list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around You're Gonna Miss Me on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/You_re_Gonna_Miss_Me/260152/default.aspx Title: You're Gonna Miss Me
Year: 2007
Director: Keven McAlester
Plot: You're Gonna Miss Me documents the life of Rory Erickson, the man who fronted the popular band 13th Floor Elevators, whose biggest hit provides the title for the movie. Although Erickson and company are often credited as being among the forbearers of psychedelic inspired acid rock, Erickson battled serious drug problems and mental illness throughout much of his life. Clips of the band performing their heyday are presented alongside the older Erickson, holed up in his apartment listening obsessively to multiple radios and televisions. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 16
Number of Lists: 15
Number of blog posts: 21
Number of discussion threads: 9
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Sun, 10 May 2009 22:21:05 GMTYou're Gonna Miss Me2007Keven McAlesterYou're Gonna Miss Me documents the life of Rory Erickson, the man who fronted the popular band 13th Floor Elevators, whose biggest hit provides the title for the movie. Although Erickson and company are often credited as being among the forbearers of psychedelic inspired acid rock, Erickson battled serious drug problems and mental illness throughout much of his life. Clips of the band performing their heyday are presented alongside the older Erickson, holed up in his apartment listening obsessively to multiple radios and televisions. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide16Tag Target (>10)152193http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/u39074d27s3.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/You_re_Gonna_Miss_Me/260152/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39354/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Dr_Gor
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/10/2009 11:26:46 PM
Body: [quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] Here is a list of mine that is short and sweet... List of Extreme Films by Extreme Cinema - Movie & Film Lists - Spout
]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2009 04:26:46 GMTDr_GorFilmgaming1/10/2009 11:26:46 PM[quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] Here is a list of mine that is short and sweet... List of Extreme Films by Extreme Cinema - Movie & Film Lists - Spout http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Re_Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39217/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: laurakewl
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/7/2009 4:45:15 PM
Body: [quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote]
]]>Wed, 07 Jan 2009 21:45:15 GMTlaurakewlFilmgaming1/7/2009 4:45:15 PM[quote user="spout"] Win five DVDs from indie studio Palm Pictures.It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. [/quote] http://www.spout.com/groups/Filmgaming/Best_Movie_Lists_DVD_giveaway/563/39094/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: spout
Post To: Filmgaming
Post Date: 1/5/2009 12:23:44 PM
Body: Want to win five DVD's? It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer.
]]>Mon, 05 Jan 2009 17:23:44 GMTspoutFilmgaming1/5/2009 12:23:44 PMWant to win five DVD's? It's easy: Reply to this thread with one of your Spout lists. Choose a list you like. "Want to see it" lists serve a purpose, but let's face it -- nobody reads them for fun. Some good list examples are Man-made Disasters, Top 5 Movies about Friendship, or Post-Collegiate Existential Dilemmas. Never made a list before? Click the "Add to lists" link at the top of this page. There you can title a list, then add movies to it by clicking the "Add to lists" link on the movie pages. Send any questions about building lists to all@spout.com. Check back here on 1/16 to see if you've won! The DVDs 1. 13 Tzameti - Watch the trailer. A young man is caught in a perverse gambling match, and he'll need more than luck to survive. It's on Leeroy's list The Secret Society. 2. Clean - Watch the trailer. When a TV host's husband OD's, she attempts to escape her own addiction. It's on puhnner's list See this one. 3. Wondrous Oblivion - Watch the trailer. A coming-of-age story set in 1960s London. A boy has to choose between loyalty to his friends and the acceptance of his prejudiced neighbors. 4. The Heart is Deceitful Above All Things - Watch the trailer. A young boy bounces among foster homes and into the care of his drug-addict/prostitute mother. Included on Queer Cinema's list Transvestism in film. 5. Africa Unite or You're Gonna Miss Me - Winners get to choose the film that looks more interesting. Africa Unite: A Celebration of Bob Marley's Vision is a concert film and humanitarian documentary. Watch the trailer. You're Gonna Miss Me: A film about Roky Erickson looks at Roky's far-reaching influence on rock music and his struggle with schizophrenia. On FilmCouch's list The Tortured Artist. Watch the trailer. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2008/9/15/35145.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 9/15/2008 11:00:43 AM
Body: One of my favorite things about film festivals is the chance you’ll have at seeing something that you’d probably never come across otherwise when you visit the multiplex or browse your rental queue. When the Toronto International Film Festival schedule was released last month and I saw Keven McMcAlester’s documentary about Dungeons & Dragons gamemasters, The Dungeon Masters, listed, I knew I had to see it. It wasn’t that I’d seen Keven’s earlier documentary about Roky Erickson, You’re Gonna Miss Me, and wanted to see this, nor did I want to see what fine cinematography Lee Daniel had crafted for the movie. No, I wanted to see this one for the geek in me. Heck, it even made Karina’s list of Films We’re Betting On for TIFF, and she doesn’t dole out the nerd love lightly. Although Dungeons & Dragons came out in 1974, the game is still played across the world, and has directly contributed to the creation and success of online sword and sorcery games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest. Almost everyone you as about the game knows that there’s a certain nerdy/geeky vibe associated with it, although most people probably couldn’t tell you anything else about it. The Dungeons Masters attempts to show you the personalities behind the dice-rolling by taking intimate looks inside the lives of three different dungeon masters who, in effect, become the game themselves. Dungeons & Dragons isn’t like Monopoly or Scrabble in the way that you play until you win. The game relies on a clever dungeon master to create roles, make up stories, plan encounters, and basically run the game as long as people want to keep playing. At face value, you’re role-playing in this game, telling the dungeon master what your character is doing at each step along the way. I’ll never forget when I was in junior high school and my best friend handed me a set of poorly photocopied instruction manuals for the game. I was instantly hooked in the lore of the game, but never became much of a player. Keven McAlester was lucky enough to find people who make running these games a big part of their lives. The three subjects of the film are Richard, Scott, and Elizabeth and at face value, they all seem to be cut from the stereotypical images of D&D players. Richard and Scott seem like clones of the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons, while Elizabeth is bit closer to Thora Birch in Ghost World with a few extra doses of geek thrown into the mix. Although they are spread out in California, Lousiana and Florida, they share similar experiences. If you break them down to the simplest levels, Elizabeth is the heroine of the story, going from an abusive relationship to one that doesn’t work, to yet another one by the end of the film. By her own admission, “I don’t want to date children anymore, I just want to be happy.” She uses gaming as an outlet by playing (and dressing up as) a female Drow elf, because in their society women have all the power and can have men executed if they desire. Besides dungeon mastering, she also LARPs (live action role plays) as her elf character Richard portrays the antagonist’s role, and even has a villainous mustache to match. He relishes destroying and killing his players, and you can see the naked glee on his face as he begins picking them apart. He’s also serving in the U.S. Army reserves, has a family he served as a father figure for that he’s now somewhat alienated from, and is married to a woman who doesn’t have a problem with his gaming, as long as she doesn’t know anything about it. “That’s just one of the things we do… separately.” Scott serves as the tragic figure: an unemployed self-described writer who can’t find work as a hypnotherapist, and who realized you had to have money to make money as a financial advisor. He suffered a blow when he was a geeky kid at a new school and realized he could reinvent himself, and told the teacher he wanted to be called Sherlock. “My social life didn’t recover for a very long time.” Although he seemingly lays around the house all day, sometimes tinkering with his novel and playing video games rather than looking for work or helping his wife with their apartment manager position, you still pull for him to succeed. Each time Scott meets with his literary agent, you hope she’ll tell him the book has sold, and when Scott starts writing and starring in a public cable access show called “Uncle Drac’s Magical Clubhouse,” you actually want something to happen with it. Despite everything else, Scott’s a gifted storyteller in search of an outlet, which is why he says “If I could do anything, I’d want to be a paid game master.” The film could have easily taken these characters and just made fun of them, but once you get past the geek factor, it remains a portrait of three very different individuals, and you get an intimate look into their lives. The gaming almost becomes peripheral as you find out who these people are and what drives they are like at home, at work, and in their own worlds. The cinematography by Lee Daniel is, as expected, extremely beautiful. Blonde Redhead provides a musical score that is at times sad and melancholy, and other times is grand and cinematic, which is often juxtaposed by what you see on screen. Coming on the heels of a year of geek films behind Second Skin, Nerdcore Rising, Reformat the Planet, and We Are Wizards, The Dungeon Masters is a well-crafted film that peeks behind the curtain of role-playing games and gives you an unflinching look at three people who have made gaming one of their creative outlets. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:00:43 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com9/15/2008 11:00:43 AM One of my favorite things about film festivals is the chance you’ll have at seeing something that you’d probably never come across otherwise when you visit the multiplex or browse your rental queue. When the Toronto International Film Festival schedule was released last month and I saw Keven McMcAlester’s documentary about Dungeons & Dragons gamemasters, The Dungeon Masters, listed, I knew I had to see it. It wasn’t that I’d seen Keven’s earlier documentary about Roky Erickson, You’re Gonna Miss Me, and wanted to see this, nor did I want to see what fine cinematography Lee Daniel had crafted for the movie. No, I wanted to see this one for the geek in me. Heck, it even made Karina’s list of Films We’re Betting On for TIFF, and she doesn’t dole out the nerd love lightly. Although Dungeons & Dragons came out in 1974, the game is still played across the world, and has directly contributed to the creation and success of online sword and sorcery games like World of Warcraft and EverQuest. Almost everyone you as about the game knows that there’s a certain nerdy/geeky vibe associated with it, although most people probably couldn’t tell you anything else about it. The Dungeons Masters attempts to show you the personalities behind the dice-rolling by taking intimate looks inside the lives of three different dungeon masters who, in effect, become the game themselves. Dungeons & Dragons isn’t like Monopoly or Scrabble in the way that you play until you win. The game relies on a clever dungeon master to create roles, make up stories, plan encounters, and basically run the game as long as people want to keep playing. At face value, you’re role-playing in this game, telling the dungeon master what your character is doing at each step along the way. I’ll never forget when I was in junior high school and my best friend handed me a set of poorly photocopied instruction manuals for the game. I was instantly hooked in the lore of the game, but never became much of a player. Keven McAlester was lucky enough to find people who make running these games a big part of their lives. The three subjects of the film are Richard, Scott, and Elizabeth and at face value, they all seem to be cut from the stereotypical images of D&D players. Richard and Scott seem like clones of the Comic Book Guy on The Simpsons, while Elizabeth is bit closer to Thora Birch in Ghost World with a few extra doses of geek thrown into the mix. Although they are spread out in California, Lousiana and Florida, they share similar experiences. If you break them down to the simplest levels, Elizabeth is the heroine of the story, going from an abusive relationship to one that doesn’t work, to yet another one by the end of the film. By her own admission, “I don’t want to date children anymore, I just want to be happy.” She uses gaming as an outlet by playing (and dressing up as) a female Drow elf, because in their society women have all the power and can have men executed if they desire. Besides dungeon mastering, she also LARPs (live action role plays) as her elf character Richard portrays the antagonist’s role, and even has a villainous mustache to match. He relishes destroying and killing his players, and you can see the naked glee on his face as he begins picking them apart. He’s also serving in the U.S. Army reserves, has a family he served as a father figure for that he’s now somewhat alienated from, and is married to a woman who doesn’t have a problem with his gaming, as long as she doesn’t know anything about it. “That’s just one of the things we do… separately.” Scott serves as the tragic figure: an unemployed self-described writer who can’t find work as a hypnotherapist, and who realized you had to have money to make money as a financial advisor. He suffered a blow when he was a geeky kid at a new school and realized he could reinvent himself, and told the teacher he wanted to be called Sherlock. “My social life didn’t recover for a very long time.” Although he seemingly lays around the house all day, sometimes tinkering with his novel and playing video games rather than looking for work or helping his wife with their apartment manager position, you still pull for him to succeed. Each time Scott meets with his literary agent, you hope she’ll tell him the book has sold, and when Scott starts writing and starring in a public cable access show called “Uncle Drac’s Magical Clubhouse,” you actually want something to happen with it. Despite everything else, Scott’s a gifted storyteller in search of an outlet, which is why he says “If I could do anything, I’d want to be a paid game master.” The film could have easily taken these characters and just made fun of them, but once you get past the geek factor, it remains a portrait of three very different individuals, and you get an intimate look into their lives. The gaming almost becomes peripheral as you find out who these people are and what drives they are like at home, at work, and in their own worlds. The cinematography by Lee Daniel is, as expected, extremely beautiful. Blonde Redhead provides a musical score that is at times sad and melancholy, and other times is grand and cinematic, which is often juxtaposed by what you see on screen. Coming on the heels of a year of geek films behind Second Skin, Nerdcore Rising, Reformat the Planet, and We Are Wizards, The Dungeon Masters is a well-crafted film that peeks behind the curtain of role-playing games and gives you an unflinching look at three people who have made gaming one of their creative outlets. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Coming_Soon/Upcoming_Movies_Week_of_8_29/216/34334/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: SkyPilot
Post To: Coming Soon
Post Date: 8/25/2008 12:46:07 PM
Body: Ah, the back to school season. College students across the nation are so occupied with drinking, packing, traveling, and vomiting that they can't get a movie in edgewise. So with the possibility of a big opening weekend thrown out the window, the studios are unveiling some movies I'd like to throw out a window. These movies made me think of some good films to talk about, though.Babylon A.D. (8-29) -- I've met a few enthusiastic members of the Pitch Black cult, but still haven't seen that or Chronicles of Riddick. Any fans of these movies who are looking forward to Babylon A.D.? I would see this movie more for Michelle Yeoh, who could definitely kick Vin Diesel's ass. Traitor (8-29) -- Is it just me, or does this movie look as generic as those cereals that come in plastic bags? It could surprise me though, starring reliables like Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Jeff Daniels. Still, if I'm going to see a thriller about treason I'll watch The Hunt for Red October again. I found the recent Breach (Ryan Philippe, Chris Cooper) only passable, though the ever-excellent Cooper succeeded at making me feel as sordid as his character. Any treason thrillers you guys recommend?If you like the actors in Traitor, get a load of Cheadle in Devil in a Blue Dress, Guy Pearce in The Proposition, and Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale.Disaster Movie (8-29) -- Even the two-minute trailer to this comedy feels an hour too long. College (8-29) -- (sigh) If you were stuck on a deserted island with only Disaster Movie or College, which one would you pick?Maria Bethania: Music is Perfume (8-29, limited release) -- Huge in Brazil, I haven't heard of the singer until now. Turns out she's released over thirty albums in forty-some years. "Samba is sadness dancing," she says, so if this documentary is as thoughtful and articulate as Maria, fans of Latin and world music might enjoy it. I've realized that the music docs I prefer all include mad men: Dig! follows the feud between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre; You're Gonna Miss Me shows psych-rock innovator Roky Erickson's sad but winning battle with schizophrenia; and Townes Van Zandt is quietly crazy in the heartbreakingly beautiful Be Here to Love Me. We just have to hang in there until September 12 for the new Coen Brothers movie Burn After Reading. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich in a dark spy-comedy--how could this film go wrong? Though I'm a little worried about Righteous Kill (also Sept. 12). Robert Deniro and Al Pacino doing a bad cop/bad cop routine looks like some supremely macho entertainment, and I'm fine with that. The chemistry between these actors in Heat was tremendous, but I wonder how much of that had to do with director Michael Mann? I'm wary that Righteous Kill director Jon Avnet might blow it, because if his recent team-up with Al Pacino, 88 Minutes, is any indication of how righteous Righteous Kill will be...we're doomed.
