Written & Directed by Jonathan Holiff Produced by Holiff, Tanya Lyn Nazarec & Jennifer Phillips Released by New Chapter Productions Canada. 88 min. Not Rated My Father and the Man in Black settles two scores. One is the personal odyssey of a son, debut documentary director Jonathan Holiff, finally reconciling with the memory of his […]
Produced & Directed by Jamie Kastner Released by Screen Media Canada. 84 min. Not rated Were such hits as “Boogie Wonderland,” “Boogie Fever,” or “Boogie Oogie Oogie” songs of political protest? In his amicable and gossipy overview of 1970’s dance music, director Jamie Kastner poses that question to powerhouse singer Martha Walsh, forever known as […]
Directed by Drew DeNicola Co-directed by Olivia Mori Produced by Mori & Danielle McCarthy Released by Magnolia Pictures USA. 113 min. Rated PG-13 Director Drew DeNicola and Olivia Mori’s documentary rediscovers the Memphis band whose three albums all feature in Rolling Stone’s top 500, even though commercial success eluded them. It’s a story of frustrated ambition, […]
Directed by Morgan Neville Produced by Gil Friesen and Caitrin Rogers Released by Radius-TWC USA. 90 min. Rated PG-13 With Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Tata Vega, Claudia Lennear, Gloria Jones, Lynn Maybry, Cindy Mizelle, Susaye Greene, Jo Lawry, The Waters Family, Rose Stone, Janice Pendarvis, and Mable John The first 45 […]
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 […]