Levon Helm Documentary Anchors Strong Music Box Summer Film Festival
By Chuck Sudo in Arts & Entertainment on Jun 11, 2013 6:30PM
When Levon Helm, the legendary drummer and singer for The Band, died last year, America lost an oracle of musical history. Helm’s soulful, country-inflected tenor fueled such hits as “The Weight,” “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down,” “Don’t Do It,” and “Up On Cripple Creek.” Helm wore his influences, a mélange of country, blues, soul and early rock and roll, on his sleeves and his drumming was among the most influential of the late 20th century. But as The Band evolved from a true singular outfit to Robbie Robertson and His Supporting Cast by the time they filmed The Last Waltz, Helm held a grudge that he almost carried to his grave, if not for a visit from Robertson as he lay near death.
Indeed, Helm’s late career renaissance was fueled by equal parts pride and passion, piss and vinegar, and an inherent need to cement his legacy before his time ran out. Helm’s later years, his health troubles and his drive were captured by filmmaker Jacob Hatley in Ain't in It for My Health, a 2010 documentary that only now is seeing a proper release in theaters and, later this summer, on DVD.
Ain’t in It for My Health is the anchor film for this year’s Music Box Summer Film Series June 28 - July 2. Presented in conjunction with WBEZ’s Sound Opinions, the festival is five days of music-focused films ranging from the post-punk New York documentary Downtown 81 to, um, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Sound Opinions hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot will introduce a 7 p.m. screening of the Helm documentary June 28. Ain’t in It for My Health will also screen 6 p.m. June 29 and 4:30 p.m. July 2. The full schedule is below. Festival passes are $70. Admission is $10 for most of the films; select double features are $15 and WBEZ members receive $2 off. Buy passes and tickets online here.
Friday, June 28
4 p.m.: A Band Called Death
7 p.m.: Opening Night Presentation: Ain’t in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm
9 pm: Festival Express
Saturday, June 29
2 p.m.: Wild Style
4 p.m.: Downtown 81
6 p.m.: Ain’t in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm
8 p.m.: A Band Called Death
10:10 p.m.: Big Easy Express
Sunday, June 30
5 p.m.: Anton Corbijn Inside Out
7 p.m.: Downloaded
9:15 p.m.: Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure
Monday, July 1
7:15 p.m.: Approximately Nels Cline/In Search of Blind Joe Death
9:15 p.m.: Wild Style
Tuesday, July 2
4:30 p.m.: Ain’t in it for My Health: A Film About Levon Helm
6:30 p.m.: Festival Express
8:15 p.m.: Big Easy Express
9:45 p.m.: A Band Called Death