#2023 IFFboston

[greensparty]

2023 IFFBoston Wrap-Up

From April 26 to May 3, I got to enjoy my favorite film festival in Boston, in Massachusetts and possibly the world is Independent Film Festival Boston (read my coverage here). I have a special place for this festival: in 2014 my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at the festival, and in 2015 I was on the Documentary Jury. Here is my lightning-round of this year’s fest:

Wed. 4/26:

Brooklyn Sudano’s intro at IFFBoston

Opening Night Film was the documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer. Co-director Brooklyn Sudano (daughter of Donna Summer) did an intro and post-screening Q&A. The doc premieres on HBO this month. This is a solid doc about a pop icon. Some parts make you want to dance, not just the music in the doc, but the pacing and editing make you want to tap your feet. But then the doc brings it down a notch for some of the more serious aspect of Summer’s life. 

Thurs. 4/27:

I caught the low-budget quirky indie comedy Free Time. A young NYC Gen Zer decides to quit his job, not be confined to his job and enjoy his 20s - but then realizes he might’ve made a mistake. There were some inspired laughs and definitely things New Yorkers will identify with, but overall I felt like this was a short film that got stretched into a feature.

Fri. 4/28:

Penny Lane (left) doing a Q&A at IFFBoston

Penny Lane has made some great docs in the past: Nuts! was one of my 10 Best Documentaries of 2016, Hail Satan! was one of the highlights of the 2019 Boston Underground Film Festival, and Listening to Kenny G. was really good too! Now she has turned the camera onto herself as she donates a kidney in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. Penny is both the subject and the documentarian as she decides she wants to donate a kidney to a stranger and not only does she document her own journey to this procedure but she speaks to experts in altruism and organ donation. It looks at a lot of different layers and important questions this asks. It was highly thought provoking and nothing but respect for Penny in turning the camera onto herself in this deeply personal experience.

Sat. 4/29:

The Dogmatics and crew at IFFBoston

When I was making my V66 documentary a few years back, I interviewed members of Boston garage rockers The Dogmatics because they were popular on the 80s music video TV channel V66. Skip ahead to 2019, I had heard about a documentary being made about The Dogmatics, so I reached out to director Rudy Childs and producer Jada Maxwell. We met up, talked shop and I stayed in touch with them about the project over the years. A few months ago I was lucky enough to see an early screener of The Dogmatics: A Dogumentary and I am proud to be a Consulting Producer. Even though I saw a screener months ago, I liked it better watching it with an audience. This is very much an audience movie!

Sun. 4/30:

Dave Lindorff (left) at IFFBoston

One of my favorite documentarians Steve James (Hoop Dreams is one of the greatest docs ever and I was a big fan of his docs Life Itself and Abacus: Small Enough to Jail) returns with A Compassionate Spy about controversial Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall. I didn’t know much about him before this doc, but it was truly fascinating. Many of his docs are him following the subject as their story is happening. Here it is more of a traditional documentary with archival footage, modern day interviews with Hall’s widow and re-enactments. Following the doc was a Q&A with producer Dave Lindorff. 

Dave Habeeb at IFFBoston

Later on I went to Somerville Theatre to see the doc (big year for docs at IFFBoston!!!) Beautiful Was the Fight about several Boston female musicians and their struggles in the music community. I didn’t know some of the musicians featured here, but I was really intrigued by it. Structurally this is different from a lot of Boston music docs, but it made a point about not just sexism, but also Boston as a music city without much industry representation, making it in the music world in the digital age and a larger question of what qualifies success. Director Dave Habeeb (a graduate of Fitchburg State, my alma mater!) did a Q&A afterwards!

Mon. 5/1:

When Mary Tyler Moore died in 2017, much of her legacy that was memorialized was The Mary Tyler Moore, one of my favorites. To this day the “Chuckles Bites the Dust” episode is one of the greatest episodes in sitcom history! But she left behind such a body of work in TV, theater and film, as well as philanthropy. In the doc Being Mary Tyler Moore, she gets the documentary treatment she deserves. I wasn’t too familiar with her background, but her comedic skills on The Dick Van Dyke Show and her own show were actually matched by her dramatic skills as well in such films as Ordinary People. Watch for this when it’s on HBO.

