Daniel Strauch, Michael Marx-Gibbons & Luke James Shaffer On The New Film “Bastards’ Road,” Future Projects, Van Halen & More
The new film Bastards’ Road tells the story of U.S. Marine combat veteran Jon Hancock’s epic healing journey on foot across the United States. Battling PTSD and looking to reclaim his life after a suicide attempt landed him in the hospital, Jon Hancock walked nearly 6,000 miles around the country — starting in 2016 — visiting Gold Star families and he ended that journey in a grand fashion at Camp Pendleton in southern California. Marines stood at attention every 50 feet for a mile as Hancock completed the last steps of his walk with hundreds of people behind him.
Bastards’ Road world-premiered at Santa Barbara International Film Festival to sold-out audiences and won “Best Documentary.” It also won the Documentary Audience Award at Slamdance Film Festival, the Best Documentary Award at DeadCenter Film Festival, Best Documentary Award at Sunscreen Film Festival, the Audience Award and “Best Cinematography” at Loudoun Arts Film Festival, the Jury Award for Best Documentary at Naples International Film Festival, and “Best Documentary Feature” at Franklin International Independent Film Festival. The Bastards’ Road filmmaking team was led by director/producer Brian Morrison, who also lensed and edited the film, while executive produced by Erin Kenway (the award-winning The Prison Within), written and co-produced by Mark Stafford, and co-produced by Nick Kovacic (Brewmore). The film features a haunting original score by Jeremy Griffiths (“Dare Not Walk Alone”) and a transformational original soundtrack by Daniel Strauch, Michael Marx-Gibbons and Luke James Shaffer of the Aliceanna Collective.
On May 19, 2021, I had the pleasure of speaking with Daniel Strauch, Michael Marx-Gibbons and Luke James Shaffer via Zoom, as embedded below. Besides Bastards’ Road, we discussed influences and future projects for all 3 of the musicians. More on Bastards’ Road is here, here and here.
About the Author
Darren Paltrowitz Darren Paltrowitz is a New York resident with over 20 years of entertainment industry experience. He began working around the music business as a teenager, interning for the manager of his then-favorite band Superdrag. Since then, he has worked with a wide array of artists including OK Go, They Might Be Giants, Mike Viola, Tracy Bonham, Loudness, Rachael Yamagata, and Amanda Palmer. Darren's writing has appeared in dozens of outlets including the New York Daily News, Inquisitr, The Daily Meal, The Hype Magazine, All Music Guide, Guitar World, TheStreet.com, Businessweek, Chicago Tribune, L.A. Times, and the Jewish Journal. Beyond being "Editor At Large" for The Hype Magazine, Darren is also the host of weekly "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz" series, which airs on dozens on television and digital networks. He has also co-authored 2 published books, 2018's "Pocket Change: Your Happy Money" (Book Web Publishing) and 2019's "Good Advice From Professional Wrestling" (6623 Press), and co-hosts the world's only known podcast about David Lee Roth, "The DLR Cast."
Related Posts
Jeff Tobias On His Upcoming “Recurring Dream” Album, Touring Europe In 2021, Future Plans, Long Island & More →
Lloyd Landesman On Composing Top Jingles, His “The Eleventh Hour” Solo Album & More →
Zach Tabori On His New EP “Ensemble,” Zappa Influences, Working With Jaden Smith & More →
