"....I suffered for my art. Now it's your turn..."
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Rock star cameos surface in rare MIA 70's student film
As reported in Crawdaddy last week, a rare student film has surfaced featuring numerous rock star cameos and 70's B-grade actors.
To ensure an accurate retelling, here's a cut-&-paste from the Darrick Thomas article:
The archives are yielding some rock-meets-film gems as of late: Last week we brought you the Joe Strummer-directed, Clash-cast film Hell W10, which you can watch here, and today, we’ve stumbled upon a comedic short called Sonic Boom, featuring the Who‘s infamous drummer and rock ‘n’ roll icon, Keith Moon. In addition to Moon, the 1974 short, by UCLA film students Jeff Mandel and Eric Louzil, boasts perfromances from Ricky Nelson, Sal Mineo, Chuck Woolery, and Jonathan Winters. From what we can put together from an interview a Chris Radcliffe conducted with Louzil, the filmmakers would search the morning papers to see what celebrities were in town either on tour or shooting, in the hopes of getting them to do bit parts in their productions.
Radcliffe explains:
“The way they cast Sonic Boom was simply this: They would get together at production meetings, take out the entertainment section of the Los Angeles Times and find out who had made it into press. Then they would essentially stalk these performers and ask them to help out with their student film.
“Elton John was in town playing at the Troubadour, so it was a toss up between Keith or Elton. They chose Keith because he was a bigger name at the time. They began hanging out at the clubs he was know to frequent until they caught up with him and he agreed to appear in the film for $1,400 in cocaine and a television, though the one page agreement signed between the producers and Keith read for ‘One Case Of Coke And A Television.’
“In any event Keith’s scene was filmed at the Burbank Court House where he played the part of a professor wearing a cotex [sic] on his upper lip for a mustache. He arrived on the set in a gold limousine (which at that time was extremely rare and impressive) and left in a different one. The short film was eventually released theatrically in 1975 where it was shown before the feature film of the evening Man Friday, starring Peter O’Toole and Richard Roundtree.”
According to IMDb, Sonic Boom is “about a supersonic jet that lands in a small town and creates hysteria about an impending sonic boom that never happens.” (Moon first appears around the 5:15 marker.)
So take the Jiffypop off the stovetop, click the "Full Screen" button, and sit back for a trip back to 1974 for the next half hour. See how many familiar, and not-so-familiar faces, you can recognize.
Have you ever experienced a day, or a week, when all the stars align? It’s a moment when the different stories or events of your life interconnect or collide and you suddenly realize that this is the true “first day of the rest of your life”.
Well, the past couple of weeks have been building to just such a culmination. Like the seemingly disparate stories in such critically diverse films as Crash and Valentine’s Day, events in my life have come together almost to the day.
My realization begins from an early morning phone message on the 6th of May. In anticipation of the day that lay ahead prior to my daughter’s flight, I scheduled the day off work. There was still so much to do, it seemed. After cutting the grass on my lawn, I came inside to find a message on my answering machine. It was my wife. She got a call from my mother. Bad news. A friend of mine had passed away. I quickly grabbed the morning paper, desperately searching for the Obituaries. I didn’t want to believe it until I saw for myself. Finally, the last section I checked revealed an entry for a recognizable name.
There it was. EDWARDS, Graham.
Emotions and memories came flooding over me. You never expect to find someone younger than you in the Obits. The irony is that for years I have been trying to find his older brother. What a sad way, I thought, to finally make contact. Anyway, I immediately got on the phone to various mutual friends to break the news, including a call to Los Angeles (totally forgetting the time difference) with a very early morning call there.
Ironically, this was the second death I was close to, as another friend’s mother passed away the day before. I began waiting for the next one, since the old saying says that “deaths happen in threes”. It soon came when another friend informed me about a close friend of his passing away on Saturday, simply passing away in his sleep.
As you are aware from my previous entry, my daughter has now gone to Rome. Her flight was scheduled to depart May 6 at 11:30 p.m. Earlier that evening, my son‘s soccer team had his first Cup game of the season, a somewhat important game, that began at 7:00 p.m. We left him playing to head off to the airport. We wanted to get there early to avoid the long lineups at check-in. It proved to be a wise decision, since her luggage was overweight by the acceptable 30 kgs. , and things had to be removed to bring it down. Needless to say, this was seen as a total inconvenience by my daughter. She was none to happy exposing the contents of her suitcase to all that passed by. Eventually, everything worked out. The weight was brought down to an acceptable amount, and the baggage was sent down the moving track somewhere within the bowels of the Terminal.
Returning to pick up my son, and discovering they lost out valiantly in penalty kicks, we returned home. It was truly a quiet space without my daughter. The darkness of the house as we entered only accentuated the fact. After medicating a sick goldfish, we finally went to bed. All but my wife, that is, who remained vigilant to an online flight tracking website, waiting to make sure that the flight to Rome took off. It did eventually – 1: 30 a.m.
I awoke the next morning at 5:30 to find both the laptop and my wife in sleep mode. I woke up the missus first.
I quickly roused my son, since we had to be downtown to write his SAT exam. We had taken care of one child's future, now it was time to concentrate on the other.
Despite the traffic, we made it to our destination with minimal delays. Needless to say, my mind was still on the impending funeral and viewing, which was slated to begin at 10:30.
I eventually made it to the funeral home, actually being the first to arrive and sign the guest book. Eerily silent, I walked into the viewing room and approached the casket, and his mother and sister. They didn't appear to recognize me until I told them. You could see the memories come back by the expressions on their faces. It was as if my name evoked a different time, when we were kids growing up. A phone call from another mutual friend sending his condolences brought a few tears of joy to his sister: When told that Graham’s brother was living in Vancouver for the past 30 years, and had not returned for a visit, I could hear my friend on the phone as he offered to fly him home. The emotions were too much.
