PICK: Beyond the Screen— Beastie Boys Story

Beastie bests: In 1986, the Beastie Boys’ Licensed to Ill became the first rap record to top the Billboard chart, and the trio from New York City went on to sell over 20 million albums. Filmmaker Spike Jonze shot the Beasties to new heights with his video for Ill Communication’s “Sabotage,” an homage to 1970s crime dramas that dominated MTV’s airwaves and its awards show in 1994. Still a friend and a collaborator, Jonze’s latest, Beastie Boys Story, is a reflection on the band’s formation and propulsive musical journey that features narration by Michael “Mike D” Diamond and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz. Virginia Film Festival adds to the discussion with Beyond the Screen: A Virtual Conversation between Cullen Wade, director of the Nine Pillars Hip Hop Cultural Fest, A.D. Carson, assistant professor of hip hop and the global South, and Jack Hamilton, assistant professor of American studies and media studies and the pop critic for Slate.

Wednesday 6/3. 3pm. Film streaming details and discussion registration at virginiafilmfestival.org.

Free news is good news!

Nearly $1 million a year goes into the work you’re reading—covering local government, spotlighting the arts, and telling the stories no one else does. If you value that, help fund it for $10 a month (or whatever tax-deductible gift you can afford). Click to save the free word.