Big Star: Nothing Can Hurt Me

They were adored by critics and went on to be championed by the likes of REM and Teenage Fanclub, but, as this documentary reveals, Big Star never received the success they deserved in their 1970s heyday. The Memphis band's blend of Beatles-worthy melodies and golden harmonies allied to a Southern, power-pop stomp seemed a formula for sure-fire success, but problems with distribution and the fashion for heavy rock meant that their records went largely unheard. By the time of their third, more experimental, album the band was in pieces. However, they were to influence the generation to come. Drew DeNicola's film goes to great lengths to interview all those involved in Big Star's story, and the result is a fan-friendly if exhaustive affair, heavy on the talking heads. There's a distinct lack of archive footage of the band in their prime, but the director makes a good stab at bringing to life the studio sessions that produced such treasures as The Ballad of El Goodo. It's singer Alex Chilton, in all his wilfully erratic incarnations, who features most prominently, but the rare insights into tragic, troubled founder member Chris Bell give this bittersweet tale its poignancy.