Hot Docs - We Cause Scenes [2013, Dir. Matt Adams, USA]

  We Cause Scenes

All the documentaries I'd got to see this year for Hot Docs were music documentaries and also online screeners which I was able to watch from the luxury of my iPad. On the other hand, there were times when I'd have preferred to watch a film with an audience -I think that really is an important part of any film festival experience. On the last weekend of Hot Docs I managed to catch one documentary entitled We Cause Scenes: The Rise Of Improv Everywhere, directed by Matt Adams, which was screening at Hart House Theatre on the University of Toronto campus. 

The documentary tracks  the history of the New York City based public performance improv group called Improv Everywhere started by Charlie Todd, an actor and comedian, in 2001, who'd been frustrated by the lack of available work at the time. I think I vaguely recall the group's name on the internet a few years back Aand until I saw this documentary I hadn't knownn that they had had such a far-reaching scope. Torontonians have probably heard of the annual No-Pants Subway Ride or perhaps you may have participated or heard of The MP3 Experiment that was staged during the 2008 edition of the Luminato Festival - both events were spawned from Improv Everywhere in New York City where such 'scenes' had first been staged. It is such 'scenes' as this that the group have conceived, organized, and staged over the last decade or so, in an attempt to bring joy and happiness, smiles and laughs to the public as well as to its participants. The documentary tracks the evolution of the NYC-based group from it's early beginnings to their growing recognition over the years due to the internet [the group posted their videos online on their own site and then later on their own YouTube Channel] and the media [publicity which was both good and bad] and shows the group's colourful history that takes it from its grassroots organization to the brink of a television deal and back again. Obviously, the segments most appreciated by the audience were the video footage of the numerous pranks staged by the group. I don't think I've ever laughed as much during a documentary as I did during that one. There was also a wealth of behind-the-scenes footage as well as media footage, and interviews with Charlie Todd, and other members of the improv group that rounded out their story very well. I remember near the end being almost overcome with emotion. There is something quite eloquent in Todd's pursuit and spreading of happiness [yes there's a commerce side to his pursuit, and yes the documentary does act as promotion tool for his website, but for the moment let's just focus on the purity of his original intentions].In the end, We Cause Scenes shows that growing up and becoming an adult doesn't mean we need to stop playing and having fun. 

In keeping line that this is a music blog, one of the funnier pranks shown in the documentary was when musician / songwriter Ben Folds went in on a prank with Improv Everywhere's Charlie Todd (who resembles Folds) and had Todd impersonate him at the beginning of a Ben Folds Five show in NYC back in 2006. Read the full story here and check out the video below:

  Ben Folds Fake [Improv Everywhere]

Hot Docs - Finding The Funk [2013, Dir. Nelson George, USA]

  Finding The Funk

Directed by Nelson George (better known perhaps for his 2007 directorial debut entitled Life Support starring Queen Latifah for which she won a Golden Globe for), Finding The Funk is a fine effort overall. Neither complete nor comprehensive in its scope, it's somewhat like an introductory college course serving to give a general understanding of the evolution of funk and to touch on some of the major progenitors of the genre. Dutifully narrated by The Roots' drummer ?uestlove, the documentary explores the evolution of funk from it's jazz and rhythm and blues roots pre-1960 primarily from New Orleans, to the funk movement in the 80's that developed out of the basements in of all places Dayton, Ohio and to funk's unexpected revitalization in the hip hop genre.  The documentary also puts great focus on the influence of major players like James Brown, Sly and The Family Stone, Parliament / Funkadelic, Earth Wind and Fire and Ohio Players. ?uestlove's narration is augmented by an array of talking heads segments from some of funk's major figures like James Brown, George Clinton, and Sly Stone themselves, as well as various other participants like neo-soul vocalist D'Angelo and Mike D of Beastie Boys, the latter who provides some of the most insightful thoughts on funk's far-reaching influence, most notably later on in hip-hop(eg. sampling, 'the funky drummer' rhythm).  Other elements utilized during the documentary were pop-up style text information tidbits dubbed "funk chunks" giving additional information to the viewer as well as narrator ?uestlove's drum-school type demonstrations of the variety of funk rhythms that developed over the years.  What Finding The Funk succeeds in is that it was informative without being overly academic yet on another level it seemed to be a straight-laced, overly-serious exploration, lacking a sense of fun. I think also the film would have benefited from archival video footage but that's just my opinion. Those criticisms aside, Finding The Funk is essential viewing most definitely for the funk newbie who'd like to learn the basics but I suspect you'll have more fun listening to Sly and The Family Stone's "There's A Riot Goin' On".

Hot Docs - The Punk Singer [2013, Dir. Sini Anderson, USA]

  The Punk Singer

What was I doing in 1990? I'd just graduated high school and was entering my first year of university. I'd been a music fan (mostly the alternative British music scene of the 80's and John Hughes films) and hadn't really delved too much into the indie music scene. The next year, Nirvana's "Nevermind" would be released, grunge would go mainstream and well, the rest is history. Back then I never really gave it a second thought that the music scene had been much of a boys club. So when a band like Halifax's all-female Jale formed in 1992 and started to release seven-inches, I took notice of 1) a burgeoning indie music scene and that 2) there was a whole scene of females making music independently. My experience here in Canada I would imagine was one that was reflected by some in the U.S. Pacific Northwest with Kathleen Hanna of Bikini Kill who formed in 1990 and whose first release was an independently released cassette entitled Revolution Girl Style Now! released the following year. I kind of had my head in the clouds for the last few decades in ever getting acquainted with Kathleen Hanna until now, having read about her in passing numerous times in the music press and music books. Yes, I've heard of Riot grrrl, which I had understood as being both a feminist movement and musical descriptor, but never really made the effort to listen to much of it beyond the occasional snippet. So it was surprisingly refreshing to watch what turned out to be a truly terrific documentary on Kathleen Hanna's life entitled The Punk Singer directed by Sini Anderson.

Through a wealth of photos, video footage, as well as talking heads segments from the likes of her Bikini Kill bandmate Tobi Vail, her husband Beastie Boys Adam Horowitz, her Le Tigre bandmate Johanna Fateman, and a plethora of others as well as Kathleen herself, The Punk Singer is presented as the evolution of Kathleen Hanna as a person influenced by her own personal experiences and coming along at a politcal / cultural time when someone like her was needed,  her influence on the feminist movement and the music scene [from Bikini Kill, Julie Ruin, Le Tigre, and The Julie Ruin], and a what-ever-happened-to-her story after she abruptly abandoned performing live in 2005.  The documentary presents Kathleen as thoughtful, insightful and strong, but at the same time vulnerable and wounded at times. It was heartbreaking to see why she left the music scene in 2005 and I'm sure her story is already known to at least many of her truest fans but I'd rather not spoil it for those of you planning to watch the documentary and mention why [which the last act of the documentary focuses on]. It is a triumpant feeling however to see how Kathleen manages to rise above it, at least briefly, and to see those last few scenes of the documentary and how loved and appreciated Kathleen Hanna is. For someone who sought to be an agent for change, but never had seeked or imagined being a 'hero', she became one for many people and The Punk Singer deservedly shines a light on a story that needed to be told. Highly recommended.

Hot Docs - Mistaken For Strangers [2013, Dir. Tom Berninger, USA]

