Blaze

Blaze

Ansgar Media, Cinetic Media, Under the Influence Productions, Village Studios

Blaze Foley was a country musician. While he never had any hits, he was a songwriter’s songwriter, much like his friend Townes Van Zandt. His life was good, and bad, and he died a real country death--he got shot. He died way too young.

The film stars Ben Dickey, who is wonderful. I’d heard of him before. He was part of the Philly music scene for a while. Lucinda Williams paid tribute to him with “Drunken Angel.”

The film is based on the memoir of his lover, Sybil Rosen. It weaves between three time periods: when he was first starting out; at his peak, when he was making albums; and after his death, when Townes, played by Charlie Sexton, talks in a radio interview about what Blaze meant to him, and to music.

This film is a must-see if you want to know about a musician more people should know about. If you want a good music film, or just a good film, period, this one is for you.

Andrea Weiss