Ever remember the story of “Wristcutters: A Love Story” a 2006 Sundance hit about suicide victims banished to a purgatory-like afterworld starring Patrick Fugit (“Almost Famous”), Shannyn Sossamon and Tom Waits (who plays a sort of dead-guy Guru)?
The film was indeed a hit (it also won the best feature honors at last year’s Gen Art Film Festival) but for reasons unknown (studio coldfeet likely and whatnot), the film couldn’t find a distributor for some time, but it finally found a distributor in March of this year, but AfterDark films (who apparently had planned – at least then – a potentially controversial marketing plan).
Notice that the lead Shea Whigham, has more than a passing resemblance to Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz? Well, the character’s name is Eugene, and the gypsy rocker is actually a friend of director Goran Dukic who modelled the character after him (Hutz starred alongside Elijah Wood in “Everything Was Illuminated” but was apparently preoccupied when this film started rolling. A scene in the film even has “Eugene” fronting a Gogol-like band and accidentally electrifying himself onstage – or maybe its purposely).
So, it’s no suprise then that the party gypsy Bordello rockers contribute three songs to the film (“Through The Roof And Underground” from Multi Kontra Culti vs. Irony is used in the trailer). The film naturally features a Tom Waits track (name one movie Waits starred in that didn’t feature his music somewhere off the top of your head, go!) and what’s a film about star-crossed suicide lovers without Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart” (young filmmakers take note, they’ll pretty much sell this song to anyone at this point)?
Indie-film composer and multi-instrumentalist Bobby Johnston created the lovely score (his music is often featured on NPR’s This American Life) and the film also features tracks by Gram Parsons, Joe Meek (the excellent freakbeat track “Telstar”) and Del Shannon. The film is due in theaters October 19th.
“Wristcutters: A Love Story” tracklist
1. Dead And Lovely – Tom Waits
2. Deathwish – Christian Death
3. Love Will Tear Us Apart – Joy Division
4. Occurances At The Border – Gogol Bordello
5. Song For You, A – Gram Parsons
6. Through The Roof And Underground – Gogol Bordello
7. Oasis – Vivienne Dogan-Corringham
8. Telstar – Joe Meek
9. Cry Myself To Sleep – Del Shannon
10. Huliganjetta – Gogol Bordello
11. She’s Fallen In Love With A Monster – Screaming Lord Sutch
12. 24 To Vector Z – Daniel Wang
13. Gloomy Sunday – Artie Shaw
14. Love Song – Mikal Lazarev
15. Brennan’s Theme – Mushman
Download: Tom Wait’s – Flower’s Grave
Download: Joy Division – “The Eternal”
Download: Joe Meek – “Telstar” (1st Stage Demo)
“Wristcutters: A Love Story” trailer
Let us note: This movie was terrible. [C-]