The weeklong LA engagement begins Friday, January 25th at the Laemmle NoHo 7 in North Hollywood:
***This Friday the 25th tix (James L Reid and Chaz Zelus will be at the 7:30pm screening followed by a Q&A with director/writer/producer Antonino D’Ambrosio, artist Shepard Fairey, and guitar legend Wayne Kramer): http://www.laemmle.com/viewtheatre.php?date=01252013&thid=22
The film premiered earlier this year at the Tribeca Film Festival, and spans three decades of transformation bringing together over 50 artists, writers, musicians, skateboarders, dancers, and rights advocates (from street artist Shepard Fairey to rapper Chuck D to playwright Eve Ensler to musicians Tom Morello, Ian MacKaye, Billy Bragg, Wayne Kramer and Eugene Hütz (of Gogol Bordello), to novelists Edwidge Danticat and Hari Kunzru to filmmaker John Sayles to comic Lewis Black to environmentalist Van Jones to poet Suheir Hammad), all of whom attest to the fact that we can re-imagine the world we live in and take an active role in making that vision a reality.
Rough, raw and unapologetically inspirational, LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR is a charged journey into the heart of the creative counter culture in 2012. In a time of global challenges, big questions and by-the-numbers politics, this upbeat, outspoken film tracks the story of the artists, writers, thinkers and musicians who have gone underground to re-imagine the world – honing in on equality, community and engaged creativity – in exuberantly paradigm-busting ways.Writer/director Antonino D’Ambrosio unites 50 powerful, of-the-moment voices –from street artist Shepard Fairey to rapper Chuck D to playwright Eve Ensler to musicians Tom Morello and Billy Bragg to novelist Edwidge Danticat to filmmaker John Sayles to comic Lewis Black – who share personal and powerful tales of how they transformed anger and angst into provocative art and ideas. Mix-mastered with historical footage, animation and performances, D’Ambrosio presents a visceral portrait of a generation looking to re-jigger a system that has failed to address the most pressing problems of our times . . . our human potential.
The story begins in the 1980s with the rise of Reagan and Thatcher — and a cultural shift towards fierce individualism and rampant consumerism. Coming of age in a world seemingly gone mad or at least gone shopping, some kids started searching for something more authentic. This was the start of a renegade movement D’Ambrosio calls “creative-response.” It was a hybrid, haphazard collective of skateboarders, punk rockers, rappers, street poets, feminists and graffitists whose reaction to this brave new world was not to turn away, but to turn up the volume and have their say.Now that generation is coming to the fore, sparking a global movement focused not just on pushing the boundaries with guitars, paint, dance, storytelling, graphics and subcultural style – but on coming together around real reasons for hope.
Set to a stirring soundtrack from the film’s artists – including Rage Against The Machine, Public Enemy, Billy Bragg, Gogol Bordello, MC5, DJ Spooky and Sean Hayes – LET FURY HAVE THE HOUR is a fast and furious trip into the grass roots of art and activism, 21st Century style. The film is written and directed by author and visual artist Antonino D’Ambrosio in his feature debut. The producers are D’Ambrosio and James L. Reid, and the executive producers are Jonathan Gray, Brian Devine, Rob McKay, Mark Urman and Chaz Zelus. The film features original music from composer and MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer.
Official Selection of the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival Spotlight Series
Let Fury Have the Hour - Directed, written & produced by Antonino D’Ambrosio and produced by James L Reid. (USA) – World Premiere, Documentary. A generation of artists used their creativity as a response to the reactionary politics that came to define our culture in the 1980s.
This dynamic and exhilarating documentary brings together more than 50 big-name musicians, writers, artists, and thinkers to trace a momentous social history from the cynical heyday of Reagan and Thatcher to today—and impart a message of hope. Featuring Chuck D, John Sayles, Eve Ensler, Tom Morello, Lewis Black, and many others.
A Cavu Pictures release of a Cavu Pictures, La Lutta NMC presentation of a Bricklayers Union production in association with Gigantic Pictures. Produced by Antonio D’Ambrosio, James L Reid. Executive producers, Rob McKay, Brian Devine, Jonathan Gray, Mark Urman, Chaz Zelus. Co-producers, Ben Correale, Karim Lopez. Co-executive producers, Brooke Devine, Leo Glickman. Directed, written by Antonio D’Ambrosio.
Antonio D’Ambrosio’s filmed extension of his book “Let Fury Have the Hour” celebrates what he dubs “creative response” to the soulless consumerism and runaway egotism fostered by the 1980s reigns of Reagan in America and Thatcher in England. Focusing largely on punk, rap and related musical forms, with occasional forays into confrontational writing, guerrilla filmmaking and street art, D’Ambrosio presents a curiously warm-and-fuzzy hindsight interpretation of artistic aggression, delivered by the artists themselves.
