mayor of the sunset strip is a 2003 documentary film on the life of rodney bingenheimer directed by george hickenlooper , and produced by chris carter .

in 2011 , craig hlavaty of the houston press named mayor of the sunset strip at number eight on the paper 's list of " the 31 best music documentaries of all time " .

the film won the best documentary feature at the 2004 santa barbara international film festival .

mayor of the sunset strip

from mountain view to l . a . , rodney bingenheimer crowned himself the ' mayor of the sunset strip '
raw footage from gwen stefani ' s interviews featured in kroq ' s rodney bingenheimer ' s documentary , mayor of the sunset strip .
as seen in george hickenlooper ' s fascinating documentary , mayor of the sunset strip , bingenheimer has lived a curious life at the intersection of pop music and celebrity .
movie review : ' mayor of the sunset strip ' the new documentary mayor of the sunset strip looks at the life of los angeles disc jockey rodney bingenheimer , who helped introduce such artists as david bowie , the sex pistols and nirvana . director george hickenlooper considers his subject the personification of america ' s obsession with fame . los angeles times film critic kenneth turan has a review .
the new documentary mayor of the sunset strip looks at the life of los angeles disc jockey rodney bingenheimer , who helped introduce such artists as david bowie , the sex pistols and nirvana . director george hickenlooper considers his subject the personification of america ' s obsession with fame . los angeles times film critic kenneth turan has a review .
the subject of george hickenlooper ' s
mayor of the sunset strip
is rodney bingenheimer , a shy , soft - spoken elf of a man who came of age in hollywood during the ' 60s ( the young sonny and cher were like surrogate parents to him ) and went on to become one of the most beloved , respected and instinctive djs of the ' 70s and ' 80s .
scored the music for the documentary
mayor of the sunset strip ,
based on los angeles dj / rock persona rodney bingenheimer , a . k . a .
rodney on the roq .
bingenheimer has reigned over the los angeles music scene for over two decades . a constantly evolving fixture as a rock fan , journalist , promoter , club owner and radio dj on kroq , bingenheimer has helped advance every adventurous rock mutation - - california pop , glam , punk , goth , new wave , alternative - - since he first hit the sunset strip during its psychedelic 1960s heyday .
urltoken mayor of the sunset strip : rodney bingenheimer , david bowie , joey ramone , exene cervenka , john doe , x , chris p . carter , courtney love , gwen stefani , brooke shields , kim fowley , brian wilson , george hickenlooper , christopher paul carter , donald zuckerman , greg little , greg s . little , julie janata , tommy perna : movies & tv
the mayor of sunset street ( dir . george hickenlooper ) provides a provocative and in depth analysis of rodney bingenheimer , one of the most influential pop - music media figures of the last 40 years , yet for all of his power and influence , the man seems lonely , adrift , and somewhat shattered . hickenlooper overwhelmingly makes the case that rodney was at the very epicenter of what was ' hip ' for many decades . however , by the end of the film , one wonders how such close access to wealth , celebrity , and mass adulation would gain rodney so very little . it is both sad and ironic that a man who ' s impeccable taste brought joy to millions of music fans would end up in such a melancholy situation . the mayor of sunset street is a strikingly original portrait of a rather doleful individual .
mayor of the sunset strip arrives in australia on dvd , but in america it had a well - received cinema release , which focused attention on bingenheimer and prompted kroq ' s management to briefly feature him during the daytime again . the dj is sanguine about having his life dissected by hickenlooper ' s camera , despite the spotlight being turned on his childhood and an undercurrent of loneliness that runs through the narrative .
i had a great childhood ,
he insists .
the sheer number of artists featured in director george hickenlooper ' s documentary about bingenheimer attests to his astounding influence : david bowie , cher , courtney love , brian wilson , blondie , gwen stefani , johnny marr and oasis , to name a few . hickenlooper , however , goes beyond celebrity interviews to explore celebrity itself and its powerful allure for bingenheimer , a lonely kid from suburban california who reinvented himself as the
mayor of the sunset strip .
a look at the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario , rodney bingenheimer .
there are plenty of other moments in
mayor of the sunset strip
that aren ' t easy to shake , as when rodney visits his father and stepmother ' s house and they explain that rodney ' s picture isn ' t among the family photographs they have displayed prominently in their living room .
they ' re in the other room ,
the stepmother explains . rodney heads for that other room and digs through some carelessly stacked pictures to pull out a snapshot of himself , age 4 or so , with the easter bunny . his stepmother looks on , musing idly ,
dad ' ll have to put that in a frame .
yet
mayor of sunset strip
isn ' t a downer . bingenheimer admits , only at hickenlooper ' s prodding , that he could use more money , a comment that ' s particularly wrenching considering that bingenheimer has helped his share of down - and - out dreamers over the years ( one of whom , a 50ish transplanted texan who wants desperately to be a rock star , is interviewed in the movie ) . it ' s possible that some of the acts bingenheimer has brought to prominence over the years have helped him out financially ; if they haven ' t , they need to seriously consider it . ( liam and noel gallagher of oasis , to name just two , can surely afford it . )
but what comes through most vibrantly in
mayor of sunset strip ,
shining through bingenheimer ' s low - key , laid - back , almost monotone manner of speaking , is how much the music has meant to him , even if it never exactly lined his pockets . one of the movie ' s most beautiful sequences is a bit of footage filmed during one of bingenheimer ' s fairly recent radio shows , in which he plays for his guest , brian wilson , ronnie spector ' s 1999 recording of the song wilson wrote for her ,
don ' t worry baby .
( phil spector refused to let her record it when it was written . ) wilson ' s expression melts into pure ecstasy at the sound of that voice , at last performing his song . bingenheimer looks on , clearly filled with a kind of impish pleasure at being the agent of such unadulterated happiness .
germany released , blu - ray / region a / b / c dvd : languages : english ( dolby digital 2 . 0 ) , english ( dolby digital 5 . 1 ) , german ( subtitles ) , widescreen ( 1 . 78 : 1 ) , special features : behind the scenes , cast / crew interview ( s ) , commentary , interactive menu , scene access , trailer ( s ) , synopsis : through the glitter and the grunge , from the monkees to coldplay , rodney bingenheimer - a . k . a . rodney on the roq - has reigned over the los angeles music scene for over two decades . a constantly evolving fixture as rock fan , journalist , promoter , club owner and radio dj on kroq , bingenheimer has helped advance every adventurous rock mutation - california pop , glam , punk , goth , new wave , alternative - since he first hit the sunset strip during its psychedelic 1960s heyday . . . . mayor of the sunset strip ( blu - ray )
finally , a fitting tribute to the one and only rodney bingenheimer , the world ' s best disc jockey ( i wonder if kroq remembers that ? ) , rock music ' s biggest fan , and altruistic to a fault when it comes to helping struggling musicians achieve their dreams - - a rarity in the recording industry these days . the music he chose for this cd is both comprehensive and immensely satisfying . . . worth every penny ; mayor of the sunset strip , the documentary movie about rodney ' s fascinating life , is scheduled for general release on 3 / 26 / 04 - - don ' t miss it ! ! rodney rules !
he migrated to the sunset strip , but instead of dying there or disappearing into drugs or crime , he simply ingratiated himself . people liked him . he hustled himself into a job as a gofer for davy jones of the monkees ( they looked a little alike ) , and then became a backstage caterer ; a survivor of a doors tour remembers a toronto concert where rodney had enormous platters of fresh shrimp backstage . but the beatles were backstage visitors , and rodney gave them the shrimp , so there were only a few left for the doors , who had paid for them . challenged by the doors , rodney shrugged and said ,
well , they ' re the beatles .
for over 20 years as a d / j at kroq , i worked with rodney b . on the roq . rodney is a icon in l . a . radio . he broke more new music / bands than anyone i can think of . many , many artists owe there rise to fame to rodney b . . he truly is the mayor of the strip . . . . . . . all right ! i would recommend this film for all music geeks . larry woodside formaly . . . . . . . kroq , klos , kmet , kmpc
through the glitter and the grunge , from the monkees to coldplay , rodney bingenheimer - - a . k . a . rodney on the roq - - has reigned over the los angeles music scene for over two decades . a constantly evolving fixture as rock fan , journalist , promoter , club owner and radio dj on kroq , bingenheimer has helped advance every adventurous rock mutation - - california pop , glam , punk , goth , new wave , alternative - - since he first hit the sunset strip during its psychedelic 1960s heyday .
radiohead goes insane on tour as they overtake oasis as the biggest band from the uk in the last years of the ' 90s .
the ballad of narayama
is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…
kind of a sad and unflattering picture of this catalyst in the beginnings of the alternative genre . seems like a media hound that never figured out how to monetize it for himself .
director hickenlooper , who previously revealed the madness on the set of apocalypse now in the documentary hearts of darkness , spent six years intermittently filming bingenheimer . what he finds is a child who never truly came of age , a peter pan figure who compensated for a lack of parental love with the approval of those he considered cool .
