Ronnie James Dio helps director Don Coscarelli craft the classic “Last in Line” music video in a new clip from the upcoming documentary, Dio: Dreamers Never Die. The film will get a special two-night theatrical run on Sept. 28 and Oct. 2.
In the clip, Coscarelli explains hearing “Last in Line” for the first time and bringing Dio an original idea centered around a simple notion: “teenagers in hell.” Coscarelli credited Dio with giving the premise some added depth: “He basically told me, ‘From birth to death, we’re all in a line,...
In the clip, Coscarelli explains hearing “Last in Line” for the first time and bringing Dio an original idea centered around a simple notion: “teenagers in hell.” Coscarelli credited Dio with giving the premise some added depth: “He basically told me, ‘From birth to death, we’re all in a line,...
- 8/18/2022
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Acquisition
Factual content specialist Zinc Media Group has fundraised £5 million (6.1 million) and is using £2.1 million of it towards acquiring award-winning production company The Edge Picture Company, which operates from its bases in London, Doha, Vancouver and Paris. The rest of the cash will be invested in talent, potential IP, and in future acquisitions and collaborations. The Edge’s clients include Amazon, BT Group and FIFA.
The Edge joins Zinc Media Group at the end of August, subject to approval by Zinc shareholders. The Edge will continue to operate in line with other companies wholly owned by Zinc Media Group and it will continue to be run by the same management team, but benefit from the opportunities presented by being part of an enlarged organisation.
Zinc’s TV business includes the labels current affairs, contemporary history and investigations focused Brook Lapping, which was recently commissioned for “Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me,...
Factual content specialist Zinc Media Group has fundraised £5 million (6.1 million) and is using £2.1 million of it towards acquiring award-winning production company The Edge Picture Company, which operates from its bases in London, Doha, Vancouver and Paris. The rest of the cash will be invested in talent, potential IP, and in future acquisitions and collaborations. The Edge’s clients include Amazon, BT Group and FIFA.
The Edge joins Zinc Media Group at the end of August, subject to approval by Zinc shareholders. The Edge will continue to operate in line with other companies wholly owned by Zinc Media Group and it will continue to be run by the same management team, but benefit from the opportunities presented by being part of an enlarged organisation.
Zinc’s TV business includes the labels current affairs, contemporary history and investigations focused Brook Lapping, which was recently commissioned for “Tom Daley: Illegal To Be Me,...
- 8/3/2022
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
In music’s metal subculture, the late singer Ronnie James Dio may still count as the genre’s most widely beloved figure, which makes him ripe for a documentary. He was almost completely uncontroversial, which doesn’t necessarily bode as well for such a treatment. The dude who popularized the so-called “devil horns” hand gesture was no demon. He just played one on MTV, or at least enjoyed dragging out the sinister imagery, even if in in real life he came off as a friendly upstate New York guy who’d made it big with a penchant for vaguely mystic imagery and a mountain-king-sized voice that could fill the biggest halls.
“Dio: Dreamers Never Die,” the latest in a series of effective, mostly unpretentious rock docs produced by BMG, doesn’t present its subject as a particularly tortured or even complicated guy. It may be the most drugless documentary ever...
“Dio: Dreamers Never Die,” the latest in a series of effective, mostly unpretentious rock docs produced by BMG, doesn’t present its subject as a particularly tortured or even complicated guy. It may be the most drugless documentary ever...
- 3/24/2022
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Sheryl Crow, Nick Cave, King Crimson, Dio, XXXTentacion, Tanya Tucker, Chumbawamba, Courtney Barnett, Cesária Évora and Mojo Nixon — together again for the first time: These are some of the highly diverse subjects of a slate of music documentaries set to unspool at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin March 11-20.
The 16 movies represented in the “24 Beats Per Second” lineup are nearly all world premieres, in a film festival that skews toward SXSW’s original roots as a pure music festival by always carving out a special category for features that chronicle musicians or music scenes.
The music doc coming into the festival with probably the highest level of fan anticipation is , which promises to have director Sabaah Folayan offering “a sensitive portrayal” of a precocious, highly controversial, Soundcloud-based rapper “whose acts of violence, raw musical talent and open struggles with mental health left an indelible mark on...
The 16 movies represented in the “24 Beats Per Second” lineup are nearly all world premieres, in a film festival that skews toward SXSW’s original roots as a pure music festival by always carving out a special category for features that chronicle musicians or music scenes.
The music doc coming into the festival with probably the highest level of fan anticipation is , which promises to have director Sabaah Folayan offering “a sensitive portrayal” of a precocious, highly controversial, Soundcloud-based rapper “whose acts of violence, raw musical talent and open struggles with mental health left an indelible mark on...
- 2/3/2022
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Ronnie James Dio — the influential heavy metal singer who performed in Elf, Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Heaven & Hell as well as fronting his own eponymous supergroup — will be the subject of a new documentary. Executive produced by BMG and Wendy Dio, the film is the first-ever career-spanning documentary on the artist. Dio died from stomach cancer in 2010 at the age of 67.
Authorized by the artist’s estate, the feature-length documentary is currently in production. Helmed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton, the film will include previously unseen archival footage and photos...
Authorized by the artist’s estate, the feature-length documentary is currently in production. Helmed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton, the film will include previously unseen archival footage and photos...
- 2/19/2020
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
The next feature-length film from BMG will be the first-ever career-spanning documentary on legendary heavy metal singer Ronnie James Dio.
Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most influential hard rock vocalists of all time, Dio fronted Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Elf, Heaven & Hell and his own eponymous band over the course of a 40-plus year-long career. He died from cancer in 2010 at the age of 67.
The forthcoming film is the first documentary about Dio to be fully authorized by the artist’s estate. BMG is both financier and executive producer of the film, with all rights available worldwide.
The Dio doc is the latest project in BMG’s fast-growing line of music-related films and television projects, including the Sundance Film Festival selections “David Crosby: Remember My Name” — which was nominated for a Grammy — and the Joan Jett documentary, “Bad Reputation.” Other titles include “The Show’s the Thing,” a...
Widely acknowledged as one of the greatest and most influential hard rock vocalists of all time, Dio fronted Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Elf, Heaven & Hell and his own eponymous band over the course of a 40-plus year-long career. He died from cancer in 2010 at the age of 67.
The forthcoming film is the first documentary about Dio to be fully authorized by the artist’s estate. BMG is both financier and executive producer of the film, with all rights available worldwide.
The Dio doc is the latest project in BMG’s fast-growing line of music-related films and television projects, including the Sundance Film Festival selections “David Crosby: Remember My Name” — which was nominated for a Grammy — and the Joan Jett documentary, “Bad Reputation.” Other titles include “The Show’s the Thing,” a...
- 2/18/2020
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
SundanceNOW’s Doc Club is in full swing this October with “Music Month,” a curated program of documentaries pertaining to music and musicians, which includes Spike Lee’s “Passing Strange” and the previously mentioned “Who Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin’ About Him?)” Also on the roster is another great film (and one of this writer’s top picks of 2012), Don Argott and Demian Fenton’s “Last Days Here.” The creative team from “The Art Of The Steal” take a look at the virtually unknown and deeply undersung 1970s heavy rock band Pentagram, detailing their history and the troubled life of frontman Bobby Liebling right as he prepares to do one last album. A fascinating figure who's burnt out, crack-addicted, and living in his parents’ basement while in his mid '50s, the heavy-metal rocker’s life takes an unexpected turn when he falls into a serious...
- 10/23/2012
- by Christopher Bell
- The Playlist
Bobby Liebling may not be a household name, but the lead singer of the rock & roll band Pentagram (a fitting name for them considering Bobby’s onstage persona looks Satanic) certainly has a cult fan base. Documentarians Don Argott and Demian Fenton find Bobby living in filth in his parents’ sub-basement, resembling the Maysles brothers’ documentary Grey Gardens. Bobby is suffering from a very long drug addiction that has him picking off chunks of his skin from parasitic delusions. He feels as if he’s on the verge of death, a hopeless man frozen in time as his former self.
Read more...
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- 8/1/2012
- by John Keith
- JustPressPlay.net
The 9th annual Calgary Underground Film Festival will run on April 16-22 at the Globe Cinema with a mix of outrageous comedies, documentaries about controversial personalities, cult flicks and some frank depictions of sexuality.
The fest launches on the 16th with the new comedy by Bobcat Goldthwait, God Bless America, in which Joel Murray stars as a terminally ill man who decides to kill as many stupid people he can can before he perishes himself. Also on the comedic front are Rick Alverson’s The Comedy starring TV’s Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareham as troublemaking urban hipsters; and Mikkel Nørgaard Klovn (Clown) about a Danish loser who takes a young boy on a brothel tour.
On the cult film front are Jack Perez’s Some Guy Who Kills People starring Kevin Corrigan in the eponymous role; Alex Ross Perry‘s abusive sibling flick The Color Wheel; the brutal Father...
The fest launches on the 16th with the new comedy by Bobcat Goldthwait, God Bless America, in which Joel Murray stars as a terminally ill man who decides to kill as many stupid people he can can before he perishes himself. Also on the comedic front are Rick Alverson’s The Comedy starring TV’s Tim Heidecker and Eric Wareham as troublemaking urban hipsters; and Mikkel Nørgaard Klovn (Clown) about a Danish loser who takes a young boy on a brothel tour.
On the cult film front are Jack Perez’s Some Guy Who Kills People starring Kevin Corrigan in the eponymous role; Alex Ross Perry‘s abusive sibling flick The Color Wheel; the brutal Father...
