supermensch : the legend of shep gordon
from mike myers' supermensch: the legend of shep gordon. courtesy of san francisco film society
supermensch: the legend of shep gordon is a movie starring shep gordon, sylvester stallone, and michael douglas. the life and career of the legendary hollywood insider, shep gordon .
the 2. 27 trailer of supermensch: the legend of shep gordon is one you will enjoy, i think .
shep gordon relaxes in his hammock in his backyard. | photo courtesy shep gordon
documentary subject shep gordon attends the
supermensch: the legend of shep gordon
premiere during the 2013 toronto international film festival at princess of wales theatre on september 7, 2013 in toronto, canada .
shep gordon relaxes in his hammock in his backyard. | photo courtesy shep gordon the ‘supermensch’ film poster | photos courtesy radius - twc
mike myers documents the astounding career of hollywood insider, the loveable shep gordon .
“shep gordon is the nicest person i’ve ever met, hands down, ” mike myers says of the subject of his new film, supermensch: the legend of shep gordon. the uber - manager also had a hand in the careers of everyone from alice cooper to anne murray, which is why the friendliest dude in hollywood makes for perfect documentary fodder .
the music and career of country legend willie nelson is reexamined on this dvd that ...
not that' supermensch: the legend of shep gordon' is likely to do the kind of business most myers movies do... but it' s competent enough to suggest the filmmaker has more arrows in his quiver than' yeah, baby.'
radius - twc is proud to announce that it has acquired north american rights to a & e indiefilms' supermensch: the legend of shep gordon, mike myers directorial debut that celebrated its world premiere to rave reviews at the toronto film festival .
mike myers makes a warm - hearted documentary directorial debut with supermensch: the legend of shep gordon, an enjoyably fluffy delve into the life of an entertainment industry legend. brimming with great interviews (clearly myers has a cool little black book full of contacts) and impressive archive footage, it is genially non - critical film that leaves audiences with a smile .
you may not have heard of this hollywood legend, but you definitely know a few of his famous friends .
mike myers’ directorial debut, the documentary “supermensch: the legend of shep gordon, ” is the story of one of hollywood’s most famous talent managers. as portrayed in the film, which made its new york premiere thursday at moma, gordon nurtured the careers of alice cooper, teddy pendergrass, anne murray and many others, and also found time [ … ]
shep gordon had invited me & jan to a party for teddy pendergrass there .
shep gordon and alice cooper, in an archival photo from ‘supermensch’ | photo courtesy radius - twc after a life spent backstage, super agent shep gordon (top center) takes center stage as the subject of mike myers’ biopic supermensch. pictured with shep (from left) are tom arnold, myers, personal assistant nancy meola and maui pal willie nelson. photo by lily meola
on shep gordon’s first night in los angeles in the late 1960s, he got hit in the face by janis joplin .
“it is just nice that that is the effect (supermensch) has, ” gordon says. “it makes it worthwhile. ”
i' m thrilled to have supermensch distributed by radius - twc who are the best in the business and who understand that this film is a tribute to a great man, mr. shep gordon .
myers has stated in interviews that he was inspired to create supermensch after years of hearing gordon’s stories from his rock ‘n’ roll days .
meet the man who invented sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll. shep gordon is the ultimate hollywood insider who spent his life making other people famous. in his directorial debut mike myers returns the favor by shining a light on this living legend .
capitalist, protector, hedonist, pioneer, showman, shaman... supermensch .
today bob lefsetz says the first half of a new movie about shep is the second best rock documentary ever made .
mike myers will direct a documentary about talent manager shep gordon. (wally skalij / los angeles times )
i’ve met more famous people through shep gordon than through anyone else i’ve ever met in my life ,
says one of the famous talking heads populating
supermensch ,
the directorial debut of mike myers that celebrates a showbiz manager of unusual achievement, one does have to admit .
only the most dedicated pop music fan knows the name of talent manager shep gordon, but gordon' s address book is filled with names of celebrities who consider him a friend, from longtime client alice cooper to actor michael douglas, to celebrity chef emeril legasse. in supermensch: the legend of shep gordon, directed by comedian mike myers, many of them tell outrageous stories, and testify to what a mensch gordon is. but it' s gordon himself who is the best raconteur. from tales of his wild youth as an occasional drug dealer and rock' n' roll hustler, to sharing joint custody of a stray cat with neighbor cary grant, to making yak butter tea for the dalai lama, gordon' s stories are a delight. fond, funny, gossipy and consistently entertaining, the film shows why, as myers says in the film ,
shep is the nicest person i' ve ever met, hands down .
saw supermensch last night and absolutely loved it. do not miss this one. urltoken # noheadnobackstagepass
the music and career of country legend willie nelson is reexamined on this dvd that mixes clips of the man himself performing his best songs with interviews of those who worked with him. the disc offers a standard full - frame transfer... .
i loved every minute of this. never heard of shep before, but was recommended to watch. must be the inspiration for spinal tap !
supermensch is an eye - popping peek into entertainment industry from the magnetic force who has worked with an impeccable roster of stars throughout his storied career .
mike myers makes his directorial debut with the documentary supermensch: the legend of shep gordon, which offers an intimate look at gordon’s life and work through the lens of a director whose admiration and love for his subject shines through. (mensch is a yiddish word that means “a person of integrity. ”) the film provides disarmingly forthcoming interviews with gordon himself, as well as a parade of celebrities including tom arnold, michael douglas and sylvester stallone, who line up to sing his praises (although douglas does joke that gordon can be a motherf— - at times). sure, it is a fun romp through a thrilling era of rock ‘n’ roll alongside one of the biggest bands of the time. but at its core, supermensch is an ode to friendship, a sober reflection on what happens when the party is over and, more than anything, a think piece on what is really important in life .
so what has the 50 - year - old been up to, exactly? apparently preparing for his directorial debut. on monday, a & e; indiefilms said it had partnered with myers on
supermensch ,
a documentary about talent manager shep gordon .
toronto – making his debut as a documentarian with a subject obviously close to his heart, mike myers plants a sloppy kiss on an entertainment industry maverick whose management savvy boosted the careers of an eclectic range of artists in supermensch: the legend of shep gordon. as the title suggests, this lively portrait is as much about the subject’s humanity as his skill at making deals or shaping careers. that duality explains how the same guy who sent a live chicken to its death onstage at an alice cooper concert can also end up brewing tibetan yak butter tea for the dalai lama .
supermensch has been on our radar for a long time and we were blown away by it in toronto .
the amazing, incredible, unlikely - but - true story of the man who' s done everything, been everywhere, and was at seemingly every important moment in musical and culinary history. he' s a one - man history of cool. and through it all, he' s somehow managed to remain a mensch. shep gordon is a legend .
–anthony bourdain
this documentary portrait by mike myers (of wayne' s world and austen powers fame) of his friend shep gordon comes close to hagiography but is just about saved by great anecdotes, stylistic inventiveness and the low - key charm of the man himself .
gordon also partnered with ellman to open maui tacos and mala wailea. currently, the pair is working on what gordon calls the “next wave” of hrc with the launch of migrant at the wailea beach marriott, headed by chef sheldon simeon (of top chef fame). while the hrc of the 1990s relied primarily on european tastes, gordon feels the next wave will offer a wider range of influences .
it helps immensely that shep gordon himself is a witty, warm and genial character with a wealth of stories (the truth of some he even doubts himself sometimes) and a roster of a - list showbiz friends. he also clearly has a great relationship with myers, who he met in 1991 when negotiating to use a song by alice cooper – one of gordon’s first clients – in wayne’s world. years later a depressed myers asked gordon if he could stay at gordon’s house in maui for a few days, and ended up staying for two months and being looked after by gordon. the terms ‘supermensch’ comes very much from gordon’s sense of generosity and kindness .
mike myers' documentary debut supermensch is a flawed and unsatisfying biography about entertainment mogul shep gordon, whose astonishing career spans the music, movie, and food businesses. gordon was directly involved, on a grassroots level, in the success of such diverse pop - culture icons as alice cooper, anne murray, alan rudolph, teddy pendergrass, and... read more
in a new trailer for the film, michael douglas says the word “mensch” is synonymous with gordon. sylvester stallone calls him a protector: “he keeps the wolf from the door, ” the actor says. emeril lagasse credits gordon for creating the concept of the celebrity chef. and then there’s footage of gordon with the dalai lama, a personal friend .
gordon shares riotous anecdotes and outrageous accounts of his free - wheeling, globe - trotting experiences with some of the biggest celebrities of the past five decades, including his first meeting with janice joplin in 1968, when the raspy singer punched him in the face. they call me supermensch is a sincere, hilarious behind - the - scenes look at the worlds of music and entertainment from the consummate hollywood insider .
that indebtedness might suggest a strictly laudatory view, and indeed supermensch is very much a celebration. but gordon comes across as a refreshingly candid man who feels no compulsion to varnish the truth .
best thing ever. watch it until you know it off by heart and want to marry shep .
shep reached out with both hands, as if he was a fan trying to reach up towards a rock star on the stage .
this is a fascinating insight into the hollywood machine through terrific old footage of some iconic faces. but it' s shep himself who makes this film so engaging .
that was the beginning of a long, fruitful career for gordon as a prolific entertainment manager and his foray into the world of music and celebrities as a sort of behind - the - scenes guru. he’s worked with some of music’s biggest names, and his list of friends reads like a who’s who in entertainment. yet gordon has managed to stay behind the curtain and out of the spotlight — until now .
within days of that show, gordon bought a house in kihei — the same one he lives in today .
“shep was the guy from the outside who was smart enough to see what was great about the band and emphasize that, ” cooper says. “he understood what the audience reacted to. and the more negative press we got in the beginning, the bigger we got. ”
“he was someone who was raised on the techniques of hrc, but brought a (filipino) influence into it, ” gordon says of simeon .
douglas moderated a post - screening q & a with gordon, who greeted the audience with a carefree ‘aloha. ’ douglas said, “mike really caught shep, warts and all, ” before first asking what the yiddish word “mensch” means to the veteran manager .
shep gordon is the consummate hollywood insider. though he isn' t a household name, gordon has become a beacon in the industry, beloved by the countless stars he has encountered throughout his storied career. shep gordon is known for managing the careers of alice cooper as well as stints with blondie, luther vandross and raquel welch, among others - a career that began with a chance encounter in 1968 with janis joplin and jimi hendrix. he even found time to invent the
celebrity chef .
though the chef as star is part of the culture now, it took shep' s imagination, and his moral outrage at how the chefs were being treated, to monetize the culinary arts into the multi - billion dollar industry it is today. personal friends with the dalai lama through his philanthropic endeavors with the tibet fund and the guardian of four children, gordon' s unlikely story told by those who know him best, his pals, including alice cooper, michael douglas, sylvester stallone, anne murray, willie nelson, emeril lagasse and more .
the tomatometer score — based on the opinions of hundreds of film and television critics — is a trusted measurement of critical recommendation for millions of fans. it represents the percentage of professional critic reviews that are positive for a given film or television show .
poignant and hilarious supermensch to audiences in theaters across the country. mike, a true mensch himself, and his team put together an incredible film that deserves to be seen .
amazing amazing documentary and film. inspiring and amusing capture of behind the scenes of music industry !
capitalist, protector, hedonist, pioneer, showman, shaman... supermensch. shep gordon is the consummate hollywood insider. though he isn' t a household name, gordon has become a beacon in the industry, beloved by the countless stars he has encountered throughout his storied career. shep is known for managing the careers of alice cooper as well as stints with blondie, luther vandross and raquel welch, among others - - a career that began with a chance encounter in 1968 with janis joplin and jimi hendrix. he even found time to invent the
celebrity chef .
though the chef as star is part of the culture now, it took shep' s imagination, and his moral outrage at how the chefs were being treated, to monetize the culinary arts into the multi - billion dollar industry it is today. personal friends with the dalai lama through his philanthropic endeavors with the tibet fund and the guardian of four children, gordon' s unlikely story will be told by those who know him best, his pals, including alice cooper, michael douglas, sylvester stallone, anne murray, willie nelson, emeril lagasse and more. in theaters june 6
in 1991, music manager shep gordon held mike myers over a barrel a few weeks before shooting wayne' s world regarding an alice cooper song myers wanted to use in the film. they have been close friends ever since. twenty - two years later, the story of gordon' s legendary life in the uber fast lane is now told in myers' directorial debut. and this time it' s myers who has gordon over a barrel .
the extensive focus on gordon’s work with cooper points up the strange juxtaposition of that artist alongside one of his other major successes of the ‘70s, anne murray. having trouble booking the white - bread canadian country - pop singer onto nbc’s the midnight special, gordon upped her hipster credibility by having her photographed with cooper’s drinking club, the hollywood vampires, which included john lennon, harry nilsson and mickey dolenz .
shep gordon is the consummate hollywood insider. though he isn' t a household name, gordon has become a beacon in the industry, beloved by the countless stars he has encountered throughout his storied career. shep is known for managing the careers of alice cooper as well as stints with blondie, luther vandross and raquel welch, among others - a career that began with a chance encounter in 1968 with janis joplin and jimi hendrix. he even found time to invent the
celebrity chef .
though the chef as star is part of the culture now, it took shep' s imagination, and his moral outrage at how the chefs were being treated, to monetize the culinary arts into the multi - billion dollar industry it is today. personal friends with the dalai lama through his philanthropic endeavors with the tibet fund and the guardian of four children, gordon' s unlikely story will be told by those who know him best, his pals, including alice cooper, michael douglas, sylvester stallone, anne murray, willie nelson, emeril lagasse and more. (c) radius
most of the buzz around this documentary comes from its director: mike myers. out of the spotlight for many years (following several box office bombs) myers has turned his energy to the world of directing, and in particular to a giant in the industry: shep gordon. a man who has managed everyone from alice cooper to emerill lagasse, this famous manager has a buttload of stories, and is finally given a way to tell them. read more at urltoken
he’s been grappling with early signs of becoming recognizable: recently, on his way to an interview in new york, he was approached by a woman who said she had seen supermensch. she had a question for gordon she hoped he could help her out with. gordon cut her off. he had to go. he was late for his interview .
that supermensch has its origins in that type of closeness makes sense in the no - holds - barred type of stories that gordon shares. tales about dealing pot at landmark hotel. creating a traffic jam just to show off a giant poster of a mostly naked alice cooper. the truth behind cooper’s infamous “chicken incident. ” gordon, now in his late 60s, is open about expressing the potential consequences of maintaining the exploits of a freewheeling lifestyle paired with a propensity to work all the time. he bares all in his desire for a family, for a child, for something that will mean he won’t wake up from surgery alone in a hospital room .
gordon is never less than honest when talking about his relationships, boozing, drug taking, though the film gets it real sense of depth and warmth when he talks about the more compassionate side of his life .
the stories are great... the kind of crazy hollywood tales that could' ve only happened in the' 70s .
celebrated snl alumnus and austin powers star mike myers steps behind the camera for this documentary examining the life and legacy of beloved hollywood insider shep gordon. a music manager whose chance run - in with jimi hendrix and janis joplin back in 1968 led to an enduring career as a manager for the likes of alice cooper, blondie, and raquel welch, gordon later reinvigorated the culinary - arts industry as the driving force behind the concept of a
celebrity chef .
in addition to exploring those aspects of gordon' s impressively multifaceted career, myers' film also reveals how his subject' s involvement with the tibet fund led to a close friendship with the dalai lama as a host of celebrities, including sylvester stallone, emeril lagasse, willie nelson, michael douglas, and cooper, reflect on the man who helped to build countless careers in the entertainment industry .
evidence surfaces throughout the film of gordon’s compassion and personal integrity. this is underscored by his eventual fatigue with the “what you are, not who you are” aspect of los angeles culture. there’s a sad irony in the fact that after working most of his life to increase the fame of his clients, he comes to reject fame as something fundamentally unhealthy .
myers had wanted to make a film about him for years, but gordon always declined the request. then, in 2012, gordon was in the hospital recovering from surgery, unsure if he was going to live or die. when myers called him to check in, gordon agreed to the idea of a documentary: “i don’t really know (why), but instead of ‘no’ coming out of my mouth, ‘yes’ came out. ”
“i have been on the road for 10 weeks. i haven’t been home since then, ” gordon says over the phone from l. a. “home” these days for gordon is largely kihei, maui, where he has had a house since the 1970s. he has been touring with supermensch, hitting the film festival circuit for screenings in san francisco, london, austin and a blur of other cities. it was released last week in new york and l. a. and played june 4 at the maui film festival, where gordon was recognized with the event’s maverick award. it is tentatively scheduled to play at kahala theatre starting july 2. supermensch has been garnering a generally favorable critical reception, and gordon is happy it’s doing so well. still, he’s looking forward to his next stint at home on maui, which will be just a few days before he takes off again to promote the film .
gordon, seemingly as likable a prolific wheeler - dealer as you’re ever likely to encounter, rose from abject stoned hippiedom to starmaker at the end of the age of aquarius. chance meetings with hendrix and joplin led to an introduction to rock rotters alice cooper (the group) and a verbal contract between gordon and that band’s eponymous singer. a kind of innate showbiz acumen leads gordon to great innovations on his client’s behalf (he was the guy who planted the live chicken on stage at the infamous alice cooper gig that got the artist tagged as a poultry slayer), and by the 40 - minute mark of the movie he’s working the same magic for anne murray and teddy pendergrass. director myers is pretty deft at getting his aforementioned talking heads, which range from stallone to legase to the personal attaché to the dalai lama, to make sense of gordon’s eclecticism .