following the same course as westway , the future is unwritten jumps into the life at the heart of the clash , strummer , and the meandering turns his life took from his birth to death in 2002 .
boulevard angels - documentary . a journey into the ' other side of tinseltown '
i was against the idea of the film at first ,
notes bingenheimer , speaking from his apartment in hollywood , which in the film appears crammed full of music and archived memorabilia .
in his more expansive days , bingenheimer was a dj on the radio station that was , 1975 - 85 , the most eclectic in los angeles . on the strength of kroq and that sunset boulevard hole in the wall known as
rodney bingenheimer ' s english disco ,
bingenheimer was in the right place at the right time . led zeppelin ' s robert plant said rodney got more girls than he did . and bingenheimer ' s knowledge of english bands was more thorough than david bowie ' s - - or so bowie claims here .
flattering , no ? as if we were all but formless spirits of punk rock that x conjured up out of the ether . rodney always knew the right words to describe you , the listener , as if you were but an orbiting satellite in the vast solar system of celebrity .
see metallica nearly kill each other in the studio while they spend two years to record an album that ended up being one of the most notoriously confused of their career .
the chick who made lady gaga possible takes us into her world with truth or dare , and manages to humanize herself in the midst of one of the most vanity - laced periods in her career .
documentary of the bewildered almost child - like la dj , ultimate music fan , and championer of new music who ' s era is fading .
basically the story of a man forced to finally see the injustice around him . riley’s movie is designed to do the same thing to you . …
a documentary portrait that seems cruel at times as the director is more interested in the foibles of his subject than the life he ' s lived .
an interview with terry gilliam , director of
the man who killed don quixote .
shelter follows the rolling stones as they march towards altamont at the end of 1969 . the band is seen recording
wild horses
and traveling across the country . watch cocksucker blues to get the most vivid account of what it was like to be on tour with the band in 1972 . you can almost smell the groupie sweat .
after the credits , we see the conclusion of the concert by the band x that starts the movie . then we see rodney talking with one of x ' s members , who tells him that he always finds rodney ' s radio show , no matter when it airs .
hands down , above all of these following music documentaries , craig ' s hlist ' s two favorite of all - time are the decline of western civilization part 2 : the metal years , and the beatles anthology . we can watch both on repeat for days and not complain .
after making its world premiere as the centerpiece film of the 2003 ifp / los angeles film festival the movie sold to first look media and lakeshore entertainment for $ 1 . 3 million , making it the second highest selling documentary of all time , next to
it ' s easy to see how girls in ' 60s southern california would have gone wild for the teenage bingenheimer , who looked like the innocent little boy every girl wanted to mother ( and more ) . but bingenheimer didn ' t have a particularly glamorous upbringing . he grew up in the small california town of mountain view . his parents divorced when he was 3 . his father went on to remarry and , as he practically admits in his on - camera interviews here , had little to do with rodney ' s upbringing . rodney was closer to his mother , who died several years ago , but even that relationship is a bit shadowy : bingenheimer was left on his own at a young age , roaming sunset strip and somehow ( it ' s never made clear exactly how ) meeting and befriending the most sensational musicians of the day , from mick jagger to elvis presley to david bowie .
meet l . a . dj rodney bingenheimer , who helped launch the careers of blondie , the ramones , van halen , the go - go’s and countless others .
a thought provoking look at the thin line between ` the famous and the not so famous . '
from the april 7 - 14 , 2004 issue of metro , silicon valley ' s weekly newspaper .
bingenheimer was an early devotee of the church of st . warhol , accepting the doctrine of salvation through contact with celebrities . he actually knew the artist , showing us a christmas card he got from warhol , in which the artist is wearing wings :
andy is an angel , and he ' s with my mom right now .
bingenheimer was particularly good friends of sonny and cher . in an interview , cher notes ,
rodney just seemed very gentle . you didn ' t have to wonder what his ulterior motives were .
l . a . is so full of ulterior motives that the exterior motive is almost extinct . that lack of ulterior motives may be bingenheimer ' s claim to fame , and so the life of a second - generation dweller in the antechamber of celebrity is movingly captured .
happily , bingenheimer still does the show midnight to 3am on sundays , which - - in the cutthroat world of l . a . radio - - is like winning the nobel prize for longevity . deborah harry of blondie is today a wistful character actress . the angry samoans , who composed a musical letter to rodney titled
get off the air
(
get off the air , you fucking square
) , have long since been broomed out of the punk - rock spotlight by the sweep - clown of oblivion . and bingenheimer still paces the boulevard , dines at denny ' s and hangs out with kim fowley .
this hardcore chronicle is great , covering all the cities with scenes of fans and bands , interviewing the men and women who were on the frontlines of the genres birthing , including godfathers henry rollins , keith morris , and ian mackaye . read the book too , it ' s got plenty about houston ' s hardcore history as well .
as the credits roll pictures of rodney ' s life , and appearances with his famous friends , are shown .
hickenlooper mixes contemporary and vintage footage , crisscrossing the past and the present to sift out every possible fleck of glitter from bingenheimer ' s sometimes glamorous , sometimes pedestrian , career . zelig - like , bingenheimer shows up in photograph after photograph , as well as in live - performance footage , sidled up to the big stars of the day . he was never a stone ' s throw away from a photo op with the likes of the doors , the mamas and the papas , jimi hendrix , bob dylan and frank zappa .
the ramones made great music together , but they seemed to hate the shit out of each other while they were together . for a band as documented as the ramones , this film actually manages to shed new light on the band , even for the devotees out there .
while hickenlooper never takes the cheap route of making bingenheimer a figure of pity , he manages to capture the halo of sadness that hovers around the man . bingenheimer has a close friend named camille , a tall brunette with an intense , but not unkind , demeanor . it ' s obvious the two care for each other , but bit by bit we catch glimpses of the nature of their relationship . it becomes clear that bingenheimer has romantic feelings for camille , whereas she announces , almost flatly , that she
has a boyfriend , and rodney ' s just a friend .
at the age of 58 , bingenheimer has been cutting his hair like the former ramones drummer for several decades now . he also knew him , along with , it seems , virtually every other musician of note to even momentarily set foot in la over the past four decades .
the director sees his subject as the person who got there earlier , and got closer , than the millions who followed .
if you aren ' t a fan of these prog gods from the great white north , you will at least have a respect for them after checking out this star - studded doc . trent reznor and billy corgan are just some of the followers who weigh in on the power trio .
hickenlooper is a smart young filmmaker who co - directed the 1991
hearts of darkness : a filmmaker ' s apocalypse ,
which documented the making of francis ford coppola ' s
apocalypse now .
more recently , he gave us the flawed but inescapably elegant
the man from elysian fields .
here , hickenlooper doesn ' t set out just to tell the story of an unsung hero ( although that ' s surely part of his goal ) . he ' s deftly filling in a much bigger picture , a sprawling , abstract canvas , rendered in some pretty melancholy colors , about the ways our love of music can affect our lives : sure , music enriches us . but the rough truth is , it can also beat the crap out of us . i ' ve heard more than one musician reflect ruefully ,
music ruined my life
- - in other words , the love of it spoiled them for anything else .
for those of us old enough to remember the music scene of the late 60 ' s , 70 ' s and beyond ( even the popularity of the monkees ! ) this film is like going to a wonderful , emotionally affecting family reunion . the stills and video footage are so wonderful , it makes you want to see the film more than once , or own a copy . what is most striking about the film , though , is rodney himself . i ' m sure that there are many people in the world he inhabits who are conceited or arrogant or dismissive of ordinary people . but rodney ' s pureness of heart shines through in this film . you can clearly see how unpretentious , genuine , and generous of spirit he is , and how he relates to people like cher or nancy sinatra as real people , not because they are famous . although the filmmaker seems to focus on areas of rodney ' s life that remain unfulfilled , and this brings more than a little pathos to the overall tone of the film , the film really makes you care and want to know more about this unique man , who truly has a beautiful spirit .
there ' s also hickenlooper ' s underlying theme , that bingenheimer is emblematic of america ' s celebrity culture , that he presaged the current welter of tabloid magazines , celebrity trials and publicist - approved romances .
you don ' t realize how much of am insufferable smart - ass bob dylan was in the beginnings of his fame until you see d . a . pennebaker ' s don ' t look back , which follows him on his 1965 uk tour . the opening scene is the most iconic part , with dylan famously rolling through the lyrics of
subterranean homesick blues
on large cards as allen ginsberg hangs around behind him .
british filmmaker nick broomfield investigates the death of kurt cobain and tries to determine if his widow courtney love was behind it all .
the film was directed by george hickenlooper , who made the classic doc
hearts of darkness : a filmmaker ' s apocalypse
( 1991 ) , about the nightmare of coppola ' s
apocalypse now ,
and the wonderful fiction film
the man from elysian fields
( 2001 ) . why did he make this film ( apart from the possibility that someone named hickenlooper might feel an affinity for someone named bingenheimer ) ? hickenlooper has been around fame at an early age . he was 26 when he released the doc about the coppola meltdown . he cast mick jagger and james coburn in
elysian fields .
he was aware of rodney bingenheimer when the name still opened doors . his film evokes what the japanese call mono no aware , which refers to the impermanence of life and the bittersweet transience of things . there is a little rodney bingenheimer in everyone , but you know what ? most people aren ' t as lucky as rodney .
this is one of the best , if not only , documentary on black metal that adequately explains the bands and their ethos . it ' s harrowing and sad at parts .
rodney on the roq ( kroq in so cal ) were instrumental in many people lives at that time - the late great 80 ' s . that was the music that molded many of today ' s bands . however , it stands the test of time and that sound has been distorted with many new bands as well . that music will never die .
bingenheimer has a zelig - like ability to position himself at the elbow of the famous ( rich , in itself , doesn ' t interest him ) , a diminutive figure with a mop of dark hair , a chalky complexion and eyes that seem to light up with genuine affection when alongside the well - known .