Tues. 5/2:

I went to see the upcoming HBO doc Time Bomb Y2K, which was produced by Penny Lane, whose doc Confessions of a Good Samaritan I saw on Friday. In the mid-late 90s there was tons of concern about the Y2K bug of computers not being able to understand the year 00 and how they could cause mass chaos for everything connected to computers, i.e. banks, public transportation, utilities...pretty much everything. Was the world going to end on Jan. 1, 2000? This doc is made up entirely of archival footage showing the countdown from 1995 to the year 2000. I dug this because even though it was a legit concern, from the standpoint of 2023, looking at a time before the terrible things we’ve faced since, Y2K hysteria seems tame by contrast.

I also caught the Shorts Gloucester Documentary shorts program. I went because my friend James Rutenbeck (who has had docs at IFFBoston in the past), had a short doc Nixon’s Reversal that was in the program. It looked back with both scholars and archival footage at a brief moment when President Nixon supported a policy that would guarantee American families basic income. This is a piece of history I didn’t know about and was intrigued by. That Nixon of all people was on board with this was mind-boggling. Hats off for the archival footage too.

Wed. 5/3:

Celine Song at IFFBoston

Closing Night with Past Lives. I’d been hearing a lot of great things about this in recent months and honestly, it was my favorite movie of this year’s IFFBoston. It shows Nora and Hae Sung, a girl and boy in Seoul. Their budding romance ends when her family moves to Canada. Twelve years later, they re-connect on social media and begin talking while she’s a student in NYC and he’s a student in Korea. Then twelve years later they reconnect again when he visits NYC, this time Nora is now married. I really got into the way the story was told over the course of 24 years and how people change, evolve, process and move on. Director Celine Song did and intro and then did a Q&A with festival director Brian Tamm. A24 is releasing this in June - go see it!

Cheryl, Rudi and me at IFFBoston after-party

Afterwards, I went to a wrap party, where I got my picture taken with Cheryl Eagan-Donovan (director of All Kindsa Girls, the doc about The Real Kids), Rudy Childs (director The Dogmatics: A Dogumentary), and me (director of Life on the V: The Story of V66 about V66)! Three Boston music documentarians walk into a bar....

It was another great IFFBoston and now I need a nap from all of the films and activity I did in that 8 day period!

For info on IFFBoston: https://iffboston.org/

[gbhbl]

Music Documentary 'Beautiful Was The Fight' Set For Boston Screening!

Beautiful Was The Fight, the latest documentary by filmmaker Dave Habeeb is set to screen at the Omni Theatre inside The Museum Of Science on May 22nd.

Beautiful Was The Fight, the latest documentary by filmmaker Dave Habeeb is set to screen at the Omni Theatre inside The Museum Of Science on May 22nd. The film, which has been enjoying a festival run in the US, and has picked up a number of awards, including the 2023 Telly Silver Award for Cinematography, Editing, and Documentary Feature (Long Form) and was an Official Selection at IFFBoston…

[greensparty]

Stuff I’m Looking Forward to in May

It is now one of my favorite months of the year! In addition to it being Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (May 1-31), Cinco de Mayo (May 5), Mother’s Day (May 14), and Memorial Day (May 29), here is what’s on my radar this month:

Movies:

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

I’ve really enjoyed the GOTG movies and now they are back with Vol. 3! Opens 5/5!

Hypnotic  

Ben Affleck (who is on a roll after Air) stars in a new action thriller from Robert Rodriguez. Opens 5/12.

Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie  

Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) has made a doc about one of the most well-liked actors of the last 40 years, Michael J. Fox. I’ve been a fan since Family Ties and Back to the Future and I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about this since it’s Sundance premiere. Opens on 5/12 and Apple TV+.

Master Gardener

Legendary writer/director Paul Schrader has been on a roll in recent years with First Reformed and the highly underrated The Card Counter (my #5 Movie of 2021). His new thriller with Joel Edgarton opens 5/19.

You Hurt My Feelings

Director Nicole Holofcener and star Julia Louis-Dreyfus made a great team on Enough Said. Now they are back together in this dramedy opening 5/26.

TV:

White House Plumbers 

Directed by the comic genius that is David Mandel (Seinfeld, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep), this mini-series looks at lesser-known parts of Watergate. Premieres 5/1 on HBO.

Music:

Joe Perry Sweetzerland Manifesto MKII

I was lucky enough to see Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry solo at House of Blues last month and it was as awesome as you’d imagine. I named his last solo album Sweetzerland Manifesto among my Best Albums of 2018 and now he has a new album that includes some alternate versions of songs off the last album. Album drops 5/26!

Music Festival:

Boston Calling 

Boston’s annual music festival is back at Harvard Athletic Field (Cambridge, MA) with some great acts like Foo Fighters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Linda Lindas, Queens of the Stone Age, Flaming Lips and more! Read my Preview here. Fest is 5/26 to 5/28.

