Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death...and Insects

According to the alternative rock icon Robyn Hitchcock, people often say that he “writes about food, sex, and death...with a side order of fish and insects," but Hitchcock himself maintains that "most of my songs, if they're about anything, are about the shock of existence." Fittingly, this Sundance Channel documentary presents a portrait of the artist as a middle-aged man, and while there may be little "shocking" here about this 53-year-old, the film offers an amiable look at a consistently creative artist (Hitchcock has been recording since 1976) with a truckload of talented friends. More like an update or an introduction than a definitive biography, Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death...and Insects focuses on the making of Olé! Tarantula with the Venus 3: Peter Buck (R.E.M.), Scott McCaughey (Minus 5), and Bill Rieflin (Ministry). Guest musicians include Chris Ballew (Presidents of the United States of America), John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin), Morris Windsor (the Soft Boys), and, briefly, Nick Lowe. Aside from rehearsals in Seattle and West London and live footage from Hoboken, the film also includes archival photos, video clips, and a glimpse of the Nashville sessions for 2004's Spooked (with vocalist Gillian Welch). Altogether, the documentary features eight previously unreleased tracks and includes material from Hitchcock's days with the Egyptians, such as "My Wife and My Dead Wife" and "Uncorrected Personality Traits." DVD extras consist of rough solo versions of four songs, unedited interview clips, a rooftop band performance of "Olé! Tarantula," and the video for the rollicking "Adventure Rocket Ship." Recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)