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You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson
[Palm Pictures]
2007; color
Directed by Keven McAlester
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You're Gonna Miss Me: A Film About Roky Erickson (named for The 13th Floor Elevators biggest hit) documents the singer / guitarist's unbelievable saga. The film opens in an Austin Texas courtroom in 2001 where Roky's youngest brother, Sumner, is petitioning the court to become Roky's legal guardian. His mother Evelyn (who, as we see in the film, might actually be the craziest member of the Erickson clan) had been Roky's guardian and caregiver since he left his second wife in the early '80s and subsequently began to mentally and physically deteriorate. The film backtracks, recounting the importance and impact of The Elevators via comments by Billy Gibbons, Patti Smith and Chet Helms ('60s SF concert promoter), then moves into Roky's fall via commentary from Elevators' drummer John Ike Walton, and his first wife. Interspersed throughout are current (or rather current circa 1999-2001, when the bulk of the documentary footage was shot) snippets of the insanity of Roky and Evelyn's day-to-day life, along with various discussions by three of Roky's four brothers about his state and whether or not Sumner should become his guardian. We also get excerpts from an interview Roky did on Austin cable TV in 1979 that truly blurs the line between sanity and insanity, as well as additional commentary from his son, his second wife and others. The film eventually goes back to the hearing where it started where Sumner is awarded custody of his brother. At that time he promptly moved Roky to his home in Pittsburgh, got him proper medical care and a good therapist. At the film's close, one year later, we are treated to a fairly normal, functioning and (reasonably) sane Roky Erickson. The extensive bonus material includes his own emancipation hearing in 2007, where Roky was finally, legally allowed to live on his own - and you can really see the huge difference between his overall state at the film's opening and at this point; it's almost a joyous reclamation of his life. There's also a ton of performance footage, many extra and deleted scenes and more. On the whole, although it's definitely a bit unnerving and sad at times, You're Gonna Miss Me is one of the best documentaries I've seen in a while, music related or not. Even if you're aren't a rock and roll fan, you can't help but feel for Roky and appreciate the portrait this film paints.
—the Kommandant
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