“there are certain moments in your life where your instincts sharpen and tell you what to do, ” cooper says. “when i met shep, i knew he was one of us. ”
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now, thrust into the spotlight for the first time, gordon is becoming a star in his own right. what will that mean ?
if gordon has been on the sidelines of the spotlight, it’s because he prefers it that way. for all of those years he spent making people famous, gordon remains surprisingly skeptical, if not downright critical, of fame itself. early in supermensch, he shares a warning he would give prospective clients before taking them on: “if i do my job perfectly, i will probably kill you. ” when i ask him about this later, he elaborates: “i will make them very famous, and fame kills. ”
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myers, who has known gordon since he visited the set of 1991’s “wayne world” and haggled over which alice cooper song myers could license for the film, was happy to oblige .
in “supermensch, ” gordon is portrayed as partly a zelig - like figure who happened to be at the right place and the right time, meeting janis joplin and jimi hendrix within a day of moving to los angeles, and partly as wheeler and dealer that specialized in making everyone around him happy, from his clients to friends like michael douglas and sylvester stallone .
over the years: he traveled on the concorde, dated sharon stone and drove a white bentley, according to a 2011 profile in oprah magazine. he later became the guardian of the four children of a
has created something truly special - - a film imbued with wit, charm, and heart. you can feel the love he has for his one - of - a - kind subject shep gordon, a legendary manager whose professional accomplishments are rivaled only by the magnanimous impact he' s had on the lives of those around him. this film is sure to bring audiences to their feet and inspire the mensch in all of us. we' re tremendously excited to be collaborating with
in the mid - 1970s, gordon spent a couple weeks in honolulu to take a break from the l. a. scene. local music promoter tom moffatt, who had met gordon through a mutual friend, happened to be putting on a show on maui, so he took gordon with him .
“he gave us guidance … and insight. he was a friend and an adviser, ” recalls mark ellman, one of the founding chefs of hrc, adding that the group would gather at gordon’s place for meetings / parties .
a great little doc that peaked my interest at first because mike myers directed it. shep gordon turns out to be a music manager and movie producer who unlike most in either industry appears to have a heart. def worth a look .
in this engaging memoir, the charismatic entertainment legend recalls his life, from his humble beginnings as a
shy, no self - esteem, jewish nebbisher kid with no ambition
in oceanside, long island, to his unexpected rise as one of the most influential and respected personalities in show business, revered for his kindness, charisma—and fondness for a good time .
gordon, who met myers in 1991 on the set of
wayne' s world ,
helped shape the careers of musicians such as alice cooper, luther vandross and teddy pendergrass. his larger - than - life personality has been
“no, i wouldn’t say so, ” gordon says. “i am one of those believers that it is all perfect. ”
gordon noted that of all his famous friends’ segments in supermensch, he found steven tyler and tom arnold the most hysterical. longtime friend michael douglas told thr of gordon, “he has a joie de vivre that’s nice to see, and he’s an unbelievable cook – i mean, he dreams about food most all the time, ” adding that he prefers gordon’s pastas and fish dishes most. “you’re not born a mensch, you’re made one. he wasn’t always like that, so at some point in his life, certain things happened and he succeeded. he has lived a very good life, and one a lot of us should aspire to. ”
“reality has never seemed to important in the 50 years shep and i have been working together. when we need something to happen, shep just works his magic to simply make it a reality. i’m still not sure how he does it—he just has that natural ability to create scenarios and relationships that help to get you where you need to go. ” –alice cooper
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from sara dosa' s the last season. courtesy of san francisco film society
the two met on the set of myers’ 1992 film wayne’s world, in which alice cooper made an appearance. when myers was going through a tough personal time, he called gordon and asked if he could stay on maui with him for a couple weeks. gordon, who has an open - door policy when it comes to his friends, said of course. myers ended up staying there for two months, with gordon caring for him “like a baby chick that had fallen out of the nest” as myers recalls in the film .
