Wild Combination: A Portrait of Arthur Russell (2008)

A portrait, mostly chronological, of composer, cellist, and vocalist Arthur Russell (1951-1992). His parents, friends and colleagues such as Allen Ginsberg and Philip Glass, his long-time ... See full summary »

Director:

Matt Wolf

Stars:

Bob Blank, Ernie Brooks, Allen Ginsberg

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Bob Blank	...	Himself
Ernie Brooks	...	Himself
Allen Ginsberg	...	Himself (archive footage)
Philip Glass	...	Himself
Steven Hall	...	Himself
Steve Knutson	...	Himself
Tom Lee	...	Himself
Jens Lekman	...	Himself
Lola Love	...	Himself
Malachy O'Neill	...	Birthday Party Boy #1
Oscar O'Neill	...	Birthday Party Boy #2
Pascal O'Neill	...	Birthday Party Boy #3
Arthur Russell	...	Himself (archive footage)
Chuck Russell	...	Himself
Emily Russell	...	Himself

Storyline

A portrait, mostly chronological, of composer, cellist, and vocalist Arthur Russell (1951-1992). His parents, friends and colleagues such as Allen Ginsberg and Philip Glass, his long-time companion Tom Lee, and others provide commentary. Arthur is shy, acne-scarred, from the prairie, constantly composing, and not always finishing works. After a few years in San Francisco, he settles in New York City and becomes music director at the Kitchen. He bridges pop and classical, records disco music with Lola Blank, has an unsuccessful collaboration with Robert Wilson, and is part of several bands. In archival clips, we see him perform. He leaves hundreds of tapes and other recordings.

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Plot Keywords:

vocalist | allen ginsberg | new york city | parent | cellist | 

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Genres:

Documentary

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 September 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

Wild Combination: Ena portreto tou Arthur Russell

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Polari Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min 70 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

User Reviews

One of the best music-related documentaries I've ever seen

From start to finish this is really a tour de force with great cinematography, great sound editing and great interviews from those who knew Arthur Russell. I've seen so many music documentaries that have been underwhelming; Wild Combination was a breath of fresh air. Although I do not love all of Arthur Russell's music, this is certainly a documentary worth watching, profiling a fascinating person's life story. Hearing the perspectives of both his parents along with colleagues who respected and admired him (i.e. Allen Ginsburg, Phil Glass) is extremely compelling. I can't imagine not wanting to hear more of his music after experiencing this film.