YEAR OF THE HORSE (1997, 106 min.)

It rocks! That�s the essential thing about Jim Jarmush�s celebration of Neil Young�s 1990�s European/American

tour with Crazy Horse.  It�s a great blending of historic and current goings-on between Mr. Young and his favorite

band-mates with concert scenes that are breathtakingly intense and sublime.  Be sure to keep it on during the

closing credits.  That�s when the sweetest song of all is laid down

TRUTH OR DARE (1991, 114 min.) 

Madonna at her dastardly best!  I love how the black and white backstage scenes

are juxtaposed with the dramatic color and excitement of the concert appearances. 

I love the truthfulness, the spontaneity and the plain kick-ass pizzazz of this film! 

If I showed it somewhere, I�d play  �Gambler� from Madonna�s LIKE A VIRGIN video just before

TRUTH OR DARE, and afterwards         � my favorite � �I Get Up Again (Over and Over).�

HOME OF THE BRAVE (1986, 90 min.)

Pop performance artist Laurie Anderson, companion of Velvet Under-grounder Lou Reed, is brave enough to pull off this audacious caper, revealing and concealing herself in a variety of disguises, using the phenomenal powers of light, sound, and dance evoked by her genius. The Sarasota Film Society brought us this wonder on the large screen of �the rocking chair theater,� long before movies of this sophistication circulated hereabouts.

STOP MAKING SENSE (1984, 88 min.)

Jonathan Demme and David Byrne�s collaboration succeeds so well that this is considered by many critics to be the best rock concert film ever � and I agree!  It has high levels of energy and drama with a minor lag here and there.  I first saw it, at the �cinerama� style �rocking chair Theater� in Sarasota.  Practically the whole audience was dancing in the aisles by the time the closing tune, �Take Me to the River,� was rolling.

�A lot of people are afraid to say what they want. 

That�s why they don�t get what they want.� � MADONNA

�IF YOU GO TO A MOVIE TODAY, EVERYBODY TALKS ABOUT WHERE TO EAT LATER.  NEVER THE MOVIE.� � MARTIN SCORCESE

THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW (1975, 100 min.)

It�s shockingly rude, authentically vulgar, and yet, it is astounding!  The spooky, high-camp comedy, the joyfulness of rock opera supremely rendered � these are its timeless, winning virtues.  Eventually it does slide out of control, but that�s really the �massage� of the show, losing control and flowing along with this absurdly twisted, decidedly alien perspective on the psycho/sexual human scene.  Why bother?  Just for the fun of it mainly!

CONCERT VIDEOS

My favorite concert image is of Bob Dylan and Joan Baez appearing on CBS (in the late seventies) for several hours (with no commercial interruptions) at some gigantic open air venue out west.  Bob Dylan looked Arabic; his head wrapped in a large kind of headband or scarf, his equally exotic band on cue with every nuance of his music and style.  The synchronicity of personal, artistic energies so evident in that performance is a miraculous revelation!  Other pop rock films I have enjoyed are NO NUKES, THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH, LET IT BE, and, of course, WOODSTOCK.  �BJ

DOUBLE FEATURE

Easily the best double feature show I�ve ever seen was GIMME SHELTER (1970) and PUTNEY SWOPE.  I saw these films

with some friends at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut.  First was GIMME SHELTER, the Maysles Brother�s documentary of

The Rolling Stones 1969 tour, including the tragic mega-concert at the Altamont Speedway near San Francisco, a defining event in the

decline of the sixties.  Then came this wildly creative, hilarious scenario of the coolest corporate take-over ever

� Robert Downey (Senior)�s PUTNEY SWOPE.  These two movies balanced one another perfectly.  It was the right time, the right place,

the rightcrowd! �Bill Joyner

[email protected]

P.O. Box 3411 / Sarasota, Florida 34230

      2002   JANUARY   ENERO   JANVIER   2002