'Santos - Skin to Skin' Celebrates a Latin Jazz Artist and Afro-Caribbean Music
John Santos is a celebrated Latin Jazz musician, band leader, seven-time Grammy nominee, and one of the directors of the San Francisco Jazz Center. Beyond being a highly accomplished musician, he's also an academic and community and political activist who uses Afro-Latin music to educate others about his heritage and the genre's historical roots. In the lively and music-filled documentary Santos - Skin to Skin, we learn all about John Santos and his lifelong dedication to championing and celebrating music.
Sitting for the camera, as well as being followed through various parts of his life (handheld cameras allow us to follow him everywhere), Santos shares his story directly with us. As soon as he speaks–in a soft but spiritually grounded voice–you can feel his inner warmth and wisdom come through. It's amazing to hear the way John talks about music as well as life, making the connection that when he plays, he "awakens the ancestors."
A native of Oakland, California, Santos grew up in the progressive lifestyle that the 1960s San Francisco offered, inclusive of the many races and sexual orientations that lived within his community. That, along with the legendary rock acts that rose to fame in the area (among them Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Carlos Santana) inspired John to pursue music and art and love, learning to play the congas and timbales (even playing in Santana's band for a short stretch).
But Santos wasn't drawn towards pursuing classic rock stardom and fame. Instead, as Santos - Skin to Skin shows, he followed his curiosity of learning more about his people's musical roots: Afro-Cuban and Afro-Caribbean music. He learned about the music's connection to its peoples' history, and specifically its connection to Colonial history. Specifically, drumming–the instrument he was drawn towards–was an expression of the pain felt from oppression, slavery, and injustice.
It's powerful to hear the connection that John makes between the two types of "skin" in music: both the human body and the impact of its various skin colors, as well as the material that wraps drums. When conga players hit these drums with their hands, a beautiful and direct connection between skins occurs. Conga players channel the struggle and fight that the ancestors lived through, and are being expressed today to new audiences.
This deeply felt connection is what formed Santos not just as a musician, but also as an activist. In concerts and in classrooms, he talks about conflicts that exist in so many societies, even within the Afro-Latin music world amongst LatinX and African American groups. As Santos says, "The drums and rhythms are a beautiful blend that shows how music can unite people."
Santos' life sounds like one of pure musical magic, but we also learn about the personal pains that he endured too. We learn about the death of his young daughter at one-month-old. As his wife shares, Santos transferred his grief into music, seeking out folklore and his ancestors to better understand the relationship between life and death. It's a touching sentiment that he imparted onto his family, including a young son and daughter.
Besides learning about art, spirituality, and philosophy that Santos shares, what makes Santos - Skin to Skin such a rewarding movie is that it celebrates a figure who has done so much for the community and world without looking for personal recognition. Santos is candid in saying that his decision to forgo commercial aspirations so as to champion political issues has also left him with lesser fame and financial success. A scene of him and his family packaging up CDs into letters to send out to various press outlets reveals that he is also the person who promotes the music of his people, having devoted thousands of hours in his career to keep the Afro-Caribbean flame alive.
Santos - Skin to Skin is a celebratory portrait of John Santos, whose role in playing music is as important as his documenting it. It's how we learn "who we are," and "the basics about life." This portrait and music documentary is sure to inspire you to learn more about international music, or at the very least, to get up and dance.
75 minutes.
Dustin O'Halloran, Herdis Stefánsdóttir Debut 'The Essex Serpent'
Composers Dustin O’Halloran and Herdís Stefánsdóttir bring a little bit of Icelandic influence to their score for Apple TV+'s English gothic drama, The Essex Serpent. Life partners and now first-time collaborators, O’Halloran (American pianist/composer) and Stefánsdóttir (Icelandic composer) push past the stereotypical confines of a Victorian period piece by using electro acoustics and reverberating strings to create a unique, multidimensional landscape.
Their freedom to experiment with sound was encouraged by the series' director, Clio Bernard (Ali & Ava, The Selfish Giant), who was already a fan of the duo's individual work. Complimenting each other's strengths in a way that feels more intimate than most other TV scores, O’Halloran and Stefánsdóttir explored subjects like fear of the unknown, the constant conflict between science and religion, and the complexity of superstition. What results is a soundtrack that is rich in emotional depth.
Cinemacy is proud to premiere “Fata Morgana” from The Essex Serpent, below:
The Essex Serpent is based on the 2016 novel by Sarah Perry and stars Claire Danes and Tom Hiddleston. Set in 1800s England, the series follows London widow Cora Seaborne (Danes) who moves to Essex to investigate reports of a mythical serpent. She forms a surprising bond of science and skepticism with the local pastor (Hiddleston), but when tragedy strikes, locals accuse her of attracting the creature.
“This was our first collaboration together as composers," says O’Halloran and Stefánsdóttir. "Even though it was a period piece set in the late 1800s, we took a modern approach to the music and how we wrote and recorded it, accentuating the sound of the wood and bow of the strings, and we went deep into capturing the sound limits of the cello and electro-acoustic manipulation.”
O’Halloran and Stefánsdóttir both come to The Essex Serpent with their own impressive history of work. Notable recognition for O'Halloran includes writing the Emmy-winning main title theme to Amazon’s Transparent and receiving multiple nominations (Oscar, Golden Globe, and BAFTA) for the Dev Patel-starring drama Lion. Stefánsdóttir recently won the 2022 Icelandic Music Award for her score to the FX series Y: The Last Man, in addition to receiving a nomination for her score in Ry Russo-Young’s feature film, The Sun Is Also a Star.
Lakeshore Records is releasing 'The Essex Serpent' Original Series Soundtrack on Friday, June 10th.
'Neptune Frost' Is a Boldly Imagined Afrofuturist Sci-fi Musical
Where to watch: 'Neptune Frost' opens in Los Angeles this Friday. Now playing at the Quad and BAM in NYC.
At its core, Neptune Frost is an Afrofuturist, utopian, sci-fi musical (how's that for descriptive adjectives?). Co-directors Anisia Uzeyman and multi-disciplinary artist Saul Williams create visual and tonal poetry in this electric feature film, backed by incredibly passionate performances and musical numbers. It's a boldly imagined film that requires an attentive, open-minded audience. If that is you, then keep reading, because you're in for quite a ride.
Neptune Frost is executive produced by Lin-Manuel Miranda (tick, tick...BOOM!) and Stephen Hendel (Finding Fela). The film explores themes of exploitation, corruption, and politics through mesmerizing song and dance. Set in the East African country of Burundi, the coal miners that make up the working class use music to express their frustration with the authoritarian regime while simultaneously forming a sense of community with fellow salt of the Earth folk. "There's energy in pairing" is a common saying, meaning that banding together with their community is the only way to survive.
This proves true for a group of coltan miners who manage to escape and set up refuge in what can be described as an eclectic e-waste dump. Covered in technical equipment and wires, they are literally and figuratively connected to each other. However, things get thrown off course when an intersex runaway and a former coltan miner connect, resulting in a short circuit throughout the ominous "Motherboard" that is their society.
Reading between the lines (or, in this case, computer code) shows a familiar David vs Goliath tale from a futuristic, avant-garde perspective. William has his own history of creating boundary-pushing art, including publishing five books of poetry, releasing six albums, and collaborating with artists including Janelle Monae, Trent Reznor, Nas, Massive Attack, and Erykah Badu. It's no surprise that the music of Neptune Frost is absolutely dynamic and eclectic.
Beyond being an amalgamation of art, color, sound, and images, Neptune Frost also switches between Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili, French, and English languages throughout the film. Its 105-minute runtime spans entire states of being: between past and present, dream and waking life, colonized and free, male and female, memory and prescience. Its maximalist and unrestrained vision shows a world where all can live free. That's absolutely something worth singing and dancing about.
