A band called Death was one of the best bands that most people have never heard of. Formed in the early 70s by three brothers in Detroit, Death produced some of the most incendiary music ever recorded. They played fast and they played loud. They were punk before punk even existed. At a time when most black musicians were defined by the smooth Motown style, Death created their own unique sound. Led by a visionary named David Hackney, Death were trailblazers and, as so often happens with trailblazers, they would not receive the recognition that they deserved until several years after Death performed for the last time.
A Band Called Death tells not only their story but also the story of how this band was eventually rediscovered. Through extensive and insightful interviews with the surviving members of Death, A Band Called Death works as not just a history of the band but also as a tribute to three brothers who always had each other’s back. Though he passed away in 2000 and never received his due while alive, the film is dominated by David Hackney. It was David’s idea to name the band Death, not for shock value but instead to express his own deeply spiritual outlook. To an extent, it was David’s refusal to compromise on the name that kept Death from receiving the attention that it deserved. (He even turned down a record deal with Clive Davis when Davis requested a name change.) Today, of course, no one would be shocked by a band with a name like “Death.” Instead, they would just be shocked by the band’s ferocious power of the band’s music and lyrics.
A Band Called Death is a powerful and touching documentary about the power of music and family.
If you want to see a movie about somone trapped in a skyscraper and battling terrorists, the obvious solution is to watch Die Hard. After all, it’s always a good time to watch Die Hard.
Someone is murdering models and trying to frame Larry Roberts (Albert Finney), a plastic surgeon. Larry suspects that the actual murderer is somehow involved with the Digital Matrix research firm, a shadowy organization that is headed by James Coburn and Leigh Taylor Young. Digital Matrix has developed a new technique where they digitally scan a model’s body and then generate a 3-D duplicate that can be used in commercials and on film. The real-life models stand to make a fortune from the royalties, assuming that they are physically perfect and they do not end up getting murdered immediately after being scanned. Larry’s girlfriend, Cindy (Susan Dey), is just the latest model to have been scanned and now Larry suspects that she might be targeted for death as well.
Andrew Morenski (Jon Cryer) is a stockbroker in the 1980s. What could be better than handling large amount of money during the decade of excess, right? The only problem is that Andrew and two of his colleagues have gotten involved with Mafia. And now, the Mafia wants them all dead. On the run from both the FBI and the Mob, Andrew tries to change his appearance. He shaves off his beard. He gives himself a bad dye job. No sooner has Andrew traded clothes with a homeless person than he is mistaken for a high school student.
When high school student Dan Bartlett (John Cusack) is late arriving at the airport, he finds himself watching as the plane taking his girlfriend (Wendy Gazelle) and her parents (Monte Markham and Shelley Fabares) to the Caribbean takes off without him. Dan catches the next available flight and tries to track down his girlfriend and her family. Helping him out is a Ganja-smoking islander (Keith David) and a crusty sea captain (Robert Loggia). Complicating matters is that Dan’s girlfriend has been kidnapped by pirates (Jerry Stiller and his son, Ben)!
Through the Shattered Lens 