Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage

No directorial duo is better equipped to profile Canada's famed power trio than Canucks Sam Dunn and Scot McFadyen, the makers of Metal: A Headbanger's Journey. Insightful and entertaining, their Rush documentary starts with the band's roots in working-class Ontario. Singer/bassist Geddy Lee, son of Holocaust survivors and a self-described “nebbishy quiet kid,” bonded with guitarist Alex Lifeson, whose parents were Yugoslav immigrants, over “this manic love for music,” and the lineup was completed with “literate, opinionated” drummer Neil Peart (replacing John Rutsey). Getting gigs came easy, but landing a record deal proved difficult until a Cleveland radio station took a chance on “Working Man,” the phones lit up, and Mercury Records came calling. Beyond the Lighted Stage proceeds in oral-history style through the ensuing ups and downs: a tour with KISS (inspiring ribald comments from Gene Simmons), the making of classic records such as 1981's Moving Pictures, the fashion faux pas, the personal tragedies, and the derision of critics vs. the devotion of fans. Jack Black, one of several notable participants, praises the group's “deep reservoir of rocket sauce,” while Metallica's Kirk Hammett proclaims them “the high priests of conceptual metal.” The musicians are also engaging conversationalists, and Dunn and McFadyen ice the cake with clips from revealing home movies and fiery early performances. Bonus features include additional live material and a visit to a Rush convention. An irresistible true-life tale of three men who've stuck together, surviving and thriving while others have succumbed to petty squabbles and commercial pressures, this is highly recommended. Aud: P. (K. Fennessy)