A Documentary by Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz U.S. Theatrical Release Date: March 2, 2012 Running Time: 89 MIN Screening Format: HDCAM, Digibeta, Blu-Ray, DVD (16:9, Stereo) Dates of Production: 2009-2011 Website: www.betterthansomething.com www.facebook.com/betterthansomething www.twitter.com/JayReatardDoc TRAILER Contacts: Alex Hammond, Director:
[email protected] Ian Markiewicz, Director:
[email protected] Joseph Berger, Co-Producer/Press:
[email protected] BETTER THAN SOMETHING, LLC - 241 Centre Street, 4th Floor New York, NY 10013 SYNOPSIS BETTER THAN SOMETHING is a feature documentary about the controversial and prolific rock musician Jimmy Lee Lindsey Jr, better known as Jay Reatard. This intimate portrait, captured just months before his untimely passing, brings us incredibly close to Jay's complicated punk-rock world in Memphis, Tennessee. To expand on their short film WAITING FOR SOMETHING, filmmakers Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz returned to Tennessee to interview his friends, family, and colleagues in the immediate aftermath of Jay's abrupt death. BETTER THAN SOMETHING eloquently interweaves cinéma vérité, interviews, and archival concert performances, and features scenes from an insightful and candid week spent with Jay, who reveals personal childhood stories and the struggles of his life in Memphis. Tirelessly devoting his entire life to music, Jay Reatard has become a garage rock icon, having created a massive discography spread out over dozens of singles, EPs, and full-length albums, released on labels like Matador, Fat Possum and In The Red. A relentless live performer, Jay toured the world with dozens of bands including Reatards, Lost Sounds, Bad Times, Persuaders, Cheap Time, The Pixies, Spoon, Beck and many more.