I know the matching doesn’t quite work but I still like the way the cover art for this one came out.
We’re back on track, episode number-wise. And in this case we’re looking at a couple of periods in time that aren’t very far apart. Despite their relative closeness on the calendar, they each represent a time before a big shift in the music scene.
First up is Honeydripper from 2007, written and directed by John Sayles. It stars Danny Glover as a bar owner who’s struggling to keep his business and his life afloat. Throughout the film he talks to a blind musician whose role is…well, I’ll leave that up to you to decide.
In Part 2 it’s 2013’s Inside Llewyn Davis, written and directed by the Coen Brothers, Joel and Ethan. Oscar Isaac plays Llewyn, who was once half of a folk duo but he’s striking out on his own. Why he’s doing this is something that gets explored during the film. The Coens, as usual, take a lot of interesting coincidences and a lot of dark comedy and turn it into a very enjoyable film. Llewyn is clearly based on folk singer Dave Van Ronk, though there are a few Bob Dylan elements thrown in. But the film takes place just before anyone knows who Bob Dylan even is. And the interesting thing is, the one thing tying all of the film’s elements together is…a cat. No kidding.
COMING ATTRACTIONS:
Episode 46 is the second of our “Lost Episodes,” as we take a peek at a pair of musical films from 1986 that feature David Bowie as a villain. First up is Absolute Beginners, directed by Julien Temple. And in the second half, we take you into the Labyrinth, directed by Jim Henson in his last project before his untimely death.
