Review: "Death of a President" Riveting, Troubling

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 62 (of 2007) by Leroy Douresseaux

Death of a President (2006)
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:  UK
Running time:  97 minutes (1 hour, 37 minutes)
MPAA – R for brief violent images
DIRECTOR:  Gabriel Range
WRITERS:  Simon Finch and Gabriel Range
PRODUCERS:  Simon Finch, Gabriel Range, and Ed Guiney
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Graham Smith
EDITOR:  Brand Thumim
COMPOSER:  Richard Harvey

DRAMA/MYSTERY/THRILLER

Starring:  Hend Ayoub, Brian Bolland, Becky Ann Baker, Robert Mangiardi, Jay Patterson, Jay Whittaker, M. Neko Parham, Chavez Ravine, and Malik Bader

In his mock documentary (also known as a “mockumentary”), Death of a President, director Gabriel Range presents a scenario in which U.S. President George W. Bush is assassinated in October of 2007.  Death of the President pretends to be an investigative documentary that examines the key players and events surrounding the killing of President Bush, several years after the as-yet-unsolved murder occurred.

Death of a President follows the events leading up to the assassination and its aftermath, and the film also features a bevy of talking heads, which includes the people around the president, murder suspects, and their families.  In his hypothetical film, Range focuses on the fallout that follows Bush’s murder – specifically the media’s reaction, the rush to convict a Muslim as the assassin, and the machinations of newly installed President Cheney to grab more presidential powers.

Since its appearance at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival, Death of a President has been highly controversial, and the producers had a difficult time finding a company to distribute the film to U.S. theatres.  Ultimately, Newmarket Films, which handled Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ, distributed the film in the U.S.

I like this movie, although I did find the scenes in which President Bush was shot and the ones occurring at the hospital where he later died to be in poor taste.  Like him or not, he is (as of this writing) a sitting U.S. President, and to portray his death in so brutal and perhaps cavalier fashion is to traffic in mean-spiritedness and carelessness.

On the other hand, what takes place before the assassination and after is riveting stuff.  In the scenes leading up to the shooting, director Gabriel Range creates a riveting thriller that quietly races to its damnable turning point.  After Bush’s death, Range and his co-writer Simon Finch display a knowledge of the American mass media, of law enforcement (in particularly the FBI) and how they work and react to big events that is surprising considering they are not Americans.  Their spin on how Vice-President Dick Cheney would react if he became President after an assassination is dead-on (and maybe a little obvious considering Cheney’s actions as Vice-President).  Who doesn’t think Cheney would move to consolidate more power for himself with a Congress and a country reeling from shock, reluctant to challenge him, and desperate for leadership in such a time of crisis.

Range apparently specializes in these kinds of dramatizations of probable future events, such as his TV film, The Day Britain Stopped (which I’ve never seen).  He’s so-so at presenting interviews with the fictional talking heads involved in the events of Death of a President.  Some of the interviewees don’t come across as authentic, so the film sometimes feels phony.  Still, Range has created an engaging, unforgettable “what if,” and he smartly realizes what is most frightening about a U.S. president being assassinated.  Such an event could very well mean the definite beginning of the certain end of this grand experiment called the United States of America.

7 of 10
B+

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

NOTES:
2007 BAFTA TV Awards:  1 nomination:  “Best Visual Effects”

2007 International Emmy Awards:  1 win: “TV Movie/Mini-Series” (UK)

Updated:  Sunday, November 10, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Manchurian Candidate" Eternally Fantastic, Chilling

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 16 (of 2003) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – B&W
Running time:  126 minutes (2 hours, 6 minutes)
DIRECTOR:  John Frankenheimer
WRITER:  George Axelrod (based upon the novel by Richard Condon)
PRODUCERS:  George Axelrod and John Frankenheimer
CINEMATOGRAPHER:  Lionel Lindon (D.o.P.)
EDITOR:  Ferris Webster
COMPOSER:  David Amram
Academy Award nominee

DRAMA/THRILLER with elements of war

Starring:  Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh, Angela Lansbury, Henry Silva, James Gregory, Leslie Parrish, John McGiver, and Khigh Dhiegh

The subject of this movie review is The Manchurian Candidate, a 1962 suspense thriller and drama film from producer-director John Frankenheimer and producer-writer George Axelrod.  The movie is based on the book, The Manchurian Candidate, a political thriller from author Richard Condon that was first published in 1959.  The movie focuses on a former Korean War prisoner of war (POW) who believes that Communists brainwashed a fellow prisoner into becoming a political assassin.

