Directed by Mark Covino & Jeff Howlett Produced by Covino & Howlett, Scott Mosier, Matthew Perniciaro, Kevin Mann & Jerry Ferrara Released by Drafthouse Films USA. 96 min. Not rated The road to rock ‘n’ roll fame is littered with failed bands, but the tale of A Band Called Death grabs attention for its unusual […]
Written & Directed by Ramona S. Diaz Produced by Diaz & Capella Fahoome Brogden English & Tagalog with English subtitles Released by Cinedigm Entertainment USA. 105 min. Not rated Even if you can’t name off the top of your head hits by the band Journey, as soon as one of their songs cranks up—on Glee, […]
Directed by Roberta Grossman Produced by Grossman, Sophie Sartain & Marta Kauffman Written by Sartain Released by International Film Circuit USA. 73 min. Not rated Hava Nagila (The Movie) entertainingly traces the origins of the ubiquitous song and how it became worldwide kitsch. The global popularity of the song is made abundantly clear, but most […]
Directed & Written by Jay Bulger Produced by Andrew Karsch, Fisher Stevens, Erik H. Gordon & Bulger Released by SnagFilms/Insurgent Media USA. 92 min. Not Rated Beware of Mr. Baker has all the usual ingredients of a typical rock ‘n’ roll Behind the Music bio, though it has lots of surprises and unusual brio, too, […]
Produced & Directed by Patrick McGrady Released by First Run Features UK. 89 min. Not rated Based on countless movies, the music of Richard Wagner (Hitler’s favorite composer) has a long road ahead to break away from its militaristic bombast and fascist taint. Lina Wertmüller used “Flight of the Valkyries” to accompany a Nazi death […]
Edited, Written & Directed by Malik Bendjelloul Produced by Simon Chinn & Bendjelloul Released by Sony Pictures Classics Sweden/UK. 85 min. Rated PG-13 In this entertaining musical mystery tour, pop culture crosses politics and geographical borders to remarkably touch the lives of an artist and his fans in unexpected ways. From the wide open spaces […]
During its final days, the Tribeca Film Festival world premiered three New York-centric fine arts documentaries. The most penetrating of the trio, Wagner’s Dream is an engrossing look behind the curtain of the Metropolitan Opera, and is the perhaps best film about that art form, fictional or otherwise, though it may have that field all […]
Directed by Mark Meatto Produced by Michael Bohlmann & Meatto Released by International Film Circuit USA/UK. 88 min. Not Rated How to Grow a Band has a promising story to follow. A young, gifted musician rises from a narrow genre to commercial success, falls into personal turmoil, and finds catharsis with a new mode of […]
Directed by Kurt Markus & Ian Markus Produced by Kurt Markus & Maria Markus Written by Kurt Markus Released by MPI Media Group USA. 80 min. Not Rated What becomes a rock ‘n’ roll legend most? Commissioning a film crew to follow him around on tour and recording an album. But John Mellencamp gave the […]