105 minutes. Distributed by Kino Lorber.
Composer Dominik Scherrer Drops Title Track from 'The Tourist'
Out of his studio in Spitalfields, London, Dominik Scherrer creates a spacious, other-worldly sound that feels far removed from any remnants of city life. The Emmy-nominated composer’s soundtrack to the six-part HBO Max series The Tourist is a sonic escape from our daily lives as he transports us to the Australian outback with slow-burning guitar melodies and layered choral vocals.
Dominik’s approach to this score was to bring the Australian desert to life, and he did so by highlighting acoustic elements like solo strings and guitars, choir, and electronically-processed percussion. Masterfully mixed, the end result is a fresh and brilliantly diverse score. The Tourist soundtrack will be released this Friday both in standard stereo and Dolby Atmos format (the latter being recommended for an optimal, fully immersive experience).
Cinemacy is thrilled to premiere “The Tourist” from The Tourist, below:
Jamie Dornan (Belfast, The Fall) stars as a nameless traveler who attempts to rebuild his life after being run off the road in a brutal car chase and, consequently, wiping his memory. Set in Australia, The Tourist is a character-driven thriller series that sees Dornan attempt to rediscover who he is. As he searches for answers about his identity, he has to contend with merciless figures from his past pursuing him.
“There are two major roles in The Tourist score," says Dominik Scherrer. "It’s almost a kind of yin and yang concept. One is the dark and brooding, unnerving one, with processed solo strings, in particular cello solos, processed vocals played through guitar amplifiers, some slowed down as well as chopped up elements. The other side is the lyrical one. I was inspired by early 19th-century hymns - I felt there was an unwritten religious tone to the script."
In addition to his TV scores, which include the Netflix/ BBC series The Serpent, Dominik also produces sound design and composition for fine art installations, most notably for artist Suki Chan. As a composer/director, he is developing a new kinetic opera for the screen called 'Hell For Leather’, which premiered at Sundance and went on to win him 10 awards.
Dubois Records is releasing the 'The Tourist' Original Soundtrack on Friday, May 20th. Pre-save here.
Karl Frid Shares Track From NEON's 'Pleasure'
An unconventional film calls for an unconventional score. Swedish composer Karl Frid creates a genre-blending soundscape, which acts as a disruption of predictability, in director Ninja Thyberg's very NSFW film, Pleasure. One could assume a film of this sexual magnitude would include fairly stereotypical syncs–slow jams like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" or porno groove music of the 70s come to mind almost immediately. But what Frid delivers reverberates with such artistry and angelic grace, it's obvious that Pleasure offers a different and refreshing view on an industry previously dominated by men.
A choir of layered, operatic voices (vocalized by Caroline Gentele) swells into an anthemic theme song in “Una Gioia Sempre Viva”, the latest track to be released from the Original Motion Picture Score. This sacred opera juxtaposes the images of overt sexual exploration and provides an interesting contrast in perception, specifically the dichotomy in how the main character views herself vs how men and society see her.
Cinemacy is thrilled to premiere “Una Gioia Sempre Viva” from Pleasure, below:
Starring Sofia Kappel as 19-year-old aspiring porn star Bella Cherry, Pleasure is a journey into the Los Angeles porn industry through the lens of a confident young woman, who is determined to reach a level of stardom at any cost.
Karl knew that he not only wanted–but needed–to attach his name to such a bold and provocative film. He says, “The female gaze on the working conditions from within this huge industry that no one wishes to speak about, let alone even acknowledge the existence of, was as liberatingly upfront and honest as provoking. I aimed to arrive at a musical universe that was not judgmental or too revealing, a process made in close collaboration with director Ninja Thyberg. The making of the film and the score has been a long journey and I’m very excited to finally share this music with the rest of the world.”
