It’s been a long, wonderfully circular road for my peripheral involvement with THE STRAIGHT STORY. It began when I interviewed its wonderful star Richard Farnsworth for the dearly missed Venice Magazine upon the film’s release. Then I’d befriend composer Angelo Badalamenti for said publication when he drank cappuccino while scoring Mulholland Drive, an occasion on which the wonderful photographer Elisa Haber became fast friends with him and took a particularly wonderful lawnmower photo for the article. Skip ahead many years (during which I’d have the Oh Man, Oh God Oh Man opportunity to talk to Angelo for my Music Box Records liner notes to his operatic score to his other cult favorite Tough Guys Don’t Dance), and I’d get the call from Daniel Griffith at Ballyhoo Motion Pictures to give my video thoughts about Angelo’s movingly rustic Americana score for David Lynch’s lawnmower man for Imprint’s blu release. Now thanks to intrada Records I’ve been given the chance to write up my thoughts on The Straight Story for their reissue of this long out-of-print soundtrack, (here featuring Elisa’s lovely photo) for which I interviewed music editor Walter Spencer about seeing the magic unfold between Badalamenti and Lynch on by far their most naturalistic and family friendly collaboration for a film and score that also has particular resonance for Memorial Day. Now take the musically poetic ride via Intrada Records HERE
