Cowboy” Jack Clement”

Jovial, thoroughly eccentric Southern songwriter “Cowboy” Jack Clement has dabbled in everything from recording icons at Sun Records to the campy world of B-movie production. Interestingly, as the raconteur frolicked through his various adventures, he shot miles of home movie footage. Since he ran with legendary Nashville and Memphis royalty, his movies aren’t just vacation shots of the kids. In this documentary, his colorful story is presented in a crazy folk-art quilt of excerpts from his massive video archive, interspersed with plenty of tales from his storied peers, including Jerry Lee Lewis and Bono. In this utterly surreal documentary, even William Shakespeare appears (in cartoon form), acting as a deadpan foil for Clement’s rambling ruminations, speaking with a rumbling country drawl. And hilarious clips of Johnny Cash, far from his usual solemn, black-clad persona, highlight the odd but undeniably fascinating film. 5 stars