The History of Future Folk: Space Worms and Banjos

The History of Future Folk, released in 2012, invites us to picture a scenario. You’re the best general alive. A comet is about to destroy everything you love. Your government has instructed you to find a replacement home planet. You traverse the galaxy to the nearest planet you can find. Do you remove all indigenous life and pave the way for your own culture? Or do you fall in love with some part of the planet’s culture and decide to stay?

The History of Future Folk is equal parts comedy, sci-fi, drama, and mockumentary, all overlaid with Brooklyn hipster sensibilities. It’s Tenacious D and the Pick of Destiny if Jack Black brewed his own kombucha, PG-13 Gwar, or a space-themed Garfunkel and Oates. General Trius (Nils d’Aulaire) and the Mighty Kevin (Jay Klaitz) are real-life musicians, who have been playing music while wearing red buckets on their heads since 2004. Having developed a cult following as the comedy space-folk duo Future Folk, the two worked with indie director John Mitchell to adapt their origin story to the big screen.

The movie is amusing, if light. For being set in Brooklyn, it’s not as hipster-y as one would imagine. The weirdest thing about the set is the two men dressed in red space suits playing guitar and banjo. The story moves along at a good pace, with General Trius struggling to choose between his mission to save Hondo and his Earth family. The Mighty Kevin provides some decent comic relief, although his pursuit of a local cop (April L. Hernandez) can be a little too creepy at times.

Fans of gimmick musical acts will enjoy The History of Future Folk. The movie features several songs in their entirety, all of which are well crafted and delivered. There’s also a brilliant scene that intercuts a tango with a battle between two aliens. All the major characters feel real and involved in the plot. Even bartender Larry (Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, who must be a fan of the Folk) gets to play a part in saving Earth. The bar scenes where more and more people start showing up wearing buckets on their heads faithfully recreates the sense of community at live Future Folk concerts. The next time I’m in Brooklyn, I’ll be sure to check out a Future Folk concert. Maybe I can point the Mighty Kevin in the direction of some space worms to farm…

The History of Future Folk tl;drs

Quick summary: General Trius comes to Earth hoping to find a suitable place for the people of the planet Hondo, whose lives are in danger from an impending comet. Sent to rid the Earth of people, General Trius instead discovers music and falls in love. He forms a band with the help of his erstwhile assassin the Mighty Kevin.

Too many writers? Just one: indie director John Mitchell, who adapted the Future Folk backstory to fit the film’s budget.

Recommended if you like: Tenacious D, hipster quirkiness.

Better than I expected? The film had a lot of heart, with many well-crafted songs.

Worse than I hoped? While not as obvious as the CGI problems that plagued Knights of Badassdom, the lack of a proper budget means less of an exploration of Hondo and more time spent running around Brooklyn.

Verdict: Grab your nearest bucket and strap it to your head; History of Future Folk is a charming introduction to the best (only) space-folk jam band in the world.

Website: https://futurefolk.com/