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    Sundance Film Festival 2013

    Sundance hits a high note with films featuring Mick Jagger, Aretha Franklin and The Eagles

    Jane Howze
    Jan 27, 2013 | 9:22 am

    PARK CITY, Utah — It seems light years ago that the Sundance Film Festival opened. Actually, for me, it was 20 movies ago.

     

    At the onset of the festival, executive director John Cooper said that one of the big themes this year is music. After watching a large number of serious documentaries and dramas, I felt it was time to rock out. A number of documentaries focusing on music of prior eras have premiered to enthusiastic crowds. Here are three winners:

     

     Twenty Feet From Stardom

     

     Twenty Feet From Stardom profiles six mostly African-American singers who perform in the shadows of stars such as Ray Charles, Bruce Springsteen, the Rolling Stones, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Bette Midler. Directed by Grammy nominated filmmaker Morgan Neville, the film includes never seen before archived footage, anecdotes that will both make you laugh and cry, and of course, music.

     

    And the music is emotional, uplifting and just downright awesome.

     
     

      During the Q&A session that followed, the audience was treated to live, impromptu performances as the film’s featured backup singers took center stage and performed. 

     
     

    One of the film’s best moments occurs when Mick Jagger and backup singer Merry Clayton recount the late-night recording session — she in a bathrobe and rollers — that resulted in one of the Rolling Stones’ most iconic tracks, “Gimme Shelter." The film is an entertaining history lesson but what makes it over-the-top enjoyable is the big personalities of backup singers.

     

     Twenty Feet was shown in the coveted opening night spot and was welcomed with tears and a standing ovation. During the Q&A session that followed, the audience was treated to live, impromptu performances as three of the film’s featured backup singers, Clayton, Tata Vega and Judith Hill, took center stage and performed. At a later showing, Darlene Love and Lisa Fischer joined in to the delight of the audience.

     

    It was the first film to be snatched up by The Weinstein Company, and will be released in theaters this summer.

     

     Director Morgan Neville explains the movie here:

     

     

     

     

     

     History of The Eagles: Part 1

     

    Because The Eagles have been so adverse to press scrutiny for nearly four decades, it comes as a welcome surprise that these rock superstars agreed to cooperate with a no holds-barred documentary that traces their career from humble beginnings through their meteoric rise to superstardom and their split in 1980.

     

    Produced by Oscar-winning documentarian Alex Gibney (Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room) and directed by longtime documentary editor Alison Eliwood, the film, which premiered to an enthusiastic standing ovation during the first weekend of Sundance, focuses on the band’s songwriting talent and almost mystical synergy.

     
     

      Frey concluded the Q&A by saying, “We are going to go back on the road soon.” Let’s hope so. 

     
     

    Eagle fans will delight in never-before-seen footage of a 1977 shelved documentary, as well as concert footage from their final “Hotel California” tour.

     

    This highly entertaining two-hour movie does not shy away from the band’s friction in later years nor their substance abuse. The film ends in 1980 as the band implodes, but the last scene shows a sign that says, “The Eagles Reunited in 1994—but that is another story. Stay tuned for Part 2.”

     

    All four current band members appeared for a Q&A following the film. For those who haven’t seen The Eagles in a decade or two, the middle-aged, wrinkled men who appeared on stage look a lot different from the ebullient long-haired musicians of the '70s. But they still maintained an unbridled enthusiasm for music and life.

     

    When asked why film a documentary now, Glenn Frey said, “If we were ever going to do it, now is the time.” He said the band did research on what documentaries had won Academy Awards, not paying attention to whether or not their subject was musicians, and chose Gibney to produce it.

     

    Eagle fans will not have to wait long to see the movie, as Showtime has acquired the two-part documentary, and will show Part 1 on February 15 and Part 2 on February 16.

     

    Frey concluded the Q&A by saying, “We are going to go back on the road soon.” Let’s hope so.

     

     See History of the Eagles Part 1 trailer here:

     

     

     

     Muscle Shoals

     

    Music aficionados and historians will delight in Muscle Shoals, which tells the story about how a small town in northwest Alabama became the music recording mecca for musicians from the Rolling Stones to Aretha Franklin, U2, John Paul White of Grammy-nominated Civil Wars, Alicia Keys and countless others.

     

     

      And, oh my, the music! To watch footage of Muscle Shoals native Percy Sledge recording “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Aretha Franklin recording “Respect” is an incredibly moving and emotional experience.  

     
     

    This ambitious and intimate documentary of first time director/former real estate developer Greg Camalier tells the stories of FAME Studios, founded in the late 1950s, and its offshoot Muscle Shoals Sound Studios through interviews with Bono, Franklin, Keith Richards, Mick Jagger and a score of other mega artists, interlaced with hauntingly beautiful cinematography of Muscle Shoals, the story of Fame Studios founder Rick Hall, and the music itself.

