Beginning this Thursday, the Guild Cinema will continue its popular Music on the Big Screen series with two weeks of music-related films. The program will showcase five documentaries that have never before been screened in Albuquerque. Here's the run-down.
Afro Punk
In Afro Punk, we follow four punk rockers from very different backgrounds as they explore questions of blackness in a predominately white subculture. The film shines with performances by Bad Brains, Tamar Kali, Cipher and Ten Grand, with interviews from members of Fishbone, Dead Kennedys, Candiria, TV on the Radio and more.
Kill Your Idols
This D.I.Y. documentary (made from an astonishing $300) breaks apart New York City post-punk into three distinct segments, first zeroing in on early '70s club performances by Suicide, Teenage Jesus and The Jerks, the Theoretical Girls, and DNA. In the '80s, we see Sonic Youth and the Swans do a no-wave nod to their predecessors, finally ending with a fresh crop of musical reverence in 2002.
A documentary that chronicles the chaotic life of outsider musician Larry “Wild Man” Fischer. Fischer weathers years of mental illness, an obsession with fame and an unshakable feeling of failure; yet through it all, he composes music that is unmistakable, honest and absolutely original.
What About Me: The Rise Of The Nihilist Spasm Band
A hilarious piece on a band of Canadian noise-makers with no formal musical training and even less reverence for rules. Filmmaker Zev Asher catches up with six of the seven original members of The Nihilist Spasm Band, whose career spanned more than three decades.
Rize
Iconic fashion photographer and music video director David LaChapelle makes his first foray into documentary filmmaking with RIZE. The film is a gorgeous piece of cinematography that sets out to capture the latest dance craze-cum-lifestyle in Los Angeles, “krumping,” or “clowning.” As crazy as it sounds, poor inner-city black and Asian kids don clown face paint, then have it out in ultra-fast “dance battles.” Dancers will especially enjoy this emerging art form on the big screen, but the film half-asks some important questions that are never fully answered.
With the exception of RIZE, all the shows are two-for-one double features. Call the Guild at 255-1848, log on to www.guildcinema.com or consult this week's Alibi film times and capsules for show times. 03
