Jeff Rosen Movies
Sin City author Frank Miller's sweeping take on the historic Battle of Thermopylae comes to the screen courtesy of Dawn of the Dead director Zack Snyder. Gerard Butler stars as Spartan King Leonidas and Lena Headey plays Queen Gorgo. The massive army of the Persian Empire is sweeping across the globe, crushing every force that dares stand in its path. When a Persian envoy arrives in Sparta offering King Leonidas power over all of Greece if he will only bow to the will of the all powerful Xerxes (Rodrigo Santoro), the strong-willed leader assembles a small army comprised of his empire's best fighters and marches off to battle. Though they have virtually no hope of defeating Xerxes' intimidating battalion, Leonidas' men soldier on, intent on letting it be known they will bow to no man but their king. Meanwhile, back in Sparta, the loyal Queen Gorgo attempts to convince both the skeptical council and the devious Theron (Dominic West) to send more troops despite the fact that many view Leonidas' unsanctioned war march as a serious transgression. As Xerxes' fearsome "immortals" draw near, a few noble Greeks vow to assist the Spartans on the battlefield. When King Leonidas and his 300 Spartan warriors fell to the overwhelming Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, the fearless actions of the noble fighters inspired all of Greece to stand up against their Persian enemy and wage the battle that would ultimately give birth to the modern concept of democracy. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gerard Butler, Lena Headey, (more)
Renowned director Martin Scorsese's documentary No Direction Home: Bob Dylan chronicles the career of the singer and songwriter during the tumultuous years between 1961 and 1966. Dylan allowed Scorsese to have access to hours of footage that had never before been made public, including a number of live performances, and footage of Dylan in the recording studio creating some of his landmark albums from the period. Dylan sits for an extensive interview, as does a variety of people who worked with him during this time period, including Joan Baez and fellow songwriter Pete Seeger. The film debuted on PBS stations around the country on September 26, 2005. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
Enigmatic rock legend Bob Dylan stars as an enigmatic rock legend (talk about a casting coup!) in this purposefully eccentric satiric comedy. Uncle Sweetheart (John Goodman) is an unscrupulous concert promoter who has figured out a way to cash in on the feelings of doubt and uncertainty that plague his nation, which is being torn apart by civil war and political revolution. Sweetheart has decided he will stage a massive benefit concert, though the unnamed charity would appear to be his checking account. Sweetheart hires television producer Nina Veronica (Jessica Lange) to help promote the show and sell it as a nation-wide cable-cast event, while Sweetheart pulls a few strings to arrange for the perfect headliner -- Jack Fate (Bob Dylan), a legendary songwriter who is currently serving a term in prison. With Fate out from behind bars, Sweetheart and Veronica set out to sell their grand spectacle to the world, though one determined investigative journalist (Jeff Bridges) has set out to throw a spenner into the works of Uncle Sweetheart and his epic fundraiser. Marking the directorial debut of comedy writer Larry Charles, Masked and Anonymous also features Penelope Cruz and Luke Wilson; the film was shown in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Dylan, Jeff Bridges, (more)
- 2001
When First Unto This Country narrates the origins of American roots music and follows its development through the 1920s. When Africans and Europeans founded the new world in the 17th century, each ethnic group brought its unique musical heritage to the new world. It was the combination of these different heritages that created a uniquely American music, or, American roots music. At the beginning of the 20th century, scholars and musicians became more aware of this musical legacy. At first, traveling musicians had spread blues, folk songs, and "hillbilly" music. The Fisk Jubilee Singers traveled widely in the 1870s, popularizing African-American spirituals. Later, the phonograph and radio accelerated the process, carrying local sounds beyond their region of origin. Ralph Peer recorded both Jimmie Rogers and the Carter Family in 1927 in Bristol, TN, while WSM in Nashville began to broadcast a Saturday night barn dance in 1925, later to be called the Grand Ole Opry. When First Unto This Country includes rare footage of country music founder Rodgers and blues legend Son House, and interviews with Ricky Skaggs, Bonnie Raitt, and Pete Seeger. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide
- 2001
This Land Was Made for You & Me follows the development of American roots music from the 1930s to the 1950s. During the '30s, a number of folklorists began collecting traditional music in field recordings. John and Alan Lomax "discovered" African-American folksinger Huddie Ledbetter, known as Leadbelly, at Angola Penitentiary in 1933. Leadbelly's vast repertoire of original material convinced many that American traditions existed separately from European ones. Other folksingers began writing material from their own experiences. Woody Guthrie wrote about the Dust Bowl, labor unrest, and migrant workers as he traveled throughout Depression-era America. After WWII, new roots genres grew rapidly. Ernest Tubb spread the gospel of honky tonk, while the meteoric career of Hank Williams wrote a new chapter on how to "live fast and die young." Mountain music also evolved after the war when Bill Monroe and Earl Scruggs married high-lonesome vocals to speedy banjo picking to create bluegrass. This Land Was Made for You & Me includes footage of Woody Guthrie, Lefty Frizzell, and a rare color clip of a Leadbelly performance. There are also interviews with Merle Haggard, Sam Phillips, and Kitty Wells. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide
- 2001
The Times, They Are A-Changing follows the development of roots music during the '50s and '60s. During the late '50s, a folk revival swept the United States. Rooted in the work of folklorists and musicians from the '30s and '40s, the revival spread to mainstream America when the Kingston Trio released "Tom Dooley" in 1958. African-American migration from the Mississippi Delta to northern cities like Chicago gave birth to electric blues players like Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, while singers like Mahalia Jackson and Rosetta Tharpe popularized gospel. The Civil Rights movement, and later, antiwar protests, also influenced the era's music. College students and folksingers participated in lunch counter sit-ins and attended the 1963 March on Washington. In 1965, controversy erupted at the Newport Folk Festival when a young Bob Dylan traded his acoustic guitar for an electric one, marking the end of the folk revival. The Times, They Are A-Changing includes film footage of Joan Baez, B.B. King, and the Staple Singers, and interviews with Keith Richards, Peter Yarrow, and James Cotton. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide
- 2001
All My Children of the Sun narrates the recognition and growth of Cajun, zydeco, Tejano, and Native American music from the 1960s to the present. Inspired by a warm reception at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965, Dewey Balfa returned to Louisiana determined to revitalize Cajun music. The steady pulse of Cajun music, intended for dancing, also spread to the African-American community. There, musicians like Clifton Chenier added new rhythms to create a hybrid called zydeco. Many contemporary artists added experimental touches to traditional music. Dakota Sioux Floyd Westerman employed country music to protest the mistreatment of Native Americans, while Robert Mirabal underscores his compositions with ritualistic drama. Other musicians draw freely from multiple roots genres. Banjoist Bela Fleck merges bluegrass with jazz and rock, while singer Gillian Welch fuses old-timey music, gospel, and country blues. All My Children of the Sun includes footage of Native American dancing, and interviews with Robbie Robertson, Flaco Jimenez, and Edwin Hawkins. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Movie Guide