- 3/19/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The bottled chaos that once was Bobby Liebling and the band Pentagram did not age well. Nobody can say co-directors Don Argott and Demian Fenton did not give this film their best effort. Argott directed the modest ultra-indie success .The Art of the Steal. and this film appeals to about the same fraction of the Us audience. A small fraction. On the other hand, simply tracking down Pentagram lead man Bobby Liebling after decades of complete obscurity is a feat all by itself. Even so, this film fails to come to boil. There is not enough good archival footage of Pentagram to buck up the slow periods; the slow periods being the times when Bobby is being interviewed.
- 3/6/2012
- by Ron Wilkinson
- Monsters and Critics
Have we all recovered from the Oscars? I'm still steamed about Billy Crystal's blackface, but really, it's the horrible, groan-inducing jokes that were the most offensive of all. I just like to fantasize about the Tilda/Charlize/Fassbender crazy Oscar party they must have had together. That would be the place to watch! But now it's March, so awards season is over, and we must move on to new and greener pastures. You know what they say about March, in like a "Lorax" out like a lamb. Right? Something like that. This weekend, "The Lorax" ushers in spring with a little ecology lesson, and "Project X" ushers in Spring Break, Woo! We've also got curiosity "Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie," somehow being released in theaters, Jafar Panahi's house arrest doc "This Is Not A Film" and plenty of other selections in our First Weekend of March Cornucopia.
- 3/2/2012
- by Katie Walsh
- The Playlist
In "Two Days In April," director Don Argott and editor Demian Fenton followed four college football players as they entered the NFL draft. With their new film ""Last Days Here" (which they codirected), they embed themselves into the demolished life of Bobby Liebling, frontman of the seminal heavy metal outfit Pentagram, as he attempts to rise from the ashes of self-destruction to reclaim his musical legacy.
Football and heavy metal. The two obviously have a lot in common: pain. And Argott and Fenton bring lots of it, hardcore headbanger-style -- which is only fitting given the wealth of material they discover in this seemingly immortal god of doom.
The story of Liebling is the story of his band Pentagram. Influenced by Black Sabbath, Pentagram recorded a lot of original material that was so ahead of its time as to prefigure doom metal. But when opportunity came knocking they blew it,...
Football and heavy metal. The two obviously have a lot in common: pain. And Argott and Fenton bring lots of it, hardcore headbanger-style -- which is only fitting given the wealth of material they discover in this seemingly immortal god of doom.
The story of Liebling is the story of his band Pentagram. Influenced by Black Sabbath, Pentagram recorded a lot of original material that was so ahead of its time as to prefigure doom metal. But when opportunity came knocking they blew it,...
- 3/2/2012
- by Sherman Johnson
- NextMovie
Below directors Don Argott and Demian Fenton ("Rock School," "The Art of the Steal") share a scene from their rousing music documentary, "Last Days Here." It premiered at last year's SXSW Film Festival and comes out March 2 via Sundance Selects (March 16 on VOD). The Film "Last Days Here" is a film about Bobby Liebling, a fifty-something-year-old rocker who, with the help of friend/fan/manager Sean "Pellet" Pelletier, tries to pull himself out of his parents' basement despite decades of drug addiction and trouble. It’s the unbelievable true story about a man at the crossroads of life and death. The Scene In this scene, Bobby and Pellet clearly state their goals and come up with a plan to help Bobby escape the sub-basement. The interesting thing about "Last Days Here" is that our main characters really have two separate visions for the future. Pellet envisions a...
- 3/2/2012
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
The concept of a “rock doc” can turn off a lot of people. The perception is that anyone unfamiliar with the band or genre in question will be lost to the narrative, or at least bored by a subject they have no interest in. Director’s Don Argot and Demian Fenton manage to prove that this concern is far from reflective of reality with their engrossing documetary Last Days Here.
Chronicling the comeback attempt of Pentagram lead singer Bobby Liebling, Argott and Fenton find a powerful human story worth following and becoming invested in. In fact, their camera takes in moments of such intimacy and personal importance that it’s hard to imagine that they themselves didn’t become emotionally invested in their subject.
So of course, when I got the chance to speak with the directors about their latest film, that question was among my highest priorities. Find out what they said about objectivity,...
Chronicling the comeback attempt of Pentagram lead singer Bobby Liebling, Argott and Fenton find a powerful human story worth following and becoming invested in. In fact, their camera takes in moments of such intimacy and personal importance that it’s hard to imagine that they themselves didn’t become emotionally invested in their subject.
So of course, when I got the chance to speak with the directors about their latest film, that question was among my highest priorities. Find out what they said about objectivity,...
- 3/2/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Every week, we try to highlight a film or two that has been widely praised by members of our Criticwire network. But sometimes there’s just no clear pick. Despite the different releases and production schedules of the films released in theaters this weekend, the consensus from our Criticwire members this week is that the newest films in theaters are mediocre, polarizing or both. The averages this week all hover in the B-/C+ range. (The only exception is Don Argott and Demian Fenton's rock doc "Last Days Here," although to date it has only received two grades.) One film that did receive a significant range of grades from Criticwire members: Director Justin Kurzel’s adaptation of one of the most notable criminal stories in Australia’s history. Whether “The Snowtown Murders” gets categorized primarily as a serial killer movie or an Australian film (many are noting the similarities...