  Mistaken For Strangers

When I'd read that The National's Matt Berninger's brother Tom Berninger directed this documentary of the band entitled Mistaken For Strangers, I had initially imagined it might be your standard tour documentary. Tom, whose film work prior to that, seemed to be relegated to low-budget, indie, horror movies (none of which I'd ever heard of), on his brother's request offered him a job as a roadie on their European / American tour, and also gave him permission to film them for a documentary.  The documentary is really only partially about The National on tour [which follows the band from locals such as Paris and Berlin, and then back to the U.S. for shows in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and their hometown of New York City] - life on the road, behind the scenes looks, interviewing the individual band members, clips of some of the more personal outbursts from Matt as well as the camera being directed towards Tom at times to speak . However what the underlying point of the documentary really is [and what is alluded to in the title of the documentary] is the peculiar relationship between Matt and Tom. What's apparent almost from the outset is how different the brothers are, - Tom the goof-ball, metal-head, younger brother and Matt the older, serious, indie-rock frontman and more successful one. And what may have seemed all sunny on the surface for Tom as he tries to film this documentary, balance his duties as a roadie and live the rock n' roll lifestyle soon reveals feelings of inadequacy that he has felt toward's his brother Matt for many years.  There are some poignant moments in the last act of the documentary as Tom bunks down in Matt and his wife's (Carin Besser, who appeared to have been one of the film's alternate camera persons, when Tom wasn't holding the camera) home in Brooklyn after the tour to piece together the documentary. It's in the editing of the documentary, which I imagined was kind of like therapy for Tom, that Tom Berninger has created a work of subtle beauty. In a rare moment at the end of the documentary, Matt picks up the camera and sneaks up on Tom while he is working on editing the film to check on his progress, and Tom responds with a sense of optimism and determination that really hits home, "I'm getting close. Just let me figure it out, ok."

Hot Docs - Good Ol' Freda [2013, Dir. Ryan White, UK]

  Good Ol' Freda

I was hoping to have gone out to a few Hot Docs screenings by this point but unfortunately due to other things [nephew's birthday over the weekend, picking up my new 'used' car a few nights ago] I wasn't able to. I was however able to view the screener for the documentary Good Ol' Freda yesterday evening and I very much enjoyed it. Produced and directed by Ryan White, it's a scrap-book look at the fandom of The Beatles from one insider who perhaps many people weren't familiar with. The Freda being referred to in the title of the documentary is Liverpudlian Freda Kelly who worked as both the band's secretary and fan club manager over the span of eleven years starting at the age of 17 years old, from the band's infancy playing The Cavern in Liverpool, through the band's international stardom, and eventually to the band's breakup in the early 1970's.

Interspersing old photos of Freda, the band, the band's families and other notable figures like Beatles manager Brian Epstein, with stock footage from the 60's, Freda, in her humble, modest, warm tone provides commentary throughout the documentary. It's a thoroughly fascinating year-by-year account of her eleven years with the band and how integral of a role she played in the machinery of Beatlemania. As the band's secretary she was especially important to the families of the individual Beatles, acting as a link for them to John, Paul, George, and Ringo, when The Beatles started to travel internationally. But it was through The Beatles Fan Club where Freda was it's manager where she perhaps made a stronger mark. Through the fan club, she worked with a small staff and devoted many hours to responding to thousands and thousands of letters from fans, as well as to writing the band's newsletter The Beatles Book. The time that she dedicated to the fan club was something she held important because as a fan herself of The Beatles, she genuinely related to how the fans felt. There's a point in the documentary when Freda climbed the ladder into her attic to dig through old Beatles' memorabilia and the collection she amassed for herself, including many of The Beatles Book, looked like a treasure trove. For someone who had had the ultimate job that any female Beatles fan would have died for, Freda was portrayed as a diligent, loyal, strong-willed, and hard-working employee. She admits to having crushes on each of the Beatles on any particular day but in the end she was there to do a job, one that she had loved.

The Beatles coming to an end was shown to be a bitter-sweet ending for Freda, the closing of The Beatles fan club and saying good-bye to a period of her life which she very much loved and would miss but which opened up another stage to live a 'normal life' and have a family. The documentary shows Freda's daughter Rachel describing her mother as a very private person who for most of her life had no interest to tell her stories about The Beatles. But the passing of her son Timothy later in life, plus her wanting to leave a legacy for her baby grandson [her daughter Rachel's son] to look back on seemed to have been at part of the catalyst that this documentary got made. It's such a poignant moment at the end of the documentary as Freda tears up thinking about many of the people during her eleven years with The Beatles who are no longer around now. But with this documentary, those people and her stories will live on.

