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Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune documentary

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Original title

American Masters - Phil Ochs: There But for Fortune

Year

2012

Running time

95 min.

Country

United States

Director

Kenneth Bowser

Screenwriter

Kenneth Bowser

Cast

Music

Phil Ochs

Cinematography

Jarred Alterman, Jefferson Miller

Producer

S2BN Entertainment

Genre

Documentary | Music Documentary. Politics

Movie Groups

American Masters

Synopsis

From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.

Critics' reviews

"At once an unsentimental portrait of the ambitious singer who thought himself bound for glory, and an affecting elegy for a time when song was a form of revolution."

Lisa Schwarzbaum: Entertainment Weekly
"Beautiful and melodic as well as pointedly political."

Kenneth Turan: Los Angeles Times
"Briskly constructed and rich in Ochs' music and period notables, Kenneth Bowser's film will be a must for the artist's fans"

John Anderson: Variety
"Bowser's film is densely researched enough to yield insights not just into its overlooked subject, but also into his overly analyzed era."

Melissa Anderson: Village Voice

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