$5 Cover
My latest kick has been the web-series $5 Cover from music-loving director Craig Brewer and MTV. Brewer is a notorious music junkie (see: Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan) who, while looking for his next project, turned his camera towards his hometown of Memphis. $5 Cover depicts the lives of fictional characters, all with their lives intertwined in the music scene there in Memphis.
Upon first viewing, it might seem that Brewer as managed to find actors with strangely exceptional musical talents; in actuality, many of Brewer’s actors are musicians playing parts based on themselves who the director is friends with outside of this project. Most episodes feature a performance from one or more of these musicians either in a faux recording session of live show. Given the length of the episodes, some of the plot lines end up a little rushed, but it’s fun to watch for anyone who’s into music. Brewer has done a terrific job in curating the show and I hope we see more of $5 Cover in the future.
(Brewer and crew have put together a bunch of great stuff here at their behind the scenes site. And here’s a golf clap to MTV for putting the series out.)
