- Lost films I long for….
February 20, 2010 - MISSING: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS FILM?
February 17, 2010 - Film Museums part 2
February 12, 2010 - Keeping silents where they belong—-on the big screen
February 1, 2010
Written by 
Best election piece I’ve ever seen
This is seriously funny and worth checking out.
DEAR ZACHARY-a new must see documentary!
First off, I apologize for my long blogging absence. I vow that I will make up for lost time as best I can.
Recently I was sent an synopsis for a new documentary called DEAR ZACHARY that looks fascinating….
On November 5, 2001, Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered in a parking lot in
western Pennsylvania; the prime suspect, his ex-girlfriend Dr. Shirley
Turner, promptly fled the United States for St. Johns, Canada, where she
announced that she was pregnant with Andrew’s child. She named the
little boy Zachary.
Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne, Andrew’s oldest friend, began making a film for
little Zachary as a way for him to get to know the father he’d never
meet. But when Shirley Turner was released on bail in Canada and was
given custody of Zachary while awaiting extradition to the U.S., the
film’s focus shifted to Zachary’s grandparents, David and Kathleen
Bagby, and their desperate efforts to win custody of the boy from the
woman they knew had murdered their son. No one could have foreseen what
happened next…
I always enjoy true crime stories and I find that documentaries are usually more riveting than fiction. DEAR ZACHARY opens Oct. 31st in New York and on Nov. 7th in Los Angeles (at the Laemmle Sunset 5).
Be sure to watch the trailer on the Variety website.
FilmRadar Field Trip “Silents Under the Stars” w/Louise Brooks & Historic Tour
Greetings!
For those of you who are new to the site….welcome! In addition to the website and weekly e-newsletter, I also have a little thing called “FilmRadar Field Trips.” The concept is simple. I choose a film and invite everyone to attend as a group. We meet up, watch the movie and then go out for drinks or food afterward. Everyone is welcome. It’s a great way to socialize and meet fellow film lovers!
WHAT: “Silents Under the Stars”
LOVE ‘EM AND LEAVE ‘EM (1926) starring Evelyn Brent, Louise Brooks and Lawrence Gray.
Directed by Frank Tuttle. Mame Walsh (Evelyn Brent) returns from vacation to find her younger sister, Janie (Louise Brooks) has stolen the affections of her boyfriend and decides to make him jealous by adopting Janie’s “love ‘em and leave ‘em” philosophy.
WHEN: Sunday, August 17th
Film at 7:30pm (Historic tour at 5:30pm)
WHERE:
PARAMOUNT RANCH IN AGOURA
Take the Ventura Freeway (101 north) to KANAN ROAD offramp. At light make a left turn onto Kanan Road going south. Cross the freeway to Agoura Road. Cross Agoura Road and shortly make a left turn onto CORNELL ROAD. (watch carefully, it is a small sign and small road) Follow Cornell Road about a couple of miles to the PARAMOUNT RANCH driveway, marked with large signs. Make a right turn into the driveway and down into the ranch. Look for signs as to where to park. The signs will say “Silents Under the Stars- Parking.”
Tickets are $6.00 for adults, $5.00 for members of Hollywood Heritage. Children under twelve are $3.00, under three free.
Picnic dinners are encouraged. You can bring wine, cheese, sandwiches or whatever you like! There are clean restrooms available and free parking. Please bring a flashlight as the parking area is dark.
***PLUS: There will be a FREE Historic Walking Tour of the Paramount Ranch for FilmRadar Members. Historian Marc Wanamaker will tell you all about its 76 year history and about the various films and TV shows that have been shot there over the years.***
The historical walking tour begins at 5:30pm and the film begins at 7:30pm.
If you’ve never met me in person, just ask the information table at the back of the picnic area and they will point me out. I will be wearing overalls and a straw hat.
If you are interested in attending, RSVP to me via e- mail (karie at filmradar {dot} com)
I hope to see you there!
