You'll be surprised by what 4 Track Films is capable of.
The Duluth-based production company's first feature, "...And on the 7th Day, God Rocked,"* is a pseudo-documentary about a Christian battle of the bands. It has the look and feel of a documentary worthy of PBS and, living up to its billing as "a comedy of biblical proportions," delivers both laugh-out-loud hilarity and an intelligent, witty take on the absurd that would make the Coen Brothers proud.
The mock rockumentary picks up with the final stages of the competition. Four groups are in the running for the prize of a recording contract: born-again hard rockers Savior, the formerly-punk-now-country Angie Hynes Band, the hip-hop duo Sons of Abraham and the folksy foursome Glory Authority.
Over the course of competition, the bands' conflicting dogmas give rise to some decidedly un-Christian behavior; likewise, a series of interviews of the film's characters reveals the conflicts between and within them, along with a good dose of hypocrisy.
The film is beautifully shot and features several sites in Duluth, where the story takes place, including the College of St. Scholastica, University of Minnesota Duluth's Weber Hall and the Sacred Heart Music Center.
ADVERTISEMENT
An especially breathtaking moment is captured as a trio of Glory Authority members paddles a canoe across a lake seemingly made of glass; the audience is enveloped with serenity and awe, and then has no choice but to chortle at the sight of the last group member, Mr. Matthews, waving from the dock with just the right degree of nerdiness. (Why? "I kind of had a bad experience with some Baptists when I was growing up ... they dunked my head under water," the character explains.)
The actors and considerably talented musicians are perfectly cast. Of note are Julie Ahasay as the flaky and domineering Pat Radtke, the self-proclaimed producer of the battle, and John Agurkis as her ever-suffering "assistant"; Renegade Comedy Theater veteran Jody Kujawa as a ranting born-again hard rocker; Greg Moore (the very cool University of Wisconsin-Superior music professor "Dr. G"' in real life) as Glory Authority's dorky Mr. Matthews and Jack Setterlund as Father John Gordon, to name only a few members of the excellent cast. Indeed, every cast member is just right for his/her character, and the absence of any one of them would diminish the film. The script is a hoot and, in the end, amidst the belly laughs, chuckles and snickering at the chaos and human foibles, one sees with striking clarity just how confusing and inconvenient being any kind of Christian can be -- or perhaps convenient, given the ending.
Although the deeply religious will likely be offended by the film's nearly savage humor, viewers will leave "God" having laughed loud and long and, perhaps, in thoughtful self-reflection.
*Up until this week, the project had been known as "God Rocks," but, due to a potential trademark infringement (with Canadian company God Rocks!), 4 Track Films decided to rename it.
NEWS TO USE
"...And on the 7th Day, God Rocked" is the first feature from Duluth-based production company 4 Track Films. The mockumentary's local/world premiere is at 7 and 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 27 and 28, at Teatro Zuccone, 222 E. Superior St. Cost is $10. For details, visit 4TrackFilms.com.
