[11/02/21 - 10:09 AM] HBO Documentary Films' Music Box Series Continues with "Jagged," Debuting November 18 "DMX: Don't Try To Understand," "Listening To Kenny G," "Mr. Saturday Night" and "Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss" will follow on successive Thursdays.
[via press release from HBO]
HBO Documentary Films' Music Box Series Continues With JAGGED, Debuting November 18
Additional Titles Include "DMX: Don't Try To Understand," "Listening To Kenny G," "Mr. Saturday Night" And "Juice WRLD: Into The Abyss"
HBO's JAGGED, directed by Alison Klayman ("The Brink," "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry") and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO's "Andre The Giant," "Showbiz Kids"), continues the Music Box series, taking viewers to 1995, when a 21-year-old Alanis Morissette burst onto the music scene with the first single off her ground-breaking album, "Jagged Little Pill." With a rawness and emotional honesty that resonated with millions, and despite a commercial landscape that preferred its rock stars to be male, she took radio and MTV by storm and the album went on to sell 33 million copies. Featuring an in-depth interview with Alanis, as well as never-before-seen archival material, JAGGED explores her beginnings as a young Canadian pop star, the rocky path she faced navigating the male-dominated music industry, and the glass ceiling she shattered on her journey to becoming the international icon and empowered artist she is today.
JAGGED debuts THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. It continues the MUSIC BOX documentary series created by Bill Simmons, which launched in July with "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage." The weekly series will air on subsequent Thursdays at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Subsequent films in the series will continue airing over the next four weeks:
DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND (November 25), directed by Christopher Frierson, focuses on a year in the life of rapper Earl "DMX" Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019 and attempts to rebuild his career in the music industry and reconnect with family and fans. Unfolding in cinéma vérité style and with unfettered access, the film bears witness to a man searching for reinvention and redemption, striving to stay true to himself while reestablishing his roles as a father, an artist and an icon.
LISTENING TO KENNY G (December 2), directed by Penny Lane, takes a humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly the one of the most famous living musicians. The film investigates the artist formerly known as Kenny Gorelick, unravelling the allure of the man who played jazz so smoothly that a whole new genre formed around him, and questioning fundamental assumptions about art and excellence in the process. In his own words, Kenny G speaks candidly about his musical background, his stringent work ethic, and his controversial standing in the jazz canon.
MR. SATURDAY NIGHT (December 9), directed by John Maggio, chronicles the meteoric career of Australian entrepreneur Robert Stigwood, who gambled on a magazine article about the Brooklyn night club scene and turned it into the 1977 cultural touchstone "Saturday Night Fever," making a global superstar out of John Travolta, and reinvigorating disco with a platinum-selling soundtrack album anchored by four number one hits from the Bee Gees. The film tracks Stigwood's journey from managing artists such as Eric Clapton and the Bee Gees, to producing the hit shows "Jesus Christ Superstar," "Tommy," and "Evita," to forever changing the way film studios approached movie soundtrack synergy, leaving an indelible mark on American cinema and the record industry for decades to come.
JUICE WRLD: INTO THE ABYSS (December 16), directed by Tommy Oliver, is an intimate and often eye-opening exploration of the life and all-too-short career of wunderkind rapper Juice WRLD, told primarily though verité, his prolific music making, and his freestyles. A dynamic, real-time account of the Chicago native who was already heading for superstardom and streaming supremacy by the time he was 18 courtesy of his breakout hit, "Lucid Dreams," the film includes a wealth of never-before-seen footage, unreleased music, and dozens of industry interviews as it details Juice WRLD's struggles to navigate his meteoric rise to fame, his drug use, and mental health issues.
HBO Documentary Films' presents a Ringer Films Production. MUSIC BOX series created by Bill Simmons; executive produced by Bill Simmons, Jody Gerson, Marc Cimino, co-executive produced by Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, Noah Malale; For HBO: senior producer, Tina Nguyen; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
HBO Documentary JAGGED, An Intimate Look Back At Alanis Morissette And The 1995 Record-Breaking Album, Debuts November 18
Film Is Part Of The Music Box Series Created By Bill Simmons
HBO's JAGGED, the second installment of the Music Box series, directed by Alison Klayman ("The Brink," "Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry") and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO's "Andre The Giant," "Showbiz Kids"), takes viewers to 1995, when a 21-year-old Alanis Morissette burst onto the music scene with the first single off her ground-breaking album, "Jagged Little Pill." With a rawness and emotional honesty that resonated with millions, and despite a commercial landscape that preferred its rock stars to be male, she took radio and MTV by storm and the album went on to sell 33 million copies. Featuring a new in-depth interview with Alanis, as well as never-before-seen archival material, JAGGED explores her beginnings as a young Canadian pop star, the rocky path she faced navigating the male-dominated music industry, and the glass ceiling she shattered on her journey to becoming the international icon and empowered artist she is today.