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rodney bingenheimer is doing what he does best : reeling off a list of noteworthy names .
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im the designated driver between the famous and not - so - famous .
rodney bingenheimer
hello rodney , you ' re the greatest . i love your contribution to the world . you and others like you were playing the best music in the early 80s . it was a great time . i ' ll bet many from different rock periods say the same thing about you . mary now for my take on the movie : i guess the theme is about fame and how it does not necessarily come with monetary riches . that is a powerful point . the only thing is i wish that there was less emphasis on rodney ' s personal life and more about his love of rock . rodney has remained pure to his love of new music and exposing us to all kinds of new rockers . along the way , he mingled with the rich and famous , never benefitting from their success . he met some crafty folk like kim fowley . wow , now he ' s something . in the end though , the interviews with some of the so - called friends of rodney should have been cut . their candid self - promoting callousness made me depressed .
thin is in ,
rodney says to the camera next to a woman who later admits that she is not rodney ' s gal , but just his friend . why did that have to be included ? rodney probably has a great deal of valuable bootleg recordings or rare lps and 45s that many of us love and love to hear about . more about the music and less about the sad facts in rodney ' s life please . can someone redo the movie ?
the sex pistols get the documentary they always deserved , with director julien temple looking back with the band using footage he shot during their short reign of terror . watching john lydon get misty - eyed when he recounts sid vicious ' death is heartbreaking .
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looks like a tragic picture ; certainly it ' s darkened by the death of the subject ' s mother . bingenheimer seems to have jay gatsby ' s problem : a loneliness only truly quenched by parties . the movie is at its most scarifying when it pins down the subject ' s love life , an exercise that is like nailing the proverbial glob of quicksilver . the pop world ' s zelig is serenaded on the soundtrack with a well - chosen sonny bono song ,
laugh at me
( ' cause i ' m praying for you
) .
this was an excellent movie that shows that the happiness of that comes with a celebrity life - style is a very thin veneer covering something empty and sad . rodney bingenheimer is an la disc jockey who has introduced many major musical acts over the last 25 years , including david bowie , the ramones , coldplay and more . his ' friends ' include bowie , cher , nancy sinatra , debbie harry ( blondie ) , and a multitude of other celebrities . what begins as an amazing story of essentially a street kid who became a famous disc jockey , quickly becomes a sad story of a man who has given a lot more to an industry and to people than he has gotten back . this is a great film . the movie makers did a great job in getting the feelings of the people across and shows rodney ' s very sad , almost upsetting existence . the movie does have a lot of funny moments . great movie  go see it ! ! !
how many rock personalities can say they hung out with all four beatles , was the double for davey jones , was present at david bowie ' s first l . a . gig , got elvis to come to his club , gave robert plant competition with women , and introduced such acts as blondie , the sex pistols and even coldplay to fm radio ? the answer , only one . . . . rodney bingenheimer ! this documentary traces the life of the famous los angeles dj from his childhood years to the early days in the music scene to the glam rock days when he once owned one of l . a . ' s most hottest club in the 1970 ' s to his present days as one of kroq ( los angeles ) radio ' s most loved discjockeys . with footage , music , and interviews of artists from the 1960 ' s to the present , this dvd is recommended to all rock n roll lovers and historians . rock on ! ! ! ! ! !
grunge hit seattle like an atom bomb , and this 1996 doc talks to locals who were the most effected , from zine publishers , the bands , to the folks at sub pop records who sat on top of it all . it gets sanctimonious at times , but it ' s a great grunge primer . hell , we discovered pierced arrows because of it .
i have seen this movie once and had to buy it for myself . what an excellent tribute to an amazing individual . this documentary takes you on the journey of rodney ' s illustrious career as well as his personal history . i have met rodney many times while gorwing up in los angeles . this movie is a perfect portrayal of the incredible individual rodney is . his passion for music is inspiring . but most impressive about rodney is how humble he is . for the lenghth of time he has been in the business and the amount of famous folks he has encountered , one would be jaded . this film shows rodney for who he is . he is legend in my book . thanks for the outstanding tribute to such a fine individual !
bingenheimer ' s main problem with the movie , over which he had no right of veto , is that it portrays his home as an overcrowded hoarder ' s haven .
i live in a big , six - room apartment ,
he claims , the slightest hint of annoyance in his pixie - like voice .
behind him is the band x , older but wider , preparing to break into the l . a . national anthem ,
los angeles ,
at a reunion concert . here ' s john doe , soon to be a niagara of his own sweat . next to him is his ex , exene , her snaky hair pinned down with a madwoman ' s costume - jewelry tiara . billy zoom , sleek and plump - faced , is blandly smiling , a demonstration of the preservative power of orange county sunshine and christianity . it worked for pat boone , and it ' s working for him . as they get ready to shred , bingenheimer introduces x to the crowd of the year 2003 or something as
the band who invented you .
show on kroq .
oh , i saw cherry vanilla at the sugar shack .
yeah ?
rodney would answer , the glow of reflected starletdom warming his voice .
and sinnamon and destiny and chauncey were there also ,
continued the caller , dropping names to beat the band .
play a record , damn you ,
we snarled , all us born - on - the - wrong - side - of - the - velvet - ropers , as we valet - parked cars , flipped burgers or filed files .
fetching up in la in the early 1960s , bingenheimer has been everything from davy jones ' stand - in on the monkees television show , to record company publicist - he introduced bowie to america - teen mag columnist and nightclub promoter ( in the mid ' 70s rodney bingenheimer ' s english disco was where the likes of led zeppelin sampled the west coast ' s finest groupies ) .
tv show . eventually , he was jones ' double on the set . from there began his career as a go - between : as he says ,
the bridge between the famous and the not so famous .
roger ebert ' s speech on empathy for the
11th hour
series on april 9th , 1994 , being republished here in honor of his birthday june 18 .
bingenheimer broke countless bands , including blondie , the ramones , van halen and the go - go ' s , and his show ,
rodney on the roq ,
on kroq in los angeles , became a lifeline for anyone hungry for new music . bingenheimer used his remarkable radar to search out great songs , done by people you hadn ' t heard of ( yet ) , and sent them out on the airwaves before other radio stations would even touch them . you could argue that he played as big a role in shaping the rock ' n ' roll culture of the era as the artists themselves did .
watched it following bowie ' s death as he is featured . surprised and delighted by the film itself . a great look at a rock and roll kingmaker and his reign over the rock scene from the 70s through the 90s . rather than just a rose - tinted celebration of fame , there is a plaintive quality to the movie , which documents his odd relationships and is pervaded by the theme of mortality that hovers over everything . he seems to be the
most famous nobody
in la , and there ' s something really sad about that even though he ' s chosen that life . one to watch .
i was the first person here to play the vines . i love neon . i love the spazzys , especially i wanna cut my hair like marky ramone .
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what separates bingenheimer from the usual obsequious hangers - on is that many of those he shadows have become friends . they value his non - threatening , virtually asexual presence .
