Director Thom Zimny has become Bruce Springsteen’s historian of sorts at a time when the veteran rocker is increasingly willing to engage with his own history. In a string of films beginning with “The Promise” in 2010 and more recently including “Western Stars,” the filmed version of “Springsteen on Broadway” and now the new documentary “Bruce Springsteen’s Letter to You,” Zimny has showcased both Springsteen’s performances and his ruminations on his life and career.
“Letter to You,” which will premiere on Friday on Apple TV+ to coincide with the release of the album of the same name, marks the first time that Zimny took his cameras into the recording studio with Springsteen, who made the album in four days last fall with the musicians in his E Street Band. Spurred in part by the death of George Theis, who recruited a teenage Springsteen into his first band, the Castiles,...
“Letter to You,” which will premiere on Friday on Apple TV+ to coincide with the release of the album of the same name, marks the first time that Zimny took his cameras into the recording studio with Springsteen, who made the album in four days last fall with the musicians in his E Street Band. Spurred in part by the death of George Theis, who recruited a teenage Springsteen into his first band, the Castiles,...
- 10/22/2020
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Bruce Springsteen eases into a damn fine feature-film directing debut, aided and abetted by his longtime collaborator Thom Zimny, with Western Stars, a transporting musical ode to the American West — old, new and all those hypnotic and haunting shades in between. It’s true that the movie, in which Springsteen sings all 13 original songs from his latest album (his first studio collection in five years) could pass for a filmed concert. But his narration about the origins of the songs, accompanied by gorgeous western footage — some of it shot at...
- 10/23/2019
- by Peter Travers
- Rollingstone.com
Even casual listeners of Bruce Springsteen’s songs are well-aware of The Boss’ many obsessions — America, cars, love, small towns, tough times, personal growth, denim — and his first turn behind the camera speaks to his consistent “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” ethos that has already guided so much of his work. Part concert doc, part personal rumination on all the things that make Bruce, well, Bruce, Springsteen’s natural charisma shines through at every turn, and while Bruce neophytes might not totally buy his particular brand of profundity, old admirers will appreciate his usual tricks. As ever, Bruce means what he says.
Both the album (released earlier this summer) and film were, as Springsteen explains during an opening voiceover, conceived of as a response to the inherent dichotomy of American life: the desire for individual freedoms and the need for a community. It’s Springsteen, through and through.
Both the album (released earlier this summer) and film were, as Springsteen explains during an opening voiceover, conceived of as a response to the inherent dichotomy of American life: the desire for individual freedoms and the need for a community. It’s Springsteen, through and through.
- 9/13/2019
- by Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
Director Thom Zimny is due for a big September: Come Sept. 22, he’ll find out whether he’s winning an Emmy Award for directing “Springsteen on Broadway” for Netflix. Ten days before that, he’ll be at the Toronto Intl. Film Festival to premiere a theatrical feature, “Western Stars,” which he co-directed with his muse and subject, Bruce Springsteen.
Even before these two high-profile, back-to-back projects, fans had come to think of Zimny as Springsteen’s 21st-century filmographer, in everything but official job title. His association with the Boss goes back to his being hired as an editor for 2001’s “Live in New York” — for which, incidentally, he won his first Emmy. He subsequently moved into the director’s chair for making-of documentaries about “Born to Run” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town” as well as a succession of music videos.
But he resists being thought of as the Springsteen camp’s house director,...
Even before these two high-profile, back-to-back projects, fans had come to think of Zimny as Springsteen’s 21st-century filmographer, in everything but official job title. His association with the Boss goes back to his being hired as an editor for 2001’s “Live in New York” — for which, incidentally, he won his first Emmy. He subsequently moved into the director’s chair for making-of documentaries about “Born to Run” and “Darkness on the Edge of Town” as well as a succession of music videos.
But he resists being thought of as the Springsteen camp’s house director,...
- 8/23/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Is anybody alive out there? One … two … three … four! Okay, so impressions don’t come across too well when you’re merely writing it out – but I’m really excited about this little piece of news. That was a Bruce Springsteen gimmick earlier if you hadn’t already guessed, and, speaking of which, we are happy to report that the Boss is making news with his latest music video for the song Hunter of Invisible Game.
The New Jersey rocker has made his directorial debut alongside long-standing collaborator Thom Zimny (who worked on documentaries about the Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town albums) with a 10-minute short film which takes its name from the song in question.
However, Springsteen is no stranger to the cinema and Hollywood – in 1993 he won an Oscar for his song Streets of Philadelphia, which accompanied the Tom Hanks drama, Philadelphia. He...
The New Jersey rocker has made his directorial debut alongside long-standing collaborator Thom Zimny (who worked on documentaries about the Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town albums) with a 10-minute short film which takes its name from the song in question.
However, Springsteen is no stranger to the cinema and Hollywood – in 1993 he won an Oscar for his song Streets of Philadelphia, which accompanied the Tom Hanks drama, Philadelphia. He...
- 7/10/2014
- by Dale Barham
- We Got This Covered
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