Some film critics and a larger movie audience rediscovered The Manchurian Candidate in the late 1980’s and early 90’s, and since then, so much about the film’s themes and both its political and social relevance have been beaten into the ground.  As far as its quality as a film goes, it is a fine example of the beauty of black and white film and a excellent example of how film can deal with issues of memory and identity in so many novel and inventive ways.  I do want to make it clear that I recommend this film because of its wonderful cast and because it is a fantastic suspense thriller that has an intriguing mystery story.

Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) comes to believe that Raymond Shaw (Laurence Harvey), a member of his former platoon during the Korean Conflict who won the Congressional Medal of Honor, has been brainwashed by enemies of the United States.  Shaw is the stepson of the red-baiting, media-manipulator, Senator John Iselin (James Gregory), and the son of the too-ambitious-for-husband Mrs. Iselin (Angela Landsbury).  Because of the political confusion around Shaw, Bennett is unable to figure out exactly who the operators are, but he has ideas that he must play across a chessboard of shifting landscapes to discover who controls Shaw.

Directed by John Frankenheimer from a screenplay by George Axelrod, The Manchurian Candidate may, in certain political climates, seem quite relevant, but the power of its images will always remain strong.  From the opening scene of Shaw rousting his men out of a Korean brothel to the taunt cat and mouse games of psychological manipulation, the film is a haunting dream in which everything is what it seems and is even more than we might imagine.

I’ve always been fascinated by the scenes of the American soldiers being brainwashed and observed by a cabal of communists.  In one sense, the soldiers realize that they are in a large room where military type personnel are observing them, but another part of their minds registers that they are all guests at a flower club social.  In fact, while the white soldiers believe that the club members are mostly old white ladies, the lone black soldier sees the same club’s membership as haughty, well-dressed black women.

For most of the film, the only character that the audience can rely on is Shaw; we know he’s been brainwashed, and later we discover that the communists trained him to be an assassin.  The identities and motives of the other characters shift and are blurry.  Sinatra’s Bennett goes from a haunted veteran with memory problems in one half of the film to spy smasher in the next, but it’s a fine performance.  He makes us trust Bennett because we eventually have to lean on him, as he becomes the only stable element in the film.

The Manchurian Candidate is blessed with fine performances.  Although Shaw is a bit stiff throughout, he sells the film’s early brainwashing scenes, and he again becomes a strong presence at the end of the film.  Angela Landsbury gives one of the great supporting performances ever, and she does it in a quiet, subtle manner.  Her character might seem bold and obvious, but when I think about, I realize what a crafty snake she was and how she hid her serpentine ways.  In fact, there is a scene where Shaw first meets his future wife (Leslie Parrish) in which something happens that is virtually a metaphor for what Mrs. Iselin is and what her goals are.

Frankenheimer created what many consider to be a masterpiece, and it is indeed very good, as well as being visually, a gorgeous film.  I’ve always loved the dreamlike quality of black and white films.  Without the aid of color, a good director, like Frankenheimer, had to be accurate and quite efficient in shooting his film.  It was important that what was on the screen be able to move the story forward without the benefit of color as an identifying element.

When I think of how The Manchurian Candidate’s relevance resonates with audiences even to the present day, I also think of how this wonderful fantasy reveals so much about the mystery behind the face of a person.  I think of how people are often less than what I think they are, and how often they are more than what they seem.  The Manchurian Candidate is like a strange dream told in color, but we are only able to see it in black and white.  It reveals a truism about life:  reality is everything it seems, more or less.

