By Jake Coyle, Film Writer
NEW YORK (AP) --Paul Thomas Anderson premiered his first documentary, "Junun," on Thursday at the New York Film Festival, unveiling a sonically rich portrait of Indian musicians recording an album with Radiohead's Johnny Greenwood.
The film, just under an hour long, plunges into their recording sessions, along with Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur, during a three-week trip to Rajasthan in northwestern India. With scant interviews, and hardly any words from Greenwood, "Junun" instead captures the musicians in full thrall while recording in a 15th century hilltop fort in between occasional power outages.
"Junun," which roughly translates as "madness of love," will be released on the movie subscription platform MUBI on Friday. Its premiere at the New York Film Festival, where Anderson last year debuted his Thomas Pynchon adaptation "Inherent Vice," was a low-key affair without a Q&A with Anderson.
The film, too, came with little explanation. Greenwood, who has scored Anderson's last three films ("There Will Be Blood," ''The Master" and "Inherent Vice"), would be considered by many to be the star of the documentary.
But the Radiohead guitarist remains largely in the background, thrust forward no more than the horn and percussion players of the Rajasthan Express. Their musical ability, sowed in generations of tradition, has a powerfully hypnotic effect.
Shooting digitally, and occasionally experimenting with drones that hover above the fort, "Junun" focuses on their intimate sessions of the East-West collaboration. When the electricity is running, there are few interruptions other than a handful of birds and the occasional nap.
"No toilet. No shower. But full power," says one musician.
The resulting album, produced by Nigel Godrich, is to be released by Nonesuch in November.
For Anderson, film and music are particularly intertwined. He's made music videos for Fiona Apple, Aimee Mann (whose songs made much of the soundtrack to his "Magnolia") and, most recently, Joanna Newsom. Before shooting her walking on New York streets for "Sapokanikan," Newsom played the narrator of "Inherent Vice."
Jean Smart, Ariana Grande, Michael Keaton among hosts for “SNL” season 50
Fresh off her Emmys win, Jean Smart will kick off the landmark 50th season of "Saturday Night Live."
NBC on Thursday announced the lineup of hosts for the season, which premieres Sept. 28. Joining Smart on the first show will be Jelly Roll as the musical act. He was also at the Emmys, singing during the ceremony's in memoriam segment.
It will be Smart's first time hosting "SNL."
Comedian Nate Bargatze will host on Oct. 5, with Coldplay as the musical guest.
Ariana Grande will host Oct. 12, with musical guest Stevie Nicks.
"Beetlejuice" star Michael Keaton will host on Oct. 19, the last show before Halloween, and Billie Eilish will be that night's musical guest.
The host on Nov. 2 will be "SNL" alum John Mulaney, with breakout sensation Chappell Roan as the music guest.
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