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over the course of two hours , wilco is seen recording yankee hotel foxtrot and then getting shafted by reprise . we love the part where a harried jeff tweedy and family are at a fast food place trying to stay sane .
jimmy page , the edge and jack white join forces to show us how they each make their signature sounds . white builds a guitar on a back porch , and page is generally a badass . the edge shows us his array of pedals and how he makes the
u2
sound .
that bingenheimer is alive and has not succumbed to some baroque l . a . death is a triumph . that he survived the bullies of mountain view is perhaps a bigger one . suzanne jenkins , his neighbor from the old days , says rodney was
the kid everyone beat up on the way to high school .
he was small , timid , a duck - carrying member of the 4 - h club . let ' s face it , he had a funny name . single - parented by his mom , a cocktail waitress at the los altos hills country club , bingenheimer spent his youth picking up the faint signal from 93 khj boss radio from l . a . we see photos of his home , with his mother ' s pinned - up
well they might . he introduced some of them - - bowie in particular - - to american radio . he was known for finding new music and playing it first : the ramones , the sex pistols , the clash , nirvana . stations all over the country stole their playlists from rodney .
sonny and cher were kinda like my mom and my dad ,
he says wistfully at one point . he ran a little club for a while , featuring british glam rock , and the stars remember with a grin that it was so small the
vip area
consisted simply of a velvet rope separating a few chairs from the dance floor .
the best film about the clash , so far , takes you from the band ' s fitful beginnings to pop semi - stardom and finally their slow - motion collapse . which the late joe strummer is seen choking up even speaking about .
the road downhill was gradual , apparently . we get glimpses of rodney today , repairing his mom ' s old nova with a pair of pliers , shuffling forlornly through souvenirs of his glory days . he seems very even , calm , sad but resigned , except for one moment the documentary camera is not supposed to witness , when he finds that another deejay , a person he sponsored and gave breaks to , is starting a show of new music - - stealing rodney ' s gig . he explodes in anger . we ' re glad he does . he has a lot to feel angry about .
rodney bingenheimer was a sort of andy warhol for the l . a . music scene , touching most every genre from the mid - ' 60s until today . he gets exalted by every who comes in his path , but finds that big business isn ' t as receptive to him along the way . bonus points for appearances by the greasy yet influential kim fowley .
i had already seen this documentary several times before ordering it . rodney is one of the most interesting characters you will ever come across . i love him to death and i hope to meet him someday . plus , there ' s a lot of david bowie content and that ' s never a bad thing !
this ondi timoner film made brian jonestown massacre frontman anton newcombe an instant batshit rock and roll legend and painted the dandy warhols as a pollyanna - ish pack of kids in over their heads .
there ' s a picture of me in this film , which documents my misspent youth . what ' s not to like ?
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. rodney bingenheimer , billed as
the king of los angeles radio ,
emerges from the shadows . here is one classic face for radio - - undersized , slightly wizened and crowned with a shapeless shag , a 1975 haircut he stayed with and liked .
now 58 and living in a virtual museum to himself , george hickenlooper ' s patchy documentary nails the dj ' s zelig - like attachment to every music phenomenon , from the the beatles and the stones , via bowie and new wave , to coldplay and oasis .
the rodney bingenheimer of today seems always to be smiling through a deep sadness . he is a small man who still has the youthful cuteness that must have won him friends in his early days . his hair is still combed in the same tousled mid - 1970s rock star style , and his t - shirts are the real thing , not retro . he lives now in an inexpensive apartment jammed with records , tapes , discs , and countless autographed photos of his friends the stars . and , yes , they are still his friends ; they have not forgotten him , and david bowie , cher , debbie harry , courtney love , nancy sinatra and mick jagger all appear in this film and seem genuinely fond of rodney .
but few people outside los angeles even know who bingenheimer is . and his show , once a must for anyone within listening range who wanted to stay on top of new music , is now relegated to one minuscule nighttime slot . as one of his younger kroq colleagues says , not unsympathetically , in the film , bingenheimer is now considered by the station to be the
king of the obscure . . . the gateway to things people care about
- - and here , he adds a pause that speaks volumes - -
less .
now that radio is all about programmed playlists , it ' s no longer valuable , or even advisable , for a dj to have killer instincts . or even just ears .
copyright © 2018 salon media group , inc . reproduction of material from any salon pages without written permission is strictly prohibited . salon ® is registered in the u . s . patent and trademark office as a trademark of salon media group inc . associated press articles : copyright © 2016 the associated press . all rights reserved . this material may not be published , broadcast , rewritten or redistributed .
just last week i played a band from brisbane called the grates - i played trampoline and sukkafish ,
announces the los angeles dj , running through the australian acts to recently grace his radio show .
trippy indie madeline ' s madeline is the movie that lakeith stanfield and boots riley from sorry to bother you want to see the most .
radio has changed a lot ,
bingenheimer says .
in the old days we used to be right on the street in pasadena . a band would come in and say , ' hi , we ' re the offspring , here ' s our demo ' . by the time they were back in their car it would be on the air .
i was lucky enough to see the press screening of this documentary . you could tell rodney had a lot to do with the music and this plays out like the greatest hits ( good and bad ) of his life . you get to see all these famous people letting their guard down ( and lots of saucy talk ) with rodney and doing so because he ' s such a cool guy , completely dedicated to the music and being a fan even if he missed out on other things . this perfectly said when he gives his stepsister he hasn ' t seen in years an autograph . i forget who it was now though because there were a million names and faces all worth dropping . long live the english disco , hiiiyaaah ninja ! you gotta see it to get that one .
apparently both persistent and likable , bingenheimer became a fixture on the hollywood scene of the mid - to late ' 60s . his glamour quotient increased further when he tried out for the monkees . ( he didn ' t make the cut , but he resembled davy jones closely enough that he did serve as a monkee stand - in now and then . ) somehow , everybody who was anybody knew rodney . in the early ' 70s he opened a club known as rodney ' s english disco , which featured a tiny roped - off vip area that was barely separate from the space where the club ' s garden - variety beautiful people shimmied and shook .
roger ebert was born on this day in 1942 , and died a little over five years ago . i owe a good part of my success…
nancy sinatra is interviewed and says she knows kim gordon of s . y infamy . she calls her a baby . kim would go grrrl .
spoilers this film had a really annoyingly fatuous quality as it smugly attempted to portray rb as a tragic figure because he ain ' t rich , and has no offspring or real estate . a particularly disgusting moment comes towards the conclusion when the filmmaker asks rodney
well will this film have a happy or sad ending ? it ' s up to you !
as if anything let ' s face it not terribly articulate rb could say could possibly compensate for this reductive , extremely condescending hatchet job borne of the choices made by the director . a nauseating example of
documentary
!
wherever bingenheimer went in the music and club scene , his face was his passport . robert plant says ,
rodney got more girls than i do .
we hear a little of his radio show from the old days , and what comes across is not a vibrating personality or a great radio voice - - it ' s kind of tentative , really - - but an almost painful sincerity . he loves the music he plays , and he introduces it to you like a lover he thinks is right for you .
the story of how bingenheimer entered into this world is apparently true , unlikely as it sounds . as a kid he was obsessed with stars , devoured the fan magazines , collected autographs . one day when he was a teenager , his mother dropped him off in front of connie stevens ' house and told him he was on his own . he didn ' t see his mother for another five or six years . connie wasn ' t home .
this 1988 film and 2006 ' s the u . s . vs . john lennon are looks into what made j - yo tick . the scenes dealing with lennon ' s
lost weekend
in the former are excellent .
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the metal years is just a big , stupid chronicle of hair metal in los angeles in the late ' 80s . the interviews are gold , especially the paint - huffing fans and chris holmes from w . a . s . p . , who comes off as more animal than man . plus , it has aerosmith and ozzy osbourne talking straight about their drug use . we bought it as a bootleg dvd and it hardly leaves our player for weeks on end .
all - access pass to the top stories , events and offers around town .
books go deep digging into warren zevon , the clash , and . . .
i ' m with the band : rodney bingenheimer and kiss . photo : supplied
this look into texas garage legend roky erickson ' s life isn ' t so much different than the daniel johnston flick , with both dealing in the family drama behind mental illness . now we just have to wait for the big budget biopic .
here is a list of the best rock documentaries out there for you to see . be sure to check the last craig ' s hlist we did on rock concert films before you complain we left anything out . more than likely it is on that hlist , or we forgot it altogether because we aren ' t wikipedia .
a tribute to the late tab hunter , a gay matinee idol and hollywood trailblazer .
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the camera catches him backstage , fortified by his aaa laminate pass , in conversation with keanu reeves , neil young and liam gallagher . archival footage has him miming the bass on a television appearance with blondie in the late 1970s and escorting elvis presley through a nightclub .
i don ' t know why they made it look small in the movie .
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with his stewed - apple complexion , terrified smile and suspiciously dark bouffant hairdo , pocket - sized radio dj rodney bingenheimer has been a fixture on the la music scene since the ' 60s .
yet even if bingenheimer ' s celebrity and influence have declined in recent years , hickenlooper doesn ' t make him an object of pity . that may be because bingenheimer doesn ' t see himself as an object of pity , even though it often seems that he ' s thrown much of his energy into building the careers of others while not being particularly devoted to bulking up his own . bingenheimer is charming , understated and waiflike . his hairstyle has undergone some minor changes over the past 40 years , having settled into something that ' s half ron wood rooster cut , half dutch - boy bob , but also weirdly timeless . his eyes are serious , inky and honest . when hickenlooper , off - camera , asks him a question , he answers with so much unrehearsed forthrightness that you realize it would never occur to him to lie or embellish . in fact , his longtime friend , the nefarious producer and heel - about - town kim fowley , builds up bingenheimer ' s legend more than bingenheimer does , informing us that , in the ' 60s , robert plant noted that
rodney gets more girls than i do .


the greatest is a 1977 film about the life of boxer muhammad ali , in which ali plays himself .

it was directed by tom gries and monte hellman .

the film follows ali 's life from the 1960 olympics to his regaining the heavyweight crown from george foreman in their famous " rumble in the jungle " fight in 1974 .

