BOB AND THE MONSTER (Keirda Bahruth, U.S.). 86 minutes. Rating: NNN
“Bob” is Bob Forrest, frontman for the unquantifiable band Thelonious Monster, which helped define California’s underground rock scene in the 80s alongside Fishbone and Red Hot Chili Peppers. But the monster of Keirda Bahruth’s title is addiction, which brought Forrest’s musical career down in a haze of smack, booze and emotional instability. Fortunately for him and dozens of other addicts, Forrest survived to become a rehabilitation counsellor, working specifically with musicians.
Bob And The Monster is awfully formulaic there are long stretches where it plays like the grimmest-ever episode of Behind The Music, with miserable testimonials from Forrest (looking eerily like the ghost of Warren Zevon) and his famous friends. But the third act, focusing on his recovery and career resurrection, pays off.
