See our sidebar for a rundown of the bands playing the Chicago International Movies & Music Fest.
Boyce & Hart: The Guys Who Wrote ‘Em Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart penned some of the Monkees’ biggest tunes—”Last Train to Clarksville,” “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone,” the TV show’s “hey-hey” theme song—and later scored a few hits as a performing duo themselves (“I Wonder What She’s Doing Tonight”) before shuffling off to Vegas for an act with Zsa Zsa Gabor and finally calling it quits in the early 70s. The exuberant Boyce died by his own hand in 1994, leaving his more reserved partner to supply the affable (if none-too-revealing) voice-over narration for this colorful survey of their creative collaboration. A few more witnesses contribute their own voice-over reminiscences to the treasure trove of performance clips, including Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Michael Nesmith; the documentary is most interesting for its insider’s view of the various producers and songwriters who fought for a piece of the Monkees pie. Rachel Lichtman directed. —J.R. Jones 81 min. A 6:15 PM live set by Boyce & Hart tribute band the Candy Store Prophets precedes the screening in the Logan Theatre Lounge; Hart and Lichtman take questions after the documentary. Thu 5/1, 6:45 PM, Logan
Imagine the Sound This 1981 first feature by Canadian filmmaker Ron Mann may still be the best documentary on free jazz that we have. Produced with Bill Smith, editor of Coda magazine, the film consists mainly of interviews with and performances by four key musicians: solo pianists Cecil Taylor and Paul Bley, trumpet player Bill Dixon (performing with a trio), and tenor saxophone player Archie Shepp (playing with a quartet); Taylor and Shepp also read some of their poetry. Mann is attentive to the visual impact of the music (Taylor’s piano playing, for instance, virtually qualifies as a form of dancing) and its diverse biographical, musical, and ideological underpinnings (the musicians are all highly articulate). Essential viewing and listening for free-jazz devotees. —Jonathan Rosenbaum 91 min. Mann takes questions after the screening. Sat 5/3, 7:30 PM, Society for Arts
9 Muses of Star Empire The opening scenes promise a backstage look at the South Korean girl group 9 Muses, but this 2012 documentary is really about the culture industry’s transformation of young women into marketable commodities. Director Hark-Joon Lee coolly observes as producers, managers, and record company executives determine every aspect of the young singers’ lives, rehearse them past the point of exhaustion, and berate them about their lack of commitment. Over the course of the movie a few members suffer emotional breakdowns and quit the group—when they do, Lee cuts to scenes of the group’s handlers vetting photos of similar-looking girls to replace them. In Korean with subtitles. —Ben Sachs 82 min. Sun 5/4, 2:30 PM, Logan
Thu 5/1-Sun 5/4, Logan 2646 N. Milwaukee, and Society for Arts, 1112 N. Milwaukee $10 passes $50cimmfest.org
