Joe Frank: Somewhere Out There

I worked with Joe Frank at KCRW and while we were not close friends, there was always much more to learn about him than what one sees in this documentary. Joe, the man, is missing from this movie. It doesn't do him justice. Very superficial, fan-type movie that does nothing to elucidate the man behind the art he created. I was very disappointed as I had high hopes that the film would be a legacy document about this one of a kind artist whose own life is a story in itself. I agree with the reviewer who said, if you'd never heard of him, would this movie be enough? In my heart of hearts, I can honestly say, it would not.

As a person familiar with many of Joe's radio shows, I expected a documentary as probing about Joe Frank's life as he, himself, was in his compelling take on the human condition.

I wanted to learn more about the man - and not listen to excerpts from radio shows where Joe talks about himself. I'd already heard all that. And those excerpts from radio shows comprised most of the movie.

Sycophantic talking heads make up the rest of the film. Friends, collaborators and fans talk about Joe in only glowing terms - it's like an infomercial. Many lost opportunities to ask followup questions when an interviewee said something about Joe that may be interesting. For example, like when Harry Shearer said Joe was a damaged individual. Or his wife said he had a lot of hope. What?!! Joe Frank had hope? How is that possible given the content of his shows? But no. End of interview.

Joe was erudite and possessed deep intellectual acuity. He had an uncanny ability to speak universal truths. He probed very difficult topics, questioning everything while revealing uncomfortable truths about himself. All within his radio programs. Again, in this film, I wanted more about the man himself. Like one reviewer here said" the Radio Lab tribute revealed more" about Joe than this documentary.

As a film buff, I also cringed at the amount of ham-handed imagery under many radio selections: if Joe mentioned eating, we see a plate with food on it.

Unfortunately, this film failed to reveal the man behind the microphone.

I felt like I was watching a student film.

After they weaseled out of arbitration, Joe Frank's wife has had to sue these scumbags just to try and get SOME of the money she's owed for this boring doc. The only interesting things about it are the excerpts from Joe's shows.

I've been trying to hunt this down for ages. Imagine my surprise at finding out it can be rented on YouTube. Joe Frank is an enigma to me, barely heard of in the UK and I'm not even sure that well known in his native America, but fans of Joe Frank are obsessive, once you listen, you're hooked. Joe tells stories on the radio. Joe tells the best stories. The weirdest stories. The most dark captivating, sensationally amazing stories. Joe Frank is a radio GOD. He's the sort of underground talent that inspires. That people who become much more famous sight as the reason for their being. This explains the formidable cast of talking heads in this documentary gushing about Franks work, Harry Shearer, Ira Glass. It's insightful, but the best bits are still Joe talking, that deep, rich haunting voice accompanied with pertinent stock footage like Koyaanisqatsi, waveforms and radio dials and the drone. Oh god the drone is so cool, aural perfection. Building, pulling back, breaking into a loop and falling silent, just leaving Joe, pure Joe. Somewhere Out There tells Joe's story of his show, his art. Late night radio. On the surface sometimes menacing, but more often soothing, a soothing tone of alienation. Although it feels thorough, it doesn't get too deep into Joe's personal life. It digs deep enough, but not too deep. It feels respectful, or perhaps Joe is just not that penetrable. It feels much more than a documentary too, there's still a lot of performance and for that reason it acts as an immersive introduction to Frank's world. As mesmerising and truly wonderful as that is. Joe himself is barely seen for the first half hour. Only in snaps of black and white photography. Mostly in dark aviators and generally looking cool as fuck. But he does talk on camera. A now older man, so unassuming considering the palpable weight of his work. Towards the end, it's gets a bit too clean as we get to the present day. We see Joe Frank being adored, being himself, being ordinary or his version of that. It's a little too much of a peek behind the curtain, but it doesn't diminish the mystique to a point of ruin. I think Joe and his stories are just too powerful to fade. If you never heard or heard of Joe.

... after hesitating for years to plunk down the money .. and when I did? And watching it? My disappointment? It Was Deep. (I kept thinking: if Joe could do a documentary about himself.. would it resemble this? Ah, hell no.)

First, I am a relative latecomer to Joe Frank. A friend turned me on to him in the early 2000's when I'd had a horrible breakup. It took no time before I became obsessed. I subscribed to his web site as long as I could afford it. I even was fortunate enough to attend one of his early live shows - at the original Largo. What a show!

From his web site, I downloaded all the free shows he produced in the 2000s - the ones for KCRW. And then I heard about this movie shortly after Joe died. There was some fundraising for it, and I wanted to pitch in. Or at least buy it as soon as it was available. And I got a new job where I could afford it! Subscribed to his site again and looked forward to finally purchasing the movie to watch again and again (like so many of Joe's shows.)

What prevented me from buying it were the conflicting reviews - and there was not much in the film festival circuit buzz (I know some people involved with festivals- and it is telling that this did not make the cut for the major ones).

But recently, I resubscribed to his site and I HAD to see it! I plunked down my $5 bucks to rent it thinking I'd buy it later if it was good. As cheap as that was, I wish I'd bought a coffee instead.

As so many here have related - there is not much new to learn about Joe in this movie. Most everything has been covered either in Joe's shows or interviews he's done over the years. Personally, I wanted to hear more about his failed relationships (since he spent most of his time in his shows talking about illness, death, and relationships!). But other than Kristine McKenna saying his relationships with women were tumultuous, there was nothing. I already knew this from his shows! Let's talk to those ex-GFs and get to the nitty gritty of the tumult!

Anyway, chalk it up to not able to manage expectations (after all, it's only the cost of a cup of coffee. But I wanted so much more.)

Hopefully, someone somewhere out there is right now in the dark communicating with Joe on the other side and we'll learn more about how Joe remains a work in progress - at least to those of us hungering to know about his life.