Film Festival:

Independent Film Festival Boston 

IFFBoston kicked off on 4/26 and continues through 5/3.

In a category all its own:

My birthday is on 5/20! 

Uncle Buck can bake me a cake!

[greensparty]

Preview: 2023 IFFBoston

To paraphrase Nirvana: “Spring is here again...IFFBoston time”!  It is now my favorite time of year in Boston! My favorite film festival in Boston, in Massachusetts and possibly the world is Independent Film Festival Boston (read my coverage here).  I have a special place for this festival: in 2014 my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at the festival, and in 2015 I was on the Documentary Jury. Due to the pandemic, the scheduled 2020 festival was canceled and 2021 was virtual, so last year felt good to be back in-person. The 2023 film festival is at Somerville Theatre (Somerville), Brattle Theatre (Cambridge), and Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline) from Wed. April 26 to Wed. May 3, 2023!

2023 IFFBoston logo

Here are just some of the Official Selections that are on my radar:

Wed. 4/26/23: 

Opening Night Film is the documentary Love to Love You, Donna Summer. So fitting that the pop icon Donna Summer was from Boston and now she is getting the documentary treatment co-directed by Roger Ross Williams and her daughter Brooklyn Sudano and it is opening IFFBoston!

Thurs. 4/27/23:

Legendary writer/director Paul Schrader has been on a roll in recent years with First Reformed and the highly underrated The Card Counter (my #5 Movie of 2021). Now he’s back with Master Gardener with Joel Edgarton. In the modern comedy Free Time, a New Yorker decides to leave his job to re-assess his life, only to want his old job back.

Fri. 4/28/23:

Penny Lane has made some great docs in the past: Nuts! was one of my 10 Best Documentaries of 2016, Hail Satan! was one of the highlights of the 2019 Boston Underground Film Festival, and Listening to Kenny G. was really good too! Now she has turned the camera onto herself as she donates a kidney in Confessions of a Good Samaritan. Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth) has made a doc about one of the most well-liked actors of the last 40 years, Michael J. Fox. I’ve been a fan since Family Ties and Back to the Future and I’ve been hearing nothing but great things about Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie since it’s Sundance premiere. A Brooklyn brownstone in 1945 is the setting for a seance in Brooklyn 45.

Sat. 4/29/23:

The Student Shorts Showcase is on Sat. afternoon and it’s free admission! My buddy James Rutenbeck has his short Nixon’s Reversal in the Shorts Gloucester Documentary program. 

When I was making my V66 documentary a few years back, I interviewed members of Boston garage rockers The Dogmatics because they were popular on the 80s music video TV channel V66. Skip ahead to 2019, I had heard about a documentary being made about The Dogmatics, so I reached out to director Rudy Childs and producer Jada Maxwell. We met up, talked shop and I stayed in touch with them about the project over the years. A few months ago I was lucky enough to see an early screener of The Dogmatics: A Dogumentary and I am proud to be a Consulting Producer. It’s really great to see this band get the music doc treatment and that there is a segment in the doc about their popularity on V66! I’m like a proud parent!

Sun. 4/29/23:

Join or Die is a doc about Robert Putnam. Aurora’s Sunrise is a doc about an Armenian Genocide survivor, told through animation. One of my favorite documentarians Steve James (Hoop Dreams is one of the greatest docs ever) returns with A Compassionate Spy about controversial Manhattan Project physicist Ted Hall. Pod Generation stars Chiwetel Ejiofor and Emilia Clarke in a not-too-distant future as they explore a new technology for fertility. Never Be a Punching Bag for Nobody is a doc directed by and about Naomi Yang who was in Galaxy 500 and is now learning to box. Speaking of Boston music, Beautiful Was the Fight is about several Boston female musicians and their struggles.

Mon. 5/1/23:

Mary Tyler Moore was a true entertainment legend, especially Mary Tyler Moore Show (re-watch that Chuckles funeral episode if you don’t believe me). Now she’s getting the doc treatment with Being Mary Tyler Moore.

Tues. 5/2/23:

The doc Time Bomb Y2K looks back at the Y2K anxiety that was building closer to the Jan. 1, 2000.

Wed. May 3:

The Closing Night Film is the romance Past Lives.

