New Films Feature Leonard Cohen and Springsteen

Coming this fall....

Greg Mitchell is the author of more than a dozen books including “The Tunnels” and “The Campaign of the Century” and now writer/director of three award-winning films aired via PBS, including “Atomic Cover-up” and “Memorial Day Massacre” (up for an Emmy). You can still subscribe to this newsletter for free.

Projects focusing on two of my longtime music faves just emerging.

First, an eight-part drama series (yes, eight) on the longtime, formative relationship between Leonard Cohen and Marianne Ilhan, will premiere over TV in Canada only, at the end of September. When and how it will stream in the USA not yet determined. Of course it will be titled “So Long, Marianne,” which happens to be one of my favorite Leonard songs going back more than half a century. Here is Hollywood Reporter story, and extract, and trailer.

So Long Marianne, which had its world premiere at France’s Series Mania television festival, is a co-production between Canadian pay-TV channel Crave and Norway’s public broadcaster NRK. The eight-part series follows Cohen and Ihlen’s relationship in the 1960s, from its start as two 20-something expats escaping the world on the idyllic Greek island of Hydra to its end in New York, when Cohen, now a rising music star, turned away from her.

“I sacrificed my love on the altars of fame,” Cohen would say later.

The series has an impressive list of cameos and co-stars, including Peter Stormare (Fargo) as Canadian poet and Cohen mentor Irving Layton; Paddington 2‘s Noah Taylor and The Last of Us actor Anna Torv as George Johnston and Charmian Clift, the acclaimed Australian writers who set up a community for expat artists on Hydra; and The Crown actor Ben Lloyd-Hughes as Alan Ginsberg, one of the many writers who joined that bohemian community for the sex, the drugs and the inspiration.

Star Alex Wolff, who recorded with his brother as a teen and had small role in “Oppenheimer,” may have learned very well Leonard mannerisms and speaking voice but his singing, at least based on trailer, is far too tinny.

Below, the documentary on Marianne and Leonard from a couple of years back…

Meanwhile, there’s a new Bruce doc coming via Hulu, titled “Road Diary,” from his longtime director pal, and naturally on his recent/current touring. Again, here is Hollywood Reporter report, and excerpt below.

More “Marianne”

Here’s Leonard doing it live in 1979 with one of his best bands and singers, then stellar covers.

Courtney Barnett, who I’ve only recently discovered:

The song is incredibly apt for my man Bill “Drover” Callahan.