- 3/2/2012
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
The subject of "Last Days Here" is an indisputable drug addict, body warped and brain fried by incalculable amounts of crack and heroin. During the opening moments (an excellent sequence which sets up a great deal without feeling at all expository) the man reveals a few fancy shirts he had stored away, flamboyant digs reserved for those stadium concerts his band never actually got to play. "I saved these shirts for when I would get big. And that never happened. So I just saved them forever," he admits not depressingly, but in a poetic, accepting way. His concessible nature takes a much more uncomfortable route once he basically announces his indifference to death, promising only to remain alive for the filmmakers’ sake. "I'm serious," he claims with utter sincerity, "if you want me around, I'll stick around." Unflinchingly honest, Don Argott and Demian Fenton's ("The Art Of The Steal...
- 2/29/2012
- by Christopher Bell
- The Playlist
Music is an intensely personal thing for many people. We listen to it, assign it meaning, and sometimes build entire moments or stages in our lives around it. Music is a thing that can exist with us, in time with our experience, and enhance rather than overcome it. Sure, music can be turned into a commodity, distilled and diluted into something cynical, but there will always be those who search out the real thing, the passionate and painful art born of those who have nothing else to give the world.
Last Days Here, the latest documentary by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Art of the Steal), observes one such artist – Bobby Liebling, the lead singer of the heavy metal band Pentagram, who has been lost in a mire of drugs and mental anguish for decades. They watch as family and friends try beyond all hope of success to bring him back to life and limelight,...
Last Days Here, the latest documentary by Don Argott and Demian Fenton (Art of the Steal), observes one such artist – Bobby Liebling, the lead singer of the heavy metal band Pentagram, who has been lost in a mire of drugs and mental anguish for decades. They watch as family and friends try beyond all hope of success to bring him back to life and limelight,...
- 2/29/2012
- by jpraup@gmail.com (thefilmstage.com)
- The Film Stage
Heavy metal fans, this one's for you. We've got an exclusive first look at the poster for "Last Days Here," a new documentary from Don Argott and Demian Fenton about the life and times of Bobby Liebling, front man of the cult metal band Pentagram.
Check out the poster beyond the break!
"Last Days Here" is described as "a raw yet unexpectedly touching portrait of cult metal legend Bobby Liebling, chronicling his bid to resurrect his life and career after decades wasting away in his parents’ basement. Liebling made his mark in the ‘70s as the outrageous frontman of Pentagram, a 'street' Black Sabbath whose heavy metal riffs once blew audiences’ minds. But various acts of self-destruction, multiple band break-ups and botched record deals eventually condemned his music to obscurity. Now in his 50's, wasted by hardcore drug use and living on the charity of his ever-patient mother and father...
Check out the poster beyond the break!
"Last Days Here" is described as "a raw yet unexpectedly touching portrait of cult metal legend Bobby Liebling, chronicling his bid to resurrect his life and career after decades wasting away in his parents’ basement. Liebling made his mark in the ‘70s as the outrageous frontman of Pentagram, a 'street' Black Sabbath whose heavy metal riffs once blew audiences’ minds. But various acts of self-destruction, multiple band break-ups and botched record deals eventually condemned his music to obscurity. Now in his 50's, wasted by hardcore drug use and living on the charity of his ever-patient mother and father...
- 2/15/2012
- by Josh Wigler
- MTV Movies Blog
The San Francisco Independent Film Festival opens tonight with Abel Ferrara's 4:44 Last Day on Earth and, in her overview for the Bay Guardian, Cheryl Eddy notes that "the selections for sick puppies are truly, truly outstanding this year." She recommends Michael R Roskam's Bullhead, Justin Kurzel's Snowtown, Ben Wheatley's Kill List, Markus Englmair's Beside My Brother, Sebastian Meise's Still Life, Don Argott and Demian Fenton's Last Days Here and Sergio Caballaro's Finisterrae (image above). Michael Hawley previews a good handful of titles as well.
In other winter festival news, the Berlinale opens tonight, of course, with Benoît Jacquot's Farewell, My Queen — more on that in a bit. The Rotterdam entry's been updated through today; and wrapping Sundance are Sean Burns (Philadelphia Weekly), Manohla Dargis (New York Times, focusing on the docs), Steve Dollar (GreenCine Daily), Karina Longworth (Voice), Karina, Mark Olsen and Eric Kohn (indieWIRE; see,...
In other winter festival news, the Berlinale opens tonight, of course, with Benoît Jacquot's Farewell, My Queen — more on that in a bit. The Rotterdam entry's been updated through today; and wrapping Sundance are Sean Burns (Philadelphia Weekly), Manohla Dargis (New York Times, focusing on the docs), Steve Dollar (GreenCine Daily), Karina Longworth (Voice), Karina, Mark Olsen and Eric Kohn (indieWIRE; see,...
