“The best music and the best whiskey come from the same part of the country.” Gather ’round and revisit this classic country music documentary film Heartworn Highways. Rarely screened, the beloved 1976 documentary portrait of the outlaw country movement will be re-released nationwide in virtual cinemas on February 5th this winter. In the mid-’70s, filmmaker James Szalapski documented the then-nascent country music movement that would soon become known as “outlaw country.” Inspired, in part, by newly-long-haired Willie Nelson’s embrace of hippie attitudes and audiences, a younger generation of artists including Townes Van Zandt, David Alan Coe, Steve Earle and Guy Clark popularized and developed the outlaw sound. This kind of seems like the anti-country music film about country music, which means it might be worth a watch even if you don’t care much for country music. As usual, this is the best time to catch up with the film.
Here’s the new re-release trailer for James Szalapski’s Heartworn Highways, direct from YouTube:
In the mid-’70s, filmmaker James Szalapski documented the then-nascent country music movement that would soon become known as “outlaw country.” Inspired, in part, by newly-long-haired Willie Nelson’s embrace of hippie attitudes and audiences, a younger generation of artists including Townes Van Zandt, David Alan Coe, Steve Earle and Guy Clark popularized and developed the outlaw sound. It borrowed from rock, folk and bluegrass, with an edge that was missing from mainstream Nashville country. This newly-restored documentary includes rarely-captured performances of the aforementioned musicians as they perfected this then-new style and helped change the course of country music history. Heartworn Highways was both written & directed by American writer / filmmaker James Szalapski, one of only two doc films that he would direct. This was first released in 1976 in New York City. Kino Lorber will re-release Heartworn Highways in “virtual cinemas” starting on February 5th, 2021 this winter. Visit their website.
