The Roxie is pleased to present the U.S. Theatrical Premiere of Jeroen Berkvens' fascinating new film about the late influential British singer/songwriter Nick Drake, A SKIN TOO FEW: THE DAYS OF NICK DRAKE. "I always say that Nick was born with a skin too few," says actress Gabrielle Drake about her brother Nick (1948-1974). It took twenty posthumous years for his music to gain recognition. A SKIN TOO FEW approaches the silent landscapes, locations, people and music in the life of this unorthodox loner. Nick Drake is one of Rock's most tragically romantic figures. There were only 26 years between his birth and his death; a time span that for many would be far too short to develop a talent or realize an ambition or a dream. Nick Drake captured time, beauty, loss, and wistful desires with precision in his subtly crafted songs. Nick Drake's rediscovery is all too bizarre considering his tortured existence. Except for boarding school and Cambridge University he seldom left his parents' home, and contact with others became a tremendous effort. His sensitivity was the basis for his talent, but at the same time it made him unable to face an audience. Caught in this spiral, he became increasingly embittered by his lack of success and gradually isolated himself. The testimonies in A SKIN TOO FEW describe an artist of integrity who symbolizes the destructive effect of loneliness. Nick Drake died silently and unobtrusively, and to this day it isn't clear whether his death was self-determined or unintentional. The significance of the three albums he left the world was only discovered two decades after his quiet passing. For more info, log onto nickdrakefilm.com. Directed by Jeroen Berkvens. 50 min. 2000.
Plus short: in motion: DAVID S. WARE. At the peak of his spectacular saxophone career David S. Ware swapped his life in the spotlights for a job as a cab driver in New York. Sitting at the wheel he explains why he renounced fame, but not music. The film makes the influence of the speeding traffic on Ware's music tangible. David S. Ware is a musician who sounds the truth. For more info, get in motion. Directed by Coco Schrijber. 20 minutes. 1994. Total Program: 80 mins. Showtimes: Nightly 6:15, 8, 9:45. Additional Sat., Sun, MON (Memorial Day), and Wed. matinees at 2:00 and 4:00.
NO SHOW ON THURSDAY, MAY 23

"So beautifully measured and crafted that it carries a hypnotic, lyrical gravity....English musician Drake pretty much constitutes the prototype for died-young, acquired-taste, didn't-sell-shit-when-alive makers of beautiful/sad art who are now considered a personal totem by every person who falls under their posthumous spell.." -- Dennis Harvey, SF Bay Guardian
"That's the real beauty of Berkvens' affecting documentary: It honors that mystery even as it brings it to vivid, poetic life." -- Neva Chonin, S.F. Chronicle
"Director Jeroen Berkvens succeeds in bringing the British folk singer back to life recreating Drake's world of gentle breezes and changing seasons."
-- ROLLING STONE
"ePICK! Drake fanatics also will be fascinated by Berkvens' coups.
-- Kimberly Chun, SF Gate.com
"Three and 1/2 Stars!" -- Jeffrey M. Anderson, SF Examiner
"Hardcore fans will be fascinated" -- Dan Strachota, SF Weekly
"Beautifully evokes the enduring appeal of English singer-songwriter
Nick Drake" -- Variety