Sincerely,
Karie Bible
FilmRadar.com
Trailer for THE BROTHERS BLOOM
I was surfing on the internet and came across the trailer for THE BROTHERS BLOOM. I am really excited about seeing this film. If you missed Johnson’s debut film BRICK in theatres, by all means get it on DVD! He really has a distinct and highly original voice. THE BROTHERS BLOOM is set to open in October and hopefully we’ll know the exact release date soon.
Replacements for “At the Movies”
When I was a kid and budding film geek, I started watching “At the Movies” with Siskel and Ebert every time I had the chance. I didn’t always agree with them, but I enjoyed watching them bicker with each other. They had great chemistry and both really seemed passionate about movies. I miss the good old days of their show. I haven’t really taken to watching Roeper that much. I’m not surprised to hear in Variety that ABC/Disney is now replacing them with Ben Mankiewicz and Ben Lyons. I guess they are trying to capture the “youth audience” and revamp the show. I met Ben Mankiewicz when I appeared in the “Hollywood Hideaways” segment for TCM. He was very nice to me, but on camera he had this really snarky sort of style that I couldn’t quite relate to. I guess I’m far too earnest to be snarky myself. It is just not in my nature. I hear that Lyons knows nothing about film history, so I guess Mankiewicz will be the only one with any real perspective.
This may seem pretty “out there” as a suggestion, but I have an idea of how to revamp “At the Movies”...get 2 unconventional female film critics! Just my pipe dream, but I think Kim Morgan and I would make awesome hosts of a film talk show. I’ve always wanted to work with her in some capacity. Our paths crossed briefly when we were on separate episodes of AMC’s “The Movie Club”, but I never really got the chance to talk to her very much. There aren’t very many women out there who are super hardcore film devotees and Kim is one of the few that I am aware of. She also shares my immense passion for film noir and has a macho edge that I lack. She collects vintage cars and even writes for Jesse James’ hot rod magazine! On the other hand, I am super girly and collect vintage evening gowns and vintage cookbooks. We are both unique creatures. While we are opposites in many ways, I think we would make awesome co-hosts. Kim is very accomplished and like 10,000 times cooler than I will ever be, but that’s ok. She really kicks ass and I highly suggest taking a look at her blog Sunset Gun if you have the chance.
Who would you rather watch…..
OR
An interview with Scott Prendergast, writer, director and star of KABLUEY
In the new indie film KABLUEY, inept Salman (Scott Pendergast) comes to help his sister-in-law (Lisa Kudrow) tend to her homicidal toddlers while Salman’s brother is off fighting in Iraq. Salman must take a humiliating job as a giant blue corporate mascot to help make ends meet and hold the family together.
KABLUEY has been garnering excellent reviews and the Hollywood Reporter raved, “This charming, pointed comedy is a genuine discovery.” The film opens on July 11th in Los Angeles. Writer, director and star Scott Pendergast graciously took the time to chat with me and discuss the film.
How did you get interested in film?
I always wanted to make movies. Always….was always obsessed with movies. As a kid I was basically addicted to the Muppets. And then the Muppet movie came out and for me - it was like crack. I think I saw it 7 times in the theater. I was pretty young and I would take the bus to Washington Square in Portland Oregon BY MYSELF and see it again - in a fevered panic state - in a heightened arousal state. Like it was Armageddon unfolding before me and I was the only witness. I would go home all sweaty. And then I wrote my own sequel. And that’s probably where an interest in making movies began. Then for a long time I was doing improvisational comedy. From middle school through college - and then for about 8 years professionally after college. So when I was about to turn 30 I thought to myself “OK, you’ve always wanted to make movies. Now is the time. Get on the stick. Time is running out. DO IT.” I think before that time I had been too nervous to admit that I wanted to make movies. Like somehow low self-esteem was preventing me from actually admitting this desire. I didn’t know if I believed I could do it - that it would ever happen. But I saved up my money and I bought a Canon XL1 camera and a MAC computer and Final Cut Pro and I taught myself to make short films in my apartment. And then I just continued on from there - slowly gaining confidence - slowly convincing myself that I could do this. Because in the back of my mind there was always a little voice saying “WHAT IF YOU CAN’T DO THIS? WHAT IF YOU ARE THE LEGLESS 3000 POUND PERSON CONVINCING THEM SELF THAT THEY ARE GOING TO BE A DANCER? WHAT IF YOU ARE NOT A FILMMAKER - BUT AN IDIOT?” But things seemed to be going OK - so I kept trying.
