"Things Behind the Sun" (1 Viewer)

[Jodee]

I was wondering if anyone else had seen this? I am a HUGE Allison Anders fan (Grace of My Heart, Sugar Town) and I have been looking forward to seeing this movie since I read about the rave reviews at the Sundance premiere.
I think Anders was wise to go the Showtime route as opposed to distributing this theatrically. Her last film, Sugar Town, only played for 1 week at one theatre in my market. It still hasn't been released on DVD, either!
I highly recommend anyone who has Showtime to seek this film out, I believe it still should be playing. It stars Kim Dickens as an alcoholic singer-songwriter who is arrested for being drunk & disorderly on the lawn at the same house every year. She has a single that is rising on the college charts about being raped. A music magazine decides to do a profile on her and the music jornalist who is assigned the story has an odd connection: he knows who her rapist was.
Don Cheadle gives a great performance (as always) as the singer's manager and former lover. Eric Stolz has a small but important part as the embodiment of evil.
This is a very personal film for Anders, who herself was raped at the age of 12. Eerily enough she also shoots the rape flashback scenes at the very same house where the attack occurred.
Despite the heaviness of the subject matter, this is also a great film for any music fan to watch. The characters have long discussions about The Left Banke and Nick Drake. There is a very informed music vibe that is ever-present throughout the film. Sonic Youth did the score. And I have not been able to get the lead character's song out if my head. Too bad tehr eis not a soundtrack disc in the works.
9 out of 10 stars. Highly recommended!

 

[Michael Reuben]

I watched my TiVo'ed copy of this yesterday. It's a disturbing film, primarily because Dickens is so effective at playing the traumatized survivor (her silences say more than her lines). The scene in which she picks up two guys at a bar is particularly painful -- in some ways even worse than the brutal flashbacks.
There's one more scheduled airing this month: 1am EDT on Sept. 1 (i.e., night of Aug. 31). I couldn't find any other listings in September.
One technical point that caught my attention: When Ebert and Roeper reviewed this, they showed clips that were letterboxed at 2.35:1. The Showtime presentation is, of course, 4:3. The Showtime HD channel (which I don't get) lists a widescreen presentation, but doesn't say what the AR is.
M.

 

[Jodee]

That's interesting about the aspect ratio. I read this film was shot on digital video, does that allow for extremely widescreen presentations?
Either way, I hope this film gets released on DVD so I can see it OAR. Hopefully with an Anders commentary.
I still wonder why Sugar Town never was released on DVD.

 

[Michael Reuben]

I read this film was shot on digital video, does that allow for extremely widescreen presentations?

Yes, Series 9 was shot on digital video for projection at 2.35:1. Things Behind the Sun didn't look like a DV production when I was watching it, but a cable broadcast isn't a sufficiently high-quality image to form much of an opinion.
M.

 

[Jodee]

Things Behind the Sun didn't look like a DV production when I was watching it, but a cable broadcast isn't a sufficiently high-quality image to form much of an opinion.

I just read an article that Anders planned to shoot on film and was really bummed she had to use DV for budgetary contraints. However, the results came out so great, she is really happy with it.
Definitely the best-looking DV film I have ever seen.
Here's the link to the article:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cklinger/...indthesun.html