The catchily titled pic, bowing Dec. 14 in limited release, could play well with punk nostalgists, and resonate with contemporary manifestations of social anger.
The pic is the opposite of slick: Applying the DIY aesthetic that once galvanized his interviewees, D’Ambrosio (working with editor Karim Lopez) infuses faded bits of found footage with surprising energy. Artists Billy Bragg, Eugene Hutz, Wayne Kramer, Chuck D., Ian MacKaye, Eve Ensler and John Sayles beam about the social consciousness their efforts engendered, while a wall-to-wall soundtrack, and excerpts from “Matewan” and “Brother From Another Planet” illustrate the power of their output and the importance of those that influenced them.
With: Billy Bragg, Chuck D., Eugene Hutz, Wayne Kramer, Ian MacKaye, John Sayles, Tom Morello, Staceyann Chin, Eve Ensler, Edwidge Danticat, D.J. Spooky, Shepard Fairey, Lewis Black, Van Jones, Sean Hayes.
Camera (color/B&W, HD), Karim Lopez, James L Reid, D’Ambrosio; editor, Lopez; music, Wayne Kramer. Reviewed on DVD, New York, Dec. 11, 2012. Running time: 87 MIN.
WALLINGFORD — They snap baseball bats, bend steel and rip phone books in half, but James Reid is hoping to shed new light on the ministry known as The Power Team.
Reid has wrapped up production on “Born Again: The Power Team Story,” a feature-length documentary chronicling the 30-year history of the group, which uses feats of strength to draw crowds to churches and illustrate the point that with the power of God, anything is possible.
“It’s a big show, it’s very exciting, but people don’t realize the work that goes into it,” Reid said. “People don’t know how much they sacrifice to be on the road.”
Reid and the subjects of his movie have been on a two-month tour promoting the film and will be stopping at the Good News Christian Church, 46 John St., at 6 p.m. Saturday for a screening and a question-and-answer session. The public is invited.
The Power Team was founded in the late 1970s in Dallas but, Reid said, it gained prominence in the late 1980s when beefy actors like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone and the stars of the World Wrestling Federation were popular. While filming, Reid spent about two years with the group, traveling all over the United States and even accompanying it on a trip to Israel.
At first glance the members may appear to be more jock than pastor, but Reid said they are very dedicated and devoted to scripture.
“They’re well-educated, well-spoken,” he said. “People have these preconceived notions that they are a bunch of meatheads. People have a tendency to look at something different or strange and judge it.”
Accompanying Reid Saturday will be Jeremy Baker, a former member of The Power Team and subject of the documentary who went on to start his own feats of strength ministry, Xtreme Impact, which performed at Good News Christian Church last fall.
MONROE — A screening of the film, “Born Again: The Power Team Story,” will take place tonight, Oct. 19, 7:30 p.m., at the Calvary Assembly of God Church on Route 17M in Monroe.
Two of the film’s producers, James L. Reid and Scarlet Lam, will attend the screening and will be part of a question and answer session afterward.
This screening is the fifth stop on the cross-country Film Crusade Screening Tour that Reid and Lam are making with the film over the next several months.
In a bit of a homecoming, producer James L Reid stopped by his Alma Mater of Loyola Marymount University’s independent radio station KXLU to discuss his work on newly released feature documentary Let Fury Have the Hour and his almost-completed feature documentary Born Again: The Power Team Story.
Broadcast on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles 88.9 FM.
Film producer James L Reid came Center Stage with Mark Gordon to talk about producing documentary Let Fury Have the Hour. The interview was originally broadcast on Tuesday, July 24th, 2012 at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles 88.9 FM. To listen to an extended version of the interview visithttp://stageandscreen.com/james-l-reid-let-fury-have-the-hour/ Center Stage with Mark Gordon airs Tuesdays at 7PM (PST) on KXLU Los Angeles, 88.9 FM and streaming at www.kxlu.com
In conjunction with NY-based Picture Farm and agency Razorfish, Reid produced these three spots for Tempur-Pedic, one starring New York Giant Mark Herzlich discussing his powerful story of cancer recovery.
TheWrap opened its doors to celebrate with the producers from our first-ever “10 Producers Who Will Change Hollywood in 2012” list.
TheWrap’s Steve Pond talks to documentarians James L Reid (center) and Chaz Zelus of Let Fury Have the Hour, which will screen at Tribeca. Darren Miller, publicist, listens in.
