Take Me to the River (2014 film)
Take Me to the River is a 2014 American documentary film directed by Martin Shore about music of Memphis, Tennessee. It premiered on March 11, 2014, at SXSW film festival in Austin, Texas.[1] The film was released on Netflix in August 2016, two years after its initial release.
| Take Me to the River | |
|---|---|
 Film poster | |
| Directed by | Martin Shore |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Nathan Black |
| Edited by |
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| Music by | Cody Dickinson |
Production company | Abramorama |
| Distributed by |
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Release date | September 12, 2014 |
Running time | 95 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
The documentary celebrates the intergenerational and interracial musical influence of Memphis in the face of pervasive discrimination and segregation. The film brings multiple generations of award-winning Memphis and Mississippi Delta musicians together, following them through the creative process of recording a historic new album, to re-imagine the utopia of racial, gender and generational collaboration of Memphis in its heyday. A related education initiative partnered with Berklee College of Music to produce a curriculum and events based on the film.[2]
Cast
- Terrence Howard as himself (host/narrator)
- Mavis Staples as herself
- Snoop Dogg as himself
- Alphonzo Bailey as himself
- Cedric Coleman as himself
- Mario Mims as himself
- Benjamin "Lil' P-Nut" Flores Jr. as himself
- Bobby "Blue" Bland as himself
- Charles "Skip" Pitts as himself
- William Bell as himself
Soundtrack
Take Me to the River: Music from the Motion Picture was released on September 9, 2014 via Stax Records/Concord Music, and consists of twelve songs.[3]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ain't No Sunshine" (performed by Bobby "Blue" Bland & Yo Gotti) | 4:29 | |
| 2. | "Wish I Had Answered" (performed by Mavis Staples & North Mississippi All-Stars) | 4:05 | |
| 3. | "They Wanna Be Like Me" (performed by The Bar-Kays, 8Ball & MJG) |
| 3:51 |
| 4. | "Push and Pull" (performed by Bobby Rush & Frayser Boy) | 4:04 | |
| 5. | "Supposed to Be" (performed by Booker T. Jones, Al Kapone & North Mississippi All-Stars) | 3:56 | |
| 6. | "Trying to Live My Life Without You" (performed by Otis Clay & Lil P-Nut) |
| 3:48 |
| 7. | "I've Been Buked" (performed by Mavis Staples & North Mississippi All-Stars) | 4:52 | |
| 8. | "I Forgot to Be Your Lover" (performed by William Bell, Snoop Dogg & Stax Music Academy) | 4:00 | |
| 9. | "If I Should Have Bad Luck" (performed by Charlie Musselwhite & The City Champs) | Charlie Musselwhite | 4:24 |
| 10. | "Knock on Wood" (performed by William Bell & Stax Music Academy) | 3:34 | |
| 11. | "Hen Pecked" (performed by Bobby Rush & Frayser Boy) | 5:19 | |
| 12. | "Walk Away" (performed by Terrence Howard & Hi Rhythm Section) | Terrence Howard | 3:15 |
| Total length: | 49:37 | ||
Sequel
Take Me to the River: New Orleans was premiered on April 20, 2022 at the Broadside Theater in New Orleans. The film stars Aaron Neville, Ivan Neville, Ledisi, G-Eazy, George Porter Jr., Irma Thomas, Dr. John, Galactic, Mannie Fresh, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Christian Scott and Donald Harrison, with William Bell and Snoop Dogg reprised their appearances.
References
- Berkshire, Geoff (March 12, 2014). "SXSW Film Review: 'Take Me To the River'". Variety. Retrieved October 3, 2018.
- "Take Me to the River Education Initiative". ED News Daily. 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
- Deming, Mark. "Take Me to the River [Music from the Motion Picture] - Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 3, 2018.