Karl Frid brings with him an admirable and vast knowledge of music, ranging from classical and jazz to Latin, hip-hop, and pop music. Frid studied classical music, with an emphasis on trombone, at the Royal College of Music in London before studying Afro-Cuban music in Havana. He is currently a member of the Swedish Latin group Calle Real, the Swedish jazz group Platina Jazz (performing original arrangements of Japanese anime music), and was a touring member of the Swedish jazz-electronica duo Koop.
'Pleasure' opens in select theaters in New York and Los Angeles this Friday, May 13. Special Q&A events with Ninja Thyberg are planned for both Los Angeles (Nuart) and New York (Angelika) following select screenings of the film.
Milan Records is releasing the 'Pleasure' Original Motion Picture Score on Friday, May 13th. Pre-order here.
'The Innocents' Bends From Coming of Age Drama to Supernatural Thriller
Where to watch: 'The Innocents' opens this Friday, May 13 at Laemmle Royal and Laemmle's Playhouse 7.
Screenwriter Eskil Vogt is stepping out from behind his recent Oscar-nominated screenplay (The Worst Person in the World) and into the spotlight as a director for the first time since 2014. Eight years after his directorial debut Blind, Vogt's reintroduction as a multi-talented filmmaker is a bold one as he channels an atmospheric and darkly surreal coming-of-age story in the Norwegian film, The Innocents.
It's often said that babies are born good; free from bias, hatred, and general erratic impulses. In a slightly contradictory stance, Vogt himself states, "I think kids are beyond good and evil, or rather, before good and evil. But I don't think children are little angels, that people are born pure. I think children are born without any sense of empathy or morals, we have to teach them that."
No matter where you personally lean on the spectrum, it's still alarming to witness seven-year-old Ida (Rakel Lenora Fløttum) sneakily abuse her older sister Anna (Alva Brynsmo Ramstad), who suffers from a type of "regressive autism." Unable to use words to communicate her pain–from forearm pinches to broken glass in tennis shoes–it's heartbreaking to watch Ida be so mean. But why is she acting out in the first place? One thought is her aggression is misplaced frustration at her family's decision to move into a new apartment complex, new school district, and forgoing any summer plans due to her father's hectic work schedule.
With nothing but time on her hands, curious Ida spends her sunny summer afternoons taking Anna outside, only to ditch her and explore the grounds of the apartment complex alone. This is where she meets Ben (Sam Ashraf), a boy a little older than herself. He is mysterious but troubled, as if a dark cloud looms over him constantly.
While Ida and Ben are busy making mischief, another young apartment-dwelling neighbor, Aisha (Mina Yasmin Bremseth Asheim), takes up a special friendship with Anna, seemingly able to understand what the non-verbal girl is saying. In fact, when the four of them are together, they are able to conjure up supernatural abilities that start off innocent enough but end up taking a deadly turn. It's all very suspicious.
It isn't long before the four children unite and when they do, the film seemingly shifts tone from coming-of-age drama to supernatural thriller. In a haunting display of childhood trauma being expressed by four 7–11 year-olds, The Innocents genre-bends to a disturbing degree. Beware, the animal cruelty alone is enough to make you shudder.
The Innocents isn't a traditional horror film, but more like the genre's dark and twisted cousin. Using child actors as protagonists, a minimal score, and haunting imagery, The Innocents is a hard pill to swallow but it will no doubt leave a lasting impression. Vogt–who has been a constant collaborator with filmmaker Joachim Trier–is certainly making a name for himself as a director to watch with this whiplash of a title.
1h 57m. Distributed by IFC Midnight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hm45yGSwArY&feature=youtu.be
'Montana Story' Makes Amends On The Great Plains
Our ‘Montana Story’ review was first published as part of our Toronto International Film Festival 2021 coverage.
Where to watch: 'Montana Story' opens this Friday, May 13th at the Landmark in West Los Angeles and AMC Sunset 5.
Extending an olive branch of forgiveness proves difficult when the past feels impossible to confront in Scott McGehee and David Siegel's Montana Story. A story of radical acceptance set on the vast Americana plains (with a similar aesthetic to this year's Best Picture winner Nomadland), Montana Story is a richly layered familial drama that will leave audiences thinking about the importance of making amends before it's too late.