]]>Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:46:07 GMTSkyPilotComing Soon8/25/2008 12:46:07 PMAh, the back to school season. College students across the nation are so occupied with drinking, packing, traveling, and vomiting that they can't get a movie in edgewise. So with the possibility of a big opening weekend thrown out the window, the studios are unveiling some movies I'd like to throw out a window. These movies made me think of some good films to talk about, though.Babylon A.D. (8-29) -- I've met a few enthusiastic members of the Pitch Black cult, but still haven't seen that or Chronicles of Riddick. Any fans of these movies who are looking forward to Babylon A.D.? I would see this movie more for Michelle Yeoh, who could definitely kick Vin Diesel's ass. Traitor (8-29) -- Is it just me, or does this movie look as generic as those cereals that come in plastic bags? It could surprise me though, starring reliables like Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, and Jeff Daniels. Still, if I'm going to see a thriller about treason I'll watch The Hunt for Red October again. I found the recent Breach (Ryan Philippe, Chris Cooper) only passable, though the ever-excellent Cooper succeeded at making me feel as sordid as his character. Any treason thrillers you guys recommend?If you like the actors in Traitor, get a load of Cheadle in Devil in a Blue Dress, Guy Pearce in The Proposition, and Jeff Daniels in The Squid and the Whale.Disaster Movie (8-29) -- Even the two-minute trailer to this comedy feels an hour too long. College (8-29) -- (sigh) If you were stuck on a deserted island with only Disaster Movie or College, which one would you pick?Maria Bethania: Music is Perfume (8-29, limited release) -- Huge in Brazil, I haven't heard of the singer until now. Turns out she's released over thirty albums in forty-some years. "Samba is sadness dancing," she says, so if this documentary is as thoughtful and articulate as Maria, fans of Latin and world music might enjoy it. I've realized that the music docs I prefer all include mad men: Dig! follows the feud between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre; You're Gonna Miss Me shows psych-rock innovator Roky Erickson's sad but winning battle with schizophrenia; and Townes Van Zandt is quietly crazy in the heartbreakingly beautiful Be Here to Love Me. We just have to hang in there until September 12 for the new Coen Brothers movie Burn After Reading. Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Frances McDormand and John Malkovich in a dark spy-comedy--how could this film go wrong? Though I'm a little worried about Righteous Kill (also Sept. 12). Robert Deniro and Al Pacino doing a bad cop/bad cop routine looks like some supremely macho entertainment, and I'm fine with that. The chemistry between these actors in Heat was tremendous, but I wonder how much of that had to do with director Michael Mann? I'm wary that Righteous Kill director Jon Avnet might blow it, because if his recent team-up with Al Pacino, 88 Minutes, is any indication of how righteous Righteous Kill will be...we're doomed. http://www.spout.com/blogs/the_american_dream/archive/2008/6/29/31872.aspx Post By: The_American_Dream
Post To: The_American_Dream Blog
Post Date: 6/29/2008 8:11:02 PM
Body: I cannot really say one way or to other on this movie, it is fine. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is right in the middle of anything I could say about a movie in so many ways that it is almost hard to write about. That being said, I have to review this one, and there is plenty to be said about it. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is not really a new genre, there are only an infinite many movies about whacked out rock stars, this is just a somewhat more recent one that is more serious than "This is Spinal Tap". It is a fine genre, and this movie in particular does the genre credit in that, it actually has an almost hopeful message or ultimate outcome. Even though "You're Gonna Miss Me" is as good a version of this division of documentary as most, "Dogtown and Z-Boys" does things this movie does not that set it apart and make for a better film in its case. "Dogtown and Z-Boys" comes full circle, from a somewhat comprehendible start through the story of whacked out skaters and back to a clear resolve. This is something that is important for movies in general, and a good documentary tries to at least come full circle; at the end of "An Inconvenient Truth", the audience gets an amount of closure on what we can do to un-whack the world. "You're Gonna Miss Me" leaves the audience at the very peek of such an arch waiting for real defiant closure. There is really more to the movie than its seat in the pantheon of documentaries. "You're Gonna Miss Me" works as a portrait of many things. First, as a portrait of Roky Erickson, the movie does really very well. I did not really know anything about him until this movie, and this movie brilliantly introduces him and shows the audience Roky's life up until where the documentary starts and then through the recent past to Roky's recovery today. His story is really one that could not be brought out any other way than film, reading the summary on the back of the box, one gets an idea, but for this subject, film is the only way to show as much as this movie takes upon itself to show. Frankly, "You're Gonna Miss Me" is a very well done portrait of Roky Erickson and his life and it is an interesting watch. Another figure captured in this movie is a certain part or lifestyle in America that is also hard to capture in any other media than documentary film. So much of Roky's life, and the lives of those around him, is so polarized from what most find tangible. "You're Gonna Miss Me" brings a huge spectrum to the screen, from absolute disgusting degradation, to the lives of those trying to find solace away from it and the extremity to which that goes. There really is nothing like it, particularly not in other media. Although "You're Gonna Miss Me" has these remarkable attributes, it has some key things missing that only make it so much more neutral. This is most connected to the unfinished arch mentioned earlier but is really only a problem because "You're Gonna Miss Me" brings in this wide spectrum on the the screen. This problem is drama. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is just raw drama. There is so much sorrow and so much depravity to the people in this movie that it would seem hard not to have the drama, but that is just the problem, all that there is is this hardship. Again, the story needs to come full circle, "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" frankly does allot of the same things and comes full circle and is total schlock. It can be done with a depressing subject too; "Sophie Scholl- The Final Days" kills the main characters but there is closure in that from the arch of the movie. In the end, "You're Gonna Miss Me" is so neutral of a film that it is almost hard to say that for it (or against it as the case may be). Now, when I look for closure for this review I almost cannot find it. This is a fine movie and that is all that I can really say to wrap this one up. Directed by: Keven McAlester Palm Pictures Not Rated 97 minutes.