JAGGED debuts THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. It continues the MUSIC BOX documentary series created by Bill Simmons, which launched in July with "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage." The weekly series will air on subsequent Thursdays at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
In the early 1990s, male artists ruled the airwaves and radio stations such as Los Angeles' KROQ were forbidden to play two female musicians back-to-back. Into this rarefied air came a young Canadian artist with a pop-lite background but a bold new sound: Alanis Morissette, who broke all the rules, disrupted the norms and forged her own path with the intense honesty and raw emotion that marked her 1995 single, "You Oughta Know." With massive radio play and a fierce music video in strong rotation on MTV, Morissette showed how commercially viable female artists could be on a global level and with her album "Jagged Little Pill," she became one of the best-selling female artists of all time. She not only broke through the glass ceiling - she kicked down the doors so that other women could follow.
In a candid, deeply personal new interview, Alanis talks about the years before "Jagged Little Pill" shot her to international fame, when record producers and label heads tried to mold her and control her image, when she was dropped by her first record label MCA, and how she dealt with traumatic experiences growing up in the industry. Other participants lending their first-hand insight are: Glen Ballard, songwriter/producer; Guy Oseary, Maverick Records; Lisa Worden, KROQ music director; Hanif Abdurraqib, writer/cultural critic; Lorraine Ali, L.A. music journalist; Shirley Manson, lead singer Garbage; Kevin Smith, director; and members of Morissette's band Taylor Hawkins and Chris Chaney.
JAGGED explores what Morissette faced when her music was described as "too angry" despite the album being filled with hope, empathy and love. She talks openly about how her feminism and expressions of female empowerment threatened and disrupted the patriarchal music business and how she attributes her present-day happiness to years of self-exploration.
While taking the audience back to a time when MTV and radio stations could break new artists and record stores thrived, JAGGED is the story of a gifted and determined young woman who excelled in a man's world and became a worldwide phenomenon at the age of 21.
Subsequent films in the Music Box series include:
"DMX: Don't Try to Understand" (November 25): A focus on a year in the life of rapper Earl "DMX" Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019 and attempts to rebuild his career in the music industry and reconnect with family and fans; directed by Christopher Frierson.
"Listening to Kenny G" (December 2): A humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly one of the most famous living musicians; directed by Penny Lane.
"Mr. Saturday Night" (December 9): The untold story of Robert Stigwood, the impresario behind "Saturday Night Fever" and its record-breaking disco soundtrack; directed by John Maggio.
"Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss" (December 16): An intimate and often eye-opening exploration of the life and all-too-short career of wunderkind rapper Juice WRLD; directed by Tommy Oliver.
HBO Documentary Films' presents a Ringer Films Production in association with AliKlay Productions. MUSIC BOX series created by Bill Simmons; JAGGED directed by Alison Klayman; produced by Jaye Callahan, Alison Klayman, Kyle Martin; executive produced by Bill Simmons, Jody Gerson, Marc Cimino, co-executive produced by Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, Noah Malale; For HBO: senior producer, Tina Nguyen; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
HBO Documentary DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND, Chronicling One Tumultuous Year In The Life Of Hip-Hop Superstar DMX, Debuts November 25
Film Is Part Of The Music Box Series Created By Bill Simmons
HBO's DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND, part of the Music Box series, directed by Christopher Frierson and co-directed by Clark Slater, and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO's "Andre The Giant," "Showbiz Kids"), focuses on a year in the life of rapper Earl "DMX" Simmons as he is released from prison in early 2019 and attempts to rebuild his career in the music industry and reconnect with family and fans. Unfolding in cinéma vérité style and with unfettered access, the film bears witness to a man searching for reinvention and redemption, striving to stay true to himself while reestablishing his roles as a father, an artist, and an icon.
DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND debuts THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The weekly series will air on subsequent Thursdays at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND follows the musician through his 2019 comeback tour "It's Dark and Hell is Hot" after serving a year in prison for tax evasion. With archival materials showcasing some of the rapper's highs and lows over the years, the film remains focused on DMX's present, including his struggle to battle his own demons with addiction and the aftermath of an abusive upbringing, his deep faith and belief system, his dedication to his community of fans, his desire to mend bonds with his children, and his efforts to help troubled youth.
The film features intimate moments of DMX relating to young people and spending time with old friends in his hometown of Yonkers, New York, and we witness the powerful affirmative effect he has on the people who look up to him. The film also shows the disappointments he experiences as he grapples with an ongoing drug addiction and its impact on his loved ones.
