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Last week we learned of the 75 eligible tunes that are contending for the Best Original Song category at the 2013 Oscars. Among the hopeful tracks is “Still Alive,” a new effort from songwriting legend Paul Williams (already an Academy Award winner for “Evergreen,” from A Star is Born), which is actually one of the favorites for a nomination. It’s from the documentary Paul Williams Still Alive, which has filmmaker Stephen Kessler following the titular figure to find out where he is today. And if Williams did manage another Oscar nomination out of it — his first in 23 years — it would befit the efforts and results of the doc in terms of giving him a much-deserved comeback.

While the film has already been in and out of theaters and can currently be found on VOD and download services, including iTunes, an official music video for “Still Alive” has just now hit the web, possibly as a result of last week’s “shortlist” news. There isn’t much to it, with no footage shot for the video itself, as far as I can tell. It’s a nice look at footage from the film, however, though even this is primarily archive clips from Williams’s career performances rather than new stuff shot by Kessler. It’s actually kind of an ironic video given that the song is called “Still Alive” and the accompanying visuals are reminiscent of a tribute montage for someone who has died.

 

In other Paul Williams news, the documentary has inspired a minor retrospective of his work at New York City’s Museum of the Moving Image. Paul Williams Still Alive will also play, along with The Muppet Movie, Phantom of the Paradise and Ishtar during the weekend of the January 25-27, 2013.

For more on the film visit these past posts:

Interview with Paul Kessler and Paul Williams

Paul Kessler on DocTalk

 

Paul Williams Still Alive hits DVD on February 5, 2013