* last chance to catch this documentary before Hot Docs closes is at Regent Theatre (551 Mt Pleasant Rd) on Saturday May 4 at 8:45 pm. You can buy tickets here.

Hot Docs 2013 Preview

  Mistaken From Strangers

Another edition of Toronto's beloved docmentary fim festival Hot Docs Just began yesterday but kicks in to full gear today. And I haven't really taken a gander at the schedule at all. No media accreditation this year so what ever I see this year will be on my own dime, but the festival has graciously given me access to screeners of some of the music documentaries, which I'm very appreciative so expect to see reviews of those in the future. With the Toronto International Film Festival, Hot Docs and the numerous smaller film festivals that Toronto plays host to, it's a great city to be a film fan. For much of my life I was very much a music fan but when it came to films I was very random, watching anything from whatever was coming out of Hollywood to the odd indie / art film. But over the the last 6 years (especially due to TIFF, but also due in no small part to great television programming which has become much more story-based) I think I'm slowly gravitating to film.  One of the docs I'm hoping to catch is one by Alan Zweig who's best known for Vinyl his introspective examination on the subject of vinyl record collectors. His new one is called 15 Reasons To Live, and is collaborative effort between Zweig and author Ray Robertson, the pair who started out as neighborhood acquaintances and is based on Roberton's book Why Not? Fifteen Reasons to Live. Music for me has always for the most part been about in-the-now ie. what mood / emotions I'm currently feeling. Documentaries / films go beyond your present state, to being much more expansive, whether it be educational, discovery, or opening one's self up to the realm of human emotions.

Back to the order of business. This is a music blog. Check out the list of music-related documentaries here.

The ones that have piqued my interest are as follows:

Mistaken For Strangers (Director Tom Berninger)
Video: Trailer

The Punk Singer (Director Sini Anderson)
Video: excerpt

Good Ol' Freda (Director Ryan White)
Video: SXSW review

Finding The Funk (Director Nelson George)
Video: SXSW trailer

Downloaded (Director Alex Winter)
Video: Trailer

Alias (Director Michelle Latimer)
Video: Trailer  

Muscle Shoals (Director Greg 'Freddy' Camalier)
Video: Trailer


Check out Hot Docs recommendations / reviews over at The Grid TO, NOW, Torontoist, The Globe and Mail, and The Toronto Star.

Hot Docs -- Reviews (May 1-3, 2012)

  Shut Up And Play The Hits

We Are Legion: The Story Of The Hacktivists [Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, May 1, 6:15 pm]

"The geeks shall inherit the earth" may be a phrase you may have perhaps heard of. On one hand, Microsoft's Bill Gates and the late Steve Jobs of Apple have proven this well from a corporate standpoint. But from a political standpoint it's grassroots protest groups such as Anonymous, the subject of this documentary, who've proven to be conduits for change and influence against political oppression and repressive behaviors from other groups. We Are Legion traces the evolution of a subculture of online misfits whose perceived juvenile behaviours were but a reflection of a shared mentality that information online should not be repressed nor censored by anyone. The documentary illustrates through news footage, interviews with individuals connected to Anonymous, and other figures, how through a series of key events this subculture organized into the movement we see today, most recently aligning itself with the Occupy movement that had sprouted up in many North American metropolitan cities. As a liberal-minded person myself I can sympathize with some of what Anonymous has tried to accomplish and the documentary takes a sympathetic view of the group, but I can see how this documentary might infuriate some. Like a Michael Moore documentary, We Are Legion is definitely one-sided.

