nwFilmCenter

Reel Music 26

Welcome to our 26th annual celebration of music and film. There is something for everyone here, whether your passion is jazz, rock, reggae, bluegrass or nerdcore—or perhaps the myriad ways in which sound and image, music and culture, intersect to reflect human experience. We hope you find this mixture of new and old, familiar and strange, full of inspiration and discovery. Our special thanks go to WILLAMETTE WEEK and MUSIC MILLENNIUM for helping us make it all happen. Enjoy.

	MILES DAVIS IN COPENHAGEN DENMARK Davis and incredible bandmates Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJonette run the voodoo down in vintage performances of "Agitation," "I Fall In Love Too Easily," "Sanctuary," "It's About Time," and "Bitches Brew." ( 55 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 7 PM Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 9 PM	ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL DIRECTOR: SACHA GERVASI CANADA At 14, Toronto school friends Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner made a pact to rock together forever. They called their band Anvil, and went on to become the "demigods of Canadian metal," releasing one of the seminal albums of metal history in 1982: "Metal on Metal." The album influenced a musical generation, including Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. But Anvil's career took a different path—straight to obscurity. Gervasi has concocted a wonderful and often hilarious account of Anvil's last-ditch quest for elusive fame and fortune. "Yes, they do have an actual '11' setting on the volume knob. However, their stamina, even while hanging onto their day jobs, makes Anvil the real deal, and this the rock doc of the year."—Sean Farnel, Hot Docs. ( 85 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Jan 9, 2009 at 9 PM Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 7 PM	BOB MARLEY—EXODUS '77 DIRECTOR: ANTHONY WALL GREAT BRITAIN Drawing on a mind-boggling wealth of news and television archives from 1977, mixing in Marley's music and words, director Wall (THE BRIAN EPSTEIN STORY, ONE IRISH ROVER) magically evokes a pivotal year in the life of this great artist. Time Magazine voted "Exodus"—which took reggae and the message of Rastafarian culture to audiences world-wide—Album of the Century that year, and Marley took up residence in London after an attempt on his life in Jamaica. He exploded with a creativity and force that made his true peers Che Guevara and Nelson Mandela, just as much as Bob Dylan and the Beatles. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 4 PM	GLASS: A PORTRAIT OF PHILIP IN TWELVE PARTS DIRECTOR: SCOTT HICKS AUSTRALIA/US "I've been called a minimalist composer for more than 30 years, and while I've never really agreed with the description, I've gotten used to it."—Philip Glass. One of the most influential composers of his time, Philip Glass is widely credited with bringing art music to the masses. The film follows Glass across three continents: from the Coney Island Cyclone roller coaster, to an opera premiere in Germany, to a performance with a didgeridoo virtuoso in Australia. Hicks explores his creative process in opera, concert, and film (Errol Morris, Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese are among the interviewees), and offers a uniquely intimate view of an inquisitive and deeply spiritual man. ( 119 min ) Sponsored by Third Angle New Music Ensemble. ^ Top
Sun, Jan 11, 2009 at 7 PM	SWEET LADY WITH THE NASTY VOICE DIRECTOR: VINCENT KRALYEVICH, JOANNE FISH US In the 1950s, Wanda Jackson kicked the door open for women in rock 'n' roll, and empowered female rockers to be in control, to be sexy, and to write their own songs. The film takes the audience from the beginning of Jackson's career at age 16 to the present day: Jackson, at 70, still tours nightly. SWEET LADY features never-before-seen footage of Jackson's concerts with rock icons Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Among those interviewed are Elvis Costello, Patti Scialfa, Bruce Springsteen, Lemmy, Slim Jim Phantom (The Stray Cats) and her mentor, the late Hank Thompson. ( 80 min ) ^ Top
Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 7 PM Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 9 PM	THE UPSETTER: THE LIFE & MUSIC OF LEE "SCRATCH" PERRY DIRECTOR: ETHAN HIGBEE AND ADAM BHALA LOUGH US Some people call Lee "Scratch" Perry a prophet; others claim he's a madman. Seeing him in the opening scenes—spinning in circles in his plaid shorts and oversized sunglasses, spouting the praises of Jah Rastafari—you could conclude he's a little bit of both. Kicking off in rural Jamaica, UPSETTER looks into Perry's youth before segueing to the days of his musical peak in Kingston, where he mentored a young Bob Marley, shaped the reggae sound as we know it today, pioneered a new genre called "dub" and invented what would become "the remix." A valuable document of music culture and a unique character study of a man once called "the Salvador Dali of Reggae," UPSETTER bears witness to the frenzied life of a legend. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 9 PM	CHRISTMAS ON MARS DIRECTOR: WAYNE COYNE, BRAD BEESLEY, GEORGE SALISBURY US Seven years in the making, this wild science fiction extravaganza features original music by psychedelic rock band The Flaming Lips and performances by all the band's members. It's Christmastime, and the colonization of Mars is underway. When an oxygen generator and a gravity control pod malfunction, Major Syrtis (Steven Drozd) and his team (including Michael Ivins) fear the worst. Meanwhile, a compassionate alien superbeing (frontman Wayne Coyne) arrives, inspiring and helping the isolated astronauts. ( 82 min ) Sponsored by KPSU, Portland's College Radio. ^ Top
Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 7 PM	THROW DOWN YOUR HEART DIRECTOR: SASCHA PALADINO US THROW DOWN YOUR HEART follows Nashville banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little-known African roots of the banjo and record an album. Fleck's boundary-breaking musical adventure takes him to Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali, and provides a glimpse of the beauty and complexity of Africa. Using his banjo, Fleck transcends barriers of language and culture, finding common ground and forging connections with a dizzying array of musicians who vary in skill and prestige, from superstars like the Malian diva Oumou Sangare, to humble families that make and play their own makeshift banjos, to a musician who has mastered a 12-foot xylophone. ( 97 min ) ^ Top
Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 9 PM	PATTI SMITH: DREAM OF LIFE DIRECTOR: STEVEN SEBRING US Forty years ago Patti Smith got on a bus headed for New York City, leaving behind her family and New Jersey home. Obsessed with late 19th-century symbolist poets Arthur Rimbaud and William Blake, and ignited by late 20th-century beat and counterculture, she burned with a dream of finding her own muse. Nearly twelve years in the making, Sebring's film captures the artist's passionate search through the decades, as she enjoyed critical acclaim for her music, struggled as a mother and housewife in suburban Detroit, and reemerged as a political activist illuminated by loss and hope. With Sam Shepard, Philip Glass, Tom Verlaine, Flea. ( 109 min ) Sponsored by Bart Day / Entertainment Law West, LLC. ^ Top
Fri, Jan 16, 2009 at 7 PM	BIG TIME DIRECTOR: CHRIS BLUM US Drawing from his early albums "Swordfishtrombones," "Frank's Wild Years," and "Rain Dogs," this surreal musical cabaret/concert film is a must-see for confirmed Tom Waits fans and a charming dinner party of an introduction for new ones. Shifting through his many styles—vaudeville, burlesque, minstrel man, lounge performer, soulful balladeer—and a series of dream sequences revolving around Frank, a troubled man on the run who has finally settled down as the caretaker of an old theater, Waits fashions what ROLLING STONE called "the best concert film of its time." ( 88 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 7 PM	ONE IRISH ROVER DIRECTOR: ANTHONY WALL GREAT BRITAIN Blues, jazz, country music, rock and Irish folk have all played a part in creating Van Morrison's unique body of music. Produced by the BBC, Wall's film captures the music and magic of Morrison in action during a particularly rich point in his career. Among the highlights: jamming with Bob Dylan in Athens, playing harmonica with John Lee Hooker on the banks of a Louisiana bayou, leading the Danish Radio Big Band, singing with the traditional Irish band the Chieftains, and performing in London with 60s R&B legend Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 17, 2009 at 9 PM	THE GITS DIRECTOR: KERRI O'KANE US With an innovative sound that coupled hardcore punk with heartfelt blues, the Seattle band The Gits was poised to break into the mainstream. But dreams of success such as their contemporaries Nirvana and Pearl Jam enjoyed were dashed in July of 1993, when singer and guiding light Mia Zapata was mysteriously murdered. When director Kerri O'Kane began shooting THE GITS, her debut feature, the crime was unsolved. But fans, friends, and musicians like Joan Jett and Nirvana helped raise money to reopen what had become a cold case file, and Mia's killer was brought to justice as the cameras rolled. "If you never saw The Gits perform live, the film offers a glimpse into a world that is now Seattle legend."—Seattle Post-Intelligencer. ( 82 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 4 PM	BLUE NOTE: A STORY OF MODERN JAZZ DIRECTOR: JULIAN BENEDIKT GERMANY Alfred Lyon and Francis Wolfe, jazz fans from Germany who came to New York to escape Nazism, founded one of the great jazz record labels, Blue Note, in 1939. In the 1950s the company came into its own, documenting the rich currents of modern jazz and creating a legacy of recordings central to its history. Blue Note recordings of Charlie Parker, Bud Powell, Thelonius Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Horace Silver, Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock and many others are at the core of any serious jazz record collection. Benedikt's film is a fitting homage to a company that remains in the vanguard today. Blue Note will be celebrated by this year's Portland Jazz Festival, February 14-22, with performances by McCoy Tyner, Jason Moran, Diane Reeves, Cassandra Wilson and many more of its current stars. ( 120 min ) Join us for a Q & A after the screening with Jazz Festival director Bill Royston, Darrell Grant, Wayne Thompson and Luciana Lopez. Sponsored by KMHD, Celebrating 25 years of jazz, blues and more. ^ Top
Sun, Jan 18, 2009 at 7 PM	JOHNNY CASH'S AMERICA DIRECTOR: MORGAN NEVILLE, ROBERT GORDON US Johnny Cash's America was not red, white or blue, but the black he wore proudly. Cash navigated some of the most contentious issues of our time—war, prison reform, youth discontent, Native American rights—while battling alcohol and drug abuse and struggling with his Christian convictions. Neville and Gordon (RESPECT YOURSELF: THE STAX RECORDS STORY; MUDDY WATERS CAN'T BE SATISFIED) tie together Cash's politics, beliefs, influence and patriotism to explore how personal and political events shaped him and his music. Rich with vintage clips from all phases of his career, JOHNNY CASH'S AMERICA provides a fascinating view of our country that is particularly relevant today, on the eve of a historic political transition. ( 88 min ) ^ Top
Mon, Jan 19, 2009 at 7 PM	THE NIGHT JAMES BROWN SAVED BOSTON DIRECTOR: DAVID LEAF US The night after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King in April 1968, while America's inner cities burst into flames, James Brown was scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden. What happened there changed him forever. Leaf's film offers an amazing look at a heroic moment in James Brown's life as a performer, a public figure, and a man. THE NIGHT JAMES BROWN SAVED BOSTON reveals the swirl of events sweeping the nation, and explores how Brown, already a legend, became to music what King was to civil rights. ( 75 min ) Sponsored by KBOO Community Radio. ^ Top
Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 7 PM	THE PLANETS BY GUSTAV HOLST DIRECTOR: KEN RUSSELL GREAT BRITAIN THE PLANETS is different from the dramatized documentary profiles for which Russell is famous. Using only found-footage, news film, and documentary clips, Russell paints cinematic portraits of six planets in our solar system, scored with the celebrated orchestral suite by Gustav Holst (1874-1934). For Mars, Bringer of War, Russell weaves a spellbinding anthology of red and black flames, industrial mills, volcanoes, and the majestic repetitive patterns found in Nazi party rallies; Venus, Bringer of Peace, is a cooler and intensely erotic sequence, combining shots of bathers, the ocean, and the sinuous curves of Saharan sand dunes. Russell's eye and ear for patterns and movement make his portraits of Neptune, Saturn, Mercury, and Uranus compelling and varied cinematic tributes to the power of music. ( 52 min ) Sponsored by All Classical FM. Double feature with THE SILENCE BEFORE BACH Double features cost an additional $2 to stay for both films. To purchase an advanced ticket for the double feature, be sure to select the DOUBLE FEATURE rather than the single ticket. ^ Top
Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 8 PM	THE SILENCE BEFORE BACH DIRECTOR: PERE PORTABELLA SPAIN Through a series of vignettes, Portabella uses the works of J.S. Bach to look at the deep relationship between image and music throughout the centuries. In one scene of this provocative narrative-free mÉlange, a player piano plunks out the "Goldberg Variations" while moving itself around an empty loft; in another, Felix Mendelssohn rediscovers the manuscript of the "St. Matthew Passion" wrapped around meat at a market. A wildly unconventional film for the Bach lover. "A mysterious, magnificent blend of drama, documentary, and quasi-surrealist whimsy."—The New Yorker. ( 102 min ) Sponsored by All Classical FM. Double feature with THE PLANETS BY GUSTAV HOLST Double features cost an additional $2 to stay for both films. To purchase an advanced ticket for the double feature, be sure to select the DOUBLE FEATURE rather than the single ticket. ^ Top
Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 7 PM Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 2 PM	FILMUSIK: THE SUPERMAN ORCHESTRA LIVE MUSIC EVENT In the 1940s, during the Golden Age of animation, Max and Dave Fleischer created their classic Superman Cartoons, which remain some of the best animated films ever created. Whether you are an animation fan, a devotee of the Man of Steel, or a live music lover, you won't want to miss this special performance. Portland's 11-piece Superman Orchestra, along with three voice actors, performs new scores by seven composers written to accompany some of the best of these vintage treasures. A special treat for all ages. ( 75 min ) Special Admission: $14 general, $10 Silver Screen members and students. ^ Top