I’m excited about this year’s lineup. For info and tickets go to: https://iffboston.org/

[greensparty]

Movie Review: The Holdovers

Alexander Payne is truly the master of combining comedy and tragedy! His first few films Citizen Ruth, Election, and About Schmidt truly announced him with smart comedies that often times challenged the viewer. What really blew me away was his 2004 film Sideways. The comedy about two middle-aged friends in the Wine Country for a week before one gets married was such a LOL funny comedy one minute, sad about their mid-life trajectory the next. But in the end, it was about accepting where you are in life, not where you aren't. I out and out loved it! His next film 2011's The Descendants was a very multi-layered family drama set in Hawaii. I included it in my 10 Best Movies of the 2010s. I liked his 2013 father-son road movie Nebraska, but there was some pushback from audiences. God forbid a director tries to make a black and white slow burn! But I appreciated the ensemble cast and what he was going for. 2017's Downsizing was a misstep for Payne. I was all for him trying something different and stepping into wild Michel Gondry-territory, but the story was a little uneven. Now Payne has made a serious return to form with The Holdovers, which was actually filmed in Massachusetts last Winter, and reunites Payne with Sideways star Paul Giamatti. I got to attend a special IFFBoston Post-Fall Focus screening at Somerville Theatre and Payne himself attended for an intro and Q&A. There was actually a scene that was filmed at the Somerville Theatre and now the finished film was playing there!?!

movie poster

Set in Barton Academy, a private boarding school for boys, in 1970 New England just before Christmas break, Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, an unpopular curmudgeonly teacher. He gets stuck supervising students who are unable to go home for the holidays. Hence the name The Holdovers. Also there during the break is lunch lady Mary (played by Da'Vine Joy Randolph, a scene-stealer from Dolemite Is My Name and the High Fidelity TV series). After all of the other students go away with one of the student's rich father, an unpopular student Angus Tully (played by newcomer Dominic Sessa) is left with Mr. Hunham and the two form an unlikely friendship.

This is easily one of the best movies of the year and one I'm sure is going to become better and better with each viewing during the holiday season. There is a serious early 70s influence, most prominently from Hal Ashby (Payne was among the interviewees in the 2018 documentary Hal about Ashby). But beyond the influences, this truly feels like the kind of movie that would have been released in the early 70s: the look, the feel, the sound, and the way the characters carry themselves. But like all of Payne's films, this balances comedy and tragedy. Without getting into spoilers, there is a sense of loss for these characters that is heightened by being alone during a holiday break. But that connection that is made is truly special. Sessa is a revelation. Payne has a knack for casting newcomers who swing it out of the park and Sessa is going places. Randolph is exceptional as a grieving mother. But it is definitely Giamatti's show. He's been consistently good in countless films since Sideways, but this is a part tailor-made for him. Someone who is highly intelligent, yet so antisocial. Payne isn't known for working with actors more than once, but we can only hope this is the start of more collaborations. All hail Payne!

For info on The Holdovers

4.5 out of 5 stars

Intro and Q&A:

The screening I attended, Payne gave an intro. He noted that this was the first screening on 35mm. After the film, critic Ty Burr (a friend and colleague of mine) moderated a Q&A. Here are some of the takeaways:

Burr and Payne at the Somerville Theatre

Local Crew: He had tons of positive things to say about the Massachusetts based crew that worked on the film. He mentioned of all the films he made outside of the state of Nebraska (i.e. The Descendants in Hawaii and Downsizing in Toronto), this is the one that has stayed in touch the most. In the audience at this screening were a ton of local crew members. You could hear cheering during certain scenes, locales and cast members. Payne mentioned that he didn't know New England, beyond visiting Dartmouth and some Ivy League colleges as a teen.

Somerville Theatre: in addition to being a location, Payne mentioned that they screened some 70s films for the crew in the cinema. He also added that the film had played festivals and had opened in NY and LA but this was the first screening on 35mm.

He talked about what he's been doing since Downsizing. He apparently flirted with directing The Menu and The Burial.

Screenplay: Five years ago he received a TV pilot from David Hemingson that was set in a boarding school in New England. Payne called him and said he didn't want to do the pilot but wanted him to write a screenplay in the same universe. This marked the first time he had directed a screenwriter as opposed to writing with a co-writer or getting a completed screenplay from a writer.

Casting: After not finding the right actor from a casting call, they began searching private boarding schools in Massachusetts. That's how Sessa was cast.

This event was a part of IFFBoston. For more info go here.