9 of 10
A+

NOTES:
1963 Academy Awards, USA:  2 nominations: “Best Actress in a Supporting Role” (Angela Lansbury) and “Best Film Editing” (Ferris Webster)

1963 Golden Globes, USA:  1 win: “Best Supporting Actress” (Angela Lansbury); 1 nomination: “Best Motion Picture Director” (John Frankenheimer)

1963 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Film from any Source” (USA)

1994 National Film Preservation Board, USA:  National Film Registry

Updated:  Sunday, November 10, 2013

The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Review: "The Manchurian Candidate" Remake a Missed Oppurtunity

TRASH IN MY EYE No. 166 (of 2004) by Leroy Douresseaux

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)
Running time: 130 minutes (2 hours, 10 minutes)
MPAA – R for violence and some language
DIRECTOR:  Jonathan Demme
WRITERS:  Daniel Pyne and Dean Georgaris (based upon the film screenplay by George Axelrod and based upon a novel by Richard Condon)
PRODUCERS:  Tina Sinatra, Scott Rudin, Jonathan Demme, and Ilona Herzberg
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Tak Fujimoto, ASC
EDITORS:  Carol Littleton, A.C.E. and Craig McKay, A.C.E.
COMPOSER:  Rachel Portman
BAFTA Award nominee

DRAMA/THRILLER with elements of mystery and science fiction

Starring:  Denzel Washington, Meryl Streep, Liev Schreiber, Jon Voight, Kimberly Elise, Jeffrey Wright, Ted Levine, Anthony Mackie, Bruno Ganz, Simon McBurney, Al Franken, and Miguel Ferrer

The subject of this movie review is The Manchurian Candidate, a 2004 thriller and drama film from director Jonathan Demme.  The film is an adaptation of the 1959 novel, The Manchurian Candidate, from author Richard Condon.  It is also a re-imagining of director John Frankenheimer’s 1962 film adaptation of the book.  In the 2004 film, a war veteran begins to believe that during the Gulf War, soldiers in his U.S. Army unit were kidnapped and brainwashed for sinister purposes.

If you’re going to remake a great movie, you should try to make the new movie also be a great film, or at the very least try to make it a…very good film.  The Manchurian Candidate, Jonathan Demme's (The Silence of the Lambs) update of the Frank Sinatra classic of the same title, which was directed by John Frankenheimer, is neither great nor very good.  It’s the worst thing one could get from the esteemed filmmakers involved in the project, all of whom have glowing resumes.  The new The Manchurian Candidate is a flat out average film that’s barely worth an exciting trip to the video store.

In the original 1962 film, the Manchurian Candidate was a sleeper agent/assassin trained by the Red Chinese.  In the new film, the sleeper agent is Raymond Prentiss Shaw (Liev Schreiber).  Raymond Shaw is the subject of a mind control project by Manchurian Global, a huge conglomerate with its hands in everything from providing services to the military to funding political campaigns and owning politicians.  With the help of their political cronies and Raymond’s mother, Senator Eleanor Prentiss Shaw (Meryl Streep), Raymond, a young Congressman from New York, is made the Vice-Presidential nominee on the opposition (likely the Democrats, but not directly named) party’s ticket in the upcoming presidential race.

Raymond had once been Sergeant Raymond Shaw back in 1991 during Operation Desert Shield just before it became Operation Desert Storm.  He answered to U.S. Army Major Bennett Marco (Denzel Washington).  Washington, Shaw, and the rest of their platoon were ambushed in Iraq, but all they remember about the incident is that Shaw single-handedly saved the lives of the entire platoon (except for two men who were killed during the attack) after Major Marco had been knocked unconscious.

