Music

NXNE film review round-up

by Allan Tong

Along with the usual roster of local and international musical heavyweights, NXNE has been expanding their film offerings over the last few years, growing into a respected destination for new documentaries alongside screenings of classic concert films and influential music-themes flicks. Beginning June 11, the festival’s 40-film program kicks into high gear, running until June 17 at the NFB Mediatheque, Royal Cinema, and Toronto Underground Cinema. Here’s our round-up of some of NXNE’s most notable new movies.

Happily Dysfunctional: The Story of Transistor 66 Records (Director: Steve Ward) Indie labels are the unsung heroes of the music biz, so it’s a pleasure to catch a decently made film about one — Art MacIntyre owns Winnipeg’s Transisistor 66 Records, which has attracted a wide range of underground artists over the decade, spanning everything from American roots to surf punk. This 30-minute film includes performances and interviews with Joanne Rodriguez, Scott Nolan and the Vibrating Beds. All speak about MacIntyre with affection, while he himself briefly mentions his early financial struggles to keep T66 afloat. Altogether the portrait of T66 is sunny, but aren’t there other sides to explore? (Screening: National Film Board, Monday, June 11 @ 8:00 PM)

Dan’s Chelsea Guitars: A Neighborhood Music Store For The Whole World (Director: Daniel Ferry) This 30-minute homage honours Dan, who ran the a small musical instrument shop huddled within the same building as the infamous Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. You’d expect stories of famous musicians such as Hendrix and Sid Vicious walking in, but instead you hear affectionate tales from longtime customers and local players. Nothing wrong with that, but what makes Dan’s shop so special? The film doesn’t answer that, and doesn’t get rolling until halfway when Dan starts tearing the store down and putting everything in storage. Some re-editing would have uncovered the poignancy in Dan’s story. (Screening: National Film Board, Tuesday, June 12 @ 4:00 PM)

Embracing Voices: The Woman Behind The Music Of Jane Bunnett (Director: Elisa Paloschi) Jane Bunnett is celebrated for her Cuban jazz, and this film follows her from Havana to Banff where she records a new album. The process begins in Ontario’s cottage country where Bunnett struggles to compose, but the film truly takes off when she journeys to Havana to rehearse with Afro-Cuban artists Desandann. All along she battles her record company for an advance. Because the film is told entirely from Bunnett’s point of view, an opportunity is missed in not talking to Dedandann, who leave tropical Cuba and travel to snowy Canada to record the album. The stakes are never high in Embracing Voices, but it does show the creative process of a key artist. (Screening: Royal Cinema, Wednesday, June 13 @ 7:00 PM)

Down: Indie Rock In The PRC (Director: Andrew Field) Down offers a rare glimpse of the rock scene in China, interviewing Subs, a hardcore band; the Dylan-esque PK-14; Carsick Cars (who once opened for Sonic Youth); and Cui Jian, the godfather of Chinese rock whose protest songs have gotten him blacklisted in this authoritarian country. This film excels when the musicians talk about alienation from their own families within a hyper-materialist society, but strangely Down shies away from issues of censorship. Director Field is passionate about his subjects, but smothers the film with intrusive narration. Still worth watching. (Screening: National Film Board, Thursday, June 14 @ 12:30 PM)

Så Jävla Metal – The History Of Swedish Hard Rock And Heavy Metal (Director: Yasin Hillborg) For some reason, Sweden loves heavy metal. Though it never really explains why, Så Jävla Metal presents an exhaustive history of Swedish headbanging rock from the Hendrix-inspired ’60s through the hairband ’80s and death metal ’90s. Told chronologically, the film gathers interviews with dozens of Swedish metalheads and uncovers a wealth of vintage video clips of these bands in their younger days: November, Neon Rose, Europe, Entombed, and especially guitar god Yngwie Malmsteen. If you love it heavy and Swedish, this is your flick. (Screening: Toronto Underground Cinema, Friday, June 15 @ 3:00 PM)

My Father and The Man In Black (Director: Jonathan Holiff) Johnny Cash and his manager, Canadian Saul Holiff, had a stormy relationship that endured Johnny’s rise to country superstardom, arrests, substance abuse and born-again Christianity. Cash was the temperamental star and Holiff his reliable businessman. Holiff also had a difficult relationship with his son, Jonathan. Saul was cold, demanding and distant with his children. My Father and The Man In Black is two films, really: a Cash biodoc and a personal essay about a dysfunctional father and son. Though it’s entertaining overall, at times you don’t know which story this film is telling. (Screening: Toronto Underground Cinema, Friday, June 15 @ 7:00 PM)

Once In A Lullaby: The PS22 Chorus Story (Director: Jonathan Kalafer) First, the YouTube videos of a chorus from a Staten Island school went viral, then Anne Hathaway invited them to sing “Somewhere Over The Rainbow” at the 2011 Oscars. This 85-minute film follows these grade 5 students from New York to Hollywood. Unfortunately, little happens during their journey to keep us interested. Apart from homesickness and a bout of schoolyard fighting, the kids risk nothing in singing and they learn little about their craft. Basically, there’s nothing special in the individual stories of these children and the trip to L.A. No surprises. This is a feel-good movie lacking revelation and running far too long. (Screening: National Film Board, Saturday, June 16 @ 1:00 PM)

Jobriath AD (Director: Kieran Turner) He was too effeminate for gay culture in the 70s, and too gay for mainstream audiences even in the glam era. Such was the fate of Jobriath, the first openly queer rock star. Jobriath was an all-American boy who graduated from the stages of Hair in the late-60s to launch a rock career when straight rock stars like David Bowie were embracing homosexuality, at least on the surface. Jobriath AD does a superb job in tracing his rise and fall, largely told through vintage video and interviews with his controversial ex-manager, family, friends and musicians such as Joe Elliott of Def Leppard, whom Jobriath influenced. One of the best films at NXNE. (Screening: National Film Board, Saturday, June 16 @ 5:00 PM)

Slaughter Nick For President (Direcors: Liza Vespi, Rob Stewart and Marc Vespi) Slaughter Nick isn’t a punk band, but the main character in a 90s’ beach-action TV series called Tropical Heat starring Rob Stewart. Stewart returns to Canada after a career in Hollywood and discovers, through Facebook, that he has developed a cult following in, of all places, Serbia. Stewart ventures over and discovers Slaughtermania: airport mobs, TV endorsements, media interviews, autograph hounds. He even performs with a Serbian punk band who write a song for him (which is the film’s tenuous link to music). Stewart learns how his character was a symbol of freedom to students protesting against dictator Slobodan Milosevic. Sorry, but that’s a stretch and a little self-serving. Though Stewart’s journey is delightfully bizarre, the film’s treatment of Serbian history is shallow at times. (Screening: National Film Board, Saturday, June 16 @ 7:00 PM)