Having heard an interview with, I believe, the editor of this movie on a local Kingston radio station, I decided to make "Death of Indie Rock" one to check out. I must say, I'm glad I did. This is the debut of Robert Fitl, which probably won't mean much to any of you right now, but based on this tight little 75 minutes, I'm sure it will one day. With an obvious love for 70's movies and low budget film-making, he takes the viewer through the up's and down's of being in a band and trying to be something, without selling out. I know, I know, it feels like "Been there-done that" and to be honest some of it is. Moments of in band drama, and the inevitable girl troubles, are a little on the hackneyed side. But it's not what the story is that should make you find this movie--it's how the story is told. Shot after shot, Mr. Fitl enthusiastically let's us know, that he knows, that we know, that this is nothing new. So, he does what any good director would do, drench it in style. From music-videoesque performance footage to subdued landscapes, Fitl has shown a clear grasp of what makes a movie, above all else, continually watchable--good direction. Even through weaker moments in the script the camera work keeps you there, so when something like an acid freak out broadsides you, you're left in his wake wondering what just happened. Let's talk about the acid scene for a second. Aside from being my favorite scene, it also illustrates what seems like a borrow and make it yours approach, (which is probably a healthy idea, since, let's face it: it's all been done). What starts as an obvious play on "Easy Rider" ends up being darkly funny and more manic than the scene which inspired it! And that, for me, is what makes the movie--the feeling that you're watching someone who loves movies making a movie and watching someone who's, hopefully, just getting started.