What films or filmmakers inspire you?
Well, The Muppet Movie. And of course, The Wizard of Oz. Then I was obsessed with Hitchcock for a long time. And then obsessed with David Lynch. (Crazily, self-destructively obsessed with David Lynch). And then Pedro Almodovar. I think Rear Window is the best movie ever made (because of 1. The perfectly realized plot and 2. The color scheme and production design). And recently I have decided (for myself) that Alfonso Cuaron is the greatest living director. This decision is pretty much based on the 3rd Harry Potter movie - which is ASTONISHING. And also Children of Men. When I was young I was very, very, extremely fond of Snoopy Come Home - because, let’s admit it - it’s really fucking joyous in the end when Snoopy does, in fact, come home. I’m serious. I own that movie and I watch it every now and then and I cry like a little girl. Same with Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. (I am AGAINST the remake - AGAINST AGAINST AGAINST). When I was 10 I loved the movie Xanadu. And I see now that this decision was made by the mind of a very impressionable, sad 10 year old boy. But still today, I do enjoy it. I especially enjoy the montage of different getups in the end right before Kira disappears. One of my favorite movies is a bizarre little independent film called In The Spirit. But every time I get people to watch it - they do not enjoy it, which is a major problem in my life. I was very inspired by Miranda July and her movie Me And You And Everyone We Know. I thought she was spectacular in that movie. And it convinced me that maybe I could make a feature too - and that I could be in it.
Did you go to film school?
No. Although, if I had gone to film school I would probably know a lot more about cameras and the technical side of filmmaking. And I probably could have found a really great, competent Director of Photography that I loved a long time ago. I regret not going to film school for these reasons. But, when I graduated from college I was ready to be done with school FOREVER. And still, at that time, I didn’t have the confidence to admit that I wanted to make movies - so I don’t think I would have gone or gotten into film school.
What inspired KABLUEY?
This sounds bogus, but I was on an airplane and the idea just popped into my head. I opened my laptop and wrote “Man in big blue mascot costume. This is your first feature.” I really like costumes. And the idea of a man leading his life on the inside of a costume seemed really cool to me. Then while I was writing down ideas for the movie I gradually realized that I should add elements of my own life at that time into the plot. My brother was in Iraq with the Oregon Army National Guard and I was living with my sister-in-law helping to take care of my nephews. And it seemed like that story would counterbalance well with a silly slapstick story about a mascot costume.
Is this your first feature film?
Yes. I made 5 short films first. All of them made for very little money, with a digital camera. They are all viewable on my website.
How long did the shoot take?
I think originally we had 22 days (in Austin, Texas). Which became 24 days due to weather delays. And then we had 2 “skeleton crew” days where it was just a few people and the camera. And then we had 1 day back in Los Angeles to shoot the interior of the mascot costume head. So 27 in all.
How did you go about casting?
We had brilliant casting directors. Annie McCarthy and Jay Scully. And their whole game plan was “We are not casting anyone in this movie until we cast the sister-in-law.” Because the size of the star in that role would determine who we could get in the other parts. And we were INCREDIBLY, UNBELIEVABLY, JAW-DROPPINGLY lucky to get Lisa Kudrow in that part. And after that it was much easier to convince other big name actors to be in this small, little film. She was like the seal of approval. But I should also say that it was kind of a group effort. Everybody we got had some connection to the production, or to a producer, and we pulled the group together in a big joint effort, but Lisa was the key.
What is the toughest thing about promoting a film (short or feature) on the festival circuit?
