We didn’t get a chance to write about Pop Montreal rock festival and its sister component Pop Montreal Film. The splendid music festival obviously has a cinema element that keeps getting better and better each year and it begins today. We figured we’d track some of the highlights that you should see should you happen to be in Mont-real. The adventurous and eclectic festival that runs Oct 1-5 features a ton of good music related films.
Today, the documentary about synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog played. Creatively titled, “Moog: A Documentary Film,” we don’t feel bad for posting late about this one as we saw it a year ago and it was dry, tedious and didn’t really do much justice to the great Mr. Moog (RIP). “6015 Willow,” sounds pretty interesting and is a documentary about bands and community in the Halifax, Nova Scotia scene that features groups like Dog Day, North Of America, The Stolen Minks, The Superfantastics, Windom Earle and The Just Barelys.
“Joseph Arthur : You Are Free,” chronicles the first show of the evocative singer-songwriters 2005 tour at the Troubador in Los Angeles. “Of The Moon” focuses on the crazy, experimental ’60s synth rock duo, The Silver Apples (we love them and all, but their reunion show in 1998 still goes down in the books as one of the biggest useless wankfests we’ve ever witnessed). “Died Young Stayed Pretty” examines the political and cultural landscape of North America as it is reflected, critiqued, and dismantled in poster art. “Rockabilly” naturally documents Montreal’s thriving rockabilly scene.
Recently release in New York, “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell” centers on the life of gay, experimental disco and house cello player Arthur Russell. The film seemed to get a lot of raves when it premiered here last week, but one of our very trustworthy contributors wrote it off months ago and we’ve been skeptical. One of the days, we suppose. “We Are Wizards” chronicles the acts in that whole Harry Potter-influenced band phenomenon (Harry And The Potters for one). “Pied Piper of Hutzovina” features none other the charismatic Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bodello (who stars in Madonna’s “Filth & Wisdom”) and his road trips across Europe. More info on Pop Montreal film is available at the festivals website.
Trailer: Moog: A Documentary Film
Trailer: Joseph Arthur: You Are Free
Trailer: “Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell”
Trailer: “We Are Wizards”
Trailer: “Pied Piper of Hutzovina”