- 2/9/2012
- MUBI
The BFI London Film Festival is the biggest film festival the UK has to offer, and one of the most prestigious and well-recognised festivals across the globe. This year, the festival is celebrating its 55th run, and it has an absolutely fantastic line-up of films scheduled to play through the festival, from 12th – 27th October.
We’re now able to share with you the shortlists for the festival’s various awards, along with the juries for each of those awards. More excellent news also comes with the announcement that the BFI will be honouring both writer-director David Cronenberg, who is bringing his film A Dangerous Method to the festival this year, and actor-director Ralph Fiennes, who will be bringing his directorial debut Coriolanus to the festival, with its highest honour, in the form of the BFI Fellowship.
On receiving the award, Cronenberg has said,
“This is a monumental, in fact overwhelming,...
We’re now able to share with you the shortlists for the festival’s various awards, along with the juries for each of those awards. More excellent news also comes with the announcement that the BFI will be honouring both writer-director David Cronenberg, who is bringing his film A Dangerous Method to the festival this year, and actor-director Ralph Fiennes, who will be bringing his directorial debut Coriolanus to the festival, with its highest honour, in the form of the BFI Fellowship.
On receiving the award, Cronenberg has said,
“This is a monumental, in fact overwhelming,...
- 10/4/2011
- by Kenji Lloyd
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Last Days Here, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton, profiles Bobby Liebling, the lead singer of the cult heavy metal band Pentagram who dropped out of existence after becoming seriously addicted to crack cocaine.
After holing up in his parents’ basement for a number of years, Liebling’s good friend Sean “Pellet” Pelletier does his best to get the singer off of crack and back in front of a microphone.
In the above clip, Liebling makes a bold choice for a step in the right direction. But, is he really ready to commit to a full and sober life?
Last Days Here recently won the Best of the Festival award at the 2011 Sydney Underground Film Festival. You can see the full list of winners here.
After holing up in his parents’ basement for a number of years, Liebling’s good friend Sean “Pellet” Pelletier does his best to get the singer off of crack and back in front of a microphone.
In the above clip, Liebling makes a bold choice for a step in the right direction. But, is he really ready to commit to a full and sober life?
Last Days Here recently won the Best of the Festival award at the 2011 Sydney Underground Film Festival. You can see the full list of winners here.
- 9/23/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 5th annual Sydney Underground Film Festival, which was held back on Sept. 8-11, has released their list of award winners.
Rather than the traditional types of awards given out to fests, Suff likes to give out more flamboyant accolades, such as the Unique Aesthetic Award, Most Provocative Film, the Clever Bastard Award, Bloody Good Filmmaking and Most Charming Protagonist. In addition, the fest hands out multiple Audience Choice Awards for films per each short film program.
The big winner this year was Last Days Here, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton. This documentary about the return of rock singer Bobby Liebling took home the Best of the Festival Award. Runner up, though, was Peter Sasowsky’s Heaven and Earth and Joe Davis, another documentary, this one profiling the titular scientist.
Some other notable award winners were: Tyler Baptist’s Mantis in Black Lace for Most Provocative Film, George Nagle...
Rather than the traditional types of awards given out to fests, Suff likes to give out more flamboyant accolades, such as the Unique Aesthetic Award, Most Provocative Film, the Clever Bastard Award, Bloody Good Filmmaking and Most Charming Protagonist. In addition, the fest hands out multiple Audience Choice Awards for films per each short film program.
The big winner this year was Last Days Here, directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton. This documentary about the return of rock singer Bobby Liebling took home the Best of the Festival Award. Runner up, though, was Peter Sasowsky’s Heaven and Earth and Joe Davis, another documentary, this one profiling the titular scientist.
Some other notable award winners were: Tyler Baptist’s Mantis in Black Lace for Most Provocative Film, George Nagle...
- 9/23/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
For their 5th annual event, which is set to run Sept. 8-11, the Sydney Underground Film Festival is looking a little more demented than ever. And that’s saying a lot for this scrappy, still relatively young fest, which typically offers ample twisted cinematic offerings.
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
- 8/9/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 14th annual Revelation Perth International Film Festival is, once again, packed to the gills with worldwide wonderful, weird and revelatory filmmaking. The fest runs this year on July 14-24.
The highlight of the festival is the once-in-a-lifetime live performance of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, which will be performed on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. American animator Brent Green will be traveling Down Under to provide the live musical score and narration for his emotional, live-action animated tale about undying love and creation. He will also be accompanied by band mates and foley artists, Mike McGinley, John Swartz, Donna K and Drew Henkles.
Some other films to look out for at the fest will be the Australian premiere of Zach Clark‘s terminally twisted Vacation!, a black comedy about four girls on a debauched weekend of drinking and drugging that ends horribly for all involved; Marie Losier’s acclaimed...
