How does one make a documentary about an undocumented man? Filmmakers Chad Friedrichs and Paul Fehler did just that, working for a year and a half, interviewing various journalists in order to demystify the reclusive musician known as Jandek. Linking the artist's cryptic lyrics to imagery found in and around his home in Texas, the filmmakers create a deeply cinematic, haunting landscape. They succeed in creating a world that, like Jandek's music, is simultaneously mesmerizing and disturbing.The J.D. Salinger of the music world, Jandek lives a secretive existence, refusing interviews and photographs. Taking the term underground to an extreme, Jandek (who has released over 37 albums since 1978) isolates himself from the press, seemingly obsessed with avoiding public attention. However, in spite of, and because of his attempt to remain anonymous, Jandek has made himself into an underground celebrity by shrouding himself in the alluring cloud of mystery. If he really doesn't want people to be interested in him, then he might know better than to create such intrigue. In a culture so obsessed with celebrity, artists like Jandek consciously or unconsciously create quite a scandal.Jandek's songs push the boundaries of traditional notions of music. Inaccessible and often difficult, even painful to listen to, his songs are stark and intense. His music makes the listener work, daring them to stick with him through what often sounds like the last cries of a dying animal. That said, his music also brings the listener into a deeply personal world of isolation and subjective experience. Stark and bluesy, these bare-bones songs often contain only one note, played over and over in repetition. Jandek's instruments are often played out of tune, and he pushes the limits of distortion, sounding at times like a stripped down Sonic Youth. Fans of Youth's sing-talky style may enjoy Jandek's vocals, which have a spoken word, poetic element to them.So what drives a mu Copyright (C) Muze Inc