Appalachia – it's just to the east of us. It's easy to forget this, living here in Louisville. In fact, it's easy to forget that we have a whole state attached to us, this state called Kentucky, and that we are a part of it, because we are just so different. Appalachia, though – that's a whole other thing. It's a completely different world, and the region has produced some incredibly interesting personages.
Tomorrow, Saturday, the Louisville Film Society will showcase a double-feature of documentaries about two of these legendary men at the Dreamland Film Center.
It starts at 7:00 with the short film The Wild World of Hasil Adkins [4]
. Adkins came to fame in the 1960s with the pioneering of a bizarre new style of music: psychobilly. It is derived from rockabilly, which is itself a fusion of rock-and-roll and hillbilly music. Psychobilly merely adds elements of punk and violence, often with strange or nonsensical lyrics. Adkins led a life corresponding to his music, suffering from depression and hyperactivity and getting into all sorts of shenanigans.
The event also includes a screening of
Dancing Outlaw [5]
, which tells the story of the infamous Jesco White, mountain dancer extraordinaire. He is the subject of an impressive three documentaries (the others including
Dancing Outlaw 2
and
The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia
, which is, incidentally, directed by Julien Nitzberg, the man behind the aforementioned Hasil Adkins film.) White is quite a colorful character, and
Dancing Outlaw
allows us a glimpse into his life as he struggles to live up to the reputation of his father while dealing with the poverty and depression of Appalachia.
It all happens tomorrow at 7:00 at the Dreamland Film Center. Admission to the double-feature is $10. The Dreamland Film Center is located at 810 E. Market Street.
Image: Internet Movie Database