Marc Savoy Movies
Directed by filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg, America's Heart and Soul traverses across thousands of miles of American soil in an effort to showcase not just the beauty of the land, but the very soul of the United States -- its people. Exploring groups from American Indians to generation-spanning farming families, Schwartzberg endeavors to capture the stories of an extremely diverse population in hopes of displaying their common American dreams and values. Billed as a celebration of the country as told by its people, the documentary also includes the stories of several steel workers, car-show attendees, religious figures, and over 20 other unique individuals. ~ Tracie Cooper, 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
- 1991
A cooking video that focuses on Cajun and Creaole cooking. ~ All Movie Guide
This lively documentary takes the viewer deep into the Cajun and Zydeco musical world of Louisiana, and features interviews and performances from some of the best known musicians, as it traces the history of both musical forms using archival footage from the 1930s onward. That history is inextricably intertwined with the history of the people who settled Louisiana, and the documentary illuminates that story with interviews from historians and folklore specialists. Among the many musicians featured are Clifton Chenier, Queen Ida, and Wayne Toups. These two musical forms were almost obliterated by the influx of U.S. popular music when rural Louisiana became less isolated after World War Two, but they underwent a revival in the 1960's which has continued to this day. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael Doucet, Marc Savoy, (more)
A handful of part time soldiers unwittingly turn a field exercise into a miniature war in this offbeat action drama from writer and director Walter Hill. A group of National Guard reservists are sent to Louisiana on a chilly weekend for war games exercises. None of these weekend warriors seem especially happy to be there, especially laid-back Spencer (Keith Carradine), tightly-wound macho man Reece (Fred Ward) and transplanted Texan Hardin (Powers Booth). While making their way through swamp country, the reservists discover their maps are out of date and they've become lost. Rather than march back to camp and start over, they decide to "borrow" several canoes they've found by the banks of the bayou, which should put them back on track. When a Cajun local catches the soldiers stealing his canoes, Stuckey (Lewis Smith) fires a few rounds in his direction; for the purposes of their exercises, the Guardsmen have been given blank shells, so Stuckey imagines this is a harmless way to scare the man off. However, the Cajun soon returns fire -- with real bullets. After Poole (Peter Coyote) is killed by a shotgun blast, the Guardsmen find themselves lost in a place they do not understand, surrounded by angry men determined to drive the unwelcome visitors off their land at all costs. A taut and atmospheric action film which is also serves as an intelligent and evocative metaphor for America's role in the Vietnam war, Southern Comfort also features an excellent score by guitarist (and frequent Walter Hill collaborator) Ry Cooder. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Keith Carradine, Powers Boothe, (more)
