Even Hell Has Its Heroes (2023 | USA | 108 minutes | Clyde Petersen)

Clyde Petersen’s documentary about the drone metal band Earth is unlike any other rock doc I’ve seen before. Earth’s instrumental music is played underneath a soundtrack of people in the Earth, uhh, orbit (band members, engineers they worked with, Bruce Pavitt and Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop Records, who released the first few Earth albums) with a montage of grunge-era (give or take ten years) videos of the band and the Seattle area. Dylan Carlson is the bandleader and only constant member over the band’s almost 35 year history. He’s described as a “well-read redneck.” I particularly loved the video of Earth playing at the Hat and Boots sculpture in Georgetown in what looked like the middle of the day. There was also something hypnotic about the deliberateness and languor of Adrienne Davies’ drumming. Each interviewee talks for a few minutes one at a time and the story of Earth slowly builds. This is a great portrait of a great, working class Northwest rock band.

Even Hell Has Its Heroes makes its US premiere as SIFF on Wednesday, May 17 at 6:15PM at SIFF Cinema Egyptian and on Thursday, May 18 at 8:30PM at Ark Lodge Cinemas. Director Clyde Petersen, several crew, and past and present members of Earth scheduled to attend.

Satan Wants You (2023 | Canada | 90 minutes | Sean Horlor, Steve J. Adams)

In 1981, a book called Michelle Remembers was published by St. Martin’s Press (available in hardcover for $321.17 on Amazon). It was a runaway bestseller. Ostensibly published as “nonfiction,” the book is a memoir about the satanic abuse Michelle Smith supposedly endured, memories that were uncovered (or recovered) by her psychotherapist Dr. Lawrence Pazder. It set off a “Satanic panic” that ruined many, many lives. Somehow looking for evidence was an afterthought. Michelle Smith destroyed her family by alleging her mother gave her to a Satanic cult when she was five years old. For some reason, “Believe the children” was a rallying cry. The movie does a very good job detailing the destruction that followed in Michelle Smith’s (now Michelle Pazder, the pair married) wake. One thing I wish was explored more was that the people who pushed the Satanic panic originally were not idiots who listen to “Infowars,” but by almost exclusively well-respected professionals in their community. Still, it’s a riveting and well-made documentary about an episode many would like to let be forgotten with history but one we must never, ever forget.

Satan Wants You does not have any more in-person screenings at SIFF, but will be available to stream between Monday, May 22 and Sunday, May 28 on SIFF.tv.