Lots of people love rockabilly, the classic roots-music sound of early rock and roll that blended Western music with rhythm and blues. Some of those fans also appreciate the 1950s fashion and culture that surrounded rockabilly in its heyday. And an even smaller subset of folks are currently living out a retro-lifestyle that borders on a manic fringe culture. These people are the subject of Brent Huff's colorful documentary, which is less about nostalgic innocence than outlaw outliers. Much of the footage is shot at festivals, where heavily-tattooed women mix it up with Elvis Presley impersonators and rockabilly players and singers (who come from as far as Japan and England). Also part of the scene: cars, clothes, and wigs, signaling a deep and abiding devotion to this arrested moment in 20th-century popular fashion. But even as this impressionistic film whirls from one devotee to the next (while also speaking with outside observers), a disturbing subtext emerges. If you listen closely between the lines of what people are saying, you will hear a yearning for a conservative Southern era when the Confederate flag flew, women knew their place, and men believed themselves to be paragons of chivalry. A thought-provoking documentary, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (T. Keogh)
It's a Rockabilly World
(2016) 76 min. DVD: $19.99. Virgil Films (avail. from most distributors). Closed captioned. Volume 32, Issue 1
It's a Rockabilly World
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