Showing posts with label Documentaries. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Documentaries. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Alice Cooper - Super Duper Alice Cooper Screening 4/30/14 Village East, New York City


I wonder if when Dusty Springfield sang "Son of a Preacher Man" she had Alice Cooper in mind, the answer is inevitably no but he really is the son of a preacher man. Alice is a true American Hero and his alter ego Vincent Furnier is quite the genius who was thrown into this all unplanned, it just sort of happened. You see what I did there ? well whatever. And Planned it was once the band got a radar fix.

Banger Films is back with a Doc about Alice and myself being a huge fan of the Rush Documentary "Beyond The Lighted Stage" (By Banger Films) AND of course ALICE COOPER I did have high hopes for this film and was not disappointed. Ample time is spent on the early (pre Love It To Death) years and whereas I am almost always a "Get On With It" Documentary viewer in this case I was enthralled with back stories and I do know the bands history.

Moving forward after this Is Super Duper Alice Cooper Superstar and I always love to hear stories from this period of his career, our poor hero Alice is spiraling downwards in his Larger than "Lifestyle" but he is also feted by everyone including the old school Hollywood Elite (Jack Benny, George Burns, Groucho Marx etc) and is the only Rock Star to ever hold a Friars Club membership.

Also possibly forgotten over the years is how Huge of a Star Alice was in the 70s. Lots of unreleased footage graces this film including a short excerpt from a segment on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and a promo Video EP clip of Alice in "From The Inside" performing "Inmates (We're All Crazy)" Really sticks out in the memory.

Just a Great treat to view this amongst an intimate crowd in a Beautiful Movie Theater. Maybe 40 or 50 of us in a Huge Room, Great Audio as well and it was quite odd to hear "Dead Babies" coming through these speakers which most likely are more sympathetic to Bing Crosbys crooning.

Also the choice of the song "Alma Mater" for the end titles really pleased me greatly it being a favorite of mine and a fitting end song.


I had to take a screen shot, took a few but this one came out the clearest.


The Beautiful Chandelier/Candelabra at Village East Theater.


Twas a Miserable Rainy day in Manhattan all day.


And just a three block walk over to the right was Ottos Tacos which I have been wanting to try for almost a year, Absolutely Delicious. I ordered the Steak Carne Asada Taco, A Chicken Taco, A Carnitas Taco and Masa Fries. I made a mistake while ordering so got one extra Taco but Hey, I have been waiting a year, I am not going to send it back.




Friday, May 20, 2011

Bob Dylan - Dont Look Back - 5/19/11 Film Forum/Greenwich Village, New York

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It was a joy and experience to view this film in a screening room amongst such a respectful movie going crowd and like minded individual's of the BOB DYLAN interest group who were ready to sit and pay attention to every detail of this masterpiece and take it all in.

Having seen "Dont Look Back" dozens of times Many nuance's came out for me when scrutinized on a larger viewing area (Pronounced Movie Screen), Bob being "shooshed" out of the room by Bobby Neuwirth during Albert Grossman's "Punch You Right In The Nose" hotel incident had me fighting back hysterical tears along with the audience.

We cried with Joan, Laughed with Alan, Brooded with Bob and Finagled with Albert and there was music too ,...

Great to see this film with an educated, interested and Donovan minded crowd.

Director D.A. Pennebaker was on hand to wish us well and explain how our film didnt even want to get picked up for public viewing until a little help from the "blue" industry gave it a run for it's money.

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YES, I took a photo of the screen !!!
(Didnt use my flash though which makes this an Unobtrusive act and very very Zentrusive.)

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