Well, you have to have a good marketing campaign to guarantee an audience. You have to make sure the theater is always filled. We were lucky with KABLUEY in that respect. But I had a short film play to an empty house every now and then at some festivals in the past - and that’s painful. You have to have someone put up posters and hand out flyers. You have to go out and meet people and talk the movie up.
What is your next project?
I’m making another movie about my family - about me and my mom. It’s another dark-ish comedy. It should be shooting this fall. After I finished making KABLUEY I would go on meetings and people would ask me “So where’s your next script?” And I would think “WHERE’S MY NEXT SCRIPT? ARE YOU JOKING? I HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK MAKING THIS MOVIE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS! HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSE TO HAVE HAD TIME TO WRITE ANOTHER SCRIPT?” So I just started writing three screenplays at once - which is probably a ridiculous and bad idea. But I want to be ready next time! Perhaps a live action Snoopy Come Home movie. I love that movie sooo much. At the end? When Charlie and the gang are sitting on the bench - totally fucking depressed because Snoopy had to go and live with the little girl who is dying of rickets or scurvy or whatever - and then SUDDENLY - they hear Woodstock whistling? And then one by one the kids look up and they realize snoopy is COMING HOME! (but not coming home like Jon Voight Coming Home - paralyzed and everything - just coming home as Snoopy with his little red bowl on his head). It is perhaps the happiest moment in any movie ever. How can you deny it’s power? I honestly believe that I want to make movies because at some point I would like to create a moment that is as happy and joyous and fulfilling as that moment - when snoopy comes home. Life is bad and terrible things happen and people are mean and get horrible tumors filled with teeth and hair - but every now and then - a dog returns to his boy. I want to make a movie that has one little moment that is as happy as that. AND - I want to make a movie about teenage girls who get makeovers and then get devoured by crazed, rampaging robotic dinosaurs. Then I can retire. I’m serious.
KABLUEY opens July 11th in Los Angeles at the Laemmle Sunset 5. Q & A with filmmaker on Friday 7/11 & Saturday 7/12 after the 7:30pm show.
FilmRadar Field Trip July 5th to see GONZO
Greetings!
For those of you who are new to the site….welcome! In addition to the website and weekly e-newsletter, We also have a little thing called “FilmRadar Field Trips.” The concept is simple. We choose a film and invite everyone to attend as a group. We meet up, watch the movie and then go out for drinks or food afterward. Everyone is welcome. It’s a great way to socialize and meet fellow film lovers!
WHAT:
GONZO: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson
From Oscar-winning director Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and producer Graydon Carter (Surfwise, The Kid Stays in the Picture) comes a probing look into the uncanny life of national treasure and gonzo journalism inventor Dr. Hunter S. Thompson. A fast moving, wildly entertaining documentary with an iconic soundtrack, the film addresses the major touchstones in Thompson’s life-his intense and ill fated relationship with the Hell’s Angels, his near-successful bid for the office of sheriff in Aspen in 1970, the notorious story behind the landmark Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, his deep involvement in Senator George McGovern’s 1972 presidential campaign, and much more. Narrated by Johnny Depp.
Watch the trailer!
WHEN:
Saturday, July 5th at 4:50pm
WHERE:
The Landmark
10850 West Pico at Westwood Blvd.
Directly next door to Barnes & Noble - Enter on Westwood Blvd. or Pico
Parking is free in the garage.
Tickets are $12.00
I would suggest buying your tickets in advance online or at the box office.
After the film we will vote on a location for dinner and discussion.
RSVP to me (karie {at} filmradar {dot} com) if you’d like to attend. I’ll be in the lobby about 20 minutes before the 4:50pm start time holding a FilmRadar card so that you can find me.
Spread the word and tell a friend about FilmRadar.com!
