Mayor of the Sunset Strip (2003)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

George Hickenlooper

Writer:

George Hickenlooper (writer)

Release Date:

26 March 2004 (USA)

Genre:

Documentary | Biography | Music

Tagline:

You Should Have Been There ...

Plot:

A look at the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario, Rodney Bingenheimer

Plot Keywords:

D.J. | Eccentric | Celebrity | Retrospective | Music Promoter

Awards:

1 win & 1 nomination

Cast

Rodney Bingenheimer	...	Himself
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tori Amos	...	Herself
Billie Joe Armstrong	...	Himself (as Green Day)
Beck	...	Himself
Jello Biafra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Bing Bingenheimer	...	Himself
Zelda Bingenheimer	...	Herself
D.J. Bonebrake	...	Himself
Sonny Bono	...	Himself (archive footage)
David Bowie	...	Himself
Leo Braudy	...	Himself
Clem Burke	...	Himself
Neve Campbell	...	Herself
Belinda Carlisle	...	Herself
Chris P. Carter	...	Himself
Exene Cervenka	...	Herself
Camille Chancery	...	Herself
Cher	...	Herself
Tre Cool	...	Himself (as Green Day)
Alice Cooper	...	Himself
Elvis Costello	...	Himself
Bing Crosby	...	Himself (archive footage)
Cherie Currie	...	Herself
Tony Curtis	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Des Barres	...	Himself
Pamela Des Barres	...	Herself
Henry Diltz	...	Himself
Dion DiMucci	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mike Dirnt	...	Himself (as Green Day)
John Doe	...	Himself
Denny Doherty	...	Himself (archive footage)
Micky Dolenz	...	Himself (archive footage)
India Dupré	...	Herself
John Easdale	...	Himself
'Mama' Cass Elliot	...	Herself (archive footage)
Corey Feldman	...	Himself
Kim Fowley	...	Himself
Liam Gallagher	...	Himself
Noel Gallagher	...	Himself
Sarah Michelle Gellar	...	Herself
Leigh Gorman	...	Himself
Jed 'The Fish' Gould	...	Himself (as Jed the Fish)
Green Day	...	Themselves
Deborah Harry	...	Herself
George Hickenlooper	...	Himself
William Holden	...	Himself (archive footage)
Rock Hudson	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mick Jagger	...	Himself
Joan Jett	...	Herself
David Johansen	...	Himself (archive footage)
Davy Jones	...	Himself
Kato Kaelin	...	Himself
Liza Kumjian-Smith	...	Herself
Janet Leigh	...	Herself (archive footage)
John Lennon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Jerry Lee Lewis	...	Himself (archive footage)
Lance Loud	...	Himself
Courtney Love	...	Herself
Annabella Lwin	...	Herself
John Lydon	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ray Manzarek	...	Himself
Johnny Marr	...	Himself
Chris Martin	...	Himself
Dean Martin	...	Himself (archive footage)
Paul McCartney	...	Himself
Miss Mercy	...	Herself
Kramer Morgenthau	...	Himself
Jim Morrison	...	Himself (archive footage)
Michael Nesmith	...	Himself (archive footage)
Yoko Ono	...	Herself (archive footage)
John Phillips	...	Himself (archive footage)
Mackenzie Phillips	...	Herself
Michelle Phillips	...	Herself (archive footage)
Poe	...	Herself
Iggy Pop	...	Himself (archive footage)
Monique Powell	...	Herself
Elvis Presley	...	Himself (archive footage)
Domenic Priore	...	Himself
Joey Ramone	...	Himself (archive footage)
Keanu Reeves	...	Himself
Paul Reubens	...	Himself
Linda Ronstadt	...	Herself (archive footage)
Gavin Rossdale	...	Himself (credit only)
David Lee Roth	...	Himself (archive footage)
Brooke Shields	...	Herself
Frank Sinatra	...	Himself (archive footage)
Nancy Sinatra	...	Herself
Phil Spector	...	Himself
Gwen Stefani	...	Herself
Chris Stein	...	Himself (archive footage)
Danny Sugerman	...	Himself (as Danny Sugarman)
Peter Tork	...	Himself (archive footage)
Pete Townshend	...	Himself
Frankie Valli	...	Himself (archive footage)
Edward Van Halen	...	Himself (archive footage)
Ronald Vaughan	...	Himself / Isadore Ivy:Spaceman-at-Large
Sid Vicious	...	Himself (archive footage)
George Wendt	...	Himself
Louise Wener	...	Herself
Jane Wiedlin	...	Herself (archive footage)
Brian Wilson	...	Himself
Carnie Wilson	...	Herself
Lisa Worden	...	Herself
X.	...	Themselves (as X)
Neil Young	...	Himself
Rob Zombie	...	Himself
Billy Zoom	...	Himself