However, Ben Marco runs into another platoon buddy, Corporal Al Melvin (Jeffrey Wright), after a Boy Scout assembly where Marco recounts Shaw’s heroism.  Melvin is disheveled, and he tells Marco a fantastic tale of strange dreams he’s been having about their platoon being kidnapped and experimented on after they were ambushed.  Melvin’s story contradicts the official version of what happened in Kuwait, the one that made Shaw a Congressional Medal of Honor recipient.  Although, Marco is uncomfortable with Melvin’s tale, he knows there is a ring of truth to it because he also has never been comfortable with the official version of the ambush and their rescue.  He thinks someone was inside his head after his platoon was ambushed, and he wonders if the same thing happened to Shaw.  Marco must find out, and he’s running out because the nation just may be voting for a man whose mind is controlled by sinister forces.

It’s supposedly not always fair to compare the new version of something to the old, but it happens anyway.  Nearly everything that made the classic black and white The Manchurian Candidate an unusually creepy and unique suspense thriller is present in the 2004 version, but the filmmakers have taken the characters, plot, and settings (Korea becomes the Persian Gulf in the new film) and made a flat thriller, in which the thrills only occasionally register.  The surprises are mild, and while the changes made for the new film seem like novel ideas, the filmmakers don’t get much heat from them.

I blame everybody.  Denzel Washington’s performance is either phoned in or overwrought, but it’s his worst in a long time.  Meryl Streep tries to get traction from her evil character, but it’s a performance wasted on an all-too-phony character; besides, Ms. Streep just can’t replace Angela Landsbury’s mega evil mom from the original.  I place the most blame on director Jonathan Demme.  Back in the 1980’s, his novel spin on pedestrian film stories and his quirky characters were stunningly refreshing.  He hit the big time with the hugely entertaining and very well done The Silence of the Lambs, but since then, he has become a big time Hollywood player making mediocre films.  He continues that trend with The Manchurian Candidate.

Early Internet rumor mongering about The Manchurian Candidate described this film as a hot political potato that took sharp swipes at President Hand Puppet and his administration, swipes that would draw blood like Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 did, but no such luck.  You wouldn’t miss much if you waited for this to appear on TV – basic cable TV.

4 of 10
C

NOTE:
2005 Golden Globes, USA:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture” (Meryl Streep)

2005 BAFTA Awards:  1 nomination: “Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role” (Meryl Streep)

2005 Black Reel Awards:  2 nominations:  “Best Supporting Actor” (Jeffrey Wright) and “Best Supporting Actress” (Kimberly Elise)

Updated:  Sunday, November 10, 2013


The text is copyright © 2013 Leroy Douresseaux. All Rights Reserved. Contact this site for syndication rights and fees.

Advanced Tickets for "The Hobbit" Part 2 on Sale Tomorrow

Advance Tickets for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” Go on Sale in the U.S. on Thursday, November 21, at 9:00 AM Eastern Time

Midnight showings set for Thursday, December 12

BURBANK, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Moviegoers who are eagerly anticipating the December 13 release of the epic fantasy adventure “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” will be able to secure their seats nearly a month in advance when tickets go on sale, online and in theaters in the U.S., on Thursday, November 21 at 9:00 AM ET. Fans will have the opportunity to see the movie first at midnight on Thursday, December 12.

“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug,” a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), is the highly anticipated second film in Peter Jackson’s epic trilogy adapting the enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Midnight showings for the first film in the Trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” took in $13 million in the U.S. The film ultimately went on to gross over a billion dollars worldwide.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson, director of “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, comes “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” Ian McKellen returns as Gandalf the Grey, with Martin Freeman in the central role of Bilbo Baggins, and Richard Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield. The international ensemble cast is led by Benedict Cumberbatch, Evangeline Lilly, Lee Pace, Luke Evans, Stephen Fry, Ken Stott, James Nesbitt, and Orlando Bloom as Legolas. The film also stars Mikael Persbrandt, Sylvester McCoy, Aidan Turner, Dean O’Gorman, Graham McTavish, Adam Brown, Peter Hambleton, John Callen, Mark Hadlow, Jed Brophy, William Kircher, Stephen Hunter, Ryan Gage, John Bell, Manu Bennett and Lawrence Makoare.

