanatic – the equivalent of a bootleg videocassette a few years before such things existed, and a perfect tribute to drummer Keith Moon, who died the year of its release. Watch the above clip from The Smothers Brothers Show carefully, and you can see the exact moment that Townshend’s hearing was damaged forever.

DON’T LOOK BACK (1967)/NO DIRECTION HOME (2005)

D.A. Pennebaker’s Don’t Look Back has a deserved reputation as the seminal rockumentary, but to get a full picture of the mercurial Bobby D., it should be watched in tandem with Martin Scorsese’s retrospective documentary in which Dylan, er, looks back. Shot cinema verite style during Dylan’s 1965 tour of England, his last before going electric, Don’t Look Back captures a snapshot in time of the hipster-dandy version of the Bard on the verge of supernova pop stardom. He’s funny, snotty, weird, puckish, contrary and inscrutable, and he always carries a lightbulb. Scorsese’s film covers the same period, as well as Dylan’s early days and his first electric tour (using footage from the misbegotten Eat the Document), with the added perspective of a wizened, plain-spoken, remarkably straightforward Dylan. He doesn’t seem like a guy who’d have much patience for the brat with the giant lightbulb.

LOUDQUIETLOUD: A FILM ABOUT THE PIXIES (2006)

The heyday of the Pixies had long since passed when filmmakers Steve Cantor and Matthew Galkin decided to follow the iconic indie rock band of the 1980s from rehearsal halls to arenas on their recent reunion tour. While lead singer Charles Thompson had achieved some success as solo artist Frank Black, the rest of the band had struggled in the years since its breakup. As loudQUIETloud opens, Bassist Kim Deal is fresh out of rehab, guitarist Joey Santiago is scoring an independent film and drummer David Lovering is barely scraping by as a stage magician. The band members have never been particularly close; as one interested party notes, they may well be the four least communicative people on the planet. As a result, the fascinating loudQUIETloud plays a bit like the alt-rock version of the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster, as the Pixies try to hold it together through mental breakdowns, family tragedies and those ever-popular musical differences.

Hayden Childs' Favorites:

DANIELSON: A FAMILY MOVIE (OR, MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE HERE) (2006)

Here’s an understatement for you: Danielson is an oddball band. Spurred on by a very positive review at Pitchfork, I bought the 2006 album Ships not long after its release, but I was completely unprepared for the bizarre melange of influences on the album: folk skronk with lightning-quick time changes and sudden silences, led by offputting squeaky vocals, as if Moby Grape were covering The Pixies while fronted by the muppet Beaker. Let’s just say I had a hard time finding a way into the band, so I rented the just-released documentary Danielson: A Family Movie. The movie has a lived-in feeling that shifts the strangeness to familiarity. Here’s some facts about Danielson and the Danielson Family: (1) the band is populated by siblings, spouses, and very close friends, (2) the band is led by the eldest sibling Daniel Smith, who formed the band as part of his senior thesis in art at Rutgers, (3) the band is explicitly Christian, if you can bother to parse the obscurant lyrics, (4) the band has a homemade-art aesthetic that includes matching outfits, synchronized dance movements, two drummers, and a giant cloth tree with holes for Daniel Smith to poke his head and arms through, allowing him to perform from within the tree like a born-again nature spirit. It’s weird, but also rather delightful in execution. The documentary has such a matter-of-fact way of dealing with the oddball Danielson path through life that they do feel like family by the end. The music makes sense. There is perhaps too much focus on how the band’s indie-rock fans feel about their Christianity (because, really, who cares?), but it’s a forgivable lapse. Extras on the DVD include a few of their silly, but also touching, videos.

I AM TRYING TO BREAK YOUR HEART: A MOVIE ABOUT WILCO (2002)

The story of Wilco’s 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is an archetypal rock fable: the band, signed to a major label, records an album that is too strange for the executives to understand. The label asks the band to modify their vision, to make something more commercial. The band sticks to their guns, and the label cuts the band loose. The band spends a little time in the wilderness, and finally another label picks the band up and releases the album. It’s a huge success. Now here’s the other side: this isn’t exactly what happened to Wilco. It’s close, sure. But there’s other forces at play. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is the story of Wilco in the wilderness, and it’s a time of great upheaval. The major battle in the story isn’t Wilco versus the record labels, but rather Wilco songwriter Jeff Tweedy versus Wilco guitarist/keyboardist/producer Jay Bennett. Bennett had arguably pushed Wilco in the creative direction that produced Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but Tweedy had a definite vision and as the album was recorded, he appeared to be moving towards the idea that his current bandmates were not up to meeting his vision. As the documentary starts, Tweedy has just replaced longtime drummer Ken Coomer with avant-rock guy Glenn Kotche. Tweedy goes on to ask another avant-rock guy, Jim O’Rourke, to remix the song “I Am Trying To Break Your Heart,” effectively making room for Bennett’s eventual ouster. It’s a fascinating look at the group dynamics behind the scenes, but probably most meaningful to fans of the band.

