David Rawlings Movies
- 2007
- Add Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects to QueueAdd Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects to top of Queue
British singer and songwriter Robyn Hitchcock has been a cult favorite since beginning his career with the group the Soft Boys in the mid-1970's. Hitchcock's songs are immediately recognizable for their lovely but fractured melodic sense and his eccentric worldview, with images of fish, insects and death prominent in his bitterly witty lyrics. While Hitchcock has never enjoyed major commercial success, he's long been a favorite with other musician, and Peter Buck of R.E.M. has been an outspoken fan and collaborator for years. In 2006, Hitchcock and his ad hoc band the Venus Three -- featuring Buck and two members of R.E.M.'s touring ensemble, Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin -- convened at Hitchcock's home in West London to record his sixteenth solo album, Ole! Tarantula!. Filmmaker John Edginton was on hand with a camera crew to capture the proceedings, and Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects offers an intimate look at the creative process of this one-of-a-kind artist. Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death and Insects features cameo appearances from Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones, British pop legend Nick Lowe and American alt-country favorite Gillian Welch, all of whom lend their talents to Hitchcock's recording sessions. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Robyn Hitchcock, Peter Buck, (more)
Participant Productions, the same studio that heralded An Inconvenient Truth into theaters returns with an insider's look into former president Jimmy Carter's book tour as seen through the eyes of director Jonathan Demme. Using an experimental approach, the camera follows the promotional tour and subsequent reaction to the ex-head of state's controversial tome Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid, which theorizes a Middle East peace solution and how Israel's staunch stance has negatively effected the region. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jimmy Carter
- 2004
- Add Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004 to QueueAdd Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004 to top of Queue
A jazz chanteuse with a taste for pop, country, and blues at their best, Norah Jones became an overnight sensation in 2002 with the release of her album Come Away With Me, which earned both critical acclaim and blockbuster sales. In 2004, Jones was touring in support of her well-received second album, Feels Like Home, when she and her band arrived at Nashville's historic Ryman Auditorium for a special concert appearance, which was captured by a camera crew for home-video release. Norah Jones and the Handsome Band: Live in 2004 features Jones joined by guests Dolly Parton and Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, as well as former bandmates Kevin Breit and Richard Julian. Selections include "Don't Know Why," "Creepin' In," "Who Am I To You," "The Prettiest Thing," "Carnival Town," and ten others. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Norah Jones
For their film O Brother, Where Art Thou?, set in the American South during the 1930s, filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen collaborated with musician, songwriter, and producer T-Bone Burnett to compile a score that reflected the rich variety of musical influences of the rural South during the Depression. Burnett brought together a veritable who's who of American roots music for the project, and while the film was a moderate success, the soundtrack album to O Brother, Where Art Thou? was a surprise hit, topping the country charts for several weeks and helping to open the ears of a new audience to the beauty and rough-hewn poetry of bluegrass, traditional country, rural blues, and gospel music. Shortly before the film's release, Burnett assembled many of the artists who appeared on the O Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack for a special concert at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium (the original home of the Grand Ole Opry) to benefit the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum; the evening was filmed, and Down From the Mountain documents this very special night of music that celebrates America's musical past as it points to the future. Performers include Emmylou Harris, Dr. Ralph Stanley, Alison Krauss, the Cox Family, the Fairfield Four, the Whites, Chris Thomas King, and Gillian Welch. Holly Hunter, one of the stars of O Brother, makes a cameo appearance, as does noted country music enthusiast Billy Bob Thornton. Songwriter, musician, and historian John Hartford served as master of ceremonies for the concert (and the film); sadly, he died after a long bout with cancer less than two weeks before Down From the Mountain premiered in New York and Nashville in June 2001. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- John Hartford, Ralph Stantley, (more)