]]>Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:11:02 GMTThe_American_DreamThe_American_Dream Blog6/29/2008 8:11:02 PM I cannot really say one way or to other on this movie, it is fine. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is right in the middle of anything I could say about a movie in so many ways that it is almost hard to write about. That being said, I have to review this one, and there is plenty to be said about it. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is not really a new genre, there are only an infinite many movies about whacked out rock stars, this is just a somewhat more recent one that is more serious than "This is Spinal Tap". It is a fine genre, and this movie in particular does the genre credit in that, it actually has an almost hopeful message or ultimate outcome. Even though "You're Gonna Miss Me" is as good a version of this division of documentary as most, "Dogtown and Z-Boys" does things this movie does not that set it apart and make for a better film in its case. "Dogtown and Z-Boys" comes full circle, from a somewhat comprehendible start through the story of whacked out skaters and back to a clear resolve. This is something that is important for movies in general, and a good documentary tries to at least come full circle; at the end of "An Inconvenient Truth", the audience gets an amount of closure on what we can do to un-whack the world. "You're Gonna Miss Me" leaves the audience at the very peek of such an arch waiting for real defiant closure. There is really more to the movie than its seat in the pantheon of documentaries. "You're Gonna Miss Me" works as a portrait of many things. First, as a portrait of Roky Erickson, the movie does really very well. I did not really know anything about him until this movie, and this movie brilliantly introduces him and shows the audience Roky's life up until where the documentary starts and then through the recent past to Roky's recovery today. His story is really one that could not be brought out any other way than film, reading the summary on the back of the box, one gets an idea, but for this subject, film is the only way to show as much as this movie takes upon itself to show. Frankly, "You're Gonna Miss Me" is a very well done portrait of Roky Erickson and his life and it is an interesting watch. Another figure captured in this movie is a certain part or lifestyle in America that is also hard to capture in any other media than documentary film. So much of Roky's life, and the lives of those around him, is so polarized from what most find tangible. "You're Gonna Miss Me" brings a huge spectrum to the screen, from absolute disgusting degradation, to the lives of those trying to find solace away from it and the extremity to which that goes. There really is nothing like it, particularly not in other media. Although "You're Gonna Miss Me" has these remarkable attributes, it has some key things missing that only make it so much more neutral. This is most connected to the unfinished arch mentioned earlier but is really only a problem because "You're Gonna Miss Me" brings in this wide spectrum on the the screen. This problem is drama. "You're Gonna Miss Me" is just raw drama. There is so much sorrow and so much depravity to the people in this movie that it would seem hard not to have the drama, but that is just the problem, all that there is is this hardship. Again, the story needs to come full circle, "Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star" frankly does allot of the same things and comes full circle and is total schlock. It can be done with a depressing subject too; "Sophie Scholl- The Final Days" kills the main characters but there is closure in that from the arch of the movie. In the end, "You're Gonna Miss Me" is so neutral of a film that it is almost hard to say that for it (or against it as the case may be). Now, when I look for closure for this review I almost cannot find it. This is a fine movie and that is all that I can really say to wrap this one up. Directed by: Keven McAlester Palm Pictures Not Rated 97 minutes. http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2008/6/18/31379.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/18/2008 5:06:04 PM
Body: You're Gonna Miss Me (2005) *** 1/2 stars out of 5 Directed by: Keven McAlester Starring: Roky Erickson Running Time: 94 minutes Rated: NR Released: 2005 Language: English Synopsis: You’re Gonna Miss Me is a documentary that profiles the career and subsequent mental condition of Roky Erickson, lead singer for the influential sixties band, 13th Floor Elevators. Roky started his career at the top, gaining almost instantaneous fame with his band. He had a great rock and roll voice that is said to have inspired the stage presence of Janis Joplin. With interviews from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, and Angry Samoans’ Metal Mike Saunders telling the professional side of the story and Roky’s five brothers, mother and two ex-wives telling the about his home life. You’re Gonna Miss Me is much more of a story of schizophrenia it’s debilitating effects on those who suffer from it than that of the lead singer from a psychedelic rock band. Review: I held on to this one for a while before I actually stuck it in and watched it. For some reason, the topic at hand and what I had read about it from the back of the case and other reviewers just didn’t seem to grab me. I was really expecting much more of a “Where are they now?” rock-doc, (VH1 style) than what it actually turned out to be. I was never really interested in the psychedelic rock scene and much less in the music that it produced. I would typically rather hear a hip-hop remix of Jefferson Starship than actually listen to the original track. But, I digress, it is kind of interesting to take a healthy dose of culture that my parents were into when they were my age. Roky’s life was actually quite tragic. He was the eldest of five boys born to an eccentric mother and emotionally absent father. He went from the severely broken home to the sixties music scene which was filled with booze, acid trips and heroin syringes. Roky dove in head first, slowly and steadily acquiring paranoid delusions and very unmanageable schizophrenia. It’s really hard to tell from this movie which aspect of his life contributed more to his illness. His home life was obviously a recipe for disaster, his drug abuse definitely permanently fried his brain, and his retirement was spent with the same neurotic and paranoid mother that had probably screwed him up in the first place. All of this is staged in the background of a bitter family feud being fought in court. His mother doesn’t seem to believe he should be on any medication and his brother, Sumner is petitioning for the control over his trust so he can get him back on his medicine and attempt to stabilize his ever fragile mind. It is pretty obvious in this film that his mother’s methods of helping her son with yoga and “good, healthy living” are not doing the trick. The largest obstacle this film had to overcome was in attempting to tell Roky’s story through Roky’s point of view. Although I don’t think it completely succeeded, I am not sure how it could have been done, considering his state of mind. I will say that the film may have been better if we could have heard from Roky directly a bit more. The time he spent in front of the camera was very limited. Ultimately, a documentary’s success is based mostly on how interesting the topic is. Much like in the case of Manda Bala, this one succeeds for one major reason: It took a topic that I knew little about and made me interested in it. I think that’s all I really care to ask of a doc. Give me something to think about.