Click Here For Part One, Two, Three, Four, Five & Seven

Contributors: Scott Von Doviak, Hayden Childs

Set Your DVR!: October 6 - October 12, 2008

Hayden Childs — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 15:00:00 GMT

Hi, Screengrab readers! For my first post, I thought I’d kick off a series in which I suggest various movies worth recording off of cable TV in the upcoming week. See, I know that since you read the Screengrab, you have a fairly solid grasp on the movies and movie history, but there’s always some that slip through the cracks. The movies I’ll mention here will give you a chance to catch up on those that you might have overlooked. If I miss something, please post it in the comments!

Here’s the skinny: I’m assuming, of course, that you’ve gone to the trouble of getting a DVR (or have a VCR you know how to set, at the very least) to go along with the cable you pay for month after month, but you don’t always keep an eye on upcoming movies. Since you’re reading the Screengrab, I’m not going to recommend movies that everyone recommends, such as Singin’ In The Rain (which, incidentally, I record just about every time it’s on, because I always have time to watch one of the dance numbers). I’m not going to be too esoteric, either. I’ll use an in-law test: I’ll stick with movies that I doubt my mother-in-law has seen, and that way will try to catch some of the great movies that are more likely to slip through the cracks. One more thing: no premium channels, mainly because I can’t afford them.

Mon, Oct. 6:
Nothing here. Good thing, too, since I’m not posting this until Tuesday Morning

Tues, Oct. 7:
9:00 am: Ace In The Hole on TCM. I don’t think this is a very good movie. But plenty of reviewers disagree with me, so I’m going to mention it. Actually, by the time this goes live, it'll probably be too late.

8:00 pm: Don’t Look Back on VH1CL (repeating at 11:30 pm). Maybe you’ve seen this, and maybe not. But it’s one of the great rock documentaries and, if you watch it, you’ll enjoy I’m Not There that much more.

Wed, Oct. 8:
11:45 pm: The Gay Divorcee on TCM. I mentioned I like dancing, right? This is Fred and Ginger at their best.

Th, Oct. 9:
1:45 am: Top Hat on TCM. I take those last comments back. This one is Fred and Ginger at their best.

7:00 pm: Four Jacques Tati films (Jour de Fete, Mr. Hulot’s Holiday, Mon Oncle, and Play Time) on TCM. Ah, the whimsy! Can you stand it? Honestly, I’ve only seen the last of these, and I wasn’t much taken with it at the time. But attitudes change. I intend to record ‘em all.

Fri, Oct. 10:
12:15 am: Play Time on TCM. Already mentioned this.

2:30 am: The General on TCM. Yeah, yeah, I know. Everyone should have seen this by now. But not everyone has, so I hereby recommend that you record and watch it if you fall into that camp.

3:45 am: The Navigator on TCM. Same deal as above.

5:00 am: Macbeth on TCM. This is Orson Welles’ 1948 version where everyone affects a crappy Scottish accent, even the actual Scots in the film. Welles’ accent in particular is so horrid and depressing that it may cause you to think less of Citizen Kane. However! This is one of those movies that has enough greatness and interest elsewhere - in this case, in the visual language of the film and the minor plot changes - that it’s worth a viewing despite its deficiencies.

7:00 am: Gerry on IFC. I love the hell out of Van Sant’s death trilogy (is that a spoiler? I’m not sure). Some viewers find them long and pointless, but I think all three have a transcendent beauty to them that gives meaning to the pointless death in each and begs the question: what’s the point of anyone’s death? In this one, two guys get lost in the desert. There’s a ten-minute tracking shot near the end where they walk from the dark into the morning sun without changing their positions to each other that I think is one of the prettiest scenes in all cinema. It’s almost Abstract Expressionism. Don’t watch it if you don’t like Rothko, but if you do, snap this one up.

8:00 pm: Dick on Oxygen (again at 10:00 pm). This movie looked stupid and fluffy in the previews, and I didn’t watch it until a friend forced it on me. It’s hilarious. Best as the second half of a double feature with All The President’s Men.