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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. …
“shep just fell in love with maui immediately. he is just a genuine person, and he is a nice person, and he is very giving, ” moffatt says of gordon, whom he calls a “dear friend. ” “he has a great aura about him. he is somebody you like from the moment you meet him. ”
it’s the generosity, we suspect, that moved myers, who first met gordon through
wayne’s world ,
in which alice cooper appeared, to craft this loving portrait. he punctuates his talking head segments with animation sequences, flashes of punchline imagery, and the occasional cheeky caption, such as the description of cbc staple gordon pinsent as
famous canadian .
it’s pretty entertaining and at times almost educational—gordon’s account of how, and why, he created the category of celebrity chef is a short course in modern - day branding, for better or worse. the movie’s nutritional value, documentary wise, is pretty dubious in other respects, though; youngsters watching this are likely to come away with the impression that alice cooper was always a solo act rather than the front man of a band, none of the other members of which make an appearance here .
gordon said that the film triggered “a wide range of emotions” for him: while he was humbled by all of the kind commentary, it was tough for him to talk about his mother, and awkward to discuss the value of his maui home. he also clarified, “it’s mike’s story of me – and it’s sort of a love story, so none of the blemishes are really there, ” noting that he had a card added at the end for his early manager partner joe greenberg and that douglas was the key hollywood boldface in launching the celebrity chef category, after gordon fell in love with cooking due to a meal from roger verge. “one of the things i wanted to mention tonight is in this movie, i get credit for everything, but everything i get credit for was part of a team effort. ”
new boss warns staff of challenges ahead as cable channel looks to boost viewers’ ’hours of engagement’ .
shep gordon has managed many huge acts, first in the music business, and then in other areas ranging from film to cooking. he has also befriended just about every heavyweight in hollywood. and yet it seems he' s managed to do so while still being a good guy, a nice guy, an honorable guy. there are on camera interviews with alice cooper (who was shep' s 1st client, and who he has managed for 45 years !), mick fleetwood, michael douglas, tom arnold, emeril lagasse, anne murray, mike meyers, willie nelson, sylvester stallone and steven tyer. but the best interview subject is shep himself, who has tremendously entertaining, often funny and occasionally tragic anecdotes about his many years in show business. among the most interesting are the various clever, and sometimes amusingly devious ways shep would raise his clients' public profiles and help make them stars. there' s a genuine wisdom and even a spiritual side to shep, who befriended the dali llama, and spent a week cooking for him as a way of giving back. ultimately shep realized, sadly late in the game, that there was more to life than work, and that he was missing out on having kids and a family. not a' change your life' film, but it' s always engaging, like listening to the most fun and intelligent guest at a great party .
“i think the more i would’ve known, the more scared i would’ve been to make the journey - - not knowing was a huge advantage, for what i ended up doing, ” gordon told the hollywood reporter of his career, upon arriving at new york city’s sva theatre on saturday for the tribeca film festival screening of supermensch, adding that “it’s bizarre” how the cameras are focused on him for once. for those stepping into the manager role today, he advised, “don’t chase fame for the sake of fame. work really hard, and if you get famous from how well you do your craft, it’s a burden that’s worth taking on. but if all you care about is fame, then you’ll destroy it. ”
mike myers makes his directorial debut by chronicling the fascinating life of one of hollywood' s most fabled raconteurs and charismatic talent managers .
the film, which premiered at toronto screened again recently at the miami international film festival, is a pacy, funny romp through a very individual life. shep gordon is a rare man who thrives on a challenge, has an innate warm humanity and a glorious mass of contradictions. an easy watch and packed with great anecdotes, it is a film that would work well in formal distribution along with the film festival circuit .
so what is the retired gordon up to lately? “i’m on the harvey weinstein rat wheel of festivals and questions and interviews! but i’m living in maui and cooking a lot, trying to be happy. ”
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if the film is often pure hagiography, it' s rescued by the huge charm of its subject, whose present - day interviews reveal a figure of compassion and humility .
at the afterparty, which was held at the wayfarer and attended by radius - twc ’s tom quinn and jason janego, kyle machlachlan, gina gershon, anthony bourdain and michael stipe, variety asked gordon if he recognized the version of himself audiences saw onscreen .
although gordon explains that his strategy as a manager has been mainly “flying by the seat of your pants, ” he has had one reigning mantra through it all: act with compassion .
while gordon is honest about the limited duration of his relationships and marriages, a few more probing questions in that area might not have been amiss. instead it’s more or less shrugged off as too much time spent looking after other people’s lives at the expense of his own .
