Ellis Grove
Ellis Grove, IL · Arts & Culture
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Belleville News-Democrat
From ‘The Office' to the Shaggs: Belleville's Ken Kwapis takes on a new story
A documentary about a sister group whose album has been called one of the worst of all time is an unusual starting point for a first film. But Belleville native Ken Kwapis has never shied away from a professional challenge. He helped bring “The Office” from British television to American audiences, directing 13 episodes, including the pilot, the 100th episode and the finale. Now, after more than 40 years in Hollywood , he’s returning home with his first documentary, “We Are the Shaggs.” Kwapis will present the film at the 35th annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival on Saturday, Nov. 7. “I’m excited to bring this to my home turf,” he said in a Zoom interview. The 98-minute music documentary is about sisters Dorothy, Betty and Helen Wiggin, who lived in a small New Hampshire town and were forced by their father, Austin, to become a rock band after he received a prophecy. He bought them two cheap guitars and a drum kit. In 1969, they recorded an album, “Philosophy of the World,” in a studio near Boston. Kwapis discovered the album in 1980 at a Los Angeles record store. “It was on the wall with new releases, the
southernillinoisnow.com
Salem Bowlers Make Their Mark at Lions Bowling Classic
Two Salem graduates were part of the action as Missouri Baptist University and McKendree University battled for the championship at the Lions Bowling Classic, hosted by Lindenwood University. The championship match provided plenty of drama, with McKendree finding itself in an early hole after dropping the first two games of...