
So the Residents formed their own company (the Cryptic Corp.), their own label (Ralph Records), and began releasing albums that slowly began accruing a cult following. They named themselves the Residents when their demo tapes were returned to those generic addressees by Warner Bros., whose signing of Captain Beefheart suggested they were open to rock’s more experimental edge. But the likelier story told here is that they were spawned by a group of creative misfits from near Shreveport, La., who were drawn to leave the conservative South and head toward the countercultural haven of the San Francisco Bay Area around 1970.Īt once attracted to the residue of the high psychedelic era and prankishly skeptical toward hippiedom (let alone the then-current explosion of sensitive singer-songwriters), the emigres soon began pushing the envelope, as glimpsed in humorously chaotic rock/performance-art footage before a nonplussed 1971 audience. There were rumors over the years that their ranks included some very famous people. Their roster and number may well have changed over the years, but their primary image has remained the same: four figures in tuxedos with giant eyeballs as heads. Their story told by various fans and collaborators - at least some of whom almost certainly are members of the “band” - the Residents themselves have never been identified by name. Minor theatrical exposure is possible before a healthy career in niche ancillary.
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Still, fans and newbies alike will be delighted by much of Don Hardy’s documentary, which draws on an expansive archive of surreal expressions from an (alleged) quartet whose creative emphasis was as much visual as sonic from the start. Its survey of the Residents’ singular 40-year career - marked by anonymity as much as eccentricity - offers plenty of eye- and ear-catching stimulation without really making the case for this large body of work having the depth to match its breadth.

"I Wanna Dance with Somebody" adds to the long list of movies filmed in Worcester this year, including "Spirited" with Ryan Reynolds, Will Ferrell and Octavia Spencer, Marvel's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," and "Confess Fletch" starring Jon Hamm.įilming for "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" has also been shot in the Boston-area this summer and fall.Avant-garde geniuses or the world’s longest-running rock novelty act? For those not previously converted or exposed, “Theory of Obscurity” will leave that big question hanging. She starred in movies like "The Bodyguard," "Waiting to Exhale," "The Preacher's Wife" and "Cinderella." Houston died in 2012. Her song "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" was released in 1987. Houston is the only artist to ever have seven consecutive number one singles on the Billboard 100.
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The movie is being produced by SONY and Tri-Star. The movie is being directed by Kasi Lemmons (Netflix's "Luke Cage") and is written by Oscar-nominee Anthony McCarten ("The Two Popes," "Bohemian Rhapsody," "The Theory of Everything"). Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical super stardom."

A large tent is set up outside of the Worcester Airport for production of "I Wanna Dance with Somebody"/Image: Andrew Boucher for Spectrum News 1Īccording to synopsis, the movie is "the joyous, emotional and heart-breaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time.