The screenplay for “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” is by Fran Walsh & Philippa Boyens & Peter Jackson & Guillermo del Toro, based on the novel by J.R.R. Tolkien. Jackson also produced the film, together with Carolynne Cunningham, Zane Weiner and Fran Walsh. The executive producers are Alan Horn, Toby Emmerich, Ken Kamins and Carolyn Blackwood, with Philippa Boyens and Eileen Moran serving as co-producers.

The creative behind-the-scenes team is led by director of photography Andrew Lesnie, production designer Dan Hennah, editor Jabez Olssen and composer Howard Shore. The costumes are designed by Bob Buck, Ann Maskrey and Richard Taylor. Taylor is also overseeing the design and production of armor, weapons, creatures and special makeup, which are once again being made by the award-winning Weta Workshop. Weta Digital is taking on the visual effects for the film, led by senior visual effects supervisor Joe Letteri. The hair and makeup designer is Peter Swords King. The conceptual designers are John Howe and Alan Lee. The visual effects supervisor is Eric Saindon, with David Clayton & Eric Reynolds serving as animation supervisors.

Under Jackson’s direction, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug” was shot in 3D 48 frames-per-second and will be released in High Frame Rate 3D (HFR 3D) in select theaters, other 2D and 3D formats, and IMAX®. Production took place at Jackson’s own facilities in Miramar, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand. Post production took place at Park Road Post Production in Wellington.

New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures Present a Wingnut Films Production, “The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug.” The film is a production of New Line Cinema and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures (MGM), with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television distribution being handled by MGM.

www.thehobbit.com

Producers Guild to Honor James Bond Producers

PGA Honors Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli with 2014 Davie O. Selznick Achievement Award

The Producers Guild of America (PGA) announced that Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli of EON Productions will receive the 2014 David O. Selznick Achievement Award in Motion Pictures. The award will be presented to Wilson and Broccoli at the 25th Annual Producers Guild Awards ceremony on Sunday, January 19th at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.

"We’re honored to be associated with the legendary David O. Selznick and delighted to be receiving this award along with its previous recipients,” said Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

The Producers Guild of America’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award recognizes a producer’s outstanding body of work in motion pictures. The honor has a rich and distinguished history with past recipients including such legendary producers as Stanley Kramer, Saul Zaentz, Clint Eastwood, Billy Wilder, Brian Grazer, Jerry Bruckheimer, Roger Corman, Laura Ziskin, Kathleen Kennedy & Frank Marshall, Steven Spielberg and last year’s recipients Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner.

"Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli are the driving force behind one of the most cherished franchises in the history of film,” said PGA Awards Co-Chairs Lori McCreary (INVICTUS, "Through the Wormhole with Morgan Freeman”) and Michael De Luca (CAPTAIN PHILLIPS, MONEYBALL, THE SOCIAL NETWORK).  "Thanks to the consistency and steadfastness of their creative vision, generations of moviegoers have been able to share the adventures of one of our iconic heroes. We look forward to their continuing to bring thrilling exploits and cinematic masterpieces to audiences worldwide, and we are delighted to honor them with this year’s David O. Selznick Achievement Award.”

About EON Productions Limited
EON Productions Limited, owned and controlled by the Broccoli/Wilson family, is the UK based production company which produces the James Bond films.  Led by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, they have produced some of the most successful Bond films ever including CASINO ROYALE, QUANTUM OF SOLACE and SKYFALL.   Wilson, Broccoli and EON have also co-produced and co-financed several successful theatrical productions that have played in London’s West End and on Broadway, including "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang", "A Steady Rain", "Chariots of Fire", and the multiple Tony winning musical "Once". Wilson, Broccoli and EON are also involved in several independent film projects including executive producing A SILENT STORM starring Damian Lewis and Andrea Riseborough, directed by Corinna Villari-McFarlane.