The Queen of Versailles [TIFF Bell Lightbox, May 2, 7 pm]

One wonders what director Lauren Greenfield 's intentions were when she picked buxom trophy wife and mother Jackie Siegel, her eight children and her real estate /time-share mogul husband David Siegel as the subject of her documentary. The beginning of the documentary shows the family, super wealthy but relatively down to earth embarking on building what would have been the largest private residence(inspired by the Palace of Versailles in France, hence the documentary's title) in the United States. I wonder how compelling a documentary this might have been just focusing on this aspect of the family and I could imagine this could have been a superficial mess. But when the economic downturn of 2008 hits, and even the Spiegels aren't immune, this is where the meat and potatoes of the documentary establishes itself. No the Spiegels aren't thrown into poverty but from their own exaggerated perspective they're having to cutback like everyone else and even their dream home remains a dream because of it. Greenfield has a sympathetic subject in Jackie, choosing to show her as an educated, and loving mother, which I have no doubt she is. She and her family were living the American dream and in these economic times will hopefully not be another victim in the pursuit of it.

An Affair of The Heart [Cumberland, May 3, 6:30 pm]

As a preteen of the early 80's who hadn't yet established his musical tastes, I vaguely recall the hysteria of pop artist Rick Springfield. I had older cousins who liked him, and thought he had a wacky stage presence. "Jessie's Girl" may have been the big hit but for some reason I gravitated towards "Don't Talk To Strangers" (I think because it sound like a Hall and Oates songs and I liked Hall and Oates.) Back then he was considered light-weight pop music, and I thought so as well, and as the mid to late eighties came my musical tastes soon gravitated towards "cool" music (eg. The Smiths, The Cure, New Order) and I soon forgot about Rick. Little did I know that his fans never really went away, and while may Rick may have been out of the musical spotlight for a time, especially in the nineties, his career and fan-dom, as this documentary shows, is perhaps stronger than ever. Director Sylvia Caminer takes a well-balanced look at the man and his fans. The documentary is not merely a comeback story of a 80's pop idol, but also one of survival of a man's ongoing bouts with depression that have plagued his life. The documentary also doesn't merely focus on the undying fandom(and the positive effect he's had on his fans) of his mostly female audience but it also chooses to question the rationality of his cult-like fan-base. The camera follows Rick on tour as he meets fans(as well as some of their jealous husbands) and performs and the documentary also splices in various interview footage with Rick as he promotes his memoir "Late, Late at Night". The cynic might take the documentary as a ingenious promotion tool for his book but taken on it's own merits I thought it was pretty decent. And I swear if you weren't a fan before, you will at the very least come out of it humming "Jessie's Girl".

Shut Up and Play The Hits [TIFF Bell Lightbox, May 3, 9:30 pm]

I remember watching the webcast of LCD Soundsystem's final show at Madison Square Gardens in April 2011 and being drawn to both to the music of a band that I wasn't really that familiar with and the euphoric energy of the show itself. It's one of those times I discovered a band too late and felt more than an ounce of regret because of it. This documentary is far from just being a concert film but also shows quiet moments of personal reflection on the part of the band's leader James Murphy in the days after the show is done as he ponders what he's accomplished and what the future holds for him. Murphy's personal reflection is given further clarity with his interview session with author Chuck Klosterman which is spliced in throughout the film in between concert footage. The brief history of LCD Soundsystem is that he started the group when he was 31 years of age, made three albums and then decided to call it quits almost ten years later. There's the factor of Murphy's age which is part of the reason for quitting as he wants to pursue other things as well, especially now that he's in his 40's. And as Klosterman interviews Murphy, Klosterman says he thinks bands are remembered for their successes, but are defined mostly by their biggest failure and Murphy ultimately answers that maybe his biggest failure is “Stopping.” You get the feeling that Murphy's decision to quit was a deeply conflicted one. Such responses from Murphy are deeply insightful. A scene in which Murphy himself is in a storage locker containing all his band's gear where he breaks down in tears are just heartbreaking. The title of the film was a humourous phrase expressed by Arcade Fire's Win Butler (him and his bandmates being special guests during LCD Soundsystem's final show) and musically the song choice focuses on the band's best known ones with "Dance Yourself Clean" (from the band's debut) kicking off the musical segment, with sublime and to me extremely emotional favourites like "Something Great" and "All Your Friends" (focusing on the euphoric energy of the crowd) also being included and the the deeply poignant "New York I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down" ending off the night. The documentary takes place over the span of a few days, and is a document of a moment in time. Deeply entertaining, deeply moving, and and frankly one of the best music documentaries I've seen.