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 21:06:04 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/18/2008 5:06:04 PM You're Gonna Miss Me (2005) *** 1/2 stars out of 5 Directed by: Keven McAlester Starring: Roky Erickson Running Time: 94 minutes Rated: NR Released: 2005 Language: English Synopsis: You’re Gonna Miss Me is a documentary that profiles the career and subsequent mental condition of Roky Erickson, lead singer for the influential sixties band, 13th Floor Elevators. Roky started his career at the top, gaining almost instantaneous fame with his band. He had a great rock and roll voice that is said to have inspired the stage presence of Janis Joplin. With interviews from ZZ Top’s Billy Gibbons, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore, and Angry Samoans’ Metal Mike Saunders telling the professional side of the story and Roky’s five brothers, mother and two ex-wives telling the about his home life. You’re Gonna Miss Me is much more of a story of schizophrenia it’s debilitating effects on those who suffer from it than that of the lead singer from a psychedelic rock band. Review: I held on to this one for a while before I actually stuck it in and watched it. For some reason, the topic at hand and what I had read about it from the back of the case and other reviewers just didn’t seem to grab me. I was really expecting much more of a “Where are they now?” rock-doc, (VH1 style) than what it actually turned out to be. I was never really interested in the psychedelic rock scene and much less in the music that it produced. I would typically rather hear a hip-hop remix of Jefferson Starship than actually listen to the original track. But, I digress, it is kind of interesting to take a healthy dose of culture that my parents were into when they were my age. Roky’s life was actually quite tragic. He was the eldest of five boys born to an eccentric mother and emotionally absent father. He went from the severely broken home to the sixties music scene which was filled with booze, acid trips and heroin syringes. Roky dove in head first, slowly and steadily acquiring paranoid delusions and very unmanageable schizophrenia. It’s really hard to tell from this movie which aspect of his life contributed more to his illness. His home life was obviously a recipe for disaster, his drug abuse definitely permanently fried his brain, and his retirement was spent with the same neurotic and paranoid mother that had probably screwed him up in the first place. All of this is staged in the background of a bitter family feud being fought in court. His mother doesn’t seem to believe he should be on any medication and his brother, Sumner is petitioning for the control over his trust so he can get him back on his medicine and attempt to stabilize his ever fragile mind. It is pretty obvious in this film that his mother’s methods of helping her son with yoga and “good, healthy living” are not doing the trick. The largest obstacle this film had to overcome was in attempting to tell Roky’s story through Roky’s point of view. Although I don’t think it completely succeeded, I am not sure how it could have been done, considering his state of mind. I will say that the film may have been better if we could have heard from Roky directly a bit more. The time he spent in front of the camera was very limited. Ultimately, a documentary’s success is based mostly on how interesting the topic is. Much like in the case of Manda Bala, this one succeeds for one major reason: It took a topic that I knew little about and made me interested in it. I think that’s all I really care to ask of a doc. Give me something to think about. http://www.spout.com/blogs/analogzombie/archive/2008/6/11/31105.aspx Post By: analogzombie
Post To: analogzombie Blog
Post Date: 6/11/2008 10:02:28 AM
Body: The 13th Floor Elevators are one of those bands you know, even if you aren’t aware of it. Emerging from Austin, Texas in the 1960’s, before it was the absolute Mecca of North American Independent Music, the band quickly rose to prominence in the turbulent landscape of San Francisco. Holding down dates at the Filmore, the 13th floor Elevators helped to craft and define what we know today as Psychedelic Rock. Like most movements, adherence to the philosophies espoused by those at the center of the height Ashbury scene required a little give and take. In this sense, the band, and lead singer Roky Erickson, took all the LSD they could find. After all the pioneers of psychedelia, who would be massive influence on everyone from Janis Joplin to the Beach Boys had to practice what they preached. As Kevin McAlester sees it, this massive drug use, while not the supreme cause of Roky’s decent, was the point at which it all began to fall apart. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is not so much a rock biography, as a portrait of Schizophrenia. It just so happens that in this instance the man in question is not just a nameless face at the bus stop, or a haggard pan handler. He happens to be one the most influential rock musicians of the last fifty years. If anything McAlester forces us to rethink our perceptions of the men tally ill, and homeless, by giving this, decidedly ragamuffin, character a history. Filmed in 2004 and 2005, the film finds Roky living in Austin, completely removed from his music, and trapped in his psychosis. His mother is his primary caretaker who seems to indulge his neurotic whims. She has her own personal psychological demons to deal with. It’s obvious that Roky’s mom is the seat of a lot of the instability in the lives of her children. Her ramshackle abode mirrors his own. The scattered trash and clothes of their homes is a reflection of their cluttered minds. In one of the most poignant scenes of the film, Roky comes home to take a nap. He wanders from noise emitting electronic device, to noise emitting electronic device finally coming to rest in a recliner. As he places dark sunglasses over his face the hum, buzz and whine of innumerable televisions, radios and oscillators fill the air. To this cacophony he announces “Okay, I’m taking a nap now.” His mother merely slips out the front door, leaving her son without medication. Fortunately for Roky, the rest of the family does not feel the same way. While many of his siblings have led self-destructive lives in the wake of his success, Roky’s youngest brother, Sumner, has emerged from strange upbringing to be a member of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and moderately well-rounded. About halfway through, the film becomes Sumner’s story, as he attempts to wrest control of Roky from his mother. While this would seem a perfect chance to take the documentary into an exploration of a family coming apart, McAlester instead focuses on the healing that a life with Sumner can offer Roky. This is precisely the type of narrative choice that elevates this film beyond an HBO special. The film nuances the real characters of Roky, Sumner, and their mother without ever feeling like it’s openly mocking them. These are very eccentric people, all of them. There are a few instances in which you can’t help but laugh at them, but these are always of their own creation. You get a sense that the director’s camera was just lucky to catch them at these moments. One can only imagine the amount of time it took for the Erickson’s to open up to the film crew. In the film a British rock writer who is working on a biography of the band visits Roky. It’s obvious that he has been working closely with the other members of the Elevators. He fails to illicit even the tiniest bit of confidence from his subject though. Of course his time with him was brief, and McAlester must have spent months, if not years with Roky. It is this dedication to his subject that ultimately comes through in “You’re Gonna Miss Me”. The film is as deep a portrait of a tortured soul as has ever been committed to film.