Sat, Oct. 11:
6:30 am: Journey Into Fear on TCM. Entertaining little spy thriller with Orson Welles and Joseph Cotten.

7:00 am: Samurai 2 on IFC. The second part of the epic trilogy. Even if you haven’t seen the first part, the plot is fairly self-explanatory and thoroughly enjoyable.

10:15 am: Primer on IFC (repeat at 3:00 pm). Smart, smart no-budget sci-fi thriller. I had to watch it a couple of times (and finally consult a website) to untangle the central mystery, but that’s part of the fun.

11:00 am: After The Thin Man on TCM. The second Thin Man movie. That’s all I need to say, right?

3:00 pm: The Haunting on TCM. This is the 1963 Robert Wise movie, not the awful remake. I recommended it to a friend last Halloween, and she told me it was the worst movie she’d ever seen. I think she’s very, very wrong. It still creeps me the hell out.

Sun, Oct. 12:
5:00 am: 24 hours of Paul Newman movies (The Rack, Until They Sail, Torn Curtain, Exodus, Sweet Bird Of Youth, Hud, Somebody Up There Likes Me, Cool Hand Luke, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, Rachel, Rachel, and The Outrage) on TCM. Have you seen all of these? I haven’t. Go on, catch up on the guy’s work.

7:00 am: Cleo From 5 to 7 on IFC. Many classics of the French New Wave spend so much time and effort trying to unlock the mysterious, riddle-like conundrum of the enigmatic, baffling desires of oh-so-fickle womanhood that no one will forget they were made by men. This one was actually made by a women, and you can tell.

6:45 pm: Last Days on IFC (showing again Monday at 3:35 am). The third in Van Sant’s death trilogy. I suspect it plays much better if you don’t really care about Kurt Cobain. I don’t, and I loved it.

7:00 pm: Dave Chappelle’s Block Party on MTV2 (repeat on Monday at 5:00 pm). Aw yeah! Somehow Michel Gondry and Dave Chappelle combined forces to make a concert film that is good-natured, loose-limbed, and funny in ways that most concert films could not even conceive.

Mon, Oct. 13:
In case I’m late getting the next installment up on Monday, I just want to mention the following:

11:00 am: George Washington on IFC (repeat at 4:15 pm). Slow and thoughtful take on African-American youths in a go-nowhere Southern town directed by the guy who made Pineapple Express. Obvious influences: Terrence Malick and Charles Burnett.

2:00 pm: Vanishing Point on FMC. The lesser of the two great existential car movies of 1971 (Two-Lane Blacktop is the other). This one’s still a pop culture point-of-reference, especially for Tarantino movies. Definitely worth a viewing.

The Rep Report (February 1-7)

Phil Nugent — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 17:00:00 GMT

NEW YORK: Since last Thanksgiving, Village audiences have been turning out in force at the Film Forum for I'm Not There, so the theater shouldn't have too much trouble drawing an audience for a week-long showing (February 1-7) of D. A. Pennebaker's Dont Look Back, the documentary record of Bob Dylan's 1965 tour of the United Kingdom, complete with Joan Baez singing away in her own little bubble, Dylan's notorious manager Albert Grossman auditioning for Tony Hendra's role in This Is Spinal Tap (and maybe Joe Pesci's role in GoodFellas), drop-in appearances by Donovan and Alan Price, and one of the all-time great pre-MTV music videos, with Dylan standing in the street flipping cue cards while Allen Ginsberg standing off to the sidelines looking as if he knows deep and ancient truths, even if he was really just wondering about the location of the buffet table. Released in 1967, Pennebaker's movie established Dylan as an icon of movie cool, much more effectively than his early attempts at actual movie "acting" (Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid, Renaldo and Clara). If you've never seen it, you'll want to check it out to decide for yourself how the man himself compares with Cate Blanchett.

On February 1, as part of its "Golden Silents" program, the Film Society of Lincoln Center is hosting a special one-night event, a rare screening of Chang: A Drama of the Wilderness, a 1927, sixty-seven-minute film by the men who made King Kong, Merian C. Cooper and Ernest B. Schoedsack. The simple story about a family farm in a jungle setting is a pretext for the exciting natural wildlife footage; the movie includes fights with big cats and a bang-up elephant stampede — make no mistake, animals were harmed in the making of this motion picture. But its mixture of awe in the face of natural beauty and man-on-safari edginess will help you understand why everyone in Hollywood understood that the jungle-raping showman in King Kong was a Cooper self-portrait. Live musical accompaniment will be provided by the Alloy Orchestra.