THE UPSETTER
BY ETHAN HIGBEE AND ADAM BHALA LOUGH
2008

Catalog Number: FTF-141
Length: 122 minutes

The Upsetter tells the wild, weed-fueled story of Lee “Scratch” Perry — a visionary Jamaican musician, artist and all around madman — who burst upon the Kingston scene in the ‘50s with a brand new sound, inventing a genre of music that would come to be called Reggae. He went on to discover a young Bob Marley and gained international recognition as a solo artist and record producer, working with pioneering artists like the Heptones and the Congos. Soon he was being called upon by artists as diverse as The Clash and Paul McCartney to provide his unique sound. Narrated by Benicio Del Toro, the film captures the essence of a complex, enigmatic figure who was at once a mad genius and a mystic.

FEATURING Lee “Scratch” Perry, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh, Paul McCartney, The Clash, Bunny Wailer, Marcus Garvey, Carl Bradshaw, and Eve

PURCHASE

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PRESS

"He’s the Salvador Dali of music. He’s a mystery. He knows how to inspire the artist’s soul. Scratch is a shaman.” 
- Keith Richards, The Rolling Stones

“The sounds inside Lee “Scratch” Perry’s head changed the world. Reggae and Rap wouldn’t exist without him.” 
- Jay Bulger, Rolling Stone 

“The Upsetter opens a window into the little-known story of one of the geniuses of Reggae and, for that matter, of any kind of music. A testament to the unique career of a true snow leopard.” 
- Benicio del Toro, Oscar Nominated Actor

“Perry is utterly compelling, and his story is one of the most important in 20th century music.” 
- George Williamson, Eye For Film