]]>Wed, 11 Jun 2008 14:02:28 GMTanalogzombieanalogzombie Blog6/11/2008 10:02:28 AM The 13th Floor Elevators are one of those bands you know, even if you aren’t aware of it. Emerging from Austin, Texas in the 1960’s, before it was the absolute Mecca of North American Independent Music, the band quickly rose to prominence in the turbulent landscape of San Francisco. Holding down dates at the Filmore, the 13th floor Elevators helped to craft and define what we know today as Psychedelic Rock. Like most movements, adherence to the philosophies espoused by those at the center of the height Ashbury scene required a little give and take. In this sense, the band, and lead singer Roky Erickson, took all the LSD they could find. After all the pioneers of psychedelia, who would be massive influence on everyone from Janis Joplin to the Beach Boys had to practice what they preached. As Kevin McAlester sees it, this massive drug use, while not the supreme cause of Roky’s decent, was the point at which it all began to fall apart. “You’re Gonna Miss Me” is not so much a rock biography, as a portrait of Schizophrenia. It just so happens that in this instance the man in question is not just a nameless face at the bus stop, or a haggard pan handler. He happens to be one the most influential rock musicians of the last fifty years. If anything McAlester forces us to rethink our perceptions of the men tally ill, and homeless, by giving this, decidedly ragamuffin, character a history. Filmed in 2004 and 2005, the film finds Roky living in Austin, completely removed from his music, and trapped in his psychosis. His mother is his primary caretaker who seems to indulge his neurotic whims. She has her own personal psychological demons to deal with. It’s obvious that Roky’s mom is the seat of a lot of the instability in the lives of her children. Her ramshackle abode mirrors his own. The scattered trash and clothes of their homes is a reflection of their cluttered minds. In one of the most poignant scenes of the film, Roky comes home to take a nap. He wanders from noise emitting electronic device, to noise emitting electronic device finally coming to rest in a recliner. As he places dark sunglasses over his face the hum, buzz and whine of innumerable televisions, radios and oscillators fill the air. To this cacophony he announces “Okay, I’m taking a nap now.” His mother merely slips out the front door, leaving her son without medication. Fortunately for Roky, the rest of the family does not feel the same way. While many of his siblings have led self-destructive lives in the wake of his success, Roky’s youngest brother, Sumner, has emerged from strange upbringing to be a member of the Pittsburgh Philharmonic and moderately well-rounded. About halfway through, the film becomes Sumner’s story, as he attempts to wrest control of Roky from his mother. While this would seem a perfect chance to take the documentary into an exploration of a family coming apart, McAlester instead focuses on the healing that a life with Sumner can offer Roky. This is precisely the type of narrative choice that elevates this film beyond an HBO special. The film nuances the real characters of Roky, Sumner, and their mother without ever feeling like it’s openly mocking them. These are very eccentric people, all of them. There are a few instances in which you can’t help but laugh at them, but these are always of their own creation. You get a sense that the director’s camera was just lucky to catch them at these moments. One can only imagine the amount of time it took for the Erickson’s to open up to the film crew. In the film a British rock writer who is working on a biography of the band visits Roky. It’s obvious that he has been working closely with the other members of the Elevators. He fails to illicit even the tiniest bit of confidence from his subject though. Of course his time with him was brief, and McAlester must have spent months, if not years with Roky. It is this dedication to his subject that ultimately comes through in “You’re Gonna Miss Me”. The film is as deep a portrait of a tortured soul as has ever been committed to film. http://www.spout.com/blogs/smooth_j/archive/2008/3/12/26135.aspx Post By: Smooth_J
Post To: Smooth_J Blog
Post Date: 3/12/2008 2:05:07 PM
Body: I'm not generally a huge fan of the rock-doc genre...in fact, I'm generally don't like documentaries in general. However, I was pretty intrigued when I saw this come in the mail, considering I actually have listened to a bunch of 13th Floor Elevators songs, since I do like 60s psychadelia. However, I didn't realize how strange a story there is behind this band and its frontman. The story is tragic and interesting, but the style that the film-makers utilize is very stale and borderline boring. While you continue to be hooked to the film just to see how insane Roky Erickson really was, there is nothing that great brought to the table. The film seems to leave out large gaps of his life, and since the topic is sort of obscure, there appears to be a shortage of archival footage on the man, since you see the same tapes in bits and pieces throughout the movie. Also, as is the case with a lot of other similarly-themed documentaries, the film seems extremely exploitative and sometimes (possibly unintentionally) pokes fun at the subjects that it's chronicling.All in all, the film is a by the book documentary. There's a promising singer with a messed-up family, whose drug abuse mixed with his childhood traumas cause him to aquire schizophrenia and go insane. I feel like I've heard similar stories about a million times, and as I previously mentioned, the film-makers don't really bring on much new material to the genre. The courtroom scenes are very dormant, since it really didn't seem to be a very high-profile case, and everybody in the courtroom (even sometimes the family) seems to be bored and distant. Therefore, this was a very bad way to begin the film, and it doesn't really hook you at all. But when the movie gets going and begins to dictate Roky's early life with the 13th Floor Elevators, the movie finally hooks you. This was by far the most interesting part of the film.What the movie claims (and if true, what I did not realize) is that the 13th Floor Elevators in fact started a movement in San Francisco psychadelic music in making their sound more electric and R&B based than the folk based tunes of bands such as Grateful Dead. This aspect of the film was very alluring to me, and it was to my sister as well, who I watched it with. But the film did not seem to capitalize on this. They treated that era of Roky's life as sort of a sidenote, and focused more on his insanity and his family issues. While his insanity was a gripping and tragic thing to watch, his family issues just got annoying.That is where the film seemed exploitative. It made no distinct effort to try and make you lfeel for any of the members of Roky's family (except maybe his mom, who was in my mind the worst of them all). The film-makers basically wanted you to think that his entire family was messed up, and that, along with his extraordinary amount of drug use, caused his eventual schizophrenia. I feel like his brother in Pittsburgh (his name escapes me for the moment...) was the most heart-felt of the bunch, but I also felt like he used his brother to an extent. He was the one that seemed the most set on getting Roky back into performing, which is a very good idea, but I got the feeling that he just wasn't ready for that. All his brothers were just weird, and so was his dad. (I was really disturbed by the reference to one of the brothers being "with his father in bed.")The film also attempts to manipulate your sympathies too much. It focused a lot on Roky's mother, and her great love for him, but his insanity was partially her fault. In the accounts heard from the brothers and Roky's own son, Evelyn Erickson shut him away from the world. She tried to "protect him", but in doing so she only increased his distance from the world by isolating him to his house. And her firm belief in not using drugs was just stupid, especially after you see Roky in Pittsburgh after taking them and how much more down to earth he is.Despite all of the films flaws, there were several very interesting aspects, most prominently Roky's stint in psychadelia with the 13th Floor Elevators. The accounts of his extreme drug use (300 acid trips???) are really strange, and it's very cool to hear accounts of people who lived through that era and witnessed the entire drug culture that Roky was so engraved in. I also found it awesome how Roky once considered himself an alien, who was zapped by human beings into this human creature. It was disturbing, yet hilarious at the same time. And the mentions of his time in the asylum was cool, except there really wasn't many. It was these parts when the film was at its best.Overall, though, it was a pretty mediocre documentary. It's respectable, and the topic is great, but there just wasn't quite enough information on the parts that really should have been emphasized. But something that I just found out: Roky Erickson is back performing, and does concerts back in Austin. That's pretty uplifting, considering he's a schizoid coming out of a mental asylum.