Hot Docs -- Reviews (April 29-30, 2012)

  Inocente

The Job [Cumberland, Sunday April 29, 1:30 pm]

The primary scene of this documentary is a French corporate boardroom of a job recruitment agency that pits a panel of headhunters against a ten job-seekers of varying ages and job experience.  As the perspective changes between four static, strategically-placed cameras, the viewer gets to observe the often-tense situations the job candidates go through over the course of two days. With the two days entailing entailing role-playing, mock debates and intimidating panel discussions, candidates are often confused with the techniques and at times even feels border-line demeaning. But there is a method to the madness and the successful candidates that last stand will be the ones that can exemplify the soft skills that the recruiters are looking for. The 2-day recruitment session is interspersed with interviews with most of the candidates a few weeks after, with some honest and sometimes humorous insight each of the candidates had of their experience. I haven't gone through any recent job changes myself, but if what was displayed in this film is what, I have to look forward during a job recruitment process, God help me.

Ping Pong [Isabel Bader Theatre,  Sunday April 29, 4:00 pm]

The competitive spirit knows no limits even age as Ping Pong follows eight over-80 years of age Ping Pong players from the US,  Germany, Australia, China and the UK going to Mongolia for the over-80's table tennis championships. Director Hugh Hartford, shown in a Hot Docs promo video clip for his documentary expresses it's major themes as "morality, friendship, rivalry". It was interesting to see the various back-stories of each competitor, some of it being a bit sad and painful, but overall there is a funny and light-hearted tone to the documentary that strongly illustrates the tenacity of the elderly. 

The Record Breaker [Isabel Bader Theatre, Sunday April 29, 4:00 pm]

Within the span of 28 minutes, Danish director Brian McGinn tells the story of Ashrita Furman of Queens, New York who holds the record of most Guinness World Records held by an individual. Is this driven by the immutable spirit of a perpetual man-child, by a higher spiritual calling, or perhaps one man's quest to give his life meaning? It may be a little of all of these things. As the film focuses on his most recent record-breaking quest to climb Macchu Picchu on stilts, one thing is for sure - Furman is one zany dude, and an immediatedly likable one at that. He chases these records because it makes him happy, and chasing what makes us happy may be the most important lesson The Record Breaker has taught us. Recommended.

Laura [ROM, Sunday April 29, 7:00 pm]

Somewhere within this documentary, there may be a story to tell but overall this feels incomplete and unresolved.  Shot in a very free form, cinema-verite style,  director Fellipe Gamarano follows Laura who lives a dichotomous life, living in a cramped / cram-filled apartment on one hand, and charming her way into the New York socialite-scene on the other. The first half of the documentary feels very superficial as it follows Laura attending socialite events, shopping and going to fancy restaurants with Laura, while not a boring person, doesn't feel like an intriguing enough of a character to hold the audience's attention. And indeed I did observe small groups of people walk out. Even as I was pondering what the point of this documentary was, Laura herself expresses criticism to the director that the footage that he's been shooting of her hasn't been that interesting. It's the second half of the film in which it partially redeems itself as the director himself interjects himself into the story to address Laura's hoarding issue. It feels a little to late by the time this happens, and there are more questions than answers by the end. An overall frustrating experience, all the more surprising given Gamaran's articulate responses during the Q & A afterwards.

The Quiet One [TIFF Bell Lightbox, Monday April 30, 6:30 pm]

Childhood, as does life, alternates between happiness and sadness and this documentary short illustrates this beautifully. Focusing on Maryam, an Irani refugee having to adjust to her school life in Sweden, she not only needs to learn Swedish but also has to deal with the tribulations of making friends and fitting in - it's not easy, and often leads to outbursts and acting up on Maryam's part to express herself.  Equal parts heartbreaking and victorious, this is a lovely, lovely film. 

