The Valley Girl references, as Nic Cage’s first film, reminded me of this great and funny YouTube of Mr. Cage losing it, which is what he largely does in his movies.
I will admit to being a big fan of the film Adaptation, in which Cage plays twin brothers, but, after watching that film with my niece Lindsay, she turned me onto this hysterical compilation clip of Cage out of control.
Diane just advised me that the wonderful British actor, Peter O’Toole has passed away.
I get this is a rock’n’roll site–or at least largely a music site–but often music and film are inexorably linked.
Although, I must admit, not so much in O’Toole’s case.
It is more of a case that his face is as iconic as the roles he played.
Among those films of his I love:
Lawrence of Arabia (1962): O’Toole’s mesmerizing film debut (also Omar Sharif’s) was in arguably one of the greatest cinematic achievements ever. I think the first half of this film is as fine a piece of film making–as in script, photography, acting, and music–as has ever been assembled.
The Lion in Winter (1968): Incomparable historical piece with O’Toole as Henry II to Katherine Hepburn’s Elanor of Aquitaine, with a witty and intelligent a script that allow the brilliance of the actors to shine (this time Anthony Hopkins made his film debut).
The Ruling Class (1972): As dark as dark and funny can get, O’Toole plays the mad 14th Earl of Gurney. O’Toole thinks he is Jesus (he has a big wooden cross on which he roosts from time-to-time) although he likes to be referred to as either “Bert” or “JC,” though his given name is Jack. The catch is his relatives want to seize the assets that are Bert’s, but in order to do that, he has to be declared insane and a threat. So, they marry him off to his uncle’s mistress so they can have a child/heir, and thus simplify the insanity process. Of course nothing goes according to plot, but ultimately Jack is forced to jettison his loving and happy-go-lucky Jesus alter ego, and assumes that of another Jack, as in The Ripper.
The Stunt Man (1980): O’Toole as an autocratic film director who pushes a walk on stunt man (Steve Railsback), who is on the run from the law, into going further and further on a limb with the stunts. O’Toole is great at this–roles on the verge of losing it–and this film is no exception. Also filmed around the lovely Hotel Del Coronado, in San Diego, where Some Like it Hot was also largely set.
My Favorite Year (1982): A lovely sentimental comedy about TV in the 50’s, ostensibly based upon Mel Brooks’ early days writing for Sid Caesar and his Show of Shows. O’Toole plays Allan Swann, an Errol Flynn-like swashbuckling star of the 30’s who can still give women wobbly knees. He accepts a role on a TV show in order to earn some extra moolah and even himself out with the IRS. This movie, directed by comedian Richard Benjamin, is as sweet as they come.
Amazingly, O’Toole was nominated for the Oscar for all five of the above (I did not realize that when I picked them as my faves as I was thinking about it) and had a total of eight nominations (also Becket, Goodbye Mr. Chips, and Venus), but never actually won for those films. Rather, he did get a lifetime achievement award from the Academy in 2003.
I kind of get a kick out of those Sprint commercials with James Earl Jones and Malcolm McDowell.
I have always been a fan of McDowell’s since I saw his first film, Lindsay Anderson’s IF, and Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange is my all time favorite movie (though in fairness, it is tied with Jean Renoir’s Rules of the Game).
Anyway, seeing the commercial usually reminds me of A Clockwork Orange , but the other day I found myself thinking about Anderson’s brilliant sort of sequel to IF, his film Oh Lucky Man!
Oh Lucky Man! shows us McDowell’s IF character Mick Travis a few years later, giving a treatise on capitalism, life, death, and existence in a sort of comedic dramatic epic form that is also Zen.
If nothing else, the story is fascinating (it also really needs a couple of viewings).
Anyway, the soundtrack to Oh Lucky Man! was written by Alan Price, the keyboardist/songwriter of the Animals, the great British blues-pop band, who not only featured Eric Burdon, but whose bass player, Chas Chandler, is credited with “discovering” Jimi Hendrix.