the footage of the boxing matches themselves are largely the actual footage from the time involved .

the movie is based on the book the greatest : my own story written by muhammad ali and richard durham and edited by toni morrison .

the song " the greatest love of all " was written for this film and sung by george benson ; it was later covered by whitney houston .

the greatest ( 1977 film )

the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 01 . the greatest adventure
the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 01 . the greatest adventure - youtube
mix - the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 01 . the greatest adventure
dedicatee : the director of ' the greatest ' passed away on january 3 , 1977 . this motion picture is dedicated to his memory
the afi ' s 100 years of film scores is a list of the 25 greatest american films scores of all time .
, who died over four months before the movie ' s may 1977 release .
the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 03 . old fat spider
the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 11 . funny little things
the greatest adventure , also known as the ballad of the hobbit , is a song written by maury laws ( music ) and jules bass ( lyric ) and performed by glenn yarbrough . it was the theme song for the 1977 film adaptation of the hobbit .
star wars : episode iv a new hope , originally released as star wars , is a 1977 film written and directed by george lucas . it is the first film in the star wars original trilogy .
the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 07 . gandalf ' s reflection
the hobbit ( 1977 ) soundtrack ( ost ) - 02 . in the valley , ha ! ha !
a sneak preview theatrical trailer for tom gries ' 1977 film
the greatest
, a biography of muhammad ali with the champ playing himself . cast members ernest borgnine , james earl jones and dina merrill are on hand to explain their enthusiasm of working on the picture .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 film scores . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
in 1989 , the u . s . national film registry of the library of congress selected the film as a
culturally , historically , or aesthetically important
film . [ 43 ] in 2006 , lucas ' original screenplay was selected by the writers guild of america as the 68th greatest of all time . [ 44 ] the american film institute ( or afi ) listed it 15th on a list of the top 100 films of the 20th century ; [ 45 ] in the uk , a poll created by channel four named a new hope ( together with its successor , the empire strikes back ) the greatest film of all time . [ 46 ] the american film institute has named star wars and specific elements of it to several of its
top 100 lists
of american cinema , compiled as a part of the institute ' s 100th anniversary celebration . these include the 27th most thrilling american film of all time ; [ 47 ] the thirty - ninth most inspirational american film of all - time ; [ 48 ] han solo as the fourteenth greatest american film hero of all time and obi - wan kenobi thirty - seventh on the same list . [ 49 ] the often repeated line
may the force be with you
was ranked as the eighth greatest quote in american film history . [ 50 ] john williams ' score was ranked as the greatest american film score of all time . [ 51 ]
performed by — the london symphony orchestra , original music copyright 1977 by fox fanfare music , inc .
u . s . national film registry titles . u . s . national film registry . retrieved on september 2 , 2006 .
awards for star wars ( 1977 ) . imdb . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
business data for star wars ( 1977 ) . imdb . retrieved on october 2 , 2006 .
filming locations for star wars ( 1977 ) . imdb . retrieved on october 2 , 2006 .
ali ' s biggest match , his fight with the us government . a film about the politics and hubris surrounding the vietnam war and the revenge exacted on america ' s greatest sportsman of the 20th century because he refused to fight in that war .
just as described . this car was a terrific treat for a fan of the film .
the conversations : walter murch and the art of editing film . ondaatje , michael ; knopf ( 2005 )
additional optical effects — van der veer photo effects , ray mercer & company , modern film effects , master film effects , de patie - freleng enterprises inc .
here is a good find for any adult collector of hot wheels . the 1977 trans am in its greater glory . the movie being smokey and the bandit .
wary that star wars would be beaten out by other summer films , such as smokey and the bandit , 20th century fox moved the release date to wednesday before memorial day : may 25 , 1977 . however , few theaters ordered the film to be shown . in response , 20th century fox demanded that theaters order star wars if they wanted an eagerly anticipated film based on a best - selling novel titled the other side of midnight . [ 3 ] the film became an instant success upon release ; within three weeks , 20th century fox ' s stock price doubled to a record high . before 1977 , 20th century fox ' s greatest annual profits were $ 37 , 000 , 000 ; in 1977 , the company earned $ 79 , 000 , 000 . although the film ' s cultural neutrality helped it to gain international success , ladd became anxious during the premiere in japan . after the screening , the audience was silent , leading ladd , jr . to fear that the film would be unsuccessful . he was later told that , in japan , silence was the greatest honor to a film . meanwhile , thousands attended a ceremony at grauman ' s chinese theater , where c - 3po , r2 - d2 and darth vader placed their footprints in the theater ' s forecourt . [ 3 ]
roger ebert ( january 1 , 1977 ) . star wars . roger urltoken . retrieved on september 6 , 2006 .
pauline kael ( september 26 , 1977 ) . star wars . new yorker . retrieved on september 7 , 2006 .
when lucas screened an early cut of the film for his friends , among them directors brian de palma , john milius and steven spielberg , their reactions were disappointing . spielberg , who claimed to have been the only person in the audience to have enjoyed the film , [ 3 ] believed that the lack of enthusiasm was due to the absence of finished special effects . lucas later said that the group was honest and seemed bemused by the film . in contrast , alan ladd , jr . and the rest of 20th century fox loved the film ; one of the executives , gareth wigan , told lucas ,
this is the greatest film i ' ve ever seen ,
and cried during the screening . lucas found the experience shocking and rewarding , having never gained any approval from studio executives before . [ 3 ] although the delays increased the budget from $ 8 million to $ 11 million , the film was still the least expensive of the star wars saga .
star wars ( film series ) . allmovie . retrieved on october 1 , 2006 .
madame rosa ( 1977 , fr . ) ( aka la vie devant soi ) , 105 minutes , d : moshé mizrahi
soldier of orange ( 1977 , neth . ) ( aka soldaat van oranje ) , 165 minutes , d : paul verhoeven
he ' s the greatest fighter of all time . a sports icon that is loved throughout the world . a man driven by his ambition to be the best . muhammad ali is a name that to this day puts fear in the strongest of men . hear from the people who knew him best , from experts of the world of boxing , relive the legendary fights and explore the life of boxing ' s greatest symbol , ali .
pontiac firebird trans am , black / decorated , 1977 , model car , ready - made , bos - models . . .
“the greatest , ” which has been rated pg ( “parental guidance suggested“ ) , includes some vulgar language , but is otherwise as nicely mannered as a high‐school play .
“the greatest , ” though , is entirely muhammad ali ' s . his presence dominates the screen and turns a rather ordinary , one‐in‐amillion success story into a firstrate piece of popular americana .
the film scores of all time in the big picture – afi ' s 100 years of film scores were originally presented during a one - night only live performance at the hollywood bowl on september 23 , 2005 produced by the los angeles philharmonic association in cooperation with afi .
first appearance in the film . it is thought that there is no longer any clear footage of this scene available . existing footage has been degraded by poor film storage conditions over the years . before the film was cut , this was the audience ' s first sight of the young luke skywalker , much earlier than in the final cut . it was removed along with subsequent scenes of luke and his friends in
: how cassius took rome , by cassius clay , jr . : to make america the greatest is my goal , so i beat the russian and i beat the pole . and for the united states was a medal of gold .
the greatest adventure is what lies ahead . today and tomorrow are yet to be said . the chances , the changes are all yours to make . the mold of your life is in your hands to break . the greatest adventure is there if you ' re bold . let go of the moment that life makes you hold . to measure the meaning can make you delay ; it ' s time you stop thinkin ' and wasting the day . the man who ' s a dreamer and never takes leave who thinks of a world that is just make - believe will never know passion , will never know pain . who sits by the window will one day see rain . the greatest adventure is what lies ahead . today and tomorrow are yet to be said . the chances , the changes are all yours to make . the mold of your life is in your hands to break . the greatest adventure is what lies ahead .
screenplays / 2006 / 04 / 03 / list / index . html 101 greatest screenplays : the list . writer ' s guild of america . retrieved on september 2 , 2006 .
an american documentary film about the 1980 heavyweight title fight between the aging muhammad ali and his former sparring partner larry holmes for an unprecedented fourth title .
bandit ' s 1977 pontiac trans am from the classic film smokey and the bandit * hollywood greatest hits * 2015 greenlight collectibles 1 : 64 scale limited edition die - cast vehicle . the bandit is hired on to run a tractor trailer full of beer over county lines in hot pursuit by a pesky sheriff . limited edition - specially designed for the adult collector ! 1 : 64 scale - vehicle measures approximately 3 inches long . die - cast metal chassis . ages 8 and up . from greenlight collectibles .
ian dawe . anamorphic star wars and other musings . mindjack film . retrieved on may 26 , 2006 .
star wars was originally slated for release in christmas 1976 ; however , delays pushed the film ' s release to summer 1977 . already anxious about meeting his deadline , lucas was shocked when his editor ' s first cut of the film was a
complete disaster .