Inocente [TIFF Bell Lightbox, Monday April 30, 6:30 pm]

Inspiring, emotional, and visually spectacular, this documentary focuses on the story of 15-year old Inocente who while experiencing much pain in her life, from physical abuse from her father, to her subsequent homelessness after she, her mother and siblings left their home, has found hope and optimism through her art work. The documentary  acts as subtle paen to the arts & arts funding as the story focuses on Inocente's preparation for her own art show(for which she needs to create thirty pieces), sponsored by a program at her local youth centre. The camera cuts between an observer's perspective and intimate close-ups of Inocente, and also interviews with people in Inocente's life like the youth centre art program co-ordinator but also perhaps the most  heartbreaking being with her mother's painful confession. Overall,  Inocente is a well-edited, interesting-told story of a an impressive young person.

Hot Docs -- Reviews (April 27-28, 2012)

  Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

Beware of Mr. Baker [Bloor Hot Docs Cinema, Friday April 27, 6:15 pm]

Within the annals of rock n' roll history, Mr. Ginger Baker may not be quite as well known as others but director Jay Bulger successfully makes a case with his documentary why Mr. Baker should be more highly regarded. To some he's most well-known as the drummer in the influential yet short-lived British hard rock group Cream and is highly regarded as the inventor of rock n' roll drumming. The documentary is a funny, insightful look at a man who seems all piss and vinegar and has led his life the way he's wanted to live it (even if it meant alienating friends and family), in more recent years dealing with money and health issues. But as the documentary illustrates through interviews with family, band mates and other musicians as well as through a wealth of fantastic video footage and photographs, Mr. Baker has travelled a unique musical path without ever having planned it through the 60's right up to present day that firmly establishes his contribution to popular music.

Black Block [TIFF Bell Lightbox, Friday April 27, 9:45 pm]

With the horror of the G20 protests of 2010 in Toronto still fresh in memory, I was tempted to check out Black Black which focuses on the protests and even more horrific police brutality of the G8 Summit in Genoa, Italy in 2001. Interspersing raw video footage with present-day interviews with a group of the protesters, director Carlo A. Bachschmidt has created a well-meaning although ultimately flawed documentary. Focusing primarily on individual interviews with each protester, each gives detailed accounts of police brutality that they'd experienced, the culmination of which was the police raid at the Diaz School which protesters had used as a crash pad during the Summit. It's the traumatizing experiences and ultimately the healing and motivations for each to continue to stand up for their individual beliefs in their present lives (even if they're no longer on the front lines) which is the main point of the documentary. It's unfortunate that most of the docmentary's 76 minutes was devoted to the protesters individually talking into the camera about their traumatizing experiences with little insight given to anything else.

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet [Isabel Bader Theatre, Saturday April 28, 4:30 pm]

Jason Becker's story is a sad but ultimately inspiring one. As a young boy, Jason's introduction to the guitar, a Christmas gift given to him by his father was, initially a failed effort due to Jason's boredom. But Jason would overcome that and would eventually gain a true love and talent for the instrument. It's Jason's prodigious talent and hard work that gets him his foot in the music industry even before he graduates high school. The culmination is when Jason lands a gig with David Lee Roth's band in the early 90's which at the time was the most sought after gig for any heavy metal / hard rock guitarist. Jason was able to record an album with Roth but before embarking on a tour, Jason was tragically diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's disease. Director Jesse Vile has accumulated a wealth of video footage and photographs and combined with interviews with family and friends tells a revealing story of a would-have-been rock star who through the support of mostly his family as well as his own determination and perseverance has continued to beat the odds of his disease, stay healthy enough and perhaps most important to himself, make music. The closet metal fan in me highly recommends this.