[greensparty]

Preview: 2023 IFFBoston Fall Focus

Anyone who knows me or reads this blog knows my favorite film festival in Boston, in Massachusetts and possibly the world is Independent Film Festival Boston (read my coverage here).  I have a special place for this festival: in 2014 my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at the festival, and in 2015 I was on the Documentary Jury. IFFBoston’s mini-festival Fall Focus, where they showcase some of the Fall festival darlings will be taking place at the Brattle Theatre (Cambridge, MA) from Thurs. October 19 to Mon. October 23 with a special bonus screenings on Wed. October 18 on Mon. October 30 (more on that in a minute).

2023 Fall Focus logo

Here is my preview. There are loads of movies I’m looking forward to, but these are the films high on my radar:

Wed. 10/18/23:

This is a Pre-Focus Bonus and not an Official Selection of the IFFBoston Fall Focus. This year's Palm D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival Anatomy of a Fall screens at Coolidge Corner Theatre (Brookline, MA).

Thurs. 10/19/23:

The IFFBoston Fall Focus Opening Night Film is the mystery/thriller Eileen that takes place in 1960s Massachusetts. A young employee at a prison (Thomasin McKenzie) befriends a new co-worker (Anne Hathaway) and things take a surprising turn. Also in the cast is Siobhan Fallon Hogan (who I interviewed in 2021 about her film Rushed).

Fri. 10/20/23:

In the sci-fi romance Fingernails, a couple's true love is proven by a controversial technology, but the woman is unsure so she begins working at an institute for love testing. Cast includes Jesse Buckley, Riz Ahmed, Luke Wilson and Annie Murphy.

Sat. 10/21/23:

Big day at the festival with some international films including Ryûsuke Hamaguchi's follow up to Drive My Car with Evil Does Not Exist. But the one I've been hearing a lot about is Dream Scenario, a surreal mind-bender with Nicholas Cage!

Sun. 10/22/23:

As this is the time of year in which countries submit their film to the Academy Awards for Best International Film consideration, there are a number of films at IFFBoston Fall Focus that are the submission for the upcoming Academy Awards including Perfect Days from Wim Wenders (director of one of my all-time faves Wings of Desire) that is Japan's submission and also won Best Actor at Cannes Film Festival for Kôji Yakusho, as well as The Taste of Things, France's submission that stars Juliette Binoche.

Mon. 10/23/23:

The IFFBoston Fall Focus Closing Night Film is the Japanese animated film The Boy and the Heron from acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki, known for Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke.

Mon. 10/30/23:

A week after the IFFBoston Fall Focus, they have a Post Focus Bonus at Somerville Theatre (Somerville, MA) and they saved something exciting for last. Alexander Payne's new one The Holdovers, which was filmed in Massachusetts last year. Here, Payne reunites with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti for a dramedy about a New England boarding school in 1972. This special screening will include a Q&A with Mr. Payne after the screening.

For info and tickets go to IFFBoston Fall Focus

[greensparty]

Movie Review: Tuesday

Let's start this review off by just stating the obvious: Julia Louis-Dreyfus can make anything better! Everyone knows she is a comedic genius for her work on SNL (1982-1985), the sitcom masterpiece Seinfeld, and the political satire Veep (my #1 TV Show of the 2010s). But she has also highly elevated TV shows like Day by Day, Watching Ellie, and The New Adventures of Old Christine that wouldn't have worked at all without her. In movies, she has very quietly shown off her dramatic skills when given the chance in films like Enough Said, Downhill (the Hollywood version of Force Majeure) and last year's You Hurt My Feelings (one of my Top 10 Movies of 2023). Now she in a new drama Tuesday opening today from A24. I missed it when it screened at IFFBoston last month, but got to attend a press screening this week.

movie poster

This is a hard movie to review because I try to avoid spoilers and this is challenging to describe without getting into spoilers. But I'll try: JLD plays Zora, an American single mother in U.K. with daughter Tuesday (Lola Petticrew), who is terminally ill. One day the Grim Reaper comes to Tuesday in the form of a macaw. This forces Zora and Tuesday to deal with Tuesday's mortality. That's about all I can really say about the plot.

Petticrew and JLD

This movie is completely bonkers. Based on the trailer and the description you go in thinking it's one thing and then it becomes something different. And the tonal shifts are all over the map. There are some crazy growing / shrinking transformations that were reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland or Three Thousand Years of Longing. Bottom line: the serious moments really work, but the batshit crazy moments didn't always work. I kind of wished they had gone all-in and done something in the vein of Michel Gondry or Jean-Pierre Jeunet where it's combining eye-popping visuals with a heart and soul. Here the wackiness didn't feel wacky enough to be effective, just more like "where the hell did that come from?" WTFery. But in the end, it needed a protagonist like JLD to hold the audience's hand to go along with this journey. JLD is game for rising to the challenge of a dramatic film and the wild out-there elements feel strange when she's the straight person to a macaw. She truly elevates this movie...even when the movie loses its balance. There's loads of preposterous moments (you won't look at Ice Cube's "It Was a Good Day" again that's for sure), but you can't help but respect the pure commitment of everyone in it, especially JLD who can make anything better.

For info on Tuesday

3 out of 5 stars

[greensparty]

2024 IFFBoston Fall Focus - Dispatch

Right now, the Independent Film Festival Boston's mini-festival Fall Focus is happening (for my Preview see here). I got to attend a packed screening at the Brattle of the documentary Devo about the Akron, OH band. The group is finally getting the music documentary treatment thanks to director Chris Smith (he did the excellent doc American Movie as well as as well as a string of pop-culture based docs including Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond, Fyre, "Sr", and Wham!). The doc itself premiered at Sundance in January and has been plugging along at festivals since then. I am by no means an expert on the band, but as a music video historian, I have nothing but respect for them as music video pioneers. I have listened to their Greatest Hits album on many a trip and it only gets better.

Devo circa 1980

Devo wasn't so much a music group as it was an artist collective in many ways. The members including Gerry Casale and Mark Mothersbaugh were art students at Kent State University. After witnessing the Kent State Massacre, they came together with the concept of de-evolution - that society was actually not evolving but regressing, hence the name Devo. They were inspired by art movements and by artists like Andy Warhol, by the concept that art could be an idea, no matter what format that idea was being presented in. The group present their de-evolution idea within music, visuals, graphics, and film. The group was always a little ahead of the curve, i.e. making their own music videos for their songs in the mid-70s years before MTV or other video outlets had begun. Eventually their debut was released in 1978 along with SNL and media appearances, celebrity endorsements like David Bowie, and making numerous music videos as well as video albums. Their big mainstream breakthrough came with "Whip It", a Top 40 hit. There was also band members who came and went, issues with the record label, mis-interpretations of their music, yada yada yada. After the band initially ended in 1991, the members brought their creativity and vision to other areas like Mothersbaugh scoring films (some of the early and best Wes Anderson films) and Casale directing commercials and music videos (he directed the first Foo Fighters video for "I'll Stick Around"). But it shows that while they were ahead of their time, they eventually have been recognized not just for their music but that the message of de-evolution has sadly become true to an extent.

I'm glad I got to see this on the big screen with an audience, many of whom were dressed like the band in flower bowl hats and hazmat suits. I do wish that the doc didn't just end with their initial breakup in 1991 and had show that the group re-formed in 1996 with new members joining the core group like drummer Josh Freese (when I saw him right after he joined Foo Fighters in 2023, they introduced him by playing some of his famous bands and did a short cover of "Whip It"). I wished they had shown that Devo 2.0 next phase instead of ending it in that earlier era. But there was a message that they were too ahead of their time, even with the visuals onstage that was off-putting for some in the mid-80s and today you see that all the time. But what made this doc super special was that they had the group on-board not just for interviews but for proving some archival footage and early films and art. It was a deep dive into this group that have been nominated for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times and have actually never been inducted, but should be.

For tickets and info go to IFFBoston Fall Focus

[greensparty]

Happy 110th Birthday Somerville Theatre

Today marks the 110th anniversary of one of my favorite movie theater / entertainment venue, the Somerville Theatre located in Davis Square (Somerville, MA). Hard to believe it opened in 1914!

I have a very special place for this movie theater. It has always had a classic movie house vibe to it no matter what you were seeing there or when. I went there a few times growing up, but when I was in college I went there periodically when my friend was going to Tufts nearby. When I moved back to Boston in 2012, I came to the cinema more often. Most notably for Independent Film Festival Boston screenings.

me at Somerville Theatre for the premiere of Life on the V in 2014

In April 2014, my documentary Life on the V: The Story of V66 had its World Premiere at IFFBoston at Somerville Theatre in the main movie house and there were hundreds of fans lined around the block. It wasn't just a great audience response it was also possibly the greatest projection and sound I've ever experienced with one of my films. Just a few weeks after my screening the venue turned 100!

my Life on the V movie poster (second to left) at the Somerville Theatre in Aug. 2015

That screening went so well that in August 2015 I had a special one-night screening at Somerville Theatre this time downstairs in one of the smaller cinemas. It was pretty packed considering it was a Thursday in late August.

Since then I have had a lot of great memories at Somerville Theatre including seeing the 2022 Nice, A Fest with bands upstairs at the Crystal Ballroom and then Wayne's World and Wayne's World 2 at Somerville Theatre for midnight screenings, last year going to see the premiere of The Holdovers with director Alexander Payne (Somerville Theatre was a location in the film and then I got to see the film in the cinema), the Pee-Wee's Big Adventure screening following by We 'R' All Pee-Wee celebration, and just this past week at IFFBoston I got to see my pal Mark Phinney's Fear of Flying (which filmed some scenes at Somerville Theatre and Crystal Ballroom and now I was seeing it in the cinema...a growing trend).

me and “Jambi” at the 2023 We “R” All Pee-Wee event at Crystal Ballroom

It is a legendary venue with incredible projection and sound, great programming, and also props to the concession stand too! Here's to 110 more!

[greensparty]

Stuff I'm Looking Forward to in October

Can't believe it is now Q4 of 2023! In addition to Columbus Day (Oct. 9), Indigenous Peoples' Day (Oct. 9) and Halloween (Oct. 31), here is what's on my radar this month:

Movies:

The Exorcist: Believer

Using the same approach as 2018's Halloween, which was a direct sequel to the 1978 original, the same director David Gordon Green is doing a direct sequel to the 1973 horror classic The Exorcist. I would call myself cautiously optimistic (2018's Halloween rocked, Halloween Kills was bad, and Halloween Ends was somewhere in between), but with original star Ellen Burstyn back, hopes are higher than the past Exorcist sequels, prequels and TV series. Opens 10/6.

The Royal Hotel

In 2020, I was lucky enough to interview Kitty Green, director of The Assistant. Now she's back with a thriller with her Assistant star Julia Garner. Opens 10/6.

Killers of the Flower Moon

Martin Scorsese's 3.5 hour epic about the FBI investigation into murders in the Osage Nation in 1920s Oklahoma is THE most anticipated movie of 2023. Hands down! Opens 10/20.

The Holdovers 

An Alexander Payne movie is always a big deal, even when the movie is a letdown (i.e. Downsizing). Here, he reunites with his Sideways star Paul Giamatti for a dramedy about a New England boarding school in 1972. I'm there! Opens 10/27.

Film Festivals:

IFFBoston Fall Focus

My favorite film festival is Independent Film Festival Boston, which takes place in the Spring. IFFBoston’s mini-fest Fall Focus happens in the Fall to showcase some of the Fall festival darlings before they get released during end of the year Awards Season. This year's Fall Focus is from Oct. 19-22 at the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square.

Music:

Ringo Starr Rewind Forward

In the last few years Sir Ringo Starr has been knocking out killer EPs including 2021's Zoom In and Change the World (both were included on my Best Albums of 2021 list) and last year's EP3 (read my review here). Now he is back with a new EP that features a collaboration with his former Beatle bandmate Paul McCartney! EP drops 10/13. (Review to come).

Chris Shiflett Lost at Sea

In addition to his "day job" as the guitarist for Foo Fighters and his Walking the Floors podcast, Chris Shiflett has released some solid solo albums. I was lucky enough to see him do a solo show at City Winery in Boston in 2018 (read my concert review here) and review his 2019 album Hard Lessons. His new solo album drops 10/20. (Review to come).

The Rolling Stones Hackney Diamonds

The Stones are releasing their first studio album since 2016 and first of original material since 2005. Expectations are high and the good news is they did some recording with Charlie Watts before he died in 2021. Special guests include former Stones bassist Bill Wyman, Paul McCartney, Elton John and Lady Gaga. Album drops 10/20.

Dhani Harrison INNERSTANDING

I was a big fan of Dhani Harrison's 2017 album IN//PARALLEL (read my review here) and after some soundtrack work and overseeing Dark Horse Records (started by his father George), he is back with a new album. Digital release on 10/20, and physical release coming 2/9/2024.

Nirvana In Utero 30th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition

Last month marked the 30th anniversary of Nirvana's third and final studio album. Back in 2013, I picked up the 20th anniversary edition. Much like the 2021 edition of Nevermind, they aren't just re-releasing the same reissue, they are re-releasing the In Utero album remastered along bonus tracks and some live selections, a Dec. 1993 concert in L.A. and a Jan. 1994 concert in Seattle (not to be confused with the Live and Loud concert from Dec. 1993). Various editions drop 10/27.

