Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2008 AFI Dallas International Film Festival)
Director: King Hollis
Starring: Bowling for Soup members Jaret, Chris, Erik, Gary
Texan band Bowling for Soup blends its comedy into its lyrics (think a Texan version of Canada's Barenaked Ladies who sound kind of like Panic at the Disco or The All-American Rejects), so it's no surprise that they're as amenable offstage as on. Lensed on their European "Get Happy" tour, helmer Hollis showcases the music and the personalities responsible in an entertaining manner, but without the high-tech concert (and IMAX/3D) cameras currently being utilized by Martin Scorsese, Jonathan Demme and Mark Pellington (U23D). From the mock rock docs of This is Spinal Tap to the narrative mutterings of Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous) and Oliver Stone (The Doors), pics about bands are as varied in versions of reality as are the members of those bands - real or fake. The recent spate of documentaries has been equally diverse, serving to honor a legend's legacy, to introduce an artist to the world, to enable the artist a voice beyond their music, or to offer the fans something they can take home long after the venue has stopped vibrating.
Hollis, in this instance, serves us up a ladle of homegrown rock, handheld style. Punctuated with off-the-wall, low-budget, on-tour, various-hyphenate moments, the concert doc issues us a ticket to a band's whole quasi-humorous adventure, and empowers the audience with the delight of being awarded the ultimate fan's backstage pass to BFS's tour. Music aside, the tone of the film is pretty much set when Hollis starts running an onscreen pop-up tab of the number of mentions of the word "poop" in the pic.
AFI Dallas was partially born out the Deep Ellum film festival, which paid poignant attention to the Dallas music scene for many years prior to Michael Cain, Deep Ellum's artistic director and founder (and exec producer of this movie), being tapped to envision the AFI Dallas International Film Festival. That the International fest continues to recognize its origins with the Deep Ellum Sounds section of programming is a worthy homage, and, in this year's offerings, serves up some Southern beats mixed into a program alongside the work of Lou Reed and The Dixie Hummingbirds, Public Enemy and Sonic Youth. With Texas state-shaped tattoos on their forearms and the state flag on their guitar bellies, the live and (not really) attractive BFS team is a fun fit.
For tickets and screening times, check in with the official sites of the festival and the film:
www.afidallas.com
www.bowlingforsoup.com
Photo courtesy of AFI Dallas. |
