Glen Campbell…I’ll Be Me
It’s poignant as well as painful: home movies of Glen Campbell’s early life juxtaposed with his reactions, unaware that he’s seeing his children on film—or himself. I’ll Be Me is a candid documentary of the singer-guitarist’s diagnosis of Alzheimer’s and the decision to carry on with one last tour. He remembered the old songs without trouble, connected with the joy of making music and maintained a sense of humor in the face of all difficulties.
Hidden Agenda
Set in “Belfast: A few years ago,” Hidden Agenda (1990) is a fictional account of British security forces stopping short of nothing—even murder—to achieve their objectives in a dirty conflict that brought out the worst in everyone. As usual, director Ken Loach has a particular agenda, this time concerning British conspiracies and cover-ups. Strong performances by Frances McDormand and Brian Cox help elevate Hidden Agenda, a Cannes prizewinner, into a gripping political thriller.
House of the Long Shadows
Subtlety is not the strength of this jokey spoof of horror movies. House of the Long Shadows (1983) has all the usual tropes, including a dark stormy night in a remote manor haunted by unspeakable deeds in the past. Desi Arnaz Jr. is well cast as an utterly clueless American novelist spending the night in the house on a wager. He encounters a trifecta of great spooky actors: Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price.
Ravi & Anoushka Shankar Live in Bangalore
Sitar master Ravi Shankar might not have foreseen it, but the 2012 concert recorded on this DVD-CD set was his final performance in his Indian homeland. Accompanied by daughter Anoushka, also an accomplished sitar player, and an ensemble of percussion and woodwinds, Shankar performed traditional ragas and an original composition in the style. The intricate tracery of drones pointed heavenward and inward, lifting imaginations beyond earthly things. The disc also includes a solo concert by Anoushka.
