''Strange Parallel'' is a documentary short film revolving around the American singer-songwriter

Elliott Smith Steven Paul Smith (August 6, 1969 – October 21, 2003), known professionally as Elliott Smith, was an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. Smith was born in Omaha, Nebraska, raised primarily in Texas, and lived much of hi ...

. The film was directed by

Steve Hanft Steve Hanft is a writer, director, musician, and artist. Early life Steven Paul Hanft was born in Ventura, California where he started making films at the age of nine. He has an MFA in Experimental Narrative Film from California Institute of the ...

and released on October 15, 1998, and features interviews with Elliott himself as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances of his.

Background

''Strange Parallel'' includes interviews with Elliott Smith himself, as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances, including

Gus Van Sant Gus Green Van Sant Jr. (born July 24, 1952) is an American film director, producer, photographer, and musician. He has earned acclaim as both an independent and mainstream filmmaker. His films typically deal with themes of marginalized subcultur ...

, Larry Crane and the members of

Quasi Quasi (phonetics 'kwa - zee') is an American indie rock band formed in Portland, Oregon in 1993 by former spouses Sam Coomes (vocals, guitar, rocksichord, various keyboards, bass) and Janet Weiss (vocals and drums). Joanna Bolme performed and ...

. The film also includes snippets of Elliott Smith performing, as well as footage of him recording an unreleased song, "Brand New Game". The film sometimes moves out of reality, with acted-out, metaphorical sequences that involve Elliott considering purchasing a mechanical hand (a "robot hand") to improve his music. The film takes place mostly in New York City and

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, Oregon. The title is a direct quote from an interview of one of Elliott's acquaintances (a

bartender A bartender (also known as a barkeep, barman, barmaid, or a mixologist) is a person who formulates and serves alcoholic or soft drink beverages behind the bar, usually in a licensed establishment as well as in restaurants and nightclubs, but a ...

) who said he felt a "strange parallel" between himself and Elliott when he met him. The film was used for promotion only and is not available for purchase. Director Steve Hanft says this about the film:

In 1998, I was hired to make a film for the reclusive rocker Elliott Smith. Very excited, I flew to Portland, Oregon, where he was staying and met with him to figure it out before we filmed. At the meeting he explained, in a very quiet voice, with a slight smile, that he didn't want it to be a straight-up documentary. So I suggested he write down some of his dreams. The next day, we met again, and he began talking a lot, and louder, telling me all about how he "had a fucked up dream last night". It was very funny when he explained it, everyone in and around the music business he was in was telling him to get a mechanical hand to replace the hand that he'd trained for so long to play guitar. There was also a military recruiter who came into the bar where he was writing a song that would yell at him for no reason, and Satan was there; that kills me. A lot of people who know him from his music don't understand that he was really funny. So we wrote the dream into the shot list and intercut it into the more traditional music footage. It was hard to get the documentary footage out of him; he hated being interviewed. He was much more into the dream sequence and we had a lot fun shooting it. It was an amazing experience and just knowing a guy like that, so talented and brutally honest, has changed my life. Bless him.

Music featured

All songs written and performed by Elliott Smith, except as noted. * "Independence Day" * "Waltz #2 (XO)" (live) * "Brand New Game" (early version, unreleased) * "

Miss Misery "Miss Misery" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. Featured in the closing credits and the soundtrack of the 1997 film ''Good Will Hunting'', the song was nominated for Best Original Song in the 1998 Academy Awards. A previou ...

" * "Waltz #2 (XO)" * "Waltz #1" * "Bottle Up and Explode!" (live) * "Robot Hand Jive" and "In Between Time" (narration music) – written and performed by Dada Munchamonkey (aka Ed Ruscha, Jr.) * "Isn't It a Pity?" (live) – written by

George Harrison George Harrison (25 February 1943 – 29 November 2001) was an English musician and singer-songwriter who achieved international fame as the lead guitarist of the Beatles. Sometimes called "the quiet Beatle", Harrison embraced Indian c ...

* "Ballad of Big Nothing" (live) * "

Happiness Happiness, in the context of Mental health, mental or emotional states, is positive or Pleasure, pleasant emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy. Other forms include life satisfaction, well-being, subjective well-being, flourishin ...

" (live) * "Waltz #1" (theremin) – performed by Sam Coomes, arranged by Elliott Smith * "Waltz #2 (XO)" (dub version) – written by Elliott Smith, performed by

Future Pigeon Future Pigeon is an American punk/ dub band from Los Angeles, California, contemporary to the late 1990s and early 2000s. The band is composed of Eddie Rucha on bass, Brandon Wells on percussion, Lindsey Glover on drums, Jason Mason on skank guitar, ...

* "Prelude Op3 #2 in C Sharp Minor" (live) – written by

Sergei Rachmaninoff Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff; in Russian pre-revolutionary script. (28 March 1943) was a Russian composer, virtuoso pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one o ...

, performed by Elliott Smith * "Coming Up Roses" * "Oh Well, Okay" (live) * "

Baby Britain "Baby Britain" is a song by American singer-songwriter Elliott Smith. It was released in 1999 by record label DreamWorks as the second single from his fourth studio album, '' XO''. Release "Baby Britain" was released in 1999 by record label D ...

Cast

; Interviewees *

(director of ''

Good Will Hunting ''Good Will Hunting'' is a 1997 American psychological drama film directed by Gus Van Sant, and written by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon. It stars Robin Williams, Damon, Affleck, Stellan Skarsgård and Minnie Driver. The film received positive r ...

'') * Chuck (bartender) *

Sam Coomes Samuel J. Coomes (born April 23, 1964) is an American musician, and one-half of the Portland-area indie band Quasi, along with his ex-wife, drummer Janet Weiss. Coomes was also a member of the mid-1980s underground pop band The Donner Party and re ...

and

Janet Weiss Janet Lee Weiss (born September 24, 1965) is an American rock drummer, best known as a former member of Sleater-Kinney and a current member of Quasi. She was the drummer for Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, leaving after the album ''Mirror Traffic' ...

(of

) * Larry Crane * Marne Lucas * Amber Strom * Harry Kulpoenen ; Additional appearances * Dave England as Devil * Sasha Fuentes as Robot Hand Salesman * Ross Harris as Robot Hand Salesman * James Lee Ellis as Doctor * Akhigbonde Francis as Doctor * Amy Metsman as Member of the Board * William Edwards as chairman of the board * Sean Croghan as Sgt. Slaughter *

Joanna Bolme Joanna Bolme (born April 1, 1968) is a multi-instrumentalist (primarily bass guitar) and recording engineer who works with several indie rock bands and artists, mainly in the Pacific Northwest. She has been the bass guitarist for Stephen Malkmus a ...

as Recording Engineer * Robin Bauer as Devil Sympathizer * Laura Nerlove as Devil Sympathizer * Sonia Manalli as Medical Technician * Vanessa Reyes as Medical Technician * Brent Sersen as Member of the Board * Tracy Van Zandt as Devil Sympathizer

References

External links

* {{Elliott Smith 1998 films Elliott Smith