HBO Canada presents The Promise: The Making of “Darkness on the Edge of Town”, an in-the-studio look at the recording of Bruce Springsteen’s iconic album, Darkness on the Edge of Town, the follow up to the breakthrough success of Born to Run. The documentary premieres Thursday, October 7 at 9 p.m. ET/MT on HBO Canada, a multiplex channel of Corus Entertainment’s Movie Central (Western Canada) and Astral’s The Movie Network (Eastern Canada).
Premiering recently at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival®, Grammy- and Emmy® -winning filmmaker Thom Zimny combines never-before-seen footage shot from 1976-1978 with recent interviews of Bruce Springsteen, members of the E Street Band, and the producers who helped shape the classic 1978 album. The film offers insight into the critically acclaimed album and the creative process, both for hard-core Springsteen fans and newcomers to his music.
The documentary reveals how Springsteen viewed his success as both a blessing and a potential curse. As Springsteen looks back 30 years later, he remembers worrying that his sudden fame, and the pressure to make another chart-topping LP filled with hit singles, might cause him to lose touch with the people and places that brought him his unique musical sound and inspirations.
The never-before-seen studio footage shows Springsteen at the peak of his powers, and includes several exuberant, impromptu collaborations between Springsteen and Van Zandt, jamming on tunes and melody fragments that never ended up making the record. With Darkness on the Edge of Town Springsteen realized his goal of a thematically consistent sound – and took a giant, uncompromising step to becoming an authentic musical artist who remains true to himself and his craft. The film includes the album’s popular songs “Prove It All Night” and “Badlands.”
The documentary will be simulcast on HBO Canada HD, and will be available on demand. It will also be available on The Movie Network OnLine with Bell TV following its network premiere.
