Rockabilly 514
| Rockabilly 514 | |
|---|---|
| Directed by |
Patricia Chica Mike Wafer |
Release dates |
|
| Country | Canada |
| Language | English |
Rockabilly 514 is a 2008 Canadian feature documentary directed by Patricia Chica (Canada) and Mike Wafer (England). The film documents the lives of a group of people belonging to the rockabilly sub-culture in Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Some of the original 1950s rockabilly stars also appear in the documentary: Wanda Jackson (the first lady of rockabilly); The Comets (Bill Haley's original band) and Joe Clay.
The film has been presented at numerous film and music festivals including Pop Montreal (Montreal, Canada), Viva Las Vegas (Las Vegas, United States), Gimme Shelter Music and Film Festival (Athens, Greece) and Don't Knock The Rock Film and Music Festival (Los Angeles, United States). On October 18, 2009 the film won two awards at the Director's Chair Film Festival in New York; the Best Documentary Award and the Best Original Soundtrack award. It was also a finalist in the Best Sound and Best Editing categories.
The film was commercially released at Cinéma du Parc in Montreal, Quebec on October 6, 2008.
Cast members of the film include Bloodshot Bill, The Cockroaches, Nathalie Lavergne, Mademoiselle Oui Oui Encore, Mister Blue Eyes, Guillaume Ozoux and Sonya Topolnisky. It was narrated by ethnomusicologist Craig Morrison (Go Cat Go! Rockabilly Music and Its Makers).
In The Gazette of September 27, 2008, film critic John Griffin wrote: "Québécois' take on rockabilly makes for an interesting toe-tapping documentary".[1]