Books:

Nelson and Alex Demille Blood Lines

My good friend Alex DeMille collaborated with his father who happens to be Nelson DeMille on 2019's The Deserter. Now they are back with a new book due 10/10.

Bob and Erin Odenkirk Zilot & Other Important Rhymes

Speaking of parent and child book collaborations, one of my favorite actor/writers Bob Odenkirk has written a children's book illustrated by his daughter Erin. When I covered Bob Odenkirk's Hasty Pudding Man of the Year Award at Harvard University earlier this year, he briefly mentioned this. Book release on 10/10.

TV:

John Carpenter's Suburban Screams

John Carpenter hasn't directed a movie since 2010's The Ward (written by my pals the Rasmussen brothers), but he's been keeping plenty busy making music with his son Cody and Godson Daniel Davies (read some of my reviews here). Now he is directing an original series premiering on Peacock on 10/13.

DVDs:

Alf: the Complete Series

The folks at Shout Factory are releasing a definitive DVD collection of every episode of Alf (1986-1990), the Alf Animated Series (1987-1990), Alf Tales (1988-1990) and the 1996 TV movie Project: Alf (read my recent blu-ray review here). For fans like me, this is very exciting and they even have some bells-and-whistles in various editions being released on 10/17.

[greensparty]

Stuff I’m Looking Forward to in April

It’s Springtime and we’re now in the 2nd Quarter of 2023! In addition to April Fools Day (April 1), Palm Sunday (April 2), Passover (from April 5 to 13), Good Friday (April 7), Easter (April 9), Orthodox Easter (April 16), Patriots Day (in MA on April 17), Tax Day (April 18), Eid al-Fitr (expected to begin on April 21), Earth Day (April 22), Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day (April 24), and Administrative Professionals’ Day (April 26) here is what’s on my radar this month:

Movies:

Air

Ben Affleck directs himself and Matt Damon in this true story of Nike making the Air Jordan. The last time he directed a true story was possibly his best directing Argo, so hopes are high for this one opening 4/5.

Showing Up

I kind of like the simplicity of Kelly Reichardt’s films notably Wendy and Lucy, which she did with frequent star Michelle Williams. Here Williams plays an artist in this dramedy opening 4/7.

The Lost Weekend: A Love Story

May Pang had an 18-month romance with John Lennon during his “Lost Weekend” era and she has told her story in books and been interviewed in other documentaries, but now she is getting the doc treatment she deserves. Opening 4/14.

Personality Crisis: One Night Only

Martin Scorsese and his frequent documentary editor David Tedeschi direct this doc about David Johansen, the former New York Dolls singer later known as Buster Poindexter. The fact that Scorsese is taking on this music legend is literally an NYC icon documenting an NYC icon!  Premieres 4/14 on Showtime.

Beau Is Afraid 

I had mixed feelings about Ari Aster’s first two films Hereditary and Midsommar. On the one hand they kinda lost steam at times and were a little bloated, on the other hand the parts that worked really worked and there’s not denying his ambition. His new one with Joaquin Phoenix is actually a dark comedy I have high hopes for. Opening 4/21.

Evil Dead Rise 

Alright, I don’t know if I’m actually looking forward to this, so much as cautiously optimistic about this Evil Dead sequel. I’m not expecting this to be as good as Sam Raimi’s first three, but hoping it cracks my Top Evil Dead Movies next time I revise the list. Opening 4/21.

Music:

Metallica 72 Seasons

Metallica’s 11th album is also their first since 2016′s Hardwired...to Self-Destruct, which was a serious comeback (I even included it in my Best Albums of the 2010s list). New album drops 4/14.

Smashing Pumpkins Atum

Smashing Pumpkins dropped Act 1 of Atum in November and Act 2 in January. Now Act 3 and the physical release of the entire rock opera are dropping 4/21.

Film Festivals:

Salem Horror Fest 

I have been lucky enough to cover this genre film festival in Salem, MA since 2018. Last year they decided to move the festival from October (when there is a lot going on in Salem) to April. Fest runs from 4/20 to 4/30.

Independent Film Festival Boston 

My favorite film festival (I am an alum) is IFFBoston! Last year they returned in-person after they took 2020 off and 2021 virtual. It felt so good to return to the fest in person! This year marks IFFBoston’s 20th anniversary. Fest runs from 4/26 to 5/3.

Events:

Record Store Day 

Possibly my favorite fake holiday is the day we celebrate independent record stores. This year there’s some exciting RSD releases from Pearl Jam, Ringo Starr, The Stooges and Wilco. Looking forward to 4/22!