Price wrote a fabulous soundtrack to the movie, bookended by one version of the title track for the opening credits,
and then a second version that serves as the closing credits.
Just a great cut. And, now I will have to dig up my old VHS of the movie and watch it again. Hell, maybe I will even buy it on DVD!
The Dave Marsh list from 1980 is a good one, but there have been a few notable movies with rock music since. This isn’t a best of, but a nod to some you may not have been aware of that are worth checking out.
Cocksucker Blues: Directed by the renowned Robert Frank (whose pictures grace the cover of Exiles on Main Street), the Rolling Stones did not approve the release of the film. For a long time the only way to see it was at a screening that Robert Frank attended (I first saw it in the 80s at Anthology Film Archives with Mr. Frank in the house). Now we have YouTube.
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains: Directed by Lou Adler, Diane Lane’s first movie is a sordid and rocking look at girl-punky ambition running headfirst into the business and rock boys. Way overlooked movie.
The Runaways: In some ways the Fabulous Stains are built off of the Runaways, who many years later got their own Hollywood version. Not a great film, but great performances (especially Michael Shannon as Kim Fowley) and a good story with good music makes for a fine time.
Suburbia: Teen dystopia in Southern California, where the most fun is going to see TSOL. Directed by Penelope Spheeris, perhaps the greatest of our rock directors.
Decline of Western Civilization: Penelope Spheeris’s documentary look at the LA hardcore scene. Not available at this time.
Decline of Western Civilization: The Metal Years: Penelope Spheeris’s follow up, focusing on the LA metal scene of the ’80s. Not available at this time, either.
Pump Up the Volume: Christian Slater stars in this story of a new kid in town who becomes a secret hero dj operating his own pirate radio station. Directed by Alan Moyle.
Over the Edge: More suburban kids confront boredom and hypocrisy, starring Matt Dillon (maybe his debut) and directed by Jonathan Kaplan with a killer soundtrack that if nothing else will convince you how great a band Cheap Trick could be.
Sid and Nancy: Alex Cox’s biopic revels in the all the gooey awfulness of the Vicious-Spungen story, with great indelible acting.
Superstar: A movie telling the story of the Carpenters and Karen Carpenter’s bulimia, with all the characters played by Barbies. Todd Hayne’s film school thesis project could never be released because the Carpenter family refused to grant the rights. My wife got me a VHS copy back in the day from Haynes himself, but now we have YouTube.
Velvet Goldmine: Another Todd Haynes picture, this time a more traditional telling of a story of the glam life in the early 70s. Good fun, great music.
24 Hour Party People: It’s Manchester in the 1980s and a new kind of dance music is being invented by Tony Wilson at Factory Records.
Performance: Nicholas Roeg’s amazingly decadent portrait of a rocker in seclusion and the hit man who befriends him, or something like that. Starring Mick Jagger and James Fox.
Rude Boy: Not nearly as accomplished as the films listed above, it is notable because it stars the Clash but is the story of one of their roadies. Rough filmmaking, but a vivid punk work.
When I was a kid, the two non-sports books I had with me the most were the Rolling Stone Record Guide and Dave Marsh and Kevin Stein’s Book of Rock Lists. 
In the chaos of my early college years, who knows what happened to it. But when my daughter Cara and I were perusing a used book store in Provincetown a couple of summers ago, there before me in the music section was that long-lost book. For $7, who could resist? That was less than the original cover price! I guess they figured no one would possibly want it.
I thought about it today when I read Steve’s post about his favorite rock documentary. Of course, “Best Rock and Roll Movies” was one of the lists. Here they are in order, with links to purchase if you so desire:
1.
King Creole (Elvis)
2.
(Sex Pistols)
3.
(Dylan)
4. The Beatles: A Hard Day’s Night
5.
(various including The Rolling Stones)
6. The Girl Can’t Help It
(Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran and others)
7. (Jimmy Cliff)
8.
(Hendrix, Redding, The Who)
9.
(Paul Jones)
10.
