Rock Legends The Zombies Get Their First Documentary, At SXSW

HUNG UP ON A DREAM

Section: 24 Beats Per Second

Director: Robert Schwartzman

Logline: In their first ever feature documentary nearly sixty years after they met as teenagers before the British Invasion music scene, The Zombies tell their story of navigating the tumultuous music industry over the decades and making one of the most influential albums of all time, Odessey and Oracle. “She’s Not There” made them the first British band after The Beatles to reach #1 in the U.S. After years of touring and many missteps in the 60s, sadly the band missed out on their biggest moment yet, when “Time of the Season” hit #1 and became a global success, inspiring new generations each year. The band looks back on their journey, where true friendship led them to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Panelists: Robert Schwartzman (director); Rod Argent (subject/The Zombies’ keyboardist); Colin Blunstone (subject/The Zombies’ vocalist); Chris White (subject/The Zombies’ bassist); Hugh Grundy (subject/The Zombies’ drummer)

Sales Agent: Utopia

Premiered: Sunday, March 12; Next screening Friday, March 17 2:15 p.m. CT at the ZACH Theatre

Key Quotes: Rod Argent: “I was the ‘unfortunate’ guy that started this band — got all the guys together for our first rehearsal when we were 15 years old. We met outside a pub, which we were too young to go inside, and walked down the road to a youth club and, on borrowed gear, we had our very first rehearsal. That was in 1961.”

Chris White: “We are one of the only few groups from the ‘60s who still like each other… Other groups stay at different hotels, but we like each other.”

Robert Schwartzman: “I don’t know when exactly I first heard my first Zombies’ song… I really gravitate towards well-crafted songs and every song by The Zombies is just so insanely awesome that it’s just so hard not to, like, fall for every little bit of their music.”

The Deadline Studio at SXSW runs March 10-13, where the cast and creatives behind the best and buzziest titles in this year’s lineup sit down with Deadline’s festival team to discuss their movies and the paths they took to get to Austin, Texas.