     

    And, oh my, the music! To watch footage of Muscle Shoals native Percy Sledge recording “When a Man Loves a Woman” and Franklin singing “Respect” is an incredibly moving and emotional experience.

     

    It was hard to tell if the audience was watching a film or attending a concert as wild applause continued throughout the film. What also makes the “Muscle Shoals sound" so distinctive is that black and white performers, each versed in a different style, worked together at a time in our country’s history that was not common, especially in Alabama.

     

    While long (110 minutes) for a documentary, I hated to see the film end. During the Q&A, director Camalier admitted that the list of Muscle Shoals alumni was so large that if they had included everyone, the movie would have lasted 12 hours and required meal breaks.

     

    As we walked out of the theater, I overheard one person saying, “This film makes my heart sing.” I could not agree more.

     

     Muscle Shoals was a late entry to the Sundance competition, and so was only shown the last day of the festival. As a result it has not gotten the exposure and no distribution deal has been announced.

     

    When asked about that and whether there would be a soundtrack, Camalier said, “Stay tuned.”

    Backup singers take center stage in Twenty Feet From Stardom

    Sundance Film Festival, Twenty Feet From Stardom, Jo Lawry, Judith Hill, Lisa Fischer
      
    Photo by Graham Willoughby
    Backup singers take center stage in Twenty Feet From Stardom
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    Movie Review

    New Superman movie forges into the future while honoring the past

    Alex Bentley
    Jul 11, 2025 | 3:30 pm
    David Corenswet in Superman
    Photo by Jessica Miglio
    David Corenswet in Superman.

    When the character of Superman was invented in 1938, it was perhaps easier to see the world in good and bad terms. Fascism was already on the rise in Germany under Adolf Hitler, and the idea of an all-powerful superhero who stood up for people in need was a welcome one. In the nearly 90 years since, though, the world and the character have undergone multiple evolutions, and the thought of someone who is purely good is often met with cynicism or worse.

    The new Superman, written and directed by James Gunn, puts the superhero (or metahuman, as the film calls him and similar creatures) squarely in the midst of the modern world, with geopolitical conflicts, mega-corporations, and social media all combining to make the altruism of Superman/Clark Kent (David Corenswet) questionable. That skepticism even extends to his coworker/girlfriend Lois Lane (Rachel Brosnahan), whose knowledge of his exploits puts her in a tricky position personally and professionally.

    Lex Luthor (Nicholas Hoult) is out to dominate the world and take down Superman, with his eponymous corporation and vast group of underlings dedicated to doing both. Superman is generally a one-man fighting crew, but he’s occasionally aided by a group calling themselves the Justice Gang, comprised of heroes many have never heard of like Guy Gardner (Nathan Fillion), a version of Green Lantern; Hawkgirl (Isabela Merced), a flying metahuman; and Mr. Terrific (Edi Gathegi), who knows all kinds of technology.

    One of the best things about this new version of Superman is that it mostly dispenses with introductions, putting the audience in a world where Superman is already a well-known quantity who’s adored by many and hated by some. Gunn has used his new position as co-CEO of DC Studios to honor the past of the hero and take him into the future. With the 1978 John Williams theme song echoing throughout and Corenswet giving off Christopher Reeve vibes, it’s clear Gunn wants audiences to feel nostalgia while still getting something new.

    He also appears to want viewers to fight against the negativity that the modern world can bring. The plot involves manipulation of the public, usually at the hands of Luthor, through bombastic talk shows, political theater, and social media, the latter of which — in a great joke — comes to involve hundreds of typing monkeys. The film could be read as a rebuttal of many real-world ills as, despite Luthor’s machinations, many choose to continue to believe in the goodness of Superman.

    There is a lot going on in the film, but somehow it never comes off as overly complicated. Superman’s relationship with Lois Lane and Luthor’s attempts at taking him down are given the most prominence, with everything else supporting those two main things. The Justice Gang is a fun addition, with Mr. Terrific becoming the breakout hero of the group. The addition of the (CGI) dog Krypto provides levity, poignant moments, and unexpectedly great action scenes. The only part that gets somewhat short shrift is the crew of The Daily Planet, with everyone besides Lois and Jimmy Olsen (Skyler Gisondo) getting little more than face time.

    Being the new Superman is a lot to live up to, but Corenswet is completely up to the job. He, like Reeve, plays the character as someone who is earnest but not naive, a quality that comes through even when he’s in the middle of fight scenes. Brosnahan is also fantastic, providing a nice balance to the relationship while also proving the character’s own worth. Hoult makes for a great new version of Luthor, and Gathegi nearly makes the case that Mr. Terrific should get a starring film of his own.

    Just as he did with the Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy, Gunn has shown that success can be found through making characters people want to see. Not everyone in this Superman will be familiar to viewers, but in the end a group of people working together toward a goal that serves the common good is one worth watching and cheering for.

    ---

    Superman is now playing in theaters.

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