Spielberg and Katzenberg Drop Big Dollars for Academy Museum

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announces major gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg

Katzenberg and Spielberg donate $10 million each to the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures

Beverly Hills, CA – The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences received separate $10 million gifts from Jeffrey Katzenberg and Steven Spielberg for the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. In recognition of these gifts, the two main galleries on the lobby floor of the Academy Museum will be named for Katzenberg and Spielberg – The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery.

“Steven and Jeffrey share a passion for moviemaking and philanthropy,” said Academy Museum Campaign Chair Bob Iger. “With these incredibly generous gifts, they are combining the two, moving us closer to our goal of building a museum to preserve the history of motion pictures and inspire the next generation of filmmakers.” The Academy launched the Museum’s $300 million capital campaign in 2012 and has already secured more than half of the campaign’s goal in commitments. The campaign is co-chaired by Annette Bening and Tom Hanks.

“I am so pleased to join with Jeffrey to help build this museum to celebrate, educate, and preserve the arts and sciences of motion pictures,” said Spielberg. “Having our family name on the lobby floor is a deeply personal way to say how much motion pictures and the Academy have meant to all our lives.”

“Both Steven and I recognize that film’s global impact deserves a museum that reflects its unequaled heritage and serves as a beacon for the future of what we love,” added Katzenberg. “Marilyn and I appreciate this opportunity to be part of such a significant project.”

Academy President Cheryl Boone Isaacs commented, “Steven and Jeffrey have elevated the art of filmmaking to new heights and have created some of the most beloved films of all time. They continue to be champions of our industry. Having them join us as we build the Academy Museum is an incredible honor. We are so grateful for their support and partnership.”

The lobby of the Academy Museum will be a lively open space that will invite the public to engage in the life of the Museum. The Marilyn and Jeffrey Katzenberg Gallery and The Spielberg Family Gallery will be the only gallery spaces on the lobby level and will showcase exhibitions that will explore the past, present, and future of moviemaking.

“We are building the world’s premier movie museum, and I cannot imagine doing this without the support of two of our industry’s most inspiring leaders,” said Academy CEO Dawn Hudson. “Their gifts will create the first galleries our visitors experience when entering the Museum.”

Designed by architects Renzo Piano and Zoltan Pali, the Academy Museum will be located next to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) in the historic Wilshire May Company building. Slated to open in early 2017, the Academy Museum will contain nearly 300,000 square feet of state-of-the-art galleries, exhibition spaces, theaters, screening rooms, education centers, and special event spaces.

"Experience Nirvana" in Seattle on December 7, 2013

Experience Nirvana with Bruce Pavitt on December 7 at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery

The Seattle music scene in 1989 was on the precipice of altering the course of global pop culture. Ironically, the punk music of the Pacific Northwest was having difficulty gaining traction beyond a small but enthusiastic regional following. While critically acclaimed, the embryonic movement was in imminent danger of a premature demise. In an effort to draw international attention to their fledgling label, Sub Pop sent their three marquee acts to Europe. The rest, as they say, is history.

Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989 is Bruce Pavitt’s account of this pivotal period of contemporary culture. As the visionary founder of Sub Pop – first as a hand crafted zine, then a series of cassettes, music columns, and radio broadcasts – Pavitt was in a peculiar position to chronicle the tour that cemented grunge as the soundtrack of a generation. Through journal entries and candid photographs, Pavitt follows Nirvana, TAD, and Mudhoney at a momentous stage of a movement that almost didn’t happen.

Pavitt will appear at Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery on Saturday, December 7 from 6:00 to 8:00 to give a brief reading from this fascinating account and sign copies of the hardcover book. A selection of photographs from the triumphant tour will be on display with sales proceeds to benefit the Vera Project. Photographer Charles Peterson will guest DJ and several prominent musicians of the era will attend.

Listing information:
Experiencing Nirvana: Grunge in Europe, 1989
Reading and book signing with author Bruce Pavitt
Saturday, December 7, 6:00 to 8:00 PM

Fantagraphics Bookstore & Gallery
1201 S. Vale Street in Georgetown, 206.658.0110