Better Than Something: Jay Reatard
2012 Directed by Alex Hammond, Ian Markiewicz
Synopsis
BETTER THAN SOMETHING is an exciting and intimate portrait of Memphis-based punk musician Jay Reatard, who toured the world and released dozens of records over the course of a 15 year career that began in his mid-teens. Original and never-before-seen footage documents his self-made journey to iconic garage rock star, with colleagues, friends, and family speaking candidly about Jay's vibrant and complicated life. Jay Reatard himself - filmed just nine months before his untimely death at the age of twenty-nine - shares his experiences both on and off stage, with all the humor, savvy, and pathos one can expect from such a prolific and vital artist.
Recent reviews
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Takes a challenging figure from recent punk rock scene and surprisingly humanizes him. Peppered with interviews of his friends and collaborators, along with footage and conversation with Jay filmed in 2009, this documentary takes a deep look into Reatard's career. The evolution from a snot-nosed brat who started making records at age 15 to the complicated lo-fi pop master who died before he hit 30 is remarkable and it definitely appears that Reatard's best work was ahead of him.
Known mostly for his antics on stage - often confrontational and almost always unstable - the personal interview with Reatard, most of which happens as he drives with crew around Memphis, shows a side of him that the public probably didn't…
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Excellent, compelling, and touching. A great farewell tribute to Jay Reatard.
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A raw look inside the world of indie punk rock legend Jay Reatard mere months before his untimely passing. Acting as both a tribute and examination into what made the often erratic musician tick and how music has shaped him.
Starts off a bit rocky, but the documentary slowly draws one into the world of Jimmy Lee Lindsey, Jr. through interviews with friends, fans, and Jay Reatard himself.