Damn, Stephen Kijak’s “Scott Walker: 30 Century Man,” is kind of getting the shaft. It originally premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007 and we loved it. We complain about covering the average music documentary because most of them are rote and paint-by-numbers, but ’30 Century Man’ is a fascinating portrait of one of rock’s most enigmatic musicians who essentially walked away from success at the heights of his powers (the great Scott Walker, if this isn’t completely obvious). Not sure who Walker is? (shame on you). Well, look at the testimonials in the film to realize how respected and revered the man is. David Bowie executive produced and doc features glowing praise from Radiohead members, Jarvis Cocker from Pulp, Brian Eno, Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), Neil Hannon (The Divine Comedy), Marc Almond, Alison Goldfrapp, Sting, Johnny Marr (The Smiths) and many more.
We say that the film is getting the shaft because it is only just now finally coming out and it’s only receiving a very-limited release: a one-week-only IFC Center release in New York starting this Friday, December 11 and similar small releases. An L.A. Nuart release starting February 27 and one in San Francisco’s Berkeley theater starting January 23.
A notorious recluse, the documentaries scored unprecedented access to the singer and the surrounding press interviews illuminated much about the mysterious Walker, including the fact that he was a Vietnam draft dodger (hence his music career beginning in Europe; we wrote a ton of pieces about the film and Walker).
Plexifilm is releasing the DVD in the spring of 2009 and hopefully this is where the film is truly discovered.
Our favorite anecdote in the film is one by Brian Eno marvelling over the Walker Brothers’ last ’77 comeback album Nite Flight, and admitting that the record had an influence and kinship on the late ‘70s Berlin triptych that he and Bowie recorded (two masterpieces, Low, Heroes and one decent album Lodger) and despairing that music since then hasn’t moved any further. High praise. Our favorite personal anecdote from the Tribeca screening itself, was Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson seated right directly behind us and Lou dozing-off several times and snoring raucously (not cause it was boring, Lou’s just old).
It’s a remarkable music doc and if you do have a chance to go see it in theaters, make sure you do.