after attempting to persuade the original editor to cut the film his way , lucas replaced the editor with paul hirsch and richard chew . he also allowed his then - wife marcia lucas to aid the editing process while she was cutting the film new york , new york with lucas ' friend martin scorsese . richard chew found the film had an non - energetic pace ; it had been cut in a by - the - book manner : scenes were played out in master shots that flowed into close - up coverage . he found that the pace was dictated by the actors instead of the cuts . hirsch and chew worked on two reels simultaneously ; whoever finished first moved on to the next . [ 3 ]
s positive reviews allowed lucas to renegotiate his deal with alan ladd , jr . and request the sequel rights to the film . for lucas , this deal protected
this is the rare original soundtrack from the hobbit ( 1977 ) animated by rankin / bass . music by maury laws , vocals by glenn yarbrough . full track list : 01 . the greatest adventure 02 . in the valley , ha ! ha ! 03 . old fat spider 04 . roads 05 . roads ( instrumental ) 06 . the greatest adventure ( instrumental ) 07 . that ' s what bilbo baggins hates / gandalf ' s reflection 08 . down , down to goblin town 09 . rollin ' down the hole 10 . gollum ' s riddle 11 . funny little things 12 . in the valley , ha ! ha ! ( reprise ) 13 . misty mountains cold
marvel comics launched their star wars series with a six - part adaptation of the film written by roy thomas and illustrated by howard chaykin .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 movies . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 thrills . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 cheers . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
michael coate ( 2004 - 09 - 21 ) . long remembered . htm may 25 , 1977 : a day long remembered . the screening room . retrieved on may 11 , 2007 .
the climactic scene in which the death star is assaulted was modeled after ( including some of the same dialogue ) the 1950s film the dam busters , in which raf lancaster bombers fly along heavily defended reservoirs and aim
bouncing bombs
at german manmade dams in a bid to cripple the heavy industry of the ruhr . ( a new hope cinematographer gilbert taylor had previously worked on the special effects sequences for that film . )
however the footage is actually taken from the second fight with bugner in 1975 instead of their first fight in 1973 . not only is this out of sequence for the montage but the second bugner fight occurred after the ali vs foreman fight in 1974 which is the climax of the film .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 movie quotes . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
the novelization of the film was published in december 1976 , six months before the film was released . the credited author was george lucas , but the book was revealed to have been ghostwritten by alan dean foster , who later wrote the first expanded universe novel , splinter of the mind ' s eye . the book was first published as star wars : from the adventures of luke skywalker ; later editions were titled simply star wars and , later , star wars episode iv : a new hope , to reflect the retitling of the film . certain scenes deleted from the film ( and later restored or archived in dvd bonus features ) were present in the novel , such as luke at tosche station with biggs and the encounter between han and jabba in docking bay 94 . other deleted scenes from the movie , such as a close - up of a stormtrooper riding on a dewback , were included in a photo insert added to later printings of the book . smaller details were also changed ; for example , in the death star assault , luke ' s callsign is blue five instead of red five as in the film . lippincott secured the deal with del rey books to publish the novelization in november 1976 . by february 1977 , a half million copies had been sold . [ 3 ]
he ' s the greatest fighter of all time . a sports icon that is loved throughout the world . a man driven by his ambition to be the best . muhammad ali is a name that to this day puts fear in . . . see full summary »
but before you dive into the newest gore - filled version of the original brian de palma - directed film , let’s take a look back at the old cast and see what they’ve been up to since the disco era .
afi ' s 100 years . . . 100 heroes & villains . american film institute . retrieved on september 1 , 2006 .
star wars debuted on may 25 , 1977 in 32 theaters , and proceeded to break house records , effectively becoming one of the first blockbuster films . [ 34 ] it remains one of the most financially successful films of all time . some of the cast and crew noted lines of people stretching around theaters as they drove by . even technical crew members , such as model makers , were asked for autographs , and cast members became instant household names . [ 3 ] the film ' s original total u . s . gross came to $ 307 , 263 , 857 , and it earned $ 6 , 806 , 951 during its first weekend in wide release . lucas claimed that he had spent most of the release day in a sound studio in los angeles . when he went out for lunch with his then - wife marcia , they encountered a long queue of people along the sidewalks leading to mann ' s chinese theater , waiting to see star wars . [ 18 ] the film became the highest - grossing film of 1977 and the highest - grossing film of all time until e . t . the extra - terrestrial broke that record in 1982 . ( with subsequent re - releases , star wars reclaimed the title , but lost it again to james cameron ' s 1997 blockbuster titanic . ) the film earned $ 797 , 900 , 000 worldwide , making it the first film to reach the $ 300 million mark . [ 35 ] adjusted for inflation it is the second highest grossing movie of all time in the united states , behind gone with the wind . [ 36 ]
the legal battles of the great american boxer against being conscripted into the us military during the vietnam war .
inspired by films like the flash gordon serials and the samurai films of akira kurosawa , as well as such critical works as joseph campbell ' s the hero with a thousand faces and frank herbert ' s dune books , lucas began work on star wars in 1974 . ground - breaking in its use of special effects , this is considered to be among the most successful – and most influential – films of all time . produced with a budget of us $ 11 , 000 , 000 and released on may 25 , 1977 , the film became one of the most successful of all time , earning $ 215 million in the united states and $ 337 million overseas during its original theatrical release , as well as winning several film awards , including 10 academy award nominations . it was re - released several times , sometimes with significant changes ; the most notable versions were the 1997 special edition and the 2004 dvd , which were modified with cgi effects and recreated scenes . it was re - released in the blu - ray format in september of 2011 . the film was selected to be preserved by the library of congress as part of its national film registry . the film was selected in 1989 , the program ' s first year in existence .
it was rubbish in 1977 , when clay was a mouthy racist buffoon . it ' s still rubbish . what tom gries was doing getting involved with clay is anyone ' s guess .
the film was originally released as—and consequently often called— star wars , without episode iv or the subtitle a new hope . the 1980 sequel , star wars : episode v the empire strikes back , featured the episode number and subtitle in the opening crawl . when the original film was re - released on april 10 , 1981 , episode iv : a new hope was added above the original opening crawl . although lucas claims that only six films were ever planned , representatives of lucasfilm discussed plans for nine or 12 possible films in early interviews . [ 26 ] the film was re - released theatrically in 1978 , 1979 , 1981 , 1982 , and 1997 .
vincent canby ( may 26 , 1977 ) . ' star wars ' —a trip to a far galaxy that ' s fun and funny . . . . the new york times . retrieved on october 4 , 2006 .
“the greatest , ” which opened yesterday at the criterion and other theaters glosses over a lot of rocky material and smoothes the rough edges of one of the most fascinating careers in boxing history , but this too , is the way of such movies one of the pleasures of “the greatest” is in not getting bogged down in details not easily explained by a piety . the film , written by ring lardner jr . and directed by tom gries ( who died shortly after the completion of producton ) , is old‐fashioned , upbeat movie‐making with a marvelous personality at its center . you might call muhammad ali a natural actor , but that would be to deny his wit , sensibility , drive , ability , enthusiasm , poise and common sense , all of which are the conscious achievements of an ambitious man who has known exactly what he has wanted for a long time .
part of the fun of watching “the greatest” is in being in on another ali victory , and in being aware that he himself has such a clear perspective of what he has been up to in defining his career as much through public relations as determination , belief and talent .
the film drew inspiration from a number of sources . this was conscious and has been acknowledged by george lucas in interviews . it is characteristic of much myth - building .
as serious fiction . it ' s product merchandising such as t‐shirts , bumper stickers and personality posters . yet once you get beyond the embarrassingly simple‐minded introductory sequences , “the greatest” is winning entertainment . i suspect this is because muhammad ali , unlike audie murphy ( “beyond glory” ) and douglas ( wrong way ) corrigan ( “the flying irishman” ) , to name two others who replayed their lives in film , has spent the last 15 or 20 years shaping a public personality big enough to fill a movie screen .
the greatest , directed by torn gries : screenplay by ring lardner jr . , based on the book be muhammad all , herbert muhammad and richard durham ; produced by john marshall ; director of photography , harry stradling jr . : editor , byron ( buzz ) brandt ; music , michael masser ; a columbia / emi presentavon , distributed by columbia pictures running time : 114 minutes . at the criterion theater , broadway at 44th street , and other theaters . this film has been rated pg .
the fight sequences ( actual footage ) are cannily placed within the film to build to the climatic bout with foreman . the facts of the champ ' s private life are treated much in the manner of a “dick and jane” story , but so ingenuously that it ' s difficult to complain about the disappearance of malcolm x ( james earl jones ) without comment halfway through the movie , or ' about the apparent elimination of one entire first marriage .
i say apparent because i don ' t know that much about the champ ' s love life . i wouldn ' t have realized that annazette chase , who plays the muslim girl he marries in’ the film , was not his first wife without having read the program notes in which her role is described as that of “ali ' s controversial second wife , belinda . ” why she is controversial is not explained by the film . could it be because she has since been replaced ?
