Pale Blue Eyes, Michael Stipe R.E.M., from “Just Like a Movie,”
This is starting to percolate on the web today– an excerpt from our old friend and photographer Laura Levine’s unreleased underground Super-8 film, JUST LIKE A MOVIE. Shot over a two week period in Athens, Georgia, in 1983, the film was an improvisational project involving a group of friends that Levine felt was important to document in a place and a time that would not exist much longer.
Excerpt from JUST LIKE A MOVIE (dir: Laura Levine, 1984)
“Pale Blue Eyes” written by Lou Reed
Performed by Michael Stipe
Puddlefoot aka Jeremy Ayers
Guitar by Matthew Sweet
“Walter’s Theme” written/performed by R.E.M.
Incidental accordion music by Michael Stipe
Edited by Matt Danowski and Laura Levine
Directed, filmed and recorded by Laura Levine on location in Athens, Georgia, 1983
with love and respect to Lou Reed
from Laura Levine, who took many iconic shots of R.E.M. in the 1980s, including the one shot at Walter’s Bar BQ on West Broad in Athens:
“it’s an excerpt from the original unreleased Super-8 film “Just Like a Movie.” With the sad news about Lou Reed’s passing last week, it seemed the right time to share this particular scene, of Michael singing “Pale Blue Eyes” by the railroad tracks. (The song itself was recorded earlier that day on a Walkman, with Matthew Sweet on guitar). Jeremy Ayers makes a magical appearance as Puddlefoot.”
é Laura Levine, all rights reserved