The highlight of the festival is the once-in-a-lifetime live performance of Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then, which will be performed on July 17 at 7:15 p.m. American animator Brent Green will be traveling Down Under to provide the live musical score and narration for his emotional, live-action animated tale about undying love and creation. He will also be accompanied by band mates and foley artists, Mike McGinley, John Swartz, Donna K and Drew Henkles.
Some other films to look out for at the fest will be the Australian premiere of Zach Clark‘s terminally twisted Vacation!, a black comedy about four girls on a debauched weekend of drinking and drugging that ends horribly for all involved; Marie Losier’s acclaimed...
- 6/17/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Mike Ott's "Littlerock" took home the Narrative Grand Jury Prize Wednesday at the 2011 Independent Film Festival of Boston, while "Last Days Here" by Don Argott and Demian Fenton won Best Dcoumentary at the event. Takashi Miike's "13 Assassin" received the Audience Award in the narrative category, while the doc audience nod went to Steven Ascher and Jeanne Jordan's "Raising Renee." IFFBoston closed out with a screening of Rodman Flender's ...
- 5/5/2011
- Indiewire
The Independent Film Festival of Boston (IFFBoston) kicks off this Wednesday, and has a number of impressive films in its line-up. The festival will take place at the Somerville Theatre in Davis Square, the Brattle Theatre in Harvard Square, the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline, and the Stuart Street Playhouse in downtown Boston. The festival, complete with over 110 film screenings, filmmaker Q&A sessions, panel discussions, visiting filmmakers, parties and events will showcase the best in current American and International cinema.
The opening night film of the festival is Being Elmo directed by Constance Marks will open the 9th annual festival on April 27th at the Somerville Theatre. This marks the first time the festival will open with a documentary. The film follows Kevin Clash, from humble upbringings as he follows his dream to become a puppeteer and one day work with his idol, Jim Henson, to the present day...
The opening night film of the festival is Being Elmo directed by Constance Marks will open the 9th annual festival on April 27th at the Somerville Theatre. This marks the first time the festival will open with a documentary. The film follows Kevin Clash, from humble upbringings as he follows his dream to become a puppeteer and one day work with his idol, Jim Henson, to the present day...
- 4/26/2011
- by Kristen Coates
- The Film Stage
Last Day Here is a film that was shot over four years and was intended as something of a “post-rockumentary” depicting the existence of Bobby Lielbling, the then former singer of Doom Metal pioneers, Pentagram. Liebling was a burned out rock casualty; shivering and lonely and living in his parents basement, the singer was a walking advertisement against the dangers of the drug-addled hedonism that stalked the still warm corpse of rock’n roll. However, Liebling and Pentagram emerged from the ashes to tour and sell records once again so dramatically that the producers couldn’t have believed their luck, and now, Last Days Here has been picked up for Us wide distribution by Sundance Select.
The film by Don Argott and Demian Fenton was roundly praised following its premiere at the South by South West Festival. The plainly pleased select president Jonathan Sehring described the film as “a wild...
The film by Don Argott and Demian Fenton was roundly praised following its premiere at the South by South West Festival. The plainly pleased select president Jonathan Sehring described the film as “a wild...
- 4/16/2011
- by Ben Szwediuk
- Obsessed with Film
Sundance Selects today acquired North American rights to Don Argott and Demian Fenton's rock documentary "Last Days Here." The film, which had its world premiere at the 2011 South by Southwest Film Festival, documents the life of heavy metal legend Bobby Liebling and features the music of his band, Pentagram. The company will release the film theatrically and on its VOD platform. Full release below: Sundance Selects Takes North American ...
- 4/14/2011
- Indiewire
The Independent Film Festival of Boston [1] recently released their full line-up and it's a doozy. Sundance favorites such as The Future [2] and Submarine [3] will be there, along with awesome documentaries like Being Elmo [4] (With Elmo In Attendance!!!) and Page One: A Year Inside the New York Times [5]. I'm looking forward to films I wasn't able to catch at Sundance and SXSW, such as the legal documentary Hot Coffee, the heartbreaking How to Die in Oregon, and the new fascinating Conan O'Brien film. Takashi Miike's 13 Assassins [6] also looks like it will rock the house. The full line-up is below. The festival is April 27th through May 4th, and it's one of my favorite movie events of the year. If you live anywhere in New England, I invite you to come and check it out. You can follow IFFBoston on Facebook for updates [7] or buy your passes now [8]! Narrative Features 13 Assassins...
- 3/25/2011
- by David Chen
- Slash Film
I think I can safely say IFC covered the crap out of South by Southwest 2011. Stephen Saito and I reviewed over fifteen films and interviewed over forty filmmakers during our ten days in Austin. That's way more films covered than hours either of us slept. Here now is a complete archive of everything we did: reviews, video interviews, and print interviews. At the bottom, you'll also find mine and Stephen's picks for the five best films at this year's SXSW. Enjoy. I know we did.