Karie Bible
FilmRadar.com
A visit to the set of “Dark and Stormy Night”
I enjoy the work of Larry Blamire, director of THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA. I saw a trailer for the film when it first ran many years ago at the Egyptian Theatre. I loved it and started immediately making phone calls and wanting to know how I could help him get the word out. I love the campy, retro style of his work and the deadpan humor that accompanies it. After SKELETON, Larry invited me to be an extra in his follow up film TRAIL OF THE SCREAMING FOREHEAD. I got to wear a super cute 1950s outfit which I begged the costume designer to let me keep. She said no, but that didn’t stop me from asking her 10 more times. I also had a wear a big fake forehead glued to my forehead for about 12 hours. It started to itch and sting, but I was glad to help out and be a part of the proceedings.
I’m at the left here with actor Andrew Parks who plays “Dr. Philip Latham” aka The Leader of the Foreheads.
Below I’m at the left with actress Jennifer Blaire in the green sweater, co-star Keith Aiken, Michael Schlesinger on the right along with and one other actor.
This time I was invited to visit the set of his newest creation DARK AND STORMY NIGHT. Co-producer Michael Schlesinger (he is in the above picture to the right…in the green apron and black pillbox hat w/veil) described it to me as, “Like James Whale’s film THE OLD DARK HOUSE…if it had been directed by Howard Hawks instead.”
Larry likes to work with a small stock company of excellent actors including Jennifer Blaire, Dan Conroy, Fay Masterson, H.M. Wynant, Betty Garrett and Alison Martin. Larry’s set has a very family like atmosphere where everyone knows each other and it feels like being transported to the B-movie world in the 1950s. While the budgets are low and the schedule is tight, the atmosphere is fun and relaxed. Everyone in the cast and crew genuinely seem to be happy and passionate about what they are doing. I wish ALL movie sets were that way.
One thing that struck me was how fantastic the sets and costumes were! Production designer Anthony Tremblay has done a fantastic job of creating a quirky, gothic, haunted house and tons of great vintage details, props and set pieces. I was really impressed with what he was able to do with a lean budget.
The living room of the haunted old house, complete with an antique piano. Photos really don’t do any of this justice.
L-R: Larry Blamire directing actors Daniel Roebuck, Dan Conroy, Kevin Quinn (back to camera) and Jennifer Blaire.
Costume designer Kristin M. Burke and co-designer Kristina West have also whipped some beautiful dresses, suits and vintage costumes. The actors were pretty busy during my visit so I didn’t get pictures of the costumes, but maybe I’ll get some stills from the official set still photographer later on.
If you haven’t yet seen Larry Blamire’s work, check it out! THE LOST SKELETON OF CADAVRA is on DVD and a sequel is already in the can. He also has a great webisode series called “Tales from the Pub” that you can watch on YouTube.
Take a look!
SKELETON TRAILER:
TALES FROM THE PUB:
PAPER OR PLASTIC?
I’m sorry about the shameful blogging absence as of late. I will have a million things to write about very soon when I catch up.
In the meantime, I’m hearing some great buzz about this new documentary film at the Los Angeles Film Festival called PAPER OR PLASTIC? The film follows eight grocery-bagging state champions as they prepare for the national “best bagger” competition held in Las Vegas. The contestants include rural housewives, college students, awkward teens and lower management who all battle be be the best bagger. The last screening of the festival will be today Wednesday, June 25th 4:00pm at the Mann Festival Theatre. Click on the official festival website for ticketing information.
Watch the Trailer!
At the screening today there will also be grocery-bagging champions from the film demonstrating their skills. I hear this film is really charming and a lot of fun so make sure to see it if you get the chance!
FilmRadar’s 6th Year Anniversary Party Tonight!
FilmRadar recently hit its 6th Year Anniversary and it is time to celebrate!
Come join us:
WHEN: Monday, June 16th at 7:30pm - 11:00pm
WHERE:
The Landmark Theatre Bar
10850 West Pico at Westwood Blvd.
Directly next door to Barnes & Noble
Enter on Westwood Blvd. or Pico
No need to RSVP. Feel free to drop in at any point throughout the evening.
Parking is free and there will be food and drinks available for purchase in the bar.
There will also be a cake and we will be giving away free SWAG courtesy of Fox Searchlight and The Landmark Theatre chain.
Drop by and help us raise a glass in celebration!
