Robyn Hitchcock - Storefront Hitchcock

Starring:Robyn Hitchcock, Deni Bonet, Tim Keegan
Director: Jonathan Demme
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
This Hitchcock is a thriller of a different stripe, thanks to director Jonathan Demme, whose evident passion for music again combines with his consummate filmmaking skills to show off its subject to maximum effect. Much as he did for the Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense, Demme here gets right to the core of singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock by focusing on him in performance. It's a testament to all involved that Storefront Hitchcock achieves an impact similar to that classic concert film through a strikingly different approach.

Unlike the Heads, Hitchcock is a quintessential cult artist who retired his band, the Egyptians, and now performs mostly solo. To capture his songs in sharp focus, Demme filmed the musician playing in a vacated Manhattan storefront, his back to its broad window, his small but rapt audience heard but not seen. Apart from an establishing credit sequence that descends to the streets, the 77-minute program consists of Hitchcock in medium or close shots, with occasional glimpses of passersby and onlookers in the street behind him. Simple stage lighting is augmented by use of a translucent curtain, an opaque backdrop, and a checkerboard overlay of different colored gels that periodically change the outward view. For DVD and VHS, Demme has opted for a full-frame transfer that actually makes sense in terms of sustaining this intimacy.

Amazon.com

This Hitchcock is a thriller of a different stripe, thanks to director Jonathan Demme, whose evident passion for music again combines with his consummate filmmaking skills to show off its subject to maximum effect. Much as he did for the Talking Heads in Stop Making Sense, Demme here gets right to the core of singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock by focusing on him in performance. It's a testament to all involved that Storefront Hitchcock achieves an impact similar to that classic concert film through a strikingly different approach.

Description

OscarÂ(r)-winning* director Jonathan Demme (Talking Heads Stop Making Sense) captures an electrifying performance from guitar legend, lyrical genius and cult phenomenon Robyn Hitchcock in a film that's as brilliant and insightful as the artist himself. Featuring 14 illuminating compositionsincluding four new songs written specifically for the filmStorefront Hitchcock offers up a performer like no otherin a concert that's nothing short of bliss (GQ)! From an intimate setting in a Manhattan storefront, one of rock's most enduring poets delivers an exciting mix of the incisively crafted songs and imaginative, visionary commentary with which he has carved his unique niche in art-rock history. Performing musical numbers both old and new, famous and rare, Hitchcock takes his audience on a thrillingand often spontaneousjourney through his remarkable career. *1991: Silence of the Lambs

Customer Reviews:

Robyn Hitchcock, one of the best pop musicians.......2005-10-23

Robyn Hitchcock is one of the best pop musicians, there's no doubt about it. This movie directed by the Oscar winner ("The silence of the lambs") Jonathan Demme, is simply the consecration of Hitchcock, playing before an audience that we never see but that fervor applauds it, in a window of New York. The people who passes behind sometimes appear incredulous, and those who are of the side of in enjoy the fantastic music and poetry of the great Robyn Hitchcock.
The songs are brilliant, detailed selected, and with a contained emotive high place, which wins in crudeness having only to Hitchcock and his guitar. For moments there is a violin (Deni Bonet), but most of the time is man and guitar joined in delicate and strident songs.
The spoken parts between songs deserves a special attention. There are product of the sarcasm and irony of the great english gentleman.
The DVD have spanish and french subtitles, which makes it much more interesting for whom the english is not our original language.

Brilliant film just WAY too little of it. .......2005-09-21

I love Storefront Hitchcock. However the DVD was released in Standard format only (full screen) which is way lame.
And Hitchcock performed many other songs that were filmed that could've easily been included here. the Soundtrack CD contains a bunch of songs not in the film (and the Soundtrack Vinyl LP contains a few more).
It's nice that Demme would make this film but why is it SOOO brief?
I mean his Talking Heads film Stop Making Sense is nearly two hours in length.
Come on, 77 Minutes?!?
It's shame that it took so long to be released on DVD/VHS to begin with but why it
was given such a half baked-release is beyond me.
Hitchcock deserves much better.

I have played this DVD more than any other.......2005-01-23

This is a totally amazing film and I also leave it in the DVD player as I would a CD. And I remember Delancey street at the time in NYC and this thing just captures the look of New York at the time in a largely ungentrified area. But the sound's the thing and I have played this more than any other DVD.

SO UNPLUGGED.......2004-09-07

Simple and stark intimate concert movie showcases Robyn Hitchcock (the Soft Boys, ...and The Egyptians) playing mostly solo to a small audience in an abandoned Manhatten storefront against the backdrop of a large window looking out on a typical New York Street. The visual effect is sedative and seductive with the psychedelic pop storyteller singing the deep psyche of your average bi-polar joe, as he warms the audience with his mesmerizing pop numbers while intriguing New York passerbys with the theatrically mysterious storefront. And he's no slouch on guitar either.

storefront hitchcock:yes,i do remember guilford!.......2004-08-05

guess i'm not cool:i found movie quite tiresome UNTIL final song/credits:"no,i don't remember guilford".this song is so much better than the rest that it saves my dvd from becoming an immediate library donation. 1 star for movie.5 stars for the great closing song.

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