Tourist Guide

Magnetic Fields…..Not So Magnetic

I did not have very high expectations for the documentary Strange Powers. After all I was going to see a movie about a band I had never heard of in a movie theatre I had never heard of. And my suspicions were correct. I did not enjoy the documentary at all, which is odd for someone like me who usually likes quirky movies.

Stephin Merritt, the main character in the movie and the lead singer of the band Magnetic Fields, has a cynical sense of humor that was amusing at times, but was mostly just plain boring. It seemed as though he had nothing to say. I found myself wondering why someone would choose to make a documentary about him numerous times during the film, and why a theatre as small as Film Forum would choose to run it.

This film was also my first introduction to the Magnetic Fields, and probably my last. Their music sounded like folk gone bad, something I do not want to experience again. The lyrics were completely ridiculous and sounded as though they were trying so hard to be “artsy,” yet they failed miserably. Lines such as “I want to be a topless waitress” in the song The Nun’s Litany, left me wondering what they were thinking releasing a song like that. He mentioned that his lyrics were not about anything, but there has to be some reason why he would choose those words; although frankly it is beyond my comprehension.

On a more positive note, the film did succeed in one area. It was really able to capture the whole artistic process. The documentary gave me a better picture of what goes on behind the scenes of every song that is produced. I did not think it was possible for an entire song to be produced and recorded in a room the size of a closet in the West Village in New York City. But Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields proved me wrong!

Overall I would have to say I was not the biggest fan of Strange Powers, but it was definitely an experience at best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoGZjiowPGo