OAKLAND — Just in time for the holiday season, the Gravy has arrived.
Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie opens up in various theaters across America at the start of December. Wavy Gravy is an icon with an ever changing career. He’s gone from the legendary Merry Pranksters to the head of security at the original Woodstock to running a respected charity and finally achieving international greatness as a flavor of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream. The many facets of his life are covered in the documentary directed by Michelle Esrick.
We had a chance to sit down for an extensive interview with Wavy Gravy and Michelle Esrick when the movie premiered at 2009’s Full Frame Documentary Film Festival.
This first part has him discuss getting drunk with Jack Kerouac (On the Road) and dropping acid at the Electric Acid Kool-Aid Tests. Ahhh good times.
Now we get the inside scoop on what happened to Ben and Jerry’s Wavy Gravy ice cream. He also issues a challenge to Stephen Colbert for when his next Wavy Gravy frozen treat is released.
Finally we wrap up with Woodstock memories. Wavy gets a bit upset when talking about what Fred Durst did to the festival’s good name. Remember Fred Durst? Think he needs two forms of ID to buy a red baseball cap with a debit card? Also the inside scoop on whether Meatloaf hangs with Wavy Gravy.
For readers living in the San Francisco Bay area, Saint Misbehavin’: The Wavy Gravy Movie will be playing at Red Vic Movie House and Landmark Shattuck Cinemas from Dec. 3 to 9. There’s a special one night screening at the Smith Rafael Film Center on Dec. 5. New Yorkers can catch the documentary at the IFC Center from Dec. 8 – 14. Wavy returns to Woodstock at the Upstate Films Woodstock on Dec. 11. Wavy Gravy and the filmmakers will be appearing at various screenings so call over if you want to meet the man and glimpse his life. He might be giving out red clown noses.
HOUSE PARTY
Damn you, Daryl Hall!
Darryl Hall falls in the elite group of artists that I so badly want to hate, but I can’t spite.
The images of him and John Oates in those dopey ’80s videos haunt me in my sleep. Too many days have Hall & Oates’ “Maneater” been stuck in my head during work? He was such an easy target to mock with his big blond hair and Oates’ mustache. But Hall wasn’t a complete painful sellout schlockmeister. He wasn’t merely a creation of a record executive using market research to create a Johnny Bravo. He did weird stuff that made him not merely a product. He picked Robert Fripp to produce his first solo album. His blue eyed soul had depth. His peers complain about how MTV has abandoned them in their pursuit of making superstars out of pregnant 16 year old girls. Hall created his perfect idea of Music Television on the internet.
Live At Daryl’s House is the greatest music show on TV. Except you have to watch it on the web (http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com), The premise is so simple: Daryl invites people over to his massive country house to jam with his band and enjoy good food. There’s also plenty of trips to his wine cellar. It’s a good time for all. The music shines. This is the next step above David Sanbourn’s old music show that aired on NBC.
But let’s not type too much about the show. Here’s an utterly gleaming moment with Todd Rundgren (producer of an early Hall & Oates record).
You’re not going to feel that much emotion from those brats on American Idol. These are professionals pushing their songs into new spaces. This isn’t just Daryl jamming with old pals. He invites all sorts of folks over to the house. Here’s electrofunk Chromeo twisting the knobs around “Family Man.”
Go on the site and watch them do “I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).” It will get stuck in your head for the rest of the day and lead you to dancing around the kitchen. This led to Hall and Chromeo reteaming at last year’s Bonnaroo. Although some stupid programmer stuck them against the Flaming Lips on the main stage. Who does that?
The show’s breakout star was Hall & Oates’ sideman T-Bone Wolk. We finally saw how much he contributed to the duo’s sound. Even though he played the bassist in the ’80s videos, his guitar playing shined on the internet. Sadly T-Bone passed away earlier this year.
Daryl’s continuing the show with recent episodes featuring Neon Trees and Sharon Jones with some Dap-Kings. This is the best guest gig for any musician who doesn’t mind reworking “Maneater.” Not that you have to select songs from the Hall & Oates songbook. But it’s more fun. My suggestions for upcoming guests to the house would be Robert Fripp, Bob Mould, Martha Wash, They Might Be Giants, Feist and Gary Numan. This might be the way to bring Evan Dando back to the land of the living.
There is joy in these informal jam sessions that reminds us that music can do special things on video. This isn’t a crummy autotune or lipsync performance overridden with back up dancers and pyro for an Award Show. It’s about the joy of music. Watching so many of these shows, the immediate instinct is that Daryl and his guests need to go on the road. Why isn’t Todd and Darryl coming to your town? But watching them on the internet is probably more fun than dealing with a drunk yelling, “Do Maneater!” for two hours.
Ultimately this is the perfect format for Daryl instead of letting this show appear on VH1Classic or A&E where some idiot producer will demand nonsense edits and fake drama. It’s almost like getting to hang out at the house with Daryl and his guests. We sit at the table gathering snippets of the lunch conversation. We appreciate the music. The only thing that Daryl can’t share through the internet is a case of wine so you can truly be one with the action. I don’t think they’re drinking Charles Shaw.
CORMAN CORNER
Shout! Factory’s continues the award-winning Roger Corman’s Cult Classics with a duo of double features that let good ladies go bad with guns. Thrill to the strangeness of seeing the TV stars of Police Woman, Phyllis and The Hardy Boys / Nancy Drew Mysteries go outlaw on the big screen.
Big Bad Mama / Big Bad Mama II puts Angie Dickinson (Police Woman) on the wrong side of the law in Prohibition days. She’s a simple wife of a bootlegger when a misfortune forces her to take over her husband’s business. She learns that illegal booze isn’t so profitable. In order to make money fast, she gets into the bank robbing business. It’s cash and carry. She’s a quick study from hold up artist Tom Skerritt (Alien). With her two daughters, they make a legendary team. Things get even more exciting when William Shatner (Star Trek) beams down. She and Captain Kirk get frisky. They’ve got a grand plan to make even more than cash than knocking off the First National Bank of Podunk. They’re going to kidnap rich kids. Angie doesn’t merely pick up a gun for the role, but loses her dress in a couple scenes. This film earned it’s R-rating. Forget what you see at the end of Big Bad Mama since it doesn’t really matter in Big Band Mama II. This time she’s got a vendetta for evil fatcat Bruce Glover (Diamonds Are Forever) that’s screwing the working class. Her daughters are hotter this time with Danielle Brisebois (All in the Family) and Julie McCullough (Miss Feb. 1986 in Playboy and Growing Pains). Robert Culp (I Spy) is a journalist who tags along for the thrill ride of his life. The sequel was made nearly a dozen years after the first, but Angie’s still America’s Most Wanted MILF. This double feature is the proper way to appreciate the talents of Angie Dickinson. All the bonus features from previous DVD releases have been brought over including an audio commentary with Big Bad Mama II director Jim Wynorski. He was recently interviewed in the Party Favors for his work on Not of This Earth with Traci Lords.
Crazy Mama / The Lady in Red gives us a taste of the early work of Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs) and John Sayles (Brother From Another Planet). Instead of doing a direct sequel to Big Bad Mama (since Angie Dickinson was doing Police Woman), Corman’s studio decided to bring on the insanity with Cloris Leachman (Phyllis on The Mary Tyler Moore Show) as Crazy Mama. She’s a frustrated widow with a failing business in the ’50s. When things go bad, she hooks up with Stuart Whitman for a cross country crime spree. Joining in on the fun is Ann Sothern (The Lucy Show) and Donny Most (Happy Days). It’s Ralph Malph gone wild! Jim Backus (Mr. Howell from Gilligan’s Island) gets caught up in the weirdness. Demme directs this film with a joyful eye that pokes fun at the time with a happening soundtrack. The bonus features include a videotaped chat with Corman and Demme along with their audio commentary. So you’re not scared; there are no nude scenes involving Cloris or Donny Most.
There’s plenty of flesh for former TV sweetheart Pamela Sue Martin in The Lady In Red. She had just bolted from playing Nancy Drew when she completely changed her good girl image in 93 minutes. She’s the woman who finked out John Dillinger to the feds. Her life starts innocent, but turns tawdry as she gets involved with prostitution, female prison guards, gangsters and rich folks. John Sayles’ script has her going through a lot of changes from her life on the farm. She knows how to attract trouble with Christopher Lloyd (Taxi and Back to the Future) and Robert Forster (Jackie Brown) learning about her talents. Later she hooks up with Dillinger (Wild Wild West‘s Robert Conrad). Martin isn’t close to her snoopy clean teen role. I can’t embed the original trailer since it’s extremely not workplace safe, but you can take a peek via the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7elNfBSYo4
Audio commentaries include Forster and Sayles. These are another two solid double features from the vaults of Roger Corman’s glory days. They are four twisted views of Americana when mom and sweet daughters weren’t all about making apple pies, but pumping lead.
BLU-RAY HEAVEN
Hard Boiled is John Woo’s last great movie. It was his final flick before he left Hong Kong to work on a series of barely forgettable films including a failed TV remake of Lost In Space. We used to joke that after wrapping up post-production of Hard Boiled, John died of an infection from a papercut and his brother Don Woo flew to America recycle his brother’s highlight moments from his earlier films. Even after nearly two decades, Hard Boiled is still an exciting ballistic ballet. Chow Yun-Fat is a super cop out to bust a gangster’s gun smuggling operation. His only hope is getting a deep cover agent (Tony Leung) to reveal the hidden storage base. The bullets fly fast and furious during numerous shoot outs. The Blu-ray image looks better than the transfer used on the various Criterion Collection editions. Things pop in the frame even when they aren’t shot. Hard Boiled remains the peak of Hong Kong action in the ’90s. The trailer is more exciting than the flicks being chummed in your local cineplex. This is worth the upgrade to shatter your HDTV glass.
The Matador is Pierce Brosnan’s best James Bond film. While he doesn’t play 007 properly, it’s hard to think otherwise of the Julian Noble character as anyone else. This is his gutty, gritty take on a man with a license to kill. He’s not quite as flashy as the traditional Bond. He bumps into Greg Kinnear (Auto Focus) while in Mexico. Greg proves to be a great patsy. But when his career hits a bump, Pierce must rely on Greg for the most vital hit of his career. After a decreasing satisfaction with his Bond output, The Matador is a revelation that it wasn’t Pierce’s fault that his time in the tuxedo turned mediocre. He understood how to put an edge on the icon. For anyone who is eagerly awaiting the final batch of 007 films to hit Blu-ray, I highly recommend snagging this Blu-ray. The 1080p action brings out the Mexico City locations. Bonus features include a commentary track with Greg and Pierce, plenty of snipped scenes and a behind the scenes documentary.
Sondheim! The Birthday Concert pays tribute to one of the musical masters of Broadway. Dozens of the theater’s biggest names gathered together for the celebration. Bernadette Peters (The Jerk), Mandy Patinkin (Princess Bride), Joanna Gleason and David Hyde Pierce (Fraizer) lend their voices to remind us of Sondheim’s great moments from In the Woods, Sweeny Todd, West Side Story and Sunday in the Park with George. I prefer the Sweeny Todd tunes. While normally the point of getting a Blu-ray is the picture, this presentation is all about listening to the music on DTS-HD Master Audio. Find a perfect place between the speakers to park your ears. This is a great holiday gift for the musical theater buff on your list.
DVD SHELF
Hannah Montana Forever: Who Is Hannah Montana? reminds us that Miley Cyrus has turned 18 and can no longer hide behind her disguise as a secret pop star. This DVD collection contains eight episodes that deal with the times Miley had to expose her secret to a friend and ultimately the world. “I’ll Always Remember You” has Miley tempted to reveal her identity on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The humor in this situation is the average Jay Leno viewer already asleep after the monologue so nobody is actually watching the show. She should have gone on the Colbert Report. The other six episodes include the pilot, “De-Do-Do-Do, Da-Don’t-Don’t-Don’t Tell My Secret!” and “Miley Get Your Gum.” There’s a tribute to her daddy’s big hit with “Achy Jakey Heart.” Strange to think that after all these years, Hannah Montana is finally hanging up her wig as Miley attempts to become an adult singer. What is Billy Ray Cyrus going to do with all his free time? The big bonus is a sneak peek at Ashley Tisdale’s Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure! Why does that sound like a new Bravo series? Hannah Montana Forever: Who Is Hannah Montana should make a fine distraction video when relative’s little kids drop by the house this holiday season.
Iron Man – Extremis is another motion comic from Marvel Knights. They’ve animated that various panels from the original comic that was written by Warren Ellis and illustrated by Adi Granov. The story is about Tony Stark learning the hideous secret of Super-Soldier Serum that uses nanotechnology. The new research can turn any man into a superman. Tony learns the hard way when a guinea pig tears the crap out of him. His only chance at living is to take the formula. This creates an all never version of Iron Man. I liked this much better than the non-Mickey Rourke parts of Iron Man 2. They’ve come up with a great way to upgrade lip movement on the characters using a CGI version of Clutch Cargo mouths. This is a superior comicbook series for Iron Man since it also establishes how Tony Star became a super hero so folks new to him aren’t completely left wondering how this all started. It’s a great way to “read” a comic book without having your nerd pal geek out that you’re smudging the pages.
Have Gun – Will Travel: The Fifth Season, Volume One reminds us that if you have to party with one figure of the Wild West, let it be Paladin (Richard Boone). He was one suave guy. He stayed at a swanky hotel in San Francisco, enjoyed the finer things in life and didn’t mind killing Charles Bronson (Death Wish). Actually in the 19 episodes here, Bronson plays a pushover and a badass. “A Proof of Love” has Bronson hire Paladin to teach him how to shoot. Turns out his mail-order bride was forwarded to George Kennedy (Cool Hand Luke). He’s determined to use a gun to get Kennedy to cough up his woman or pay him back his investment. Paladin needs to clean this up. Bronson’s next visit is all shooting as ” Ben Jalisco.” He’s escaped from prison and is gunning for his ex-wife who tipped off Paladin years ago. Paladin wants to protect the wife. Bronson has killed over 30 men as a bounty hunter who doesn’t care for the “or alive” clause on wanted posters. He won’t mind being a self-made widower. This is an intense episode. “Lazarus” should be a delight for fans of Sam Peckinpah films. Strother Martin gets told he’s only a day to live. So he decides to take out the town bully. What’s he got to lose? Plenty when he discovers he’s not going to die and L.Q. Jones wants revenge for his brother. Paladin has to clean up the ugliness for a price.
The Lucy Show: The Official Third Season brings to an end the regular adventures of Lucille Ball and Vivian Vance. The comedy duo had been together for over a decade starting with I Love Lucy. While Viv guested on the later three seasons and Here’s Lucy, it’s kinda sad to think they were no longer TV neighbors. They have this final season for each other and before all their TV kids get the boot. The show would focus on a single Lucy and Mr. Mooney (Gale Gordon). “Lucy and the Plumber” packs in the star power when Jack Benny and Bob Hope arrive to tweak her pipes. “Lucy and the Bank Robbery” has them renting a room to what they think are Wold’s Fair tourists. “Lucy Meets Danny Kaye” has her begging the entertainer for tickets to his show. Turns out they have to work as extras to get into the taping. Can Lucy merely be a dress extra? “Lucy Goes to Vegas” has her and Viv fake being high rollers in order to get casino comp action. The charade falls apart when they have to put the money down on the felt table. “Lucy and the Monsters” has her come face to face with future scary actor Sid Haig (Devil’s Rejects). He gets wrapped up as mummy to frighten her. Bob Burns (The Ghost Busters) plays the Werewolf instead of his normal gorilla role. Towards the end of the season we’re treated to a visit from Countess Framboise (Ann Sothern). She’s kind of a royal Viv. “Lucy the Disc Jockey” has her wreck a radio station run by Pa Harrington Jr. (One Day at a Time). This would be the final regular Viv episode. Along with cast commercials, a major bonus feature involves Lucy at the World’s Fair. Without Viv, Lucy had no real compatriot in the insanity.
Bonanza: The Official Second Season, Volume 1 gives 18 more episodes about the Cartwright Family that lived next to Lake Tahoe. This is still the time of Ben (Lorne Greene) and his sons by different wives: Hoss (Dan Blocker), Adam (Pernell Roberts) and Little Joe (Michael Landon). They were a tight and scrapping family. “Showdown” has the family hiring a member of a bank robbing gang for the Ponderosa ranch. This was before you could do a background check on the internet. “The Mission” introduces an old army scout ready to dry himself off the booze to get a good job. Turns out he became a drunk after he led his old unit into a massacre. What he doesn’t know about the new job is that an old scout plans on ambushing them. That’s enough to get me drinking. “Badge Without Honor” brings back the legendary James Hong (Kung Fu Panda) as Hop Sing’s cousin. “The Mill” brings back everyone’s favorite heavy Claude Akins (Sheriff Lobo) being a manipulating ranch hand who wants his dumb boss’ money and wife. You’ll wake up the wife and kids for “Denver McKee” to thrill at Bob Barker (The Price Is Right being a thespian. Sexy returns with Ricardo Montalban (Fantasy Island) as an Indian. The sinister Neville Brand (The Untouchables) arrives with his Commancheros to take Little Joe hostage. He doesn’t realize they’re kin. “The Ape” reminds us of Leonard Nimoy’s life before the pointy ears. Lee Van Cleef (The Good, The Bad and the Ugly) arrives as a gunmen hired to take out the Cartwrights in “The Bloodline.” “The Bride” gets conned by Adam West (Batman) into thinking she’s married Ben. Who knew he could be so wicked? Bonus features include a vintage interview with Dan Blocker, old TV promos and audio commentaries including one with Stella Stevens. Each episode gets background information and production photos. This is a good way to keep your dad busy on the sofa one a weekend afternoon.
VEGA$: The Second Season, Volume 1 continues the fun on my favorite cheesy private eye show of all time. This is the perfect blend of ’70s kitsch with Dan Tanna (Robert Urich) cruising around the Vegas Strip in his Thunderbird talking on a primitive car phone. There’s tons of great guest stars who sneak off their casino gigs for a little face time. Tanna has a thrilling support crew with Phyllis Davis, Bart Braverman and Greg Morris (Mission: Impossible) along with visits from Tony Curtis. Takes a lot of work to solve a crime in Sin City. “Redhanded” reveals a sad fate for Melanie Griffith (Something Wild) and a cameo from Lola Falana. “The Usurper” presents the superstars of Minnesota Fats, Dean Martin and Scatman Crothers. “Mixed Blessings” is touched by Tracy Walter (Repo Man). Hef’s old squeeze Barbi Benton acts against Eve Arden in “Design for Death.” Swimsuit models are being terrorized around the hotel. Tanna must stop the creep. Shelley Winters and Fred Bilennikoff score on “Macho Murders.” What a sexy homicide title. “The Day Gambling Stopped” displays The Price Is Right Barker’s Beauty Dian Parkinson in her prime. It’s not really a Vegas show until Wayne Newton shows up. And here’s their for “Classic Connection.” Finally “Night of a Thousand Eyes” gives us Gary Collins. Thankfully they keep him away from mobile homes. All and all, this another joyful batch of VEGA$ episodes that brings out the best in the tacky times along the Strip. This ought to be your Christmas treat.
Comments: None
Leave a Reply |