Blaze

I too had the pleasure of appreciating a Q&A with Ethan, Sybil and the actors playing Blaze and Townes. What a treat. Thank you Sybil for sharing your story and thank you Ethan for creating this sweet and sad small movie and introducing me to music and this story that I was unaware of. So glad to be introduced to Blaze's story and most imporrtantly his musci. Amazing that this was Ben's acting debut - he was great too!

The music is good in the film, but I just don't feel it. The non linear narrative confuses me a lot, and I don't quite understand the story. It doesn't quite help that I find it quite boring due to the slow pace.

I rarely write movie reviews, but this poignant film of the life, and music, of Blaze Foley compelled me to sit down and do so while the memory of it is still fresh in my mind. The movie evoked memories of lost simpler times in Austin, when one could buy a cheap pitcher of beer in some rustic venue and stay out all night listening to music performed by folks who would go on to become legends. Two of those legends, Blaze Foley, powerfully portrayed by Ben Dickey, and Townes Van Zandt, brought brilliantly to life by Charlie Sexton, are deeply interwoven into the tale of Austin's music scene, so if you need a reminder of what drew you to Austin in the first place, or are just the least bit curious about Austin's music heritage and beginnings, this is the movie for you. The music alone is worth the price of admission.

As far as modern movie musicals of 2018 go, this is the best one of the year. It's quite slow at times but never lags, because of its great editing, jumping between different temporal narratives.

We are told the true life story of folk singer Blaze Foley, who is played magnificently by Ben Dickey. Blaze is as charming as he is obnoxious, but sings like an angel who's had one whisky and a pack of smokes too many, and at times he let's us glance at his emotional core which makes one forgive him all his many, many character flaws.

A good film worth watching. Recommended.

As a big fan of both Townes and Blaze, I knew Ethan Hawke would the perfect person to direct this, if not Linklater (who surprisingly was in the film!) You can tell he knows his Texas history down to a science and really treats the story with care and passion. It was honestly better than the 6.5 rating led me to believe. The acting from everyone was great and engaging. You could tell the budget was not huge but you wouldn't even have wanted it to be anyways with a story about a Blaze Foley. The lead actor also did an excellent job both singing and acting and really gave a great performance. Definitely recommend checking this out for any Blaze fans.