Aria & Lani on Showtime Movie

[Captain Bacardi]

While in Philadelphia I flipped onto the Showtime channel and this movie was on and had Lani's Brasil Nativo version of "Mas Que Nada" playing in the background. So I finished watching the movie to see the credits, and in mentioning the cast - in order of appearance - the first name was Aria Alpert! I didn't catch the name of the movie, but it was about a singer who was raped in her youth by some neighborhood boys, and she happened to come across the brother of one of those boys who used to be her best friend as a kid. It was all about both of them coming to terms about it and all that jazz. But the credits also had a "thank you" to both Herb and Lani for their support in making the movie. If someone still has a TV guide/listing for this maybe they can look up the name of the movie. It played on either the 19th or 20th of August around 10:00 p.m.


Capt. Bacardi

 

[Harry]

Based on the description and a search of "Aria Alpert" at IMDB.com, I suggest that it's 2001's Things Behind The Sun.

http://us.imdb.com/Title?0245501

I'll have to watch out for that one, although there's no listing at IMDB for a DVD of the title.

Harry
...off to check DVD Planet, online...

[Addendum: After a bit more checking, this seems like it's what the Captain described. The film was a made-for-Showtime movie that first aired one year ago, August 2001, and then had a limited theatrical run. The only DVD references I can find are from rental outlets like Blockbuster and Hollywood video, where both DVD and VHS copies are listed.]

 

[jimac51]

What an interesting find. The film was written and directed by Alison Anders, who also did similar chores for "Grace of My Heart",that fictional musical movie that combined elements of Carole King and the Brill Building era of pop with Brian Wilson and West Coast pop. That was the movie that featured Burt Bacharach and Elvis Costello's collaborations. While I find serious flaws in THAT movie,it sure takes some chances in what could have been a very predictable story and the original music based on various '60s pop styles was really original. Lots of A&M connections.... Mac

 

[Captain Bacardi]

Things Behind The Sun.

[Addendum: After a bit more checking, this seems like it's what the Captain described. The film was a made-for-Showtime movie that first aired one year ago, August 2001, and then had a limited theatrical run. The only DVD references I can find are from rental outlets like Blockbuster and Hollywood video, where both DVD and VHS copies are listed.]

Yup, that's the one. It's kind of a quirky movie, probably one that will show up on the Lifetime channel.


Capt. Bacardi
NP: Herb Alpert - Guest Appearances CD-R

 

[Harry]

Well, I located a DVD copy of Things Behind The Sun, if only for the Lani connection. It turns out to be a pretty good and haunting movie -- one that stays with you for awhile. In addition to the Aria Alpert appearance and the featuring of Lani's "Mas Que Nada", the film has lots of other musical references. One other A&M connection is that Sonic Youth, a latter-day A&M act did the original music score. An old '60s group, The Left Banke, and their "Walk Away Renee" is prominently featured (on VINYL, no less!), as is country crossover Charlie Rich's "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World". Quite a diverse score.

The bare-bones DVD features only the movie, and in full-frame, as it was made for TV. No trailers, subtitles, other languages, or any kind of extras. I believe it was only really released to the rental market. The copy I found was a formal rental title.

This film is still current enough that one of the actors could still get an Emmy award. Don Cheadle, who plays the lead character's manager/lover/friend, is nominated for an Emmy in the Best Supporting Male Actor in a Miniseries or Made-For-TV movie. --And he did a hell of a job, too! The film itself has already won a Peabody Award.

If you're not into buying unknown films, look for it on cable on Showtime or one of the "women's" channels like Oxygen, Lifetime, etc.

Technical aspects: the film was shot on digital video, allegedly to save on the budget. Some purist-critics have mentioned this aspect as a negative. I saw nothing really objectionable about it. It looked like film to me, with a bit of occasional pixellating.

Harry
... * * * * ½, online...

 

[Harry]

Two further notes about this film:

[1] There's one other A&M reference I forgot to mention. As the lead male is playing a tape to the lead female, she remarks, "Boyce & Hart! I love them. I want to do a recording with them someday." To which he replies that it's no longer possible due to the death of one of the duo. I think that an actual Boyce & Hart song is playing in the background, but it's not from Test Patterns, the only Boyce & Hart album I own, so I don't recognize it.

[2] The film will get an airing on Tuesday, September 24th at 11 PM Eastern on Showtime, according to my TV Guide. The use of Lani's "Mas Que Nada" occurs about 60 minutes into the movie, and I believe (it's hard to tell for sure) that Aria is featured in the beginning of the movie. Her character's name in the credits is listed as "Violet", but I don't recall anyone calling anyone by that name in the movie. There's a scene in the beginning of the film where the lead male is trying to 'get it on' with a female in a rock club. The young lady looks an awful lot like a cross between Lani & Herb. It's got to be her. She's got real short hair like Lani's on the Brasil Nativo artwork, and she's got a bit of Herb's facial features.

Harry
...becoming an expert on an obscure movie, online...