Material Issue fans were heartbroken after the sudden death of Jim Ellison on June 20, 1996. The lead singer checked out at the early age of 32 and left us with many unanswered questions. Suicide has that effect, leaving things feeling unfinished and empty. Now, Out Of Time, a new documentary about that band’s triumphant run hopes to fill that void. Director Balin Schneider offers a bit of closure, delivering a hopeful piece of nostalgia that leaves us with a way to say goodbye to singer Jim Ellison, while at the same time celebrating the bands legacy with the members who are still here and can testify to writing the soundtrack of our lives.
Michael Jordan once told author Roland Lazenby, “Timing is everything.” This turned out not only to be true in his career but also during a key moment of the pandemic when the whole world was watching his documentary, The Last Dance.
Like Jordan and his last dance, the guys from Material Issue are trotting out their story for one last curtain call, and I believe there could be no better time. Will the whole world watch? I think they should. Balin Schneider and his hardworking crew at Arvonia Films are betting three years of their lives on it. Schneider’s Out Of Time is a documentary with a gripping story about one band’s musical journey and their quest to rejuvenate rock and roll.
The film begins with a stroll through Ellison’s childhood, and then takes us into his college years when he told his mother he “needed to go to college to become a rockstar.” Touching on the songwriter’s deep love for music through home videos of the early days when the band was just forming, to numerous studio clips of the band recording their biggest hits, to a 1991 Spring Break performance of “Diane” on MTV’s 120 Minutes at the pinnacle of their career. Out Of Time plays like a love letter to rock and roll. It’s a composite dish that gradually builds you up, only this time through, we know how the film ends.
Material Issue: Mike Zelenko, Jim Ellison, and Ted Ansani
There is much I didn’t know about Ellison, and his two best friends, bassist Ted Ansani, and drummer Mike Zelenko. Producers and musicians alike loved working with this band, it was truly a family affair. In the documentary, producer Mike Chapman agonizes over the loss of Jim, like he was one of his own. Manager Peter Katsis and producer Jeff Murphy (Shoes) are just a few of the other guest stars you will see profess their love (and their loss) for Jim and there are countless others who tell stories of inspiration.
I myself, as a fan, needed the backstory on Jim and Material Issue. With Schneider’s Out Of Time we get a hell of a lot more. Heartfelt moments with family and friends, including his mother, father, and sister, who are all still missing his frenetic energy and love. By the end of the film, there was not a dry eye in the house. Fan or not, you can’t leave this story without being touched.
Out Of Time gives new reason to explore the life of Jim Ellison, and the music of Material Issue. Here’s hoping that younger generations, who might have missed the band’s story, get a chance to enjoy songs like, “Valerie Loves Me,” truly one of the greatest rock songs ever written. Nothing can fill the void left by suicide but Out Of Time might just eclipse it? Like Jim once wrote, “Who needs love, when we got this?”
Come back tomorrow when I post my interview with the director of Out Of Time, Balin Schneider. We will hear more about his directorial debut with Arvonia Films, his emotional journey working with Material Issue, and exactly when the rest of the world will get to see this incredible documentary.
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