Directed by
George Hickenlooper

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
George Hickenlooper		writer

Produced by
Christopher Paul Carter	....	producer (as Chris Carter)
Julie Janata	....	co-producer
Greg Little	....	producer
Greg S. Little	....	producer (as Greg Little)
Tommy Perna	....	producer
Donald Zuckerman	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Anthony Marinelli

Cinematography by
Igor Meglic
Kramer Morgenthau

Film Editing by
Julie Janata

Sound Department
Mark Burton	....	sound mixer
Mike Chock	....	supervising sound editor
Alexander Court	....	first assistant sound editor
Mat Dennis	....	sound recordist
Joseph R. Ekins	....	sound mixer
Brian Riordan	....	additional sound re-recording mixer
Geordy Sincavage	....	foley mixer
Peter D. Lago	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Alexandra Buresch	....	assistant camera
Mark Gutterud	....	first assistant camera
April Lanci-Leseur	....	assistant camera (as April Lanci)

Editorial Department
Joe Fineman	....	post-production consultant
Katie Hedrich	....	assistant editor
Eric O. Schusterman	....	additional editor
Royce Smith	....	color timer
Kathy Thomson	....	digital colorist

Music Department
Clint Bennett	....	music mixer
Clint Bennett	....	music producer
Clint Bennett	....	music recordist
Chris P. Carter	....	music supervisor
Christopher Paul Carter	....	music supervisor
Anthony Marinelli	....	music producer
Anthony Marinelli	....	orchestrator
Charles Raggio	....	music supervisor
Andrea von Foerster	....	music coordinator

Other crew
Lori Beth Bernat	....	research assistant
Liza Kumjian-Smith	....	production coordinator: UK
Noni Tulk-Perna	....	production assistant
Dan Williams	....	senior video technician

Thanks
India Dupré	....	special thanks
Dee Dee Ramone	....	thanks
Joey Ramone	....	thanks
Paul Reubens	....	thanks
Monte Robison	....	special thanks
Phil Spector	....	thanks

Production Companies

• Caldera Productions
• Kino-Eye American
• Perna Productions
• Question Mark Productions

Distributors

• Odeon Films (2004) (Canada) (theatrical)
• Paradiso Entertainment (2005) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Astro Distribution (2007) (Germany) (DVD)
• Evolution Entertainment (2007) (Switzerland) (DVD)
• First Look International (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Lakeshore Entertainment
• Overseas FilmGroup
• Video Film Express (2005) (Netherlands) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Skylark Sound Studios  DVD commentary sound recording and editing studio

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content/nudity, language and some drug references.

Runtime:

Canada:94 min (Toronto International Film Festival) | USA:94 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Australia:M | Ireland:15A | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Caldera Productions

Trivia:

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 Michael Moore's Bowling for Columbine (2002).

Quotes:

Mackenzie Phillips: We would spend hours getting ready but we would spend hours clipping our hair, hoping that we would look like mental patients.

Movie Connections:

References Loving You (1957)

Soundtrack:

Just A Girl

A valuable and necessary documentary on the cult of fame

A few months ago, while awaiting my late-night food at *that* deli in Hollywood, I went up to a seated Rodney Bingenheimer and told him straight up: "'Mayor of the Sunset Strip' is one of the most important films I've ever seen." Emphasis on the word "important". I then explained why, and he just smiled, closed his eyes and nodded.

Less an indulgence in the overplayed phenomenon of "celebrity", this film is much more of a (rare) viewing of notoriety's seedy, cultist aspects under modern capitalism. In an age when "fame" and "celebrity" are their own forms of hard currency (E.G. invite a known celebrity to YOUR party -- whatever the occasion -- and see how many people RSVP within a matter of hours...), this is a film worth studying. The Yale-educated director, who not ironically directed "Hearts of Darkness", shrewdly turns the subject of Rodney Bingenheimer's literal 'staying power' in Hollywood into an entertaining and thought-provoking look at FAME AS A DISEASE. When the film is viewed under this poignant and increasingly relevant context, then Rodney really isn't that different from anyone else in America (or hyper-consuming Western culture in general). Nope, no one ultimately cares that you ran into Paul McCartney once in your twenties, but you'll keep mentioning it anyway...because you *matter*!!!

