POTTSTOWN, PA. (Top40 Charts/ MVD Entertainment) BOB AND THE MONSTER is a documentary chronicling the life of charismatic singer/songwriter Bob Forrest, from his days as front man of the indie rock band Thelonious Monster, through his life-threatening struggle with addiction, to his triumph and transformation into one of the most influential addiction counselors in the US today.
The film crafts contemporary footage, animation and compelling interviews with rare archival performances and exclusive personal videos from Bobʼs past to reveal the complex layers of this troubled, but optimistic soul. Testimony from his peers, including Courtney Love, Anthony Kiedis, Flea, John Frusciante, members of Janeʼs Addiction, Fishbone and Guns nʼ Roses add texture, but itʼs the depth of Bobʼs music, interwoven throughout the film, that illuminates this unforgettable and truly inspirational story.
Director Keirda Bahruth has spent six years filming Bob Forrest and depicts a fascinating portrait of an intrepid soul whose passion for living and self-discovery is evident in both his failures and successes. The film traces his extraordinary life, from a traumatic childhood event through decades of poverty and drug addiction; numerous menial jobs and an unlikely rise to stardom with his band Thelonious Monster; then back again through homelessness, 22 drug rehabs and jail; to his unexpected transformation into an acclaimed drug and alcohol counselor who now dedicates his life to helping fellow musicians recover from addiction.
The
Soundtrack / Score (available on October 1st) for this award wining documentary is composed by Red Hot
Chili Peppers guitarist Josh Klinghoffer. It also includes tracks from Thelonious Monster, The Bicycle Thief and Bob Forrest.
BOB AND THE MONSTER transcends the stereotype of heroin addicted rock star and reveals a more personal message. Bobʼs story is a living testament to the heights of human courage and the ability to shape your own destiny.
Pre-order: https://bit.ly/12sSiRe
ABOUT KEIRDA BAHRUTH (director / producer):
Keirda Bahruth is a freelance director / producer based in Los Angeles. She began her career working on various music videos before transitioning into the commercial world on ads for Toyota, Apple and many others.
A move to New York City via Coppos Films teamed her up with legendary Saturday Night Live director Jim Signorelli, famous for his popular commercial parody sketches. Signorelli mentored Keirda and instructed her to shoot behindthe- scenes footage of life at SNL for the show's 25th anniversary special, which gave her complete access to the inner workings of the show. SNL was an unlikely place to develop a taste for documentary filmmaking, and yet this was thebreeding ground for Keirda's love of filming extraordinary people in their day-to-day lives. After three full seasons at SNL, Keirda returned to Los Angeles and joined the nascent world of reality television, which had just begun to sweep the nation. She has directed and produced shows for CBS, NBC / Universal, Discovery Channel, E!, Fox, The WB and MTV.
In 2004, Keirda founded Shaker Films with partner Rick Ballard and began shooting her first documentary film titled BOB AND THE MONSTER. While filming BOB AND THE MONSTER, Keirda was recruited by Interloper Films in 2008, to produce the documentary feature WE LIVE IN PUBLIC. The film led to many successes, including a Grand Jury Prize win at Sundance 2009, acquisition by MoMA, massive amounts of incredible press and a theatrical release.
BOB AND THE MONSTER premiered at the 2011 SXSW Film Festival and has since played such prestigious festivals as Hot Docs, Sheffield, Silverdocs and many more.
The film was released digitally on
September 3rd and shot to #3 and has remained in the Top 10 since it's release. The public response has been overwhelmingly positive with Tweets such as "Bob and The Monster has to be the best music / addiction doc film ever made", "Just finished watching 'Bob and The Monster', wiping away the tears. Everyone must see this film". The public has given it a rating of 8.9 on IMDB. This is a timeless film that is just entering the first stages of it's meteoric rise!
Bob Forrest's autobiography, "Running With Monsters" will also be released on October 1, 2013 via
Random House Publishing.
