The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time

The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time is a 2015 feature-length documentary that traces the captivating journey of the Canadian rock band, The Smalls. The documentary film, unyieldingly engrossing and coupled with a quintessential narrative billing, takes viewers on a rollercoaster ride of one of Canada's most influential underground bands. Directed by Trevor Smith, the film features Dug Bevans, Michael Caldwell, and Terry Johnson, each delivering sterling performances that magnify the stories and personalities behind the band.

Dug Bevans, Michael Caldwell, and Terry Johnson, along with guitar player Corb Lund, were the four original members of The Smalls. They came together in the late 1980s in Edmonton, Canada, to form a band with a unique fusion of metal, punk, and country. The group, best known for their intense, energetic stage performances, was also recognized for their idiosyncratic musical style. Their story unfolds over more than a decade, from their humble beginnings, through endless tours, up to their split in 2001.

The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time documents not only the chronological walk-through of the band's journey but goes deeper, exploring the personal dynamics, turmoils, and triumphs individually experienced by the members. The directed cinematography by Trevor Smith captures both the essence and the evolution of the band, encompassing their highs, lows, creative differences and, above all, their enduring legacy.

The interviews in the film are intriguing and emotionally heavyweight. The members reveal their motivations, victories, and tribulations faced along their musical pursuit. Featuring Dug Bevans, an intense drummer known for his unique method of driving the rhythm, he emerges as an endlessly fascinating figure. On the other hand, Michael Caldwell, the gruff and loquacious lead singer, comes across as both engrossing and enigmatic. Terry Johnson, the bassist with a flair for hardcore punk and noticeable stage presence, rounds off the trio featured in the documentary.

The film also delves into the band's ground-breaking approach to their music. It showcases how The Smalls challenged the convention grandiosely by blending disparate musical genres and pushing their creative boundaries. Their heavy yet melodic sound, appealing to followers of various music genres, becomes a distinctive statement in itself.

The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time successfully attempts to anatomize the phenomenon of The Smalls, their music, their journey, and their indelible footprint in underground rock. From the band's conception, through their burgeoning popularity in the underground scene, up to their eventual hiatus, the documentary captures it all in intimate detail. It even documents the band's surprise reunion in 2014 and how that unexpected return had an impact on both the members and their passionately devoted fan base.

The documentary seems to effectively tap into a nostalgic vein, not just for the fans who grew up listening to The Smalls but also for anyone drawn to the raw, visceral world of underground music. Even without a pre-existing knowledge of or affinity for the band's music, the viewer is drawn into the camaraderie, the creative process, and the personal toll pursued by the pursuit of a musical vision.

The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time is artistically shot, interspersed with archival footages of concerts, interviews, and behind-the-scenes snapshots peppered throughout the film. This authentic depiction fuels in viewers an affectionate reverence for a band that dived headfirst into the maelstrom of a demanding music industry and yet remained true to their musical ideals.

The Smalls are represented as not just another rock group but as a band that's significant on multiple fronts—visceral lyrical expressions, explosive on-stage performances, and trendsetting genre-blurring soundscapes. Yet despite their impact and mass adulation, the fact that they remained largely in the realm of the underground music scene forms a compelling, if bittersweet, narrative.

The Smalls: Forever Is a Long Time is more than a band documentary. It is a chronicle of dedication, resilience, hardships, breakthroughs, friendships, and the transformative power of music. You don't have to be a fan of The Smalls to appreciate this film. It speaks to the spirit of underground music, the love of art, and the passion that compels individuals to march to the beat of their own drum. This evocative documentary is an exploration of the universality of human emotions playing out in the music's thrilling, demanding world. Such is the depth of this film that it will remain, in the words of the film's title, "forever" in the hearts and minds of anyone who watches it.