]]>Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:05:07 GMTSmooth_JSmooth_J Blog3/12/2008 2:05:07 PMI'm not generally a huge fan of the rock-doc genre...in fact, I'm generally don't like documentaries in general. However, I was pretty intrigued when I saw this come in the mail, considering I actually have listened to a bunch of 13th Floor Elevators songs, since I do like 60s psychadelia. However, I didn't realize how strange a story there is behind this band and its frontman. The story is tragic and interesting, but the style that the film-makers utilize is very stale and borderline boring. While you continue to be hooked to the film just to see how insane Roky Erickson really was, there is nothing that great brought to the table. The film seems to leave out large gaps of his life, and since the topic is sort of obscure, there appears to be a shortage of archival footage on the man, since you see the same tapes in bits and pieces throughout the movie. Also, as is the case with a lot of other similarly-themed documentaries, the film seems extremely exploitative and sometimes (possibly unintentionally) pokes fun at the subjects that it's chronicling.All in all, the film is a by the book documentary. There's a promising singer with a messed-up family, whose drug abuse mixed with his childhood traumas cause him to aquire schizophrenia and go insane. I feel like I've heard similar stories about a million times, and as I previously mentioned, the film-makers don't really bring on much new material to the genre. The courtroom scenes are very dormant, since it really didn't seem to be a very high-profile case, and everybody in the courtroom (even sometimes the family) seems to be bored and distant. Therefore, this was a very bad way to begin the film, and it doesn't really hook you at all. But when the movie gets going and begins to dictate Roky's early life with the 13th Floor Elevators, the movie finally hooks you. This was by far the most interesting part of the film.What the movie claims (and if true, what I did not realize) is that the 13th Floor Elevators in fact started a movement in San Francisco psychadelic music in making their sound more electric and R&B based than the folk based tunes of bands such as Grateful Dead. This aspect of the film was very alluring to me, and it was to my sister as well, who I watched it with. But the film did not seem to capitalize on this. They treated that era of Roky's life as sort of a sidenote, and focused more on his insanity and his family issues. While his insanity was a gripping and tragic thing to watch, his family issues just got annoying.That is where the film seemed exploitative. It made no distinct effort to try and make you lfeel for any of the members of Roky's family (except maybe his mom, who was in my mind the worst of them all). The film-makers basically wanted you to think that his entire family was messed up, and that, along with his extraordinary amount of drug use, caused his eventual schizophrenia. I feel like his brother in Pittsburgh (his name escapes me for the moment...) was the most heart-felt of the bunch, but I also felt like he used his brother to an extent. He was the one that seemed the most set on getting Roky back into performing, which is a very good idea, but I got the feeling that he just wasn't ready for that. All his brothers were just weird, and so was his dad. (I was really disturbed by the reference to one of the brothers being "with his father in bed.")The film also attempts to manipulate your sympathies too much. It focused a lot on Roky's mother, and her great love for him, but his insanity was partially her fault. In the accounts heard from the brothers and Roky's own son, Evelyn Erickson shut him away from the world. She tried to "protect him", but in doing so she only increased his distance from the world by isolating him to his house. And her firm belief in not using drugs was just stupid, especially after you see Roky in Pittsburgh after taking them and how much more down to earth he is.Despite all of the films flaws, there were several very interesting aspects, most prominently Roky's stint in psychadelia with the 13th Floor Elevators. The accounts of his extreme drug use (300 acid trips???) are really strange, and it's very cool to hear accounts of people who lived through that era and witnessed the entire drug culture that Roky was so engraved in. I also found it awesome how Roky once considered himself an alien, who was zapped by human beings into this human creature. It was disturbing, yet hilarious at the same time. And the mentions of his time in the asylum was cool, except there really wasn't many. It was these parts when the film was at its best.Overall, though, it was a pretty mediocre documentary. It's respectable, and the topic is great, but there just wasn't quite enough information on the parts that really should have been emphasized. But something that I just found out: Roky Erickson is back performing, and does concerts back in Austin. That's pretty uplifting, considering he's a schizoid coming out of a mental asylum. http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2007/12/21/23069.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 12/21/2007 4:15:36 PM
Body: We love artists when they’re tortured, to the point that they’ve become an archetype in cinema. You’re Gonna Miss Me, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and In the Realms of the Unreal take us to a favorite vacation spot: The murky swamp between madness and brilliance. Download FilmCouch #26 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul
]]>Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:15:36 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com12/21/2007 4:15:36 PMWe love artists when they’re tortured, to the point that they’ve become an archetype in cinema. You’re Gonna Miss Me, The Devil and Daniel Johnston and In the Realms of the Unreal take us to a favorite vacation spot: The murky swamp between madness and brilliance. Download FilmCouch #26 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Join the FilmCouch group Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Loved-It/MemberTagFilms.aspxLoved-It
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