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Filmmaker's Diary:
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Just got back from seeing I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, the documentary film about the band Wilco, which premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival. I'm actually surprised I got in, since the film has been one of the hottest tickets of the festival. It was the first film of the festival to sell out both screenings (I got in off the wait list; ended up being seated UNDER the screen), and holds the distinction of being the only film in the fest's history to have its tickets scalped on E-bay.
It was quite good; wonderfully shot in black and white film (nothing is as beautiful as that) and far more entertaining than I expected. It's the story of the band's odyssey as they attempt to complete their record Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I actually corresponded with the filmmaker, Sam Jones, a couple of months ago after Ned turned me on to the film's website. I was particularly interested in it because his movie, like mine, has to do with a band at a very important time in their lives and is fraught with unexpected drama. It seems Sam had merely intended to document the recording of the latest album, not anticipating that while doing so, the band would "let go" two of its members, and their label, Reprise Records, would "let go" of them. Like PopCanon, a whole different story just happened. [Neditor: But unlike PopCanon, at least 100 people have heard of Wilco...]
I, of course, thought about how the two movies compared, but that didn't really apply since his is actually done. I also couldn't help but fret a little as I listened to the movie's excellent sound. I don't think that's something our movie will be accused of having. But ultimately, I felt good. Seeing a film that treads some of the same ground as us is somehow comforting. And inspiring. I curse the fact that I have to go to work tomorrow morning. I just want to stay up all night and cut.
The best parts of the movie are when we see Wilco actually recording and mixing the album (including a very funny argument about where a certain edit should be made). Most of the rest of it (them dealing with the label's bad reaction to the record)--while interesting--just lost a little steam for me. Perhaps because it's made by and largely for fans of Wilco, so it features a lot of performance footage. However, I'm very glad I could see it, and that I could speak to Sam Jones (however briefly) afterward. I'm always pissed at myself when I have a chance to speak to someone whose work I admire and I don't do it. So goody for me.
I'm also glad I saw it because it's good to know how different my film is from his. Or any other, for that matter. 'PopCanon' takes a much more silly view of the experience of rocking. While I'm excited to show all the aspects of the band and that weekend, it's the funny stuff that makes it unique. And makes the other moments that much more poignant. [See! That's what I'm talking about! No one who knows PopCanon would ever use the word 'poignant'! You know what *I* want the documentary to be like: just rocking performance footage, insane absurdist set pieces, and nudity--lots of nudity! None of those 'soul-searching' interviews or other 'actory' claptrap! For fuckssake: 'poignant'!]
Mike hasn't gotten to the footage i gave him to cut yet. That big time talent agent that's supposedly interested in me has not phoned back. No response from my help wanted ads at the film schools.
Although, now that I think of it, it IS summer break at the film schools...
I'm going to have to take some time off from work next week. I really feel like making another big push towards a complete rough cut, but it's hard to do so in small increments. I could do a lot of damage with a good, uninterrupted, five or six day stretch.