the documentary story of muhammad ali ( cassius clay ) - - the heavyweight boxing champion whose style and courage captured the imagination of the world .
originally , if the film did poorly at the box office , lucas planned to turn the novel splinter of the mind ' s eye into a low - budget sequel to the movie . according to an interview with alan dean foster in empire magazine , the book was written to be filmed as a low - budget sequel if star wars was not a huge success . harrison ford was not signed for the sequel as of the writing of the book , which is why han solo does not appear in the novel . however , with the success of a new hope , lucas was free to make the empire strikes back .
lucas has stated that akira kurosawa ' s 1958 film the hidden fortress ( usa release 1962 ) was a strong influence . the resemblance between the two buffoon farmers in the hidden fortress and the two talkative droids in star wars episode iv : a new hope is apparent . indeed , when the droids find themselves alone on tatooine , even the music and the style of
wipe
cuts are a clear homage to hidden fortress . when motti is criticizing darth vader , he is about to mention the rebels '
hidden fortress
before vader cuts him off in the middle of the last word .
this movie stars ernest borgnine as what else , himself : the greatest . co - starring in this promotional biopic is muhammad ali as muhammad ali based on a book written by mohammad ali . on the way to an epic final battle with the world’s foremost grill salesman he dodges punches from the big lebowski and tells tom hagen he doesn’t like that damn deal ! not bad , we even got a decent whitney houston song out of it .
when filming began on march 22 , 1976 in the tunisian desert for the scenes on the planet tatooine , [ 16 ] the project faced several problems . [ 17 ] lucas fell behind schedule in the first week of shooting due to a rare tunisian rainstorm , malfunctioning props , and electronic breakdowns . [ 18 ] when actor anthony daniels wore the c - 3po outfit for the first time , the left leg piece shattered down through the plastic covering his left foot , stabbing him . after completing filming in tunisia , production moved into the more controlled environment of elstree studios , near london . [ 18 ] however , significant problems , such as a crew that had little interest in the film , still arose . [ 3 ] [ 18 ] most of the crew considered the project a
children ' s film ,
rarely took their work seriously , and often found it unintentionally humorous . [ 19 ] actor kenny baker later confessed that he thought the film would be a failure . harrison ford found the film
weird ,
in that there was a princess with buns for hair and what he called a
giant in a monkey suit
named chewbacca . [ source ? ] ford also found the dialogue difficult , saying ,
you can type this shit , george , but you sure can ' t say it .
[ 20 ]
the film itself is an extension of that public‐relations sense . it opens with the young cassius clay —nicely played by phillip ( chip ) mcallister — returning home to louisville from rome with an olympic medal to face obligatory discrimination , thus to acquire the inspiration to go on to his success as a professional fighter .
a radio drama adaptation of the film was written by brian daley , directed by john madden , and produced for and broadcast on the american national public radio network in 1981 . the adaptation received cooperation from george lucas , who donated the rights to npr . john williams ' music and ben burtt ' s sound design were retained for the show ; mark hamill ( luke skywalker ) and anthony daniels ( c - 3po ) reprised their roles as well . the radio drama featured scenes not seen in the final cut of the film , such as luke skywalker ' s observation of the space battle above tatooine through binoculars , a skyhopper race , and darth vader ' s interrogation of princess leia . in terms of star wars canon , the radio drama is given the highest designation , g - canon . [ 25 ]
. the malfunctioning treadwell blows a fuse and is unable to follow . luke speeds off into the desert to find his friends . the scene originally occurred after the
william katt : tommy ross’ blonde froey locks were no match for young and lusty carrie . behind that mass of gorgeous curls was actor william katt , a los angeles native and a son of two actors . carrie was katt’s most prominent role in a feature film , although he starred in other flicks that you may recall in the 80s like baby : secret of the lost legend ( dinosaurs never looked so real ! ) and the horror - comedy cult classic house . although he was close to landing the role of luke skywalker in star wars , the gig ultimately went to another blondie , mark hamill . but by and large , katt has mostly maintained his acting career with tv roles and did end up playing another superhero of sorts for a few seasons in the 80s . . . the greatest american hero , anyone ? these days , he’s been seen on tv shows like andromeda and justice league and has made some smaller film appearances in films like gamers and alien vs . hunter .
the music for c - 3po ' s and r2 - d2 ' s arrival on tatooine is very similar to the beginning of the second part titled the sacrifice of igor stravinsky ' s the rite of spring .
spanning a century of film music and counting down from 25 to number one throughout the evening , principal conductor john mauceri and the hollywood bowl orchestra performed excerpts from each of the winning scores , many of them accompanied by favorite movie scenes shown on the bowl ' s big video screens . while television broadcasts have announced the previous eight installments of afi ' s 100 years . . . series , this event marks the first time an afi countdown was revealed before a live audience .
“the greatest , ” the screen biography of muhammad ali , a . k . a . cassius clay , is a charming curio of a sort hollywood doesn ' t seem to make much any more . it ' s movie about a real‐life personality who plays himself in reconstructions of those events that brought him to success ' s pinnacle , which , in turn , prompted movie producers to want to make this movie about him .
star wars won several awards at the 1978 academy awards , including best art direction - set decoration , which went to john barry , norman reynolds , leslie dilley and roger christian . best costume design was awarded to john mollo ; best film editing went to paul hirsch , marcia lucas and richard chew ; john stears , john dykstra , richard edlund , grant mccune and robert blalack all received awards for best effects , visual effects . john williams was awarded his third oscar for best music , original score ; the best sound went to don macdougall , ray west , bob minkler and derek ball ; and a special achievement for sound effects went to ben burtt . additional nominations included alec guinness for best actor in a supporting role , george lucas for best screenplay and best director , and gary kurtz was nominated for his producing duties in best picture . [ 52 ] at the golden globe awards , the film was nominated for best motion picture - drama , best director , best supporting actor ( alec guinness ) , and best score . it only won the award for best score . [ 52 ] it received six bafta nominations : best film , best editing , best costume , best production / art design , best sound , and best score ; the film won in the latter two categories . [ 52 ] john williams ' soundtrack album won the grammy award for best album of an original score for a motion picture or television program , [ 52 ] and the film was awarded the hugo award for best dramatic presentation . [ 52 ] in 1997 , the mtv movie awards awarded chewbacca the lifetime achievement award for his work in the star wars trilogy . [ 52 ]
the music associated to the opening capture of the blockade runner is very similar to mars , from holst ' s the planets . in the liner notes to the original sound track recording , williams implicitly acknowledged the connection by explaining why he didn ' t simply use holst ' s the planets . he said that he felt he could give the music a more unified feel if he wrote it all himself .
it’s been 25 years since the last call at the bar where everybody knows your name .
in alderaan ' s place , they find what seems to be an asteroid field . the planet was destroyed by the dreaded death star , on the orders of grand moff tarkin , to set an example of the power of the empire . the millennium falcon is pulled aboard the death star by its powerful tractor beam .
basically an attempted remake of rocky . it ' s interesting in a sense to cast ali as himself here but it ' s perhaps unsurprising that for as great a boxer as he was , he was no actor . hence surrounding him with a cast including robert duvall , james earl jones , and ernest borgnine to at least give the film the appearance of acting happening up on screen . i ' d be interested in learning just how much hellman shot on this film , as it appears to lack a lot of the visual ideas that are present in a majority of his work .
ladd offered lucas some of the only support from the studio ; he dealt with scrutiny from board members over the rising budget and complex screenplay drafts . after production fell two weeks behind schedule , ladd told lucas that he had to finish production within a week or he would be forced to shut down production . the crew split into three units , led by lucas , kurtz , and production supervisor robert watts , respectively . under the new system , the project met the studio ' s deadline . [ 3 ] [ 18 ] ilm concluded shooting on april 22 , 1977 with shot 110p , that of a star destroyer . [ 21 ]
approximately nineteen years after the formation of the galactic empire , the galaxy is in a state of civil war . the rebel alliance has won their first major victory by stealing plans to the galactic empire ' s secret weapon , the death star . hoping that the stolen plans can save her people and restore freedom to the galaxy , princess leia organa , who is in custody of the stolen plans attempts to race home aboard the tantive iv . however , her ship is intercepted by the imperial i - class star destroyer devastator over the desert planet of tatooine .
the film is set about nineteen years after the formation of the galactic empire ; construction has finished on the death star , a weapon capable of destroying a planet . after princess leia organa , a leader of the rebel alliance , receives the weapon ' s plans in the hope of finding a weakness , she is captured and taken to the death star . meanwhile , a young farmer named luke skywalker meets obi - wan kenobi , who has lived in seclusion for years on the desert planet of tatooine . when luke ' s home is burned and his aunt and uncle killed , obi - wan begins luke ' s jedi training as they—along with han solo , chewbacca , c - 3po and r2 - d2 —attempt to rescue the princess from the empire .
a look back at the “happy days” cast that rocked and rolled on the hit 1970s sitcom .
