Mojo Nixon Music Doc ‘The Mojo Manifesto’ Acquired By Freestyle Digital Media
21.02.2023 - 21:05
/ deadline.com
EXCLUSIVE: Freestyle Digital Media has picked up worldwide rights to the music documentary The Mojo Manifesto: The Life and Times of Mojo Nixon, slating it for release across VOD platforms on March 17.
The film written and directed by Matt Eskey, in his feature debut, tells the true story of Neill Kirby McMillan, Jr., who comes of age in Danville, Virginia, listening to records from his father’s soul radio station and plotting his escape from the confines of conservative small-town life.
During an early 1980s cross-country bicycle trip, Kirby experiences The Mojo Revelation and becomes “Mojo Nixon” — a primitive, blues-inspired musician. Mojo then teams up with the enigmatic Skid Roper to form an outrageous musical duo, with relentless touring, a record deal, and college radio airplay leading to unexpected mainstream success during the golden age of MTV. Their song “Elvis Is Everywhere” released in 1987 (on the 10th anniversary of Presley’s death) becomes a cult phenomenon, but his next single is banned, and Mojo faces a decision that could jeopardize his career.
World premiering at last year’s SXSW Film Festival, The Mojo Manifesto features sit-downs not only with Nixon, but also with creatives including Bullethead, Country Dick Montana, Jim Dickinson, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Jello Biafra, Kinky Friedman, Todd Snider, Steve Poltz, Eric Ambel, and Bill Davis. Pic’s producers are Eva Radke and Sal Owen.
“First off, it’s amazing to me that it’s a good movie. The movie doesn’t suck,” the film’s subject Nixon deadpans. “And second off, my bass player made the movie! It tells the story of my life, and it’s a parable about rock & roll, and what rock & roll is and isn’t — there’s just one weirdo nutjob after another!
“At its