Fri, Jan 23, 2009 at 9 PM	MARTINO UNSTRUNG DIRECTOR: IAN KNOX GREAT BRITAIN In 1980, the legendary jazz guitarist Pat Martino was silenced by brain surgery. A fascinating tale of music and memory, MARTINO UNSTRUNG chronicles Martino's amazing ascent from the depths of amnesia to the peak of artistry once more. Narrated by neuropsychologist and author Paul Broks, Knox's film explores the nature of memory, creativity, and the physical aspect of personal identity as it tracks the struggles of this great jazz artist. Interviews with musicians Delmar Brown, Red Holloway, John Patitucci, Les Paul, Carlos Santana, Pete Townshend, and others shed light on the impact of Martino's music. "Perhaps the finest documentary about a jazz musician ever made."—Vic Schermer, All About Jazz. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 7 PM	THE WRECKING CREW DIRECTOR: DENNY TEDESCO US They performed on more #1 singles than the Beatles. They were one of rock and roll's most legendary bands, but you've probably never heard their name: the Wrecking Crew. You heard them play the hot licks and tight backgrounds on hits by everyone from the Beach Boys, Righteous Brothers, the Mamas and the Papas, and the Monkees to Frank (and Nancy) Sinatra, Herb Alpert, Sonny and Cher, and many more. They WERE Phil Spector's Wall of Sound. Hal Blaine, Carole Kaye, Tommy Tedesco, Glen Campbell, Earl Palmer, Plas Johnson, and Al Casey were among the studio session players in L.A. who were called upon to provide what was beyond the skills of the public band members. With Brian Wilson, Cher, Nancy Sinatra, Mickey Dolenz, Herb Alpert, Lou Adler, Dick Clark, Jimmy Webb, Roger McGuinn, and many others, plus great photographs and footage of the Crew in action. ( 95 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 24, 2009 at 9 PM	NERDCORE RISING DIRECTOR: NEGIN FARSAD, KIM GATEWOOD US Farsad and Gatewood follow the godfather of nerdcore hip hop, MC Frontalot, on his first national tour. Masses of fans across the country come out to bask in his geek glory. Beginning in South Carolina and culminating in the nerd mecca—the Penny Arcade Gaming Convention in Seattle—NERDCORE RISING casts a benevolent spotlight on Frontalot fanatics, who are the real stars of this film. They are hackers and gamers, bloggers and podcasters, they play World of Warcraft, virtually live in Second Life, and, of course, they love nerdcore hip-hop. In short, they are hardcore nerds, and together, they illustrate the funny, fascinating, and unapologetically uncool cultural phenomenon that is nerdcore. ( 80 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 5 PM	BLUEGRASS COUNTRY SOUL DIRECTOR: ALBERT IHDE US Over Labor Day weekend in 1971, Ihde shot the first feature documentary ever made about bluegrass music at the Camp Springs Festival in North Carolina. The three-day parade of veterans and future stars included Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mountain Boys, then-teenagers Ricky Skaggs and Keith Whitley, the Bluegrass 45, the Bluegrass Alliance, J.D. Crowe, Fiddler Chubby Wise, Earl Scruggs, Roy Acuff and many more. ( 90 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Jan 25, 2009 at 7 PM	SONG SUNG BLUE DIRECTOR: GREG KOHS US Song sung blue...everybody knows one. Kohs' whimsical film tells the alternately inspiring and tragic love story of Lightning & Thunder, a homegrown Milwaukee duo who pay tribute to the music of Neil Diamond. Husband and wife Michael and Claire Sardina more or less shared a stage with Pearl Jam, and almost became world-class rock stars in their Milwaukee hometown. But true fame eluded them throughout their 20-year career. SONG SUNG BLUE takes a tragi-comic look at the delusion of celebrity and the blinding appeal of the American Dream. Winner of both the Best Documentary and the Audience Award at the Slamdance Film Festival. "Dysfunction and delusion run rife through a stranger-than-fiction saga that starts out kitschily amusing, then finds drama and pathos in its subjects' rather hapless progress."—Variety. ( 87 min ) ^ Top
Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 7 PM	THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY DIRECTOR: SERGIO LEONE ITALY/SPAIN Ennio Morricone's glorious score is as iconic as the title triumvirate—Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Eli Wallach—double-crossing rivals united in a Civil War-era odyssey for a treasure of gold. Restored to its original Italian running time, and remastered in stereo, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY remains one of the most entertaining adventure movies ever conceived. "Morricone and Leone are the greatest entwining of composer and director in the history of cinema."—Quentin Tarantino. ( 180 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 7 PM	ON THE RUMBA RIVER DIRECTOR: JACQUES SARASIN FRANCE Brimming with music and dance, ON THE RUMBA looks at the life and times of beloved Congolese musician Wendo Kolosoy. Throughout a career that spans decades, Papa Wendo has weathered personal hardship as well as economic and political upheaval in Congo, and has faced it all with a combination of determination, humor, and, of course, music. Sarasin's touching and lively film—almost a Congolese BUENA VISTA SOCIAL CLUB—captures Papa Wendo's latest reunion with his band, the Victoria Bakolo Miziki Players, as they gather to play the transcendent music that has come to embody the spirit of the Congolese people. ( 82 min ) ^ Top
Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 9 PM	DON ELLIS: ELECTRIC HEART DIRECTOR: JOHN VIZZUSI US Innovative jazz composer, arranger, and trumpeter Don Ellis continually ventured into new musical horizons, often to the detriment of his career. Ellis experimented with unusual time signatures, electronics, and elements of rock, classical and world music. Yet despite his stellar recordings with legendary Columbia producer John Hammond, his performances with the Grateful Dead and Big Brother and the Holding Company, and his score for THE FRENCH CONNECTION, Ellis remains largely forgotten today. ELECTRIC HEART rediscovers his music and tells his story with rare performance footage and interviews with musical giants, such as bandleader Maynard Ferguson and composer Gunther Schuller. ( 73 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 7 PM	ONE MAN IN THE BAND DIRECTOR: ADAM CLITHEROE UNITED KINGDOM Call them one-man bands, showmen, eccentrics or loners. But whatever you do, don't call them buskers. Clitheroe's film is a funny and moving portrait of contemporary musicians who play as one-person bands. Thomas Truax duets with homemade instruments including the "Hornicator," "Stringaling" and "Sister Spinster." Gulf War veteran Man from Uranus plays avant-garde space rock while wearing Wellington boots on his hands. The drummer Duracell wires his drums to sing, and Ninki V uses a skeleton marionette to play her theremin. Whatever their musical style, these solo performers produce noise and spectacle worthy of a whole band, but at a fraction of the budget, luggage, and infighting. ( 83 min ) ^ Top
Sat, Jan 31, 2009 at 9 PM	AGILE, MOBILE, HOSTILE: A YEAR WITH ANDRE WILLIAMS DIRECTOR: ERIC MATTHIES, TRICIA TODD US Known as "Mr. Rhythm," Chicagoan Andre Williams has recorded hit records ("Bacon Fat"), written hit songs ("Shake a Tail Feather"), and worked with such legends of the industry as Berry Gordy, Ike Turner, and Stevie Wonder. But throughout his 72 years, Andre has also struggled with addiction, poverty, homelessness, and crime. The film follows the alternately charming and maddening Williams on a fascinating, funny, and distressing journey. He declares to the filmmakers: "I'm going to show you the right way, because I've gone so many wrong ways"—but as he moves from gig to gig, the mercurial singer all too often succumbs to temptation, risking dire consequences. ( 86 min ) ^ Top
Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 4 PM	JAZZ RARITIES: JAZZ IN THE PIAZZA DIRECTOR: PINO ADRIANO ITALY Filmed at the Umbria Jazz Festival in Perugia, this rare time capsule features performances and interviews with the Horace Silver Quintet, the Charles Mingus Band (with Danny Richmond), Gerry Mulligan, the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, the Sonny Stitt Quintet, Keith Jarrett, Marian McPartland, Anthony Braxton (with Dave Holland and Sam Rivers), and the Perugia Big Band. Plus some local Italian ambience. ( 60 min ) Sponsored by KMHD, Celebrating 25 years of jazz, blues and more. ^ Top
Sun, Feb 1, 2009 at 6:30 PM	ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST DIRECTOR: SERGIO LEONE ITALY Topping the success of THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY, Leone and composer Ennio Morricone reached new operatic heights in ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST. Revenge-bent Charles Bronson stalks kid-blasting villain Henry Fonda with the aid of good-bad-man Jason Robards, as the railroad marches relentlessly westward through the land of hooker-turned-earth-mother Claudia Cardinale. ONCE UPON A TIME features one of Morricone's greatest scores, which was written before shooting began: Leone choreographed the actors' movements to the playback. "There is nothing like it. As coaxed and teased by Morricone's twanging melange of slowed-down Neapolitan street songs, ye-ye, choral requiems, and Ventures guitar licks, the film is constantly readjusting its thermostat."—J. Hoberman, Village Voice. ( 165 min ) ^ Top