I will be wearing a black gown from the 1940s, so I’ll be easy to find. Feel free to come say hello.
Thanks to all of you who have visited the website, attended the field trips and spread the word amongst your friends. Your support means so much to us!
The Universal Fire
I have been really saddened about the Universal Fire. My initial reaction was sheer terror because I feared that many rare films and negatives might be lost forever. Now I’m hearing that no negatives were burned and that only prints were destroyed. That still upsets me. It costs at least $5,000 to strike a new film print and I’m hearing that tons of them were lost. These prints were also the ones loaned to repertory theatres, revival houses and museums like LACMA. Now it might take a very long time (not to mention a lot of money) before many of these films can be screened for the public again. This is just a terrible loss. Isn’t there any way they can build fire proof vaults? Doesn’t that sort of technology exist?
This LA Times article goes into the history of fires on other studio lots as well. The only good news here seems to be that other studios are now going to take major precautions to prevent this sort of thing from happening to them. I know absolutely nothing about fire fighting, but I wish I could have helped them save those film cannisters!! (LA Times photo below)
Aimee Mann tonight in Hollywood at Amoeba!
I’m a huge fan of Aimee Mann and her music really contributed so much to Magnolia. I got word that she is performing tonight at Amoeba! If you are around, be sure to get over there and check it out.
Aimee Mann (live stream!)
Tonight 6pm - Hollywood
The highly esteemed and always amazing singer-songwriter Aimee Mann returns to Amoeba for a live in-store performance and CD signing in celebration of her new CD “Smilers” - available June 3rd on Superego Records.
Playing live June 2nd & 10th at Largo and June 6th at Anaheim House of Blues.
“I’ve always been fascinated with eccentric personalities,” says Los Angeles singer songwriter Aimee Mann. On Smilers, her seventh solo CD, Mann presents thirteen exquisitely-crafted new songs about the inner life of people living far from the bright lights of success or fame. Some of them are wanderers searching for meaning on the road, others look for it in a shot glass or by losing themselves in the blue trance of a tv set, and still others believe their deliverance will come through money. From the punch drunk characters haunting the twilight world of a dusty downtown boxing gym, to a onetime financial big shot who’s returned home after taking a tumble, Mann paints spare, vivid portraits of people who seem to always wind up with the smallest slice of American pie. The songs are soulful, empathetic and somehow ultimately hopeful and optimistic. Says Mann; “When I write about them - the narcissists, performers, eccentrics, know-it-alls - it helps me recognize some truths about the world and about myself.”
The title Smilers gets its name from a phrase Mann has long used to humorously lampoon the unrelentingly happy, shiny, smiley-faced pop culture that surrounds us all today. “I read an article that said that across all cultures, the single thing that people respond to most is a smiling cartoon face,” says Mann. “A friend of mine and I used to laugh at how there’s always somebody in an office or on the street who smiles all the time and is the first one to say, ‘hey, smile!’ I get that all the time from people who say ‘why can’t you be more smiley? So we jokingly nicknamed them @#%&! Smilers. You can provide your own curse word there. I think everybody knows someone like that.” The record goes behind the smiles to get at something a little deeper and a little more revealing. Smilers reaffirms Mann’s place as one of pop music’s most distinctive songwriters, with an exceptional talent for beautiful melodies and insightful lyrics that go beyond platitudes.
Smilers took shape during the last two years as Mann was releasing her concept album, The
Forgotten Arm (2005) and then her seasonal CD Another Drifter in the Snow (2006). “After doing a
concept album I wanted to go back and just do a set of songs that were not linked quite so tightly,” she
says. “I didn’t have a specific vision I was after so I kept writing and after a while the album began to take on its own sound.” She approached the making of the record almost like a novelist or journalist approaches a story, finding characters, learning what makes them tick, and writing and rewriting until something clear begins to emerge. Many of the songs underwent further evolution in rehearsals in 2007 as she and producer Paul Bryan settled on a sound that they liked.
