A recent biopic on folk music scene strummer Robert Zimmerman calls to mind creative scenes past – always heralded as grittier than today’s more slick and brand-centric landscape. But nostalgia for yesterday’s guitar-wielding heroes isn’t solely the domain of James Mangold’s directorial oeuvre. Nay, nay: In 1987, filmmaker Robert Frank and author Rudy Wurlitzer embarked on their third collaboration with this Sixties-inspired tale. Narratively riffing on real-life experiences Frank and Wurlitzer’s nomadic lifestyles afforded them, the film follows a young musician trying to balance a desire for financial success with his artistic integrity – alongside a cast dotted by cool-guy music tastemakers like Tom Waits, Joe Strummer, and Leon Redbone. Perfect viewing for the January doldrums, especially this new 2K restoration courtesy of Film Movement. – James Scott
Jan. 6 & 8
