“EVERYDAY SUNSHINE: THE STORY OF FISHBONE” My rating: B
107 minutes | No MPAA rating
I’m ashamed to admit that until seeing this film I knew next to nothing about the seminal black punk band Fishbone.
Now I’m a fan.
One of the best films to play at the 2010 Kansas International Film Festival, Chris Metzler and Lev Anderson’s “Everyday Sunshine” makes a strong case for Fishbone being one of the great rock ensembles.
This doc offers the usual elements: vintage performance footage, talking-head interviews withe the band members and their admirers (Ice T, Gwen Stefani, Flea).
But it also features some wildly inventive animation to follow the rise and fall of this highly unusual group which, according to narrator Laurence Fishburne, “drew on sources too vast for the common mind.”
Indeed, the band somehow synthesized rock, soul, ska, jazz and even rap into an eclectic sound. Moreover, the players incorporated into the music social commentary and gonzo humor. The only other performer who comes close to their approach is the late Frank Zappa.
Of course, that’s a combination guaranteed to wow the critics and intellectuals, but not necessarily the common listener. And, indeed, “Everyday Sunshine” is in many ways a eulogy to musicians who were too good for the rest of us.
But check out this film. You’ll fall in love.
P.S. The filmmakers (Metzler is a Kansas City native) will attend weekend screenings of “Everyday Sunshine” at the Screenland Crossroads and discuss their work.
| Robert W. Butler
Butler's Cinema Scene 