Los Angeles Plays Itself [Innis Town Hall, Saturday April 28, 7:00 pm]

Directed by Thom Anderson his 2003 effort Los Angeles plays itself is not so much a documentary as what he's described as a video essay. With the dry delivery of its narrator (not Anderson), the socio-cultural commentary is spoken against the back drop of a steady stream of Hollywood film clips dating back to Hollywood's earliest years with most recent clips being from films around 1999. Like an essay, Anderson breaks up the film in chapters, displaying titles such as "Los Angeles as subject". Like the city it discusses, at 169 minutes it is sprawling in length, interesting on many occasions but also a bit too academic in its thoughts at times. It really did feel like something I should be watching as part of a university course. The man criticism I overheard from other audience members was the film's length but on a related-note it also cut in to the start times of all the other films starting between 9 and 10 pm that night. Shucks.

Hot Docs in Toronto Kicking Off Tonight

It took long enough but for the first time I'll be diving into Toronto's Hot Docs documentary film festival. Kicking off tonight officially and running until May 6, the festival will be offering many documentaries including local, national and international productions on an array of topics which one is sure to find something of interest. I haven't yet decided what docs I'll be seeing / covering but I hope to catch at least a few  of the music documentaries, most of all Shut Up And Play The Hits which documents LCD Soundsystem's final concert which took place at NYC's Madison Square Gardens on April 2, 2011. And since this is a music blog, I thought it'd be appropriate to give a rundown of the music documentaries at this year's festival:

Marley
As you may have guessed, this is a documentary on the life of Bob Marley. Directed by Kevin MacDonald (Last King of Scotland, One Day in September), the film apparently includes interviews with Marley's family as well as early concert footage. Uo

Beware Of Mr. Baker
Mr. Baker refers to a one Ginger Baker, the undisputed inventor of rock n roll drumming and best known for his work with Cream and Blind Faith. Apparently he's a character.

The Punk Syndrome
This doc focuses on Finland punk rock  four-piece Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day. That each of the members happens to be mentally disabled is what makes their story interesting.  Well, my interest is piqued.

She Said Boom: The Story Of Fifth Column
Back in the 80's I was knee deep in the wave of alternative bands coming from the UK (The Smiths, The Cure, New Order) and perhaps a bit immature to appreciate Toronto's own all-girl art-punk outfit Fifth Column. I remember they were one of the only Canadian acts on US indie label K Records. I remember they had a song called "All Women Are Bitches". I'm expecting that this doc would fill me in on everything else I'd want to know about the group

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet
The story focuses on the life of guitar prodigy Jason Becker who in 1991 was hired as the lead guitarist in David Lee Roth's band, recorded an album with him but never made it on tour after being diagnosed with ALS.  More than 20 years later, Jason is still living strong and making music by communicating with his eyes. 

Shut Up And Play The Hits
Part interview and part concert film, this documents NYC's LCD Soundsystem's final show which took place at Madison Square Gardens on April 2, 2011. I remember watching the streaming webcast and wishing I'd got into this band sooner. The music and the show was that good.

Big Easy Express
L.A.’s Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Nashville boys Old Crow Medicine Show and Londoners Mumford & Sons take a train from Oakland to New Orleans along the way making stops to play sold out shows.  And I'm assuming shenanigans ensue.

Charles Bradley: Soul Of America
 Soul artist Charles Bradley played a sold out show in Toronto this year and has been making waves everywhere. He's an old gentleman whose talents were  discovered later in life (better late than never) and this film tells his story.

An Affair Of The Heart
From what I've read this doc is as much about 80's icon Rick Springfield as it is about his fans.

In The Year Of Hip Hop
This is a documentary about rappers in the Republic of Slovenia documenting the cultural uprising that paved the way for hip hop to form in the country.

No Room For Rockstars
Documenting the 2010 Vans Warped tour and especially the new school and broader range of artists that the tour has been showcasing in recent years, the film will either entertain the masses or else anger old-school punks who'll launch into a diatribe about the death of punk rock.