It was then that I realized the power of love and friendship. Despite the absent years, the time was suddenly erased, and we were just the neighbours that stuck together through thick and thin…..always there for each other when we needed them. It made me want to connect with Steve, Graham’s brother, that much more. I only hope "Stan" will want to reconnect with us.
Later that night, as I lay in bed, it struck me that there wasn’t as much of a dichotomy here as I had first suspected. Here were two people, Graham and my daughter, each of them ending one journey and beginning another: One in a physical sense, the other in a metaphysical, spiritual sense.
To my daughter, I say, embrace your new life, la dolce vita, and keep that spirit alive within you no matter how homesick you may get. If I did not make myself clear prior to your departure, allow me to offer you my full approval of this undertaking. Stay focussed on your dream. Never let it waver. I’m sure that the rest of us in your family aren’t the only ones to see that Juventus needs your “iron fist” management, and logical insights, not to mention a woman’s perspective. In the meantime, enjoy the company of your new family, and the joy you will bring to those three boys as they learn from someone as special as you. I predict they will hold you in their hearts for years after your time there is done. You are a very special person and Italy should be grateful, as well as proud, to include you in their population.
To Graham, I will always remember the Monty Python routines we all shared, and your “air guitar” and “air drumming” to Deep Purple and King Crimson. I will cherish the memories of time spent in my bedroom, over numerous cups of tea, discussing philosophies of live, love, and politics, and the emotional highs and lows of adolescence…..the laughs and the disagreements. It was all so very special. Rest in peace, my friend. The pain that came so quick, has ended just as fast. I shall remember the laugh…..
Still feeling the residual effects of alcoholic imbibement and merrymaking on Saturday night as we hosted a Bon Voyage party for my daughter, I can finally recall some of the eveningʹs events after a dayʹs rest, lots of coffee, water, and Tylenol.
This past week, and the one to follow, has been/will be a flurry of activity as we wrap up her current life here to prepare for her life there, all the while working around my sonʹs soccer schedule, with the availability of only one car.
First, though, a little background. My daughter has been planning this change of life for some time now. Like many, she abhors the Canadian winter, and is not a big fan of the political and multicultural climate in this country. After my wife and I decided to make her, and her brother, dual citizens (her mother is Italian), you could see the possibilities running through her mind when that EU passport arrived in her name. It was a window...no, a doorway of opportunity for her....it was her ticket out of a country where winter lasts 8 to 10 months!
In her second year at university, she changed her major from Psychology to Italian Studies, enabling her to learn the language and immerse herself in the culture, all as a precursor to a future within the Azzurri provinces. Testing the waters with an extended stay with relatives in Boville Ernica last August, she realized her destiny was a life in that country. In other words, she loved it! Tears filled her eyes when she had to return home.
She had to figure out a way to return.....
She considered various options to a life there. Iinitially, one was working as a tour guide. Since she had a good command of English, Italian, and Spanish, it was an excellent way to begin a life there. But for reasons such as expensive apartments, utilities, food, etc. she tried to think of other options.....that`s when she hit upon the idea of working as an Au Pair. Now, for the uninitiated, (and non-French speaking), a direct translation would be ʺon a parʺ or ʺequal toʺ. In other words, she would be considered an equal member of the family, temporarily as a domestic assistant̸ babysitter. This would entail taking responsability for the children, and in some cases, a little housework. Since she is quite mature, and adores children, it was a perfect way of integrating herself into the culture.
After searching through a database of prospective families with various requests (i.e. country, age, sex, length of stay, etc.), she narrowed it down to one. Interviews via Skype followed (in Italian, of course) and both parties appeared happy with each other. There was even an interview with my wife and the mother in Rome. The true test will come when they meet at the airport this Saturday.
Beyond her domestic responsabilities with the family and the children, she is also applying to the University of Rome to continue her education - in Political Science. Now, I have to say, this came as a bit of a surprise, as I naturally assumed that Sports Management was her goal.....dreaming of being the future President of the Juventis soccer club, and all. I assume the reason for this switch in course planning is possibly due to Sports Management not being offered in the curriculum there. But I`m sure that to her, it`s a means to an end, since politics plays a very heavy role in Italian calcio.
Now this brings me to the reason for this story - the Bon Voyage party. Yes, a good time was had by all, as numerous friends and relatives showed up to wish her well. Since she is already packed (an experience in itself), and has no room for a mountain of gifts, she asked everyone to bring a photo, which would then be scanned and uploaded to her computer, where she would always have them close at hand. An assortment of Juventus and soccer related cupcakes were prepared especially for here, in addition to a classic Italian nosh of veal and coldcuts on panini`s, pasta, and of course, wine and beer.
How do I feel about all this?
Is jealous too strong a word? I am elated that she has the cahones to even attempt this. I support her wholeheartedly with her dream. I only wish I could be there with her. Not to sound naive about the possible evils lurking behind the scenes in a strange new world, she has many friends and relatives close at hand - a quick phone call or text message away - in case she needs to reach out for help......or a shoulder. She also knows that she can come home anytime without feeling regretful or despondent from the crys of the naysayers that predicted a quick return for her.
The only stipulation made by her mother to this journey is that she remain committed at least one year in her new homeland. I`m betting that she will have no problems living up to that committment. In fact, if after a year she does return, it would not surprise me to see that it will be just to visit Canada before returning to Italy.
Mississauga may be losing a valued citizen, but Rome is gaining one. The Global Village just readjusted itself.