I watched the film on DVD (the preferred format, considering the variety of interviews in the "extras" portion) again after a yearlong lapse from my first viewing, only to further absorb its potency on the above-mentioned. A telling and strangely comforting aspect shown is the palpable discomfort on the faces of certain demonstrably lifelong insecure hyper-celebrities (Cher, Brooke Shields, Liam from Oasis) over talking about Rodney, their mercurial lives and ultimately, how they view "fame". One senses that, even if after attaining that much "acceptance", that you're still not comfortable in your own skin, then it's best not to carry as much celebrity currency in your pockets in the first place when - God Forbid -- you'd have to ever pay some of it back to those who've helped you attain it along the way.

Not all of the film's included luminaries came across in such fashion, however -- Ray Manzerick, Gwen Stefani, Nancy Sinatra, Elvis Costello, Brian Wilson and David Bowie more or less stayed clear of such forced sincerity (read: barely contained cringing) in this film. And yet, I'd be lying if I said that all of the awkward celebrity posturing wasn't the most entertaining aspect of the film – yes, even more so then simply the presence of the celebs who appear.

Brooke Shield's interview in the DVD is akin to an actual cognitive behavioral therapy session, where she relates how she's (supposedly) overcome her past nagging needs for acceptance. This caveat is telling, considering her much publicized postpartum depression (E.G. newborns don't know how to adore "celebrity" on cue, hence potentially magnifying the neuroses of past rejections felt by such otherwise "me-first" celebrities during, say, all-night baby crying sessions).

Author and 'fame expert' Leo Braudy is featured briefly commenting on the nature of fame and the public's obsession with it, concluding that he doesn't know who Rodney Bingenheimer is. I would've rather included authors Richard Schickel or Tyler Cowen (the latter an economist), who would've provided better insights without the added flippancy. Ironically (or maybe not so, considering the difference between having BEEN in the fame trenches versus simply writing about them), Rodney's darker trenches mate and alter-ego Kim Fowley actually sums up fame better than does Braudy with a nutshell synopsis of what drives people to seek fame, or the famous. Fowley accurately diagnoses Rodney and everyone else in Hollywood -- in itself worth watching the movie for, especially because Fowley illustrates the wacky, surreal and even palpably evil accumulation of frothy on-the-edges-of-fame excess that isn't limited to just the non-Wilshire Blvd. (read: corporate) entertainment industry, but sums up fame's very heart and that industry's core.

The film also shrewdly (and deservedly) shines a subtly dismissive light onto "alternative radio" juggernaut, KROQ, which is now to 'cutting edge' and 'fidelity to founding visionaries' what Alice Cooper was to 'subtlety'. KROQ DJ Jed the Fish's summing up of KROQ's essential value of Rodney Bingenheimer as more or less irrelevant to modern musical trends is tactically contrasted by the director with a brief yet accurate portrayal of KROQ's core current audience -- sweaty, tattooed, violent, soul-less subhuman Huns who urinate openly at concerts and grunt to hackneyed noise passing as their distressingly elected life anthems.

The viewer stumbles upon something: Being that "fame" has created its own marketplace, it's obvious that Rodney has a unique talent that can be shopped around (to Indy 103.1 or satellite radio, for instance)...away from a midnight to 3:00 AM slot on KROQ. Yet, because of the uniquely demonic characteristics of cut-throat, increasingly commercial yet still elusive Hollywood, one then realizes possibly why the less opportunistic 'good souls' (to quote Starsailor) like Rodney don't have agents shopping their said talents around: Despite not retaining any known instrumental or singing talents, a "radio-friendly voice" (Jed the Fish? Swedish Eagle? Adam Corolla?!?) or Teutonic good looks, still, at least Rodney is not a hack.

I'd make this film required viewing in suburban high schools as well as in college courses involving media or cultural studies, sociology, psychology, the arts and/or the humanities. Best to cork that genie in our tortured youth before 'groupie-dom' tries to compensate for their disturbingly growing lack of self-esteem...

With that said, God Bless Rodney Bingenheimer.