Music

By Sean Axmaker

"When it was over, I couldn't move," writes David Gates in Newsweek. "Despite a couple of slow stretches - and Dylan has them, too - I'm Not There turns out to be worthy of its subject. This isn't faint praise. It's a full-on rave."

And raves are just what Todd Haynes's new film has been reaping ever since it premiered in Venice before wowing 'em at festivals in Toronto and New York. Though there have been exceptions to prove the rule, of course. Hardly a surprise when it comes to a film running over two hours and featuring six actors portraying various aspects and personas of one of the most lauded yet mysterious artists of our time.

Sean Axmaker talks with Haynes about a cinematic highlight of the year, I'm Not There, which is now out on DVD.

» continue reading "Todd Haynes and a Whole Slew of Dylans"

The idea of two men directing a documentary about a summer camp for pre-teen girls might inevitably raise some red flags. But Arne Johnson and Shane King use their outsider status to craft an incredibly thoughtful and creative film about the Portland-based Rock'n'Roll Camp for Girls. The result, Girls Rock!, is a moving portrait of (to quote the luminous philosopher, Madonna) what it feels like for a girl, holding equal appeal for documentary film lovers, parents, fans of rock'n'roll and anyone who grew up as a weird kid in a town without pity.

Girls Rock! focuses on four girls attending the camp for the first time. Over the course of one week campers create bands, learn instruments, write songs and then perform for a sold out crowd. Because the concept of Rock'n'Roll camp grew out of a third wave feminist ethos, the campers are also taught basic media literacy, self-defense and how to communicate feelings of isolation or frustration that young people (especially girls) are often told to squelch. Erin Donovan spoke to Arne Johnson before he headed off to the True/False documentary film festival in Columbia, MO.

Girls Rock! opens in select cities March 7th.

» continue reading "Girls Rock! An Interview with Arne Johnson"

Attention Joy Division fans and music history buffs in general: Control, the new film about Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to commit suicide at the age of 23, is garnering terrific reviews and high praise for the star, Sam Riley, who gives a "knockout" performance, says Peter Travers of Rolling Stone. "[Director Anton] Corbijn, shooting with a poet's eye in a harshly stunning black-and-white, cuts to the soul of Ian's life and music. You don't watch this movie, you live it."

And now, thanks to the generosity of GreenCine itself and our staff full of 80s music freaks, 2 lucky winners of our Joy Division contest will receive a copy of the brand spanking new 2-disc collector's edition of the classic Joy Division set, "Closer." Entrants should send an email to contest@greencine.com, including your name, email address and, if you're a GreenCine member, your username in the email, and Joy Divisionin the subject header. Entries without all this information will not be considered. (You will not be added to a mailing list!)

Winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. The deadline is Friday, November 16. Winners will be notified by e-mail and announced in future editions of the GreenCine Dispatch newsletter.

Cinephiles are also often movie buffs, which means a good deal of you out there are probably also specifically interested in film scores. Still, a remix album of great orchestral film scores from the 20th century might seem like an odd idea – after all, a lot of this music is considered old-fashioned. But Six Degrees Records co-founder and executive producer Bob Duskis knew better: "A lot of electronica producers are huge fans of these film scores," he says. And for the new collection Cinematic, "I wanted producers who had a cinematic sense to their music anyway, or had done soundtracks themselves. We didn’t want DJs just adding beats to the orchestral tracks."

Mission accomplished. Cinematic is full of creative and often provocative arrangements of music by some of the greatest film composers ever – Nino Rota, Ennio Morricone, and Henry Mancini among them. Of course, this music was never satisfied with being accompaniment in the first place; like the best music in any style, these scores suggested their own stories and their own landscapes. No surprise then that they work so well apart from their films. What is surprising is how adaptable these classic scores are, at least when the right producers get hold of them.

Now you can win a copy of the Cinematic CD if you're one of the lucky winners of GreenCine's latest contest. Send us an email to contest@greencine.com, including your name, email address and, if you're a GreenCine member, your username in the email, and "Cinematic" in the subject header (this last step keeps it from getting spam-filtered). Ten winners will be selected at random from all valid entries. The deadline is Thursday, September 13. Winners will be notified by e-mail and announced in future editions of the GreenCine Dispatch newsletter.