Reviews
"Attack the Block," directed by Joe Cornish
"The Beaver," directed by Jodie Foster
"Bellflower," directed by Evan Glodell
"Bridesmaids," directed by Paul Feig
"Convento," directed by Jarred Alterman
"The Fp," directed by The Brothers Trost
"The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," directed by Morgan Spurlock
"Insidious," directed by James Wan
"Last Days Here," directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton
"The Other F Word," directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
"Paul,...
Reviews
"Attack the Block," directed by Joe Cornish
"The Beaver," directed by Jodie Foster
"Bellflower," directed by Evan Glodell
"Bridesmaids," directed by Paul Feig
"Convento," directed by Jarred Alterman
"The Fp," directed by The Brothers Trost
"The Greatest Movie Ever Sold," directed by Morgan Spurlock
"Insidious," directed by James Wan
"Last Days Here," directed by Don Argott and Demian Fenton
"The Other F Word," directed by Andrea Blaugrund Nevins
"Paul,...
- 3/23/2011
- by Matt Singer
- ifc.com
Though it wouldn't necessarily be fair to label Don Argott and Demian Fenton's latest film "Last Days Here" as a bookend to their wonderfully inspiring 2005 doc "Rock School," there are definitely parallels between the two. Covering both ends of rock 'n' roll spectrum, the latter featured pre-teens picking up guitars and discovering the joys of Black Sabbath while the former depicts the painful descent of Bobby Liebling, the lead singer of the heavy metal band Pentagram who looks like death when we first meet him after drugs, alcohol and a host of bad decisions have left him in his parents' basement with little hope for recovery at the age of 54.
Liebling's story certainly isn't how all rock star stories turn out, but it's also not exactly atypical, which is why "Last Days Here" would appear to be a more nuanced episode of "Behind the Music" at first, except for...
Liebling's story certainly isn't how all rock star stories turn out, but it's also not exactly atypical, which is why "Last Days Here" would appear to be a more nuanced episode of "Behind the Music" at first, except for...
- 3/18/2011
- by Stephen Saito
- ifc.com
The first time that Bobby Liebling--the frantic, drug-addled frontman of the seventies heavy metal group Pentagram--appears in "Last Days Here," he looks like a walking corpse. Don Argott and Demian Fenton document the depraved singer-songwriter, still living in his Virginia-based parents' "sub-basement" after several decades, in grotesque physical terms. Wrecked by debilitating addictions to heroin and cocaine, Liebling barely survives even with several supporters by his side. When a longtime ...
- 3/18/2011
- Indiewire
Screening Times: Monday March 14th, 4:30pm (Vimeo Theater), Tuesday march 15th, 2:00pm (Alamo Lamar C), Friday March 18th, 4:30pm (Vimeo Theater)
After their acclaimed investigation of the fate of Alfred C. Barnes‘ multi-billion dollar art collection in The Art of the Steal, Philadelphia-based doc duo Don Argott and Demian Fenton return with Last Days Here, a profile of Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult metal band Pentagram, who has lived a hermetic life in his parents basement for decades.
Filmmaker: When did you first hear of Bobby Liebling and when did you know you had to make a movie about him?
Fenton: I had heard an old cassette tape of some of the lost ’70s Pentagram recordings. Those recordings were floating around North Carolina and my friends from a band in Greensboro brought them through when they were on tour. Years later, when the “First Daze Here” compilation was released,...
After their acclaimed investigation of the fate of Alfred C. Barnes‘ multi-billion dollar art collection in The Art of the Steal, Philadelphia-based doc duo Don Argott and Demian Fenton return with Last Days Here, a profile of Bobby Liebling, lead singer of the cult metal band Pentagram, who has lived a hermetic life in his parents basement for decades.
Filmmaker: When did you first hear of Bobby Liebling and when did you know you had to make a movie about him?
Fenton: I had heard an old cassette tape of some of the lost ’70s Pentagram recordings. Those recordings were floating around North Carolina and my friends from a band in Greensboro brought them through when they were on tour. Years later, when the “First Daze Here” compilation was released,...
- 3/11/2011
- by Brandon Harris
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
indieWIRE is again profiling filmmakers taking part in the SXSW Film Festival's Narrative and Documentary Competitions and Emerging Visions sections with nearly two dozen filmmakers providing responses. Today’s three profiles include Don Argott and Demian Fenton's "Last Days Here" (Documentary Competition), "Dragonslayer" by Tristan Patterson (Documentary Competition) and Peter Himmelstein's Emerging Visions entry, "The Key Man." Soon after the SXSW unveiled its 2011 SXSW lineup, indieWIRE invited directors with films ...
- 3/10/2011
- Indiewire
indieWIRE is again profiling filmmakers taking part in the SXSW Film Festival's Narrative and Documentary Competitions and Emerging Visions sections with nearly two dozen filmmakers providing responses. Today’s three profiles include Don Argott and Demian Fenton's "Last Days Here" (Documentary Competition), "Dragonslayer" by Tristan Patterson (Documentary Competition) and Peter Himmelstein's Emerging Visions entry, "The Key Man." Soon after the SXSW unveiled its 2011 SXSW lineup, indieWIRE invited directors with films ...
- 3/10/2011
- indieWIRE - People
indieWIRE is again profiling filmmakers taking part in the SXSW Film Festival's Narrative and Documentary Competitions and Emerging Visions sections with nearly two dozen filmmakers providing responses. Today’s three profiles include Don Argott and Demian Fenton's "Last Days Here" (Documentary Competition), "Dragonslayer" by Tristan Patterson (Documentary Competition) and Peter Himmelstein's Emerging Visions entry, "The Key Man." Soon after the SXSW unveiled its 2011 SXSW lineup, indieWIRE invited directors with films ...
- 3/10/2011
- indieWIRE - People
"So you wanna be a rock 'n' roll star," the Byrds once cheekily sang. In Philadelphia, there's always been more of a path for rocker wannabees: Dick Clark used to plug and pump local talent on American Bandstand, and now there's a guy in Philly who runs a school in how to become a rock star. The school's a bit unconventional as this kick-ass documentary on the Paul Green School of Rock Music shows. This release from Newmarket Films received a rousing ovation at Sundance earlier this year and such enthusiasm transposes to great word-of-mouth for Rock School.
Great leaders or teachers know how to push their followers' buttons. Rock School founder Paul Green is a master of inspiration and, as this film shows, manipulation. A tyrant, an egomaniac, a master-blaster, Green essentially runs a musical boot camp. And the kids, who range from 9–17, love it. Green preens, badgers and inspires and at times seems the most immature "kid" in the room. But his musical madness is packed with method: Practice, practice, practice is his dictum. No Juilliard or Berklee instructor demands more. He's a pain in the butt, but the students, for the most part, keep coming back.
In this day of dumbing down and coddling students, it's refreshing to see a teacher push his students to levels of accomplishment they didn't think was possible. Like a piano teacher beginning with Bach and crescendoing toward Liszt, Green insists that they play the classics. In his mind, that means Frank Zappa, whose music degree of technical difficulty, represents to him the Mount Everest of rock. No strummy three-chord players for Green. Leave that for the garage.
Director Don Argott's filming is attuned not just to the musical dynamics but, better yet, to the personal chords. We come to learn about the school not only through Green's histrionics but through the eyes and ears of five different students. They are a diverse mix, including a clinically depressed loner (Will), a defiant Quaker girl (Madi), 9-year-old angelic/satanic twins (Asa and Tucker) and a virtuoso lead guitarist (CJ).
Rock School rips out in the gritty-underdogs-conquer-the-world story progression. In this real-life scenario, Green whips them into shape for a triumphant performance at a Zappa Festival in East Germany.
Cinematographer-director Argott has the technical virtuoso of a lead guitarist, while editor Demian Fenton is a combo bass guitarist, drummer with his pulsating pace.
Rock School
Newmarket Films
9.14 Pictures
Credits:
Producers: Sheena M. Joyce, Don Argott
Director/ director of photography: Don Argott
Editor: Demian Fenton
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 93 minutes...
Great leaders or teachers know how to push their followers' buttons. Rock School founder Paul Green is a master of inspiration and, as this film shows, manipulation. A tyrant, an egomaniac, a master-blaster, Green essentially runs a musical boot camp. And the kids, who range from 9–17, love it. Green preens, badgers and inspires and at times seems the most immature "kid" in the room. But his musical madness is packed with method: Practice, practice, practice is his dictum. No Juilliard or Berklee instructor demands more. He's a pain in the butt, but the students, for the most part, keep coming back.
In this day of dumbing down and coddling students, it's refreshing to see a teacher push his students to levels of accomplishment they didn't think was possible. Like a piano teacher beginning with Bach and crescendoing toward Liszt, Green insists that they play the classics. In his mind, that means Frank Zappa, whose music degree of technical difficulty, represents to him the Mount Everest of rock. No strummy three-chord players for Green. Leave that for the garage.
Director Don Argott's filming is attuned not just to the musical dynamics but, better yet, to the personal chords. We come to learn about the school not only through Green's histrionics but through the eyes and ears of five different students. They are a diverse mix, including a clinically depressed loner (Will), a defiant Quaker girl (Madi), 9-year-old angelic/satanic twins (Asa and Tucker) and a virtuoso lead guitarist (CJ).
Rock School rips out in the gritty-underdogs-conquer-the-world story progression. In this real-life scenario, Green whips them into shape for a triumphant performance at a Zappa Festival in East Germany.
Cinematographer-director Argott has the technical virtuoso of a lead guitarist, while editor Demian Fenton is a combo bass guitarist, drummer with his pulsating pace.
Rock School
Newmarket Films
9.14 Pictures
Credits:
Producers: Sheena M. Joyce, Don Argott
Director/ director of photography: Don Argott
Editor: Demian Fenton
MPAA rating R
Running time -- 93 minutes...
- 6/30/2005
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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