B- Documentary Directed by Thorsten Schütte Early in this documentary on the legendary musician and provocateur, Frank Zappa insists that you can't possibly know someone from an interview. It's artificial; it's unpleasant; it's only two steps away from the Inquisition. And that captures the film's biggest problem. We hear a lot of Zappa's words, but … Continue reading Frank Zappa doc forces you to Eat That Question
Category: Music
The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
A- Music documentary Directed by Morgan Neville In the year 2000, cellist Yo-Yo Ma decided to take his musical career in a new direction. He gathered up musicians from various countries, all experts in their own cultures' music, and created The Silk Road Ensemble. The idea was to find the beauty in their different traditions … Continue reading The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma and the Silk Road Ensemble
A+ List: The Last Waltz
Talk about the musical stars aligning perfectly. The Band decides to break up. Bill Graham produces their farewell concert--a Thanksgiving extravaganza filled with some of the greatest names in rock and roll. Then Martin Scorsese, fresh from Taxi Driver, brings together some of Hollywood's brightest to record the event. The Last Waltz captures one of … Continue reading A+ List: The Last Waltz
Salt Flats and Music: Tuesday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
I saw two films, both documentaries, at the San Francisco International Film Festival on Tuesday. One was about the world coming to a previously isolated stretch of Bolivia. The other was about music of the world. B+ Salero Before the screening, Director Mike Plunkett told us that the film was "a passion project of mine. It … Continue reading Salt Flats and Music: Tuesday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
Music and exercise: Friday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
I caught two movies Friday, a music documentary at the Roxie and a very unique coming-of-age story at the New Mission's Theater 1. B+ Soundbreaking: Stories from the Cutting Edge of Recorded Music Like The Wrecking Crew, Soundbreaking looks at how music--specifically rock and roll--is created in the studio. But it isn't about session musicians. It's … Continue reading Music and exercise: Friday at the San Francisco International Film Festival
Miles Ahead miles away from a biopic
B+ Music biopic (sort of) Written by Steven Baigelman & Don Cheadle Directed by Don Cheadle Don't expect anything like Ray or Walk the Line in this totally crazy story of Miles Davis in a turning point in his career. It's more like a raunchy caper comedy set in the 1970s, but with great music … Continue reading Miles Ahead miles away from a biopic
New Janis Joplin doc captures a little piece of her heart
A Music documentary Written and Directed by Amy Berg I'm giving Janis: Little Girl Blue an A, but I'm not sure if I'm praising filmmaker Amy Berg or the subject of her documentary, Janis Joplin. I think it's a little of both. If nothing else, Berg should be praised for concentrating on a great artistic and … Continue reading New Janis Joplin doc captures a little piece of her heart
Dont Look Back Blu-ray Review
You have to be a very hardcore Bob Dylan fan to really enjoy D.A. Pennebaker's groundbreaking documentary, Dont Look Back (yes, that's the correct spelling). Not only would you have to know and love his songs, but you would have to know something about Dylan as a person and a phenomenon, and about what was … Continue reading Dont Look Back Blu-ray Review
My Fair Lady on the big screen
This Saturday morning, I finally saw the film version of My Fair Lady on the big screen--specifically, the big screen at the Cerrito. I really enjoyed it. As far as the big, roadshow musicals of the 1950s and '60s go, it's one of the best. Although, in general, those aren't my favorite musicals. I give … Continue reading My Fair Lady on the big screen
Big, roadshow musical movies coming to the Bay Area
A particular kind of movie musical will soon get a lot of exposure in the Bay Area--the large-format roadshow musicals of the 1950s and '60s. These were almost always close adaptations of popular Broadway stage musicals. They were often shot and projected in large, high-definition, film formats such as Todd-AO or Super Panavision 70. And … Continue reading Big, roadshow musical movies coming to the Bay Area
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