in a tribute to a recent passing of a legend of boxing muhammad ali , i decided to watch this 1977 biographical movie , in which ali stars as himself . this is a dramatised version of his life story up to the late 1970s . it includes his olympic triumphs as cassius clay , his conversion to islam , his refusal of the army draft and the legal battle after being stripped of his world title . ali was a very gifted showman and a talented personality in different aspects on media and television , and it was fun to see ali act in an actual movie . he was a great man and we will all miss him . the film , in my opinion , wasn ' t that bad , and it even included the actual footage of ali ' s fights . a good biographical sports drama overall .
there are many short alternate takes throughout star wars where luke appears in his poncho : luke in the desert , in the tusken raiders ' canyon , luke finding the destroyed homestead , and in the hangar on yavin 4 . the only poncho scenes that made the final cut were in docking bay 94 , on the millennium falcon flight from the death star , and on arrival on yavin 4 .
the music for the awards ceremony at the end of the movie begins with the force / ben ' s theme , and then transitions into a theme that , in the liner notes , williams says is reminiscent of
the coronation
, which probably refers to elgar ' s , or , more likely , william walton ' s coronation march .
this will be a day long remembered . it has seen the end of kenobi . it will soon see the end of the rebellion .
after escaping from the trash compactor , the group hurries back to the millennium falcon , hoping that obi - wan has successfully shut down the tractor beam . they encounter stormtroopers on their way to the ship , evading and blasting their way past them .
r2 - d2 has absconded from his new master , luke skywalker . early in the morning , luke and threepio rush off in the landspeeder to search for r2 , with threepio driving the landspeeder . they talk about artoo , ben kenobi , and how angry uncle owen is going to be . the scene belongs at the start of the sequence where luke and 3po search for r2 , before the attack of the tusken raiders . the moment was scored with a light version of luke ' s theme ; the music can be heard at the beginning of the cue
land of the sand people
on the original lp and cd configurations , or
landspeeder search
in the special edition album . before the days of cgi , scenes like this landspeeder cockpit sequence had to be filmed against a rear - projection screen . the scene was dropped due to poor quality .
ali is shown fighting joe bugner during the montage of bouts that took place between the first frazier fight in 1971 and the first norton fight in 1973 .
in this movie you can see the story told by the man himself . . . and played by him as well ! following young cassius clay ` s struggle against prejudice and discrimanation from his olympic cold win to the famous rumble in the jungle , the fight against george foreman ! muhammad ali is a natural performer and in this film he is managing not to go overboard ! the best part of the script is that just concentrates itself with hard facts . i ' ll have to say that without ali we would never know about him turning up at sonny liston ` s house at the dead of night to throw insults . . . and that is the advantage of this movie ! it is like some kind of documentary reconstruction…
the huge supporting cast includes a lot of fine actors doing little more than bits , though robert duvall stands out as one of ali ' s earlier backers and roger e . mosley is very funny as sonny liston in the film ' s most uproarious sequence—when all sets out to insult the humorless liston into a title bout . ernest borgnine and john marley are staunch as , respectively , the champ ' s trainer , angelo dundee , and his doctor , ferdie pacheco .
explores the critical role that miami played in the evolution of one of the most significant cultural figures of our time : muhammad ali ( nã© cassius clay ) .
lucas has made mention of the film
633 squadron
directed by walter grauman when citing movies that inspired themes or elements in star wars episode iv : a new hope . the
trench run
in a new hope wherein luke flies his x - wing through a
trench
on the death star and destroys the ship was inspired , at least in small part , by the finale of 633 squadron , which involves several royal air force planes flying at low level up a fjord against heavy , ground - based anti - aircraft fire , to attack a factory located at the base of a cliff at the canyon ' s end .
a new hope was originally presented in monaural sound in many theatres , though the first - run 70mm prints were some of the earliest wide - release examples of surround sound—something not seen in the commercial cinema since the cinerama and cinemascope experiments of the early 50 ' s .
unfortunately , the grate covers a chute that leads to a garbage compactor that is also home to a resident dianoga . soon after landing , the creature pulls luke under the surface , but releases him and is scared away when the imperials realize where the heroes escaped to and activate the compactor . as the walls close in on the foursome , luke desperately calls to c - 3po over his comlink asking for the compactor to be shut down . r2 - d2 manages to shut down the compactor just in time , although , amidst the muffled cries of joy over the comlink , c - 3po is briefly convinced that his master and friends have been crushed .
star wars ( 1977 ) ( aka star wars episode iv : a new hope ) , 121 minutes , d : george lucas the first of a trilogy of fantasy films by writer / director george lucas , and one of the most financially - successful films of all time , with amazing technological effects . a sci - fi adventure saga
in a galaxy far , far away
, quasi - western film , about a galactic battle between good ( the rebel forces ) and evil ( the imperial galactic empire ) . the characters are proto - typical : a young farmboy hero luke skywalker ( mark hamill ) on a desert planet , a villainous , black - garbed sinister lord darth vader ( voice of james earl jones ) - an aide to the leader of the empire grand moff tarkin ( peter cushing ) , a wise jedi knight obi - wan kenobi ( alec guinness ) , daring starship pilot han solo ( harrison ford ) , captured rebel princess leia organa ( carrie fisher ) , a furry wookie and two robotic droids . with two sequels , the empire strikes back ( 1980 ) and return of the jedi ( 1983 ) .
the opening title ( the
theme from star wars
, or
luke ' s theme
) has been said to resemble john barry ' s theme from born free , but has a similar facade to the opening strains of the 1942 film , king ' s row , scored by erich wolfgang korngold . later john williams themes , such as those from e . t . the extra - terrestrial have been said to bear a resemblance to it . listening to them together , one observes that none is identical to any of the others , but they use many of the same musical intervals to achieve similar , or at least related , emotional effects .
luke ' s landspeeder races into the town of anchorhead , nearly running over an old woman . luke rushes into tosche station excitedly telling his friends about the battle above their planet . he is overjoyed to be reunited with his friend biggs darklighter who is on planet leave from the academy . deak , windy , camie , fixer and biggs all follow luke outside to see the battle with luke ' s macrobinoculars . the battle appears to have ended and luke ' s friends ridicule him for making it all up . this scene was to come just after r2 - d2 and c - 3po eject from the tantive iv in an escape pod , and before the scene where princess leia is led captive before darth vader . this scene establishes luke ' s difficult relationships with his peers , and gives a picture of life on tatooine . storyline pacing may have been the deciding factor , but it should also be borne in mind that after lucas ' s first screening of the rough cut of star wars in 1977 , a fellow film - maker jokingly accused him of producing
american graffiti in space
. this jibe probably influenced lucas to cut the scenes set in anchorhead . the sequence where luke nearly runs down an old woman was an effects shot that was never completed .
the dude ' s 1973 ford gran torino the big lebowski movie ( 1998 ) hollywood series 18 . . .
when asked about the book at the time he signed the contract at random house , muhammad ali said ,
writing is fighting .
you can say that again .
at the point he turns pro , muhammad ali takes over his own role in what amounts to a résumé of the published facts of his life—his friendship with malcolm x and conversion to the muslim religion , his successes in the ring and then ostracism after he refused induction into the army , followed by his victory before the supreme court and his victory over george foreman in the title fight in zaire .
the rebel strike force begins its attack on the death star , as the space station approaches the rebel base on yavin 4 . a group of starfighters assaults a trench on the death star ' s surface to hit the station ' s vulnerable spot before it can destroy the alliance ' s base . during this , most of the rebel craft , including luke ' s friend biggs darklighter , are picked off by imperial fighters led by darth vader . just as vader opens fire on luke from his personal tie advanced fighter , han returns in the millennium falcon and attacks the imperials , resulting in vader ' s ship getting knocked out of the trench . luke , aided by the voice of kenobi and guided by the force , accurately fires two proton torpedoes into a small exhaust port leading to the death star ' s reactor , and the battle station explodes .
it was a bad joke because a palooka , muhammad ali ain & apos ; t . his biography ,
the greatest : my own story ,
is a splendid action - packed hurricane of a book , which , like george foreman , takes off and runs uphill , goat - like . and it packs the same kind of wallop floyd patterson must have used to knock out ingemar johansson . it is a good old two - fisted country thumping in words ; a bone - crushing , quality thriller that belongs in the same class as autobiographies written by booker t . washington , frederick douglass and james weldon johnson .
after fighting a squadron of tie fighters , the millennium falcon meets the rebel alliance on yavin 4 , and the information in r2 - d2 is turned over . general dodonna plans the attack on the death star , an attack so audacious as to receive an unenthusiastic reaction from the pilots . to add to luke ' s dismay , han leaves after receiving his reward .
for 17 , 000 credits , 2 , 000 in advance and 15 , 000 upon arrival , smuggler han solo and his first mate , a wookiee named chewbacca , agree to take the four of them to alderaan aboard their ship , the millennium falcon . after brief scuffles with the empire and henchmen sent by jabba the hutt , the falcon escapes the imperial blockade at mos eisley and han sets a course for alderaan , unaware that the planet was about to be mercilessly destroyed by the empire .