Beth Orton Movies
- 2006
The American folk music revival of the 1950s and '60s is a well-known and laboriously discussed historical phenomenon, yet few realize that one man virtually prompted that genre explosion all by himself. Throughout the 1930s and '40s, music aficionado Harry Smith collected untold numbers of folk recordings on 78s, and assembled one of the most massive private libraries of its kind in recent history. In fact, Smith's reputation as a collector spread across the country and reached the preservationists at the Folkways label, who convinced Smith to let them compile and mass-issue a best-of compilation from his library. So began the folk boom, which quickly gave rise to such acts as the Kingston Trio, Peter, Paul and Mary, Bob Dylan, and Joan Baez. In the film The Old Weird America: Harry Smith's Anthology of American Folk Music, documentarist Rani Singh -- who worked as Smith's personal assistant, from 1989 until his death in 1991 -- chronicles the pioneer, his life story, and his little-known accomplishments. The film also features extracts from a concert in which contemporary artists including Nick Cave, Elvis Costello, and Beth Orton interpret old folk ballads from Smith's collection. Hal Wilner (Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man) staged the performance segments. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi
Leonard Cohen is widely regarded as one of the finest and most influential poets and songwriters of his generation, a writer whose artful mélange of love, eros, and despair has earned him a passionate international following and the respect and admiration of artists ranging from R.E.M. to Johnny Cash. In 2005, music producer Hal Wilner staged an all-star tribute concert in Australia in which a handful of major artists offered their interpretations of Cohen's songs, including Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker of Pulp, Rufus Wainwright, Beth Orton, Kate and Anna Mcgarrigle, and many more. Leonard Cohen I'm Your Man includes highlights from this concert and thoughts on Cohen and his work from the participants as well as an extensive interview with Leonard Cohen himself as he talks in detail about his life and his art. The film also includes a special performance of "Tower of Song," in which Cohen is accompanied by U2. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Antony, Beth Orton, (more)
- 2003
Henry Gibson guest stars as the Sandman (yes, that Sandman!), who asks Phoebe (Alyssa Milano) to protect him from a Tracer Demon (Darin Heames) bent upon destroying all the dreams in the world. In the process of helping the Sandman, Phoebe is galvanized when one of her worst nightmares suddenly springs to life. Seeing this, the demon decides to use a terrifying array of nightmares (including the requisite chainsaw-wielding maniacs and scary clowns!) to destroy the Charmed Ones. Things take a Freudian turn when the girls realize that the only way to save themselves is to figure out the real meanings of their horrible dreams. ~ Rovi
- Starring:
- Brian Krause, Julian McMahon, (more)
- 2001
- Add Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician to Queue Add Southlander: Diary of a Desperate Musician to top of Queue
Music video director Steven Hanft makes his feature debut with the digital video project Southlander, an absurd independent film starring various beloved indie pop musicians. Rory Cochrane stars as Chance, a musician who loses his extremely rare magical synthesizer which takes the form of a white 1969 Moletron keyboard. He looks for it by wandering around a de-glamorised Southern California with pal Rossangeles (co-writer Ross Harris from DJ Me DJ You and Sukia). They sometimes find clues in the local classified newspaper called the Southlander, which leads them to meet interesting folks.Their adventures eventually lead them to the home of former funk legend-turned-tennis player Mother Child (Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs from Welcome Back Kotter) and his blonde girlfriend Snowbunny (Meghan Gallagher). Beth Orton stars as Chance's love interest Rocket and the leader of the band Future Pigeon. Beck plays Bek, his younger pre-stardom self, back when he was into drugs and recording music by himself in a shack. Also starring Ione Skye, Hank Williams III, Richard Edson, and Elliot Smith. Southlander was shown at the 2001 South by Southwest Film Festival. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi
- Starring:
- Rory Cochrane, Rossie Harris, (more)
This adaptation of three stories from Irvine Welsh's short-story collection of the same name reunites Annie Louise Ross, Kevin McKidd, and Ewen Bremner from the author's previous cinematic success, Trainspotting, which was also set in the author's native North Edinburgh. In the Kafka-esque "The Granton Star Cause," a lazy amateur footballer (Stephen McCole) has a very, very bad day that culminates in God (Maurice Roeves) turning him into an insect. In "A Soft Touch," a young husband and father (McKidd) finds his life disrupted when a psychotic neighbor (Gary McCormack) takes up with his wife (Michelle Gomez) and invades his wretched tenement. And in "The Acid House," a druggie low-life (Bremner) experiences a Freaky Friday-style body switch with the infant son of a pair of self-involved yuppies. After "The Granton Star Cause" was screened separately at the Edinburgh Film Festival, the completed film was shown at Cannes in 1998. The title is a play on the term "acid house," a form of sinister dance music that emerged in Chicago in the mid-'80s and helped fuel the formative years of England's rave culture. Former Doctor Who actor Maurice Roeves, who plays God in "The Granton Star Cause," also has cameos in the other two segments. Jemma Redgrave, niece of Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave and cousin of Natasha and Joely Richardon, appears in the title segment and lends her Bjork-haired visage to the film's poster. ~ Brian J. Dillard, Rovi
- Starring:
- Stephen McCole, Maurice Roeves, (more)
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