Where previous Mann albums have frequently tended toward a lonesome, spacious sound, Smilers
sounds fuller and larger, with uncommon touches. “We tried not to echo any previous albums…for
this one we wanted to use a different palate, thus replacing electric guitars with distorted Wurlitzers, Clavinets, and analog synthesizers. We wanted the rhythm section to sound full and organic with detailed, interwoven keyboards on top. We also knew we wanted to have real string sections and horn arrangements for select songs.” The rich arrangements provide a wonderfully captivating counterpoint to the haunting, plainspoken poetry of Mann’s lyrics. For Smilers, she and Bryan preferred to refine their ideas in rehearsals and then keep the studio work brief to unleash a certain spontaneity, keeping takes of each song to one or two apiece. “It keeps the music fresh. It makes it much more of a real musical experience,” says Mann. “It makes it a little closer to something live and real.”
Smilers also reflects a unique creative phase in Mann’s career. After the runaway success of The Magnolia Soundtrack, which received nominations for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and a Grammy, Mann’s music and career took a new direction. “Magnolia got me focused on the idea of music and movies in a different way,” she explains. “I started looking at songwriting from a different angle. Forgotten Arm I wrote as a sort of soundtrack to an imaginary movie. It’s a great way of looking at songwriting. It gets me out of my own head and into the head of another character. I don’t have to write about myself all the time.” That feeling was liberating, and endows much of Manns’ new work with a vivid, almost visual story-telling sense that makes her music jump off the CD.
Smilers opens with “Freeway,” an almost Cars-esque synth-pop song that was inspired by a drug addicted friend who had came to LA in hopes of getting clean and making a break with the past. The track “Stranger into Starman” was spurred by an afternoon crossword puzzle and the memory of an Anne Sexton poem that made an anagram out of the word “rats” - morphing it into “stars.” As Mann describes it, “it’s about glorifying people who don’t deserve the glory.” The song “Looking for Nothing,” as Mann explains, was inspired by a couple of ex-boxers at her gym. The song is about “that
moment in life where you get older and stop chasing after that thing you always thought would make you happy. It’s when you let go of the trapeze bar and nobody’s caught you yet and you don’t know if you’re going to hit the ground.”
“Phoenix” delves into love’s impotence in the face of the world, and the aftermath of a relationship gone sour: “Its hard to know when to cut and run,” the character sings; “You balance heartache with your fun.” The song “Borrowing Time” plays out like a vaguely menacing Snow White-style fairy tale; “The needle has pricked her little finger/She wants the beautiful child the blood will bring her,” but it has echoes of a cautionary tale that could apply to a modern innocent’s path in Hollywood. “31 Today” says Mann, is slightly autobiographical, recalling the feeling of insecurity she had as a young artist living in Boston. “The song captures the anxiety of getting older and feeling that you really should have it together more than you do.” As her character sings: “Drinking Guinness in the afternoon/taking shelter in the black cocoon/I thought my life would be different somehow/I thought my life would be better by now.”
“The Great Beyond” looks at the outdoors and the wilderness not as an adventure but as a dark refuge from society. The track “Columbus Avenue,” a reference to the San Francisco street, plumbs the tale of the sad ambition of an addict, asking “What is Columbus Avenue to you now?/A place where you failed to make your story go over?/A place where you bailed and let the bottom drag you under?” And “Little Tornado” and Ballantines” (named after the classic American beer) are portraits of troubled personalities and the chaos and healing they can provoke. “Medicine Wheel” is based on a poem written by Mann’s sister, the painter and artist Gretchen Seichrist.
Another song on Smilers, “True Believer,” was written with Grant Lee Phillips, a Cafe Largo pal and maverick singer songwriter who toured with Mann for Another Drifter in the Snow. Says Mann, “I had some music and a sketch idea for a chorus for this song and Grant came in with this wonderful idea of how to turn the song into a ghost story.”
Longtime Mann fans will find that Smilers has plenty of the tunefulness they have come to expect from her albums. New fans will be struck by the power of her spare language. Smilers is a welcome return of unparalleled songcraft.