Tragically, the life of DMX was cut too short and DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND stands as a fitting tribute to the man who was fighting to regain all he had lost and to win back the love and trust of family, friends, and fans. With unflinching honesty and candor, DMX shows us the man behind the myth and the true artist behind the headlines.
Following "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage" and "Jagged," subsequent films in the Music Box series include:
"Listening to Kenny G" (December 2): A humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly one of the most famous living musicians; directed by Penny Lane.
"Mr. Saturday Night" (December 9): The untold story of Robert Stigwood, the impresario behind "Saturday Night Fever" and its record-breaking disco soundtrack; directed by John Maggio.
"Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss" (December 16): An intimate and often eye-opening exploration of the life and all-too-short career of wunderkind rapper Juice WRLD; directed by Tommy Oliver.
HBO Documentary Films' presents a Ringer Films Production in association with Mass Appeal, Def Jam Recordings, and Hardware Agency. MUSIC BOX series created by Bill Simmons; DMX: DON'T TRY TO UNDERSTAND directed by Christopher Frierson; co-directed by Clark Slater; produced by Robert Alexander, Sean Gordon-Loebl, Christopher Frierson, Clark Slater, Pat Gallo, Steve Rifkin, Barak Moffitt, Daniel Seliger; co-produced by Earl "DMX" Simmons; executive produced by Bill Simmons, Jody Gerson, Marc Cimino, Peter Bittenbender, Peter J. Scalettar, Rich Isaacson, and Paul Rosenberg; co-executive produced by Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, and Noah Malale; For HBO: senior producer, Tina Nguyen; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
HBO Documentary LISTENING TO KENNY G, A Portrait Of One Of The Most Beloved And Reviled Figures In Jazz, Debuts December 2
Film Is Part Of The Music Box Series Created By Bill Simmons
HBO's LISTENING TO KENNY G, part of the Music Box series, directed by Penny Lane ("Hail Satan?") and executive produced by Bill Simmons (HBO's "Andre The Giant," "Showbiz Kids") takes a humorous but incisive look at the saxophonist Kenny G, the best-selling instrumental artist of all time, and quite possibly one of the most famous living musicians. LISTENING TO KENNY G investigates the artist formerly known as Kenneth Gorelick, unravelling the allure of the man who played jazz so smoothly that a whole new genre formed around him, and questioning fundamental assumptions about art and excellence in the process. In his own words, Kenny G speaks candidly about his musical background, his stringent work ethic, and his controversial standing in the jazz canon.
LISTENING TO KENNY G debuts THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT on HBO and will be available to stream on HBO Max. The weekly series will air on subsequent Thursdays at the same time and will be available to stream on HBO Max.
Through several interviews with renowned jazz critics, music professors and writers, and including a new in-depth, intimate interview with the artist, LISTENING TO KENNY G is a multifaceted exploration of the two extremes between the musician's critics and his superfans, revealing a meditation on the larger idea of artistic taste and how our musical preferences define us.
Alternatively playful and probing, the documentary traces the artist's career through pivotal moments: playing "Songbird" on The Tonight Show, his monumental record sales, his crushing reviews, his newfound fans on social media and his recent collaborations with Kanye West, The Weeknd and others. Dismissed by the media and mocked by the jazz establishment, Kenny G nevertheless embraces his detractors. Aware of how he is often perceived, he nevertheless strives to perfect his craft and to continually move forward in a changing musical landscape. What emerges in LISTENING TO KENNY G is the portrait of an obsessive musician who still practices three hours a day in an effort to rise above his critics and to satisfy his fans, while also exceling at many of his hobbies, including golfing, flying, and investing.
Following "Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage," "Jagged," and "DMX: Don't Try to Understand," subsequent films in the Music Box series include:
"Mr. Saturday Night" (December 9): The untold story of Robert Stigwood, the impresario behind "Saturday Night Fever" and its record-breaking disco soundtrack; directed by John Maggio.
"Juice WRLD: Into the Abyss" (December 16): An intimate and often eye-opening exploration of the life and all-too-short career of wunderkind rapper Juice WRLD; directed by Tommy Oliver.
HBO Documentary Films' presents a Ringer Films Production in association with Spinning Nancy. Music Box series created by Bill Simmons; LISTENING TO KENNY G directed by Penny Lane; produced by Gabriel Sedgwick; co-produced by Nickolas Hasse; executive produced by Bill Simmons; Jody Gerson, Marc Cimino; co-executive produced by Geoff Chow, Sean Fennessey, Noah Malale. For HBO: senior producer, Tina Nguyen; executive producers, Nancy Abraham and Lisa Heller.
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