Movie Day: Rungs In A Ladder

Rungs In A Ladder is a short documentary film by Ian McFarland about Jacob Bannon of Converge.  This is much more cinematic than a simple interview.  Throughout the film's twelve minutes, Bannon talks about his life - past experiences that have shaped him, his raison d'être, what motivates him, etc.  As Bannon's voice serves as narration, we see the vocalist/artist at home, at his art studio, at the gym, and at the recording studio, but at no point is he ever talking to the camera.

The documentary is streaming over at Noisey, and there's even a short printed interview with Bannon at the site.  So be sure to go check it out when you have a few minutes.  And if you haven't heard Converge's latest, All We Love We Leave Behind, then do so immediately.

Movie Day: Black Metal

Black Metal is a 9-minute short film written and directed by Kat Candler.  Without giving too much away, the film centers around a black metal vocalist who finds himself in a difficult situation after a fan of his band commits a heinous crime.

The short film is debuting at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and is currently available to watch at Kat Candler's YouTube channel.  It features the music of Vesperian Sorrow, Horned Almighty, and Pallbearer.  So head here and check it out while it's still streaming.

Movie Day: One Man Metal, Part Three

The third and final installment of Noisey's One Man Metal documentary is now available to watch here.  If you haven't seen the first two parts, then go here for part one and here for part two.

The last part of this documentary continues its interviews of the artists behind Leviathan, Striborg, and Xasthur.  Jef Whitehead gets personal and explains why we shouldn't expect any more music from Lurker of Chalice.  Russell Menzies puts on corpse paint and turns into a totally different person.  And Scott Conner discusses why, among other things, he doesn't feel the need to dress up in corpse paint anymore.

One Man Metal is a great look into the men responsible for black metal projects Xasthur, Striborg, and Leviathan.  Hats off to Vice/Noisey for putting this documentary together.

Movie Day: One Man Metal, Part Two

Part two of Noisey and Vice's One Man Metal documentary is available to watch here.  If you haven't yet checked out part one, then do so first right here.

While black metal is not for everyone, it's interesting to compare and contrast these three artists behind the music of their solo projects Leviathan, Xasthur, and Striborg.  Did you know that Jef Whitehead got his start as a skateboarder?  Russell Menzies seems very normal.  He's married, has a family, and has been drug-free for 10 years.  Scott Conner avoids getting too personal, but he makes it clear that he's not a people person.

Part three should be available in the coming days or weeks.  Stay tuned.

Movie Day: One Man Metal, Part One

One Man Metal is a three-part documentary by VICE and Noisey that interviews three solo black metal artists who do not regularly (or ever) appear on camera - Jef Whitehead of Leviathan, Russell Menzies of Striborg, and Scott Conner of Xasthur.

At the beginning of part one, we're given a brief history of black metal and its several waves, which is then followed by the actual interviews with each artist.  

The documentary crew visits each artist in his home to conduct the interviews.  Whitehead and Conner are both in California (Oakland and Alhambra, respectively), whereas Menzies lives in the middle of nowhere in Maydena, Tasmania.

Unfortunately, only part one is currently available to watch at Noisey.  However, parts two and three should become available in the coming weeks.

Movie Day: It Might Get Loud

2008's It Might Get Loud not only tells the story of how three guitarists (Jimmy Page, Jack White, and The Edge) became who they are, but it also brings them together to discuss the electric guitar and also even jam a little.

In the opening scene, White builds a guitar using a two-by-four, a coke bottle, and little else, and then asks, "Who says you need to buy a guitar?"  For White, technology is a destructive force, whereas the Edge is big on effects and hardware.

Highlights include the following: footage of Jack and Meg winning over some veterans at the Chelsea Pension Home, Page playing air guitar to Link Wray's "Rumble," White and the Edge sitting in awe as Page plays "Whole Lotta Love," White's bloody guitar after playing "Blue Veins" with the Raconteurs, and all three guitarists jamming together on "In My Time of Dying."

It Might Get Loud is rated PG for mild thematic elements, brief language, and smoking.

Movie Day: I'm Not There

I'm Not There, directed by Todd Haynes, is a 2007 film that employs six different actors, including Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Heath Ledger, and Richard Gere, to reenact various songs of Bob Dylan intertwined with actual events from Mr. Zimmerman's life.

Be forewarned that this is not your typical biopic that tells the story of Bob Dylan.  Depending on your familiarity with Dylan's life, especially during the 1960s, this movie may or may not make much sense.  In any case, it puts an interesting spin on Dylan's work and rise to fame.  While the events and stories take place, you'll hear a variety of songs from Dylan's ridiculously amazing catalog.

Helpful prerequisites would be the documentaries Don't Look Back (1967) and No Direction Home (2005).

I'm Not There is rated R for language, some sexuality, and nudity.