There are many music fests, and there are probably too many film fests. And then there's Sound Unseen -- a festival featuring movies entirely about music.
Also now a monthly series and a Duluth satellite operation, the original Sound Unseen returns for its 12th annual run Wednesday through Sunday at Minneapolis' Ritz Theater and Trylon Microcinema.
As in every previous year, Sound Unseen 12 pays special attention to cult-loved/underground musicians with compelling stories worth telling on film. Sadly, that includes two this year who fatally overdosed: the Sex Pistols' sorta-bassist, Sid Vicious, and last year's indie-rock casualty, Jay Reatard. Two other rock docs in the fest have happier endings, though: one on Kansas-bred bluegrass-punk band Split Lip Rayfield, and another documenting Thelonious Monster frontman-turned-drug-counselor Bob Forrest.
Sound Unseen also gives it up for drummers this year. The drum-camp documentary "A Drummer's Dream" is like a motivational movie for anyone holding two sticks. The most noteworthy entry is the autobiographical "Hit So Hard," about Hole's Patty Schemel, which seems to cover all the fest's bases: unsung rock hero, ex-junkie and drummer.
Schemel was front-row for some of rock's defining moments of the '90s. Turns out, she videotaped a lot of it, too. That includes arguably the strongest era for women and so-called alternative bands in mainstream rock. Also, Schemel saw the ascent and downward spiral of Hole singer Courtney Love and, of course, Love's husband, Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain, who committed suicide in 1994. Hole also lost bassist Kristen Pfaff, a Minneapolis native, to an overdose just after Cobain's death.
All these subjects are candidly, explicitly covered in "Hit So Hard." In fact, the footage of Cobain and Love with baby Frances Bean Cobain is almost too candid and voyeuristic, from scenes of them taking a bath together to Courtney worrying aloud to Frances about her dad winding up dead. But Schemel points the camera at herself just as much, chronicling a heroin addiction that got so bad, she implies that she prostituted herself out to women.
"Hit So Hard" itself descends into "Behind the Music"-style, heard-this-before interviews, but there's plenty that alt-rock fans haven't seen.
Schemel will be on hand to answer questions after Friday's screening of "Hit So Hard" (7 p.m., Ritz), which also features a performance by local pop/punk band Pink Mink.
