Now streaming: movies about music
A new Bay Area film festival sounds the right note for music and film fans alike, embracing creative endeavors from a variety of musicians and sound-makers, while celebrating their fans. The Decibels Music Film Festival runs through Sunday with all of its offerings available on demand through closing day.
The 25-film program offers a thoughtfully curated lineup brimming with numerous films that have Bay Area ties. One of the best is “Vinyl Nation,” a fascinating plunge into the world of vinyl record collectors. It’s co-directed by San Francisco resident Kevin Smokler.
A few other tempting documentaries include:
“Op. Cope: An Algorithmic Opera”: The documentary is anchored around UC Santa Cruz professor emeritus of music David Cope, whose ahead-of-their-time compositions helped moved the needle on artificial creativity.
“Like a Rolling Stone: The Life & Times of Ben FongTorres”: It’s an intimate portrait of the acclaimed journalist who has left an indelible mark at Rolling Stone magazine and the San Francisco Chronicle.
“Rise of the Synths”: The clever title tips you off to the creativity that ensues as narrator John Carpenter (“Halloween” and many more) narrates this exploration of the rise of synthesizer music and how it was the go-to music for films including “Risky Business,” “Drive” with Ryan Gosling and, of course, “Halloween.”
“Listening to Kenny G”: Penny Lane’s documentary is a look at the smooth jazz stylist that you never knew you needed. Really. It opens with this killer observation from Lane: “Kenny G is the bestselling instrumentalist of all time. He’s probably the most famous jazz musician. And I made this film to find out why that makes certain people really angry.” There’s jaw-dropping candor in this illuminating documentary for fans and non-fans alike.
Details: Through Sunday; access to most films $10; watch.eventive.org/decibels2021.