Is It Really So Strange?

Directed by : William E. Jones

As the foppish, sexually ambiguous, brilliant singer/songwriter of `80s music legends The Smiths, Morrissey brought intelligence, wit and mystery to pop tunes still unmatched in their ability to make grown men cry. In this intimate documentary, filmmaker William E. Jones interviews a new, but equally fanatical, fan base of The Smiths and Morrissey: Latino youths in East Los Angeles.

Making the connection between The Smiths` working-class, Manchester-raised, ethnic Irish experience and that of the sons and daughters of Mexican immigrants in Los Angeles, IS IT REALLY SO STRANGE is the first documentary that allows the fans themselves to speak at length about their lives, their loves and their brief encounters with their idol. Interviews with members of tribute band Sweet and Tender Hooligans reveal even more about Morrissey`s enduring appeal among the pompadoured denizens of the Inland Empire who, as one fan puts it, relate to Morrissey because “he always sounds sad and depressed and lonely... all the good stuff.”