John Prine Movies

Four Japanese surfers load up a 1961 EK Holden and wind their way down the scenic Australian coastline in this guerilla style road movie featuring a blistering punk soundtrack and manga-inspired visuals. A unique, micro-budget film designed to be enjoyed as either a feature or as a simple, background eye candy, Bondi Tsunami follows chain-smoking wave rider Shark (Taki Abe) as he leads his fun loving friends on a psychedelic journey through the land sown under and kisses his consciousness goodbye. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Billy Bob Thornton wrote, directed, and starred in this serio-comic look at the trials (literally and figuratively) of an eccentric Arkansas family. Struggling musician Claude (Thornton) and his wife Ruby (Laura Dern) get the news that Claude's uncle Hazel (Jim Varney) has been accused of murder and is in jail awaiting trial. Claude and Ruby head for the Alabama town where they grew up, and, before long, there's a friendly (and sometimes not-so-friendly) war of words among the factions of the family, including Claude's mother Jewel (Diane Ladd), father O.T. (Andy Griffith), and sister Rose (Kelly Preston). Daddy and Them's supporting cast includes Jamie Lee Curtis and Ben Affleck as a pair of married attorneys, Brenda Blethyn as Hazel's wife Julia, and Jeff Bailey, and John Prine as Claude's brothers. While Daddy and Them was shot in 1999 -- and would have been his first directorial effort after his breakthough hit Sling Blade -- the film stayed in the editing room for several years, and wasn't released until after his third feature, All The Pretty Horses. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Subtitled "The Greatest Gathering of Folk Musicians in 25 Years," this video documents the Troubadours of Folk Festival held at UCLA's Drake Stadium & Intramural Fields in Westwood, CA, June 5 and 6, 1993. The lineup includes Jefferson Starship (unplugged) doing "Volunteers," Beausoleil performing "Dance de la Vie," and Janis Ian singing her hit "At Seventeen." Other artists featured include Arlo Guthrie, Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, and John Prine. ~ Steve Blackburn, Rovi

This informative documentary on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) by Ross Spears chronicles its history, the multiple problems it has both caused and overcome, and the issues that still plagued it in 1984. The TVA is an independent agency of the executive branch of the U.S. government, created in 1933 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide electricity to one of the poorest regions of the country and to work on flood control and other projects. The first human cost of the TVA was the approximately 3,000 families forced out of the region when building began on what would become by the 1990s, 50 dams and multiple electrical power plants, including three nuclear plants (nuclear construction stopped in the '90s). Between the displacement of families and power struggles of the political and human variety, the TVA was born, and continued to exist constantly sullied by ethical, human, or environmental failings. In the 1960s and '70s environmental groups protested TVA pollution of the air, their strip mining, and their endangerment of the snail darter. (The snail darter fish was believed to have become extinct because of dam construction, but has since been found in a few Tennessee rivers.) Electrical costs skyrocketed, and construction on the massive Hartsville Nuclear Plant (after $2 billion had been spent) was aborted. Interviews with experts, pro and con from many fields provide the background and contemporary issues of the TVA. Some viewers may find the topic a bit dry, but anyone interested in the TVA or current issues such as pollution, energy development, or conservation would appreciate this documentary. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

While Steve Goodman never became a major star, the Chicago-born singer and songwriter was one of the best respected artists on the folk music scene during the 1970's and early 80's, and his songs -- often as funny as they were heartfelt -- won him the admiration of fellow performers such as Bonnie Raitt, John Prine, Kris Kristofferson, and Arlo Guthrie (who scored a hit single with his recording of Goodman's classic tune "City Of New Orleans") before Goodman lost his battle with leukemia in 1984 at the age of 36. Steve Goodman: Live From Austin City Limits and More compiles footage from Goodman's appearances on PBS's popular roots music series Austin City Limits, with more rare live footage included to pay tribute to the work of this wise and witty man. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi