‘Big Star’ looks to rock the Yonge/Dundas Cineplex starting this weekend

Starting Friday July 5^th from Kinosmith at the Cineplex Yonge Dundas cinema in Toronto is the film about one of rock music’s biggest cult heroes, Big Star. The film is filled with great music and interviews from the band members and the multitudes they influenced. The story of the band is also a unique and interesting tale that is told with plenty or archival footage and recording to flesh it out for the audience.

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

Directed by Drew DeNicola and Olivia Mori

While mainstream success eluded them, Big Star’s three albums have become critically lauded touchstones of the rock music canon. A seminal band in the history of alternative music, Big Star has been cited as an influence by artists including REM, The Replacements, Belle & Sebastian, Elliot Smith and Flaming Lips, to name just a few. With never-before-seen footage and photos of the band, in-depth interviews and a rousing musical tribute by the bands they inspired, Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me is a story of artistic and musical salvation.

Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me is a rockling tale that is likely to have people moving and rocking in their seats along with the music. The film is an instant grabber, with its brief history lesson as to why the band ended up on Stax records, a label certainly not known for its rock sensibilities, and how the fate of the label ultimately played into the fate of the band. The story of the band starts with singer Alex Chilton, who after hitting the top of the charts with the Box Top’s song the letter, was looking for a new band and new direction. Teaming up with Chris Bell, Jody Stephens and Andy Hummel the group Big Star was formed.

After a first album that was critically lauded, and promptly mismanaged and not properly marketed by Stax, but a sales disaster, Bell and Hummel left the band, Bell spiralling into depression; the band disbanded and was thought to be done. But the band came back with a new line up for a second and third unsuccessful commercial effort, but all the while the critics loved the music calling it revolutionary. The film does a great job in portraying the angst and dismay the band all felt after their efforts resulted with.

The historical footage and music used serve to give a pulse to the film that travels throughout and keeps the audience engaged and invested. While the film may not break any new ground in the rock doc genre, the film is very well put together which not all rock docs can say. Seeing the film on the big screen with the booming soundtrack should be a must for fans of the band and 60’s era inspired music as a whole. Either way, it should provide to be a fun night out at the movies.

3 ½ out of 5

Till Next Time

Movie Junkie TO

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