Estranged half-siblings Erin (Haley Lu Richardson) and Cal (Owen Teague) are forced to make overdue reconciliations when they end up face-to-face with one another at their family ranch to be with their dying father, with whom both have complicated relationships. The distressing circumstances of the occasion do not make for an ideal reunion; the presence of a hospice nurse (Gilbert Owuor) is hard to accept and the added stress of impending bankruptcy has Cal on edge, but the unconditional love that binds a family together proves too strong to break as brother and sister work to make amends, better late than never.
The sweeping Montana skyline is the backdrop to on-the-ground resentment and heartache and is wonderfully crafted by directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel, photographed by cinematographer Giles Nuttgens, and further illustrated through editor Isaac Hagy's keen eye for dramatic storytelling. The juxtaposition between the beautiful and ethereal nature of the environment and the gritty emotional distress of its lead actors in Teague and Richardson gives the film palpable tension. Both young actors give compelling and complex performances that will tug on your heartstrings throughout the duration of its nearly two-hour runtime and will reward you with a smile at the end.
Set to an original score by singer/songwriter Kevin Morby, Montana Story is, at its core, a film about embracing change and encouraging personal growth. Let go of the resentment that no longer serves you and focus on the beauty of life in the present moment. Because once that moment passes, we can't get it back.
In 'On the Count of Three,' Suicidal Pals Take One Last Joy Ride
Our ‘On the Count of Three’ review was first published as part of our Sundance Film Festival 2021 coverage.
Where to watch: ‘On the Count of Three’ opens this Friday, May 13th in select theaters.
Stand-up comedian Jerrod Carmichael isn't afraid to get dark and dirty in the director's chair and on-screen in his filmmaking debut On the Count of Three. Playing opposite a Robert Pattinson in Good Time-looking Christopher Abbott, the film is a tightly packaged character study that tackles sensitive subjects like mental health and suicidal thoughts while remaining slightly absurd and, at times, darkly humorous.
The responsibilities of being a "best friend" can have different meanings for different people. To Val (Carmichael), it means helping Kevin (Christopher Abbott) break out of an involuntary hold at a mental institution and create a suicide pact that would put them both out of their misery forever. It's definitely a notch above wearing matching heart-shaped necklaces. Intrigued by the idea, and just relieved to escape another day playing checkers with a schizophrenic, Kevin obliges, and the two make their getaway to end their lives.
Just as the boys are about to pull the trigger on each other, Kevin panics as he realizes that he wants a couple more hours to wrap up unfinished business in his personal life. Val agrees, and a "Save The Date" for their double suicide is set for later that night. Their last joyride is anything but joyous.
Blasting Papa Roach's Last Resort, Val and Kevin leave a trail of destruction in their wake as they visit people from their past to either make amends or kick their ass, there is no in-between. Comforted by knowing there are no repercussions for a dead person, their actions become increasingly outrageous and careless. But it's not long until Val gets disillusioned with the idea of death and starts second-guessing his own suicide pact.
With its Thelma & Louise-like shenanigans mixed with the graphicness of a David Cronenberg film, On The Count of Three is bold. It has its funny moments but don't be fooled, this film is somber as hell. Mental health issues, childhood trauma, and walking depression are just some of the heavy themes that are woven throughout.
The cinematography by Marshall Adams captures the despair and struggle the boys are feeling. Low angle shots reminiscent of a Yorgos Lanthimos picture give the feeling of uneasiness, an off-balance dynamic between actor and audience, and we can only watch and wait for the other shoe to drop. The close-ups are also profound because it was the first time I noticed Christopher Abbott has freckles.
Aided by a beautiful score from composer and frequent Arcade Fire collaborator Owen Pallett, On the Count of Three is an existential bromance that will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end.
1h 26m. Distributed by Annapurna Pictures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7KFDgTySuM