Metromix.com
July 28, 1999
Storefront Hitchcock
Jonathan Demme's Hitchcock An Unspectacular Concert Film
by John Petrakis
Don't let the title fool you. Despite director Jonathan Demme's well-known affection for Alfred Hitchcock (Demme's 1979 film, The Last Embrace is a well-documented homage), Storefront Hitchcock refers to another Hitchcock altogether -- Robyn, by name -- a cult favorite who has been writing and singing music for over 25 years, and is still, to borrow a phrase, "rockin' in the free world".
Storefront Hitchcock is more or less a concert film, Demme's first since his ground-breaking Stop Making Sense in 1983. It plays out in an abandoned building storefront on New York's Lower East Side, where passersby are free to peek in and see what all the commotion is.
Except there's not much commotion. Hitchcock plays 15 songs -- some old, some new -- accompanied at times by violinist Deni Bonet and guitarist Tim Keegan. In between, he takes time to make a number of pithy observations about politics, religion and the human condition. These include his take on the slow disintegration of The Isle Of Wight, complete with ghosts hovering offshore, and his story of minotaurs held together by rolls of duct tape.
Hitchcock moves from acoustic to electric guitar, almost as if chronicling his career, which began with The Soft Boys in the 1970s and The Egyptians in the 1980s, before settling into a steady if unspectacular solo act. (Rhino Records released a nine-record retrospective of Hitchcock's work in 1995.)
The movie is also steady if unspectacular. Unlike Stop Making Sense, which contained remarkable tunes by Talking Heads and starred a natural-born showman in David Byrne (he of the big suit), Storefront Hitchcock is more a reverent nod to the thoughtfulness and longevity of a true survivor in the oftentimes fickle music industry.
If you are a fan of the talented Hitchcock, (whose voice and songs are reminiscent of the late John Lennon's solo albums), this film is a must-see. Ditto if you are curious about the subtle ways Demme can turn a simple concert into a cinematic event. (Note: He manages to avoid the use of split-screens until the final ten minutes).
For me, there are other singer-songwriters I would rather see perform for 81 straight minutes on screen, but I was glad to get to know this Hitchcock after all these years.
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