The 1976 documentary Heartworn Highways provided insight into some of the legends of alternative country like Townes Van Zandt, Steve Earle, and Guy Clark. Director Jim Szalapski filled the film with vignettes of the singer-songwriters in their daily lives, providing a fly-on-the wall portrait of them. It is a film for music lovers, without a narrative story, that I found engaging.
Now, to celebrate the thirty-fifth anniversary of Heartworn Highways, director Wayne Price will be releasing Heartworn Highways Revisited.
The new film takes a look at some current outlaw country singers like Shelly Colvin, Matraca Berg, Bobby Bare Jr., Johnny Fritz, Robert Ellis, Shovels and Rope, Joshua Hedley, John McCauley, and Langhorne Slim. Some old-timers make appearances too, like Guy Clark and David Allan Coe. I am happy to see that rising star singer-songwriter Andrew Combs is in the film too.
Check out the promotional video below.
On the film’s website, Price writes, “With electronic laptop musicians commanding the airwaves, I am excited to bring us back to the ‘old school, with songwriters who only need their instrument and their experience to create music.”
Years ago, I loaned my copy of Heartworn Highways to a friend and never got it back. But I enjoyed the movie, which has some great moments like Van Zandt playing “Waitin’ Round To Die.” I still listen to the soundtrack
Reportedly, there is no release date yet for the new film, but I am looking forward to the release of Heartworn Highways Revisited.
Leave your two cents in the comments.
(Some related Chimesfreedom posts.)
Any Townes fan will have heard of Daniel “Donut” Antopolsky without knowing it was him – he toured with Townes in the 70’s and we are making a movie about him as he launches his music career 40 years later, recording his frst album at 64. We also have new evidence that Daniel (whom Bill Hedgepeth names The Sheriff of Mars) is actually Lefty from “Pancho and Lefty”.
Thanks, we’ll look forward to your movie. I didn’t know about the connection to Lefty. Take care.
For folks who are interested in Townes Van Zandt and Daniel Antopolsky, you might be interested to know there is a Kickstarter campaign is for documentary about Daniel Antolpolsky’s music and his connection to Townes Van Zandt called “The Sheriff of Mars”: