Ben Keith Movies
- 2009
In 2005, legendary rocker Neil Young and filmmaker Jonathan Demme collaborated on the concert film Neil Young: Heart of Gold, shot during a series of performances at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium; the film was designed to sum up the larger themes of Young's music, and was inspired in part by the musician being diagnosed with a potentially fatal brain aneurysm. In 2009, Young, who had since been given a clean bill of health, teamed up with Demme for a second concert documentary, but while Heart of Gold focused on the country-influenced side of Young's body of work, 2009's Neil Young Trunk Show is dominated by his love of unvarnished hard rock, with plenty of Young's trademark noisy guitar solos and extended workouts with his band (including longtime collaborators Ralph Molina and Ben Keith). Featuring a set of classic hits and songs from Young's 2008 album Chrome Dreams II, Neil Young Trunk Show was an official selection at the 2009 AFI Fest, a film festival presented by the American Film Institute. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Neil Young, Ralph Molina, (more)
In the fall of 2005, Neil Young returned to the sound and style of his iconic 1972 album Harvest with Prairie Wind, a set of ten songs which look to America's past and future accompanied by sweet but rough-hewn country-rock. The album was written and recorded after Young was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm, and shortly before he went into the hospital for surgery for the condition, Young played a pair of special concerts at Nashville's Ryman Auditorium, the original home of the Grand Ole Opry, where he performed the Prairie Wind album in full along with a set of old favorites. Filmmaker Jonathan Demme was on hand to film the shows, and Neil Young: Heart of Gold was culled from the best moments of those two concerts, as well as interviews in which Young talks about his life and music. Emmylou Harris appears as a guest vocalist, and Young's band includes long time accompanists Ben Keith on pedal steel, pianist Spooner Oldham and Pegi Young (Neil's wife) on acoustic guitar and backing vocals. By the way, Neil Young enjoyed a full recovery after his surgery. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Neil Young, Emmylou Harris, (more)
The director of Greendale, Bernard Shakey is much better known as the rock icon Neil Young. Greendale is a feature-length adaptation of Young's album of the same name. Following the lives of a family in a small town, the film's actors lip sync the dialogue as it appears in the songs, which are all present in the versions heard on the CD. The story concerns Arius Green (Ben Keith), a friendly old-timer who lives on the Double-E ranch with his family. His son Earl (James Mazzeo) is a struggling painter. When cousin Jed (Eric Johnson) murders Officer Carmichael (Paul Supplee), there is a media frenzy that brings about the death of Arius. Arius' granddaughter Sun Green (Sarah White) sets off on a life of social protest. Greendale was screened at the 2003 Toronto Film Festival. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi
- Starring:
- Sarah White, Eric Johnson, (more)