the two also celebrated gordon’s family happenstance in adopting four kids (“i got lucky. i hope they think they got lucky too, ” said gordon), how they first met at one of douglas’ parties in santa barbara (“i look out in my backyard, and there’s a rock ’n’ roll bus. look at this, this guy is full service! ” laughed douglas), and gordon’s own maui get - togethers, one of which, at 3 a. m. , the only person left was jack nicholson. “he says [ to gordon ], ‘which one of us has to go home? ’”
an interview with terry gilliam, director of
the man who killed don quixote .
got this by accident but sure glad i did. i found the entire thing to be entertaining, interesting, and often comical. how come i never heard of shep sooner? this guy deserves to be idolized. great interviews. not one boring. this is a must see
for gordon, this is the “only (philosophy) that makes any sense. ” it has a place in his personal life, too. a friend of the dalai lama, gordon serves on the board of the tibet fund, which supports tibetan refugees. in 2007, he brought the dalai lama to maui for talks that drew 10, 000 people on back - to - back days. he also helped to raise four children — the grandchildren of a former girlfriend now all in their 20s and 30s. he bought the williams family a house, took them on vacations and brought them along on tour with alice .
mike myers pays affectionate tribute to the idiosyncratic manager behind alice cooper and other major music talent of the 1970s and' 80s. twitter
ida presents a special screening of mcqueen with moderated q & a. the film is a personal look at the extraordinary ...
in addition to the critical reception it has received, supermensch also has been a crowd - pleaser at festivals. at each premiere, people come up to gordon and tell him that the film has inspired them to be more giving in their own lives. one couple at the sun valley film festival, for example, told him that it reminded them to be more generous. and they wanted to start with him. they gifted him some fresh elk, which made delicious elk sausage the next morning .
cutting from outrageous performance moments to the aging rock icon in a polo shirt, sitting on a boat with gordon or sauntering around the golf course together, yields some gentle laughs, with cooper clearly in on the joke .
now considered one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, smokin' joe frazier (1944 - 2011) lived a truly remarkable life. though he was born into the most disadvantageous of circumstances, surrounded by poverty in the pre - civil rights era south, frazier ...
the scale of that disappointment is impossible for me describe here, even if i had time .
gordon laughs a lot, and his famous pals relate memories of him fondly. we’re told he tells great stories…and from what’s seen in the trailer, it’s hard to imagine otherwise. take a look :
gordon was instrumental in busting teddy pendergrass out of dreary suits and into sexier attire as he was molded into “the black elvis, ” playing women - only concerts. one of the most emotional clips here shows pendergrass’ return to the stage at the historic 1985 live aid concert in philadelphia, three years after an auto accident had left him a paraplegic. less time is spent on luther vandross, another r & b vocalist who rose to superstardom during his association with gordon, but took it personally when his manager quit the business .
two other
broken men
are the focus of first - time director sara dosa' s lovely, elegiac the last season, winner of the golden gate award for bay area documentary. every autumn, a motley group of misfits gathers in chemult, oregon, to hunt the valuable matsutake mushroom. in japan the prized delicacy fetches hundreds of dollars a pound, and during the two - month season, hunters can earn thousands. dosa, who had learned about chemult as a graduate student in cultural anthropology, followed several hunters during the season, but ultimately concentrated on two: roger higgins, a vietnam veteran who suffers from ptsd, and kouy loch, a cambodian refugee who survived the horrors of the khmer rouge. how the two men bonded over their shared experiences is at the core of
a search for healing, meaning and family in the wake of profound violence ,
dosa wrote in the festival' s blog. fittingly, the last season had its world premiere at the festival, where dosa worked before leaving to make the film .
while the film could easily slide into more melancholic territory, it’s myers’ comedic instinct, and moreover gordon himself, who keeps it from going there .
gordon stumbled into music management when he checked into the hollywood landmark motor hotel and was decked by janis joplin and got some early advice from jimi hendrix. an early client was alice cooper…though the challenge was finding a way to break his unique stage show of sex and violence. strategic use of a chicken in one act – thrown onto stage by gordon claims cooper – led to headlines and serious bookings for cooper .
gordon is never less than honest when talking about his relationships, boozing, drug taking, though the film gets it real sense of depth and warmth when he talks about the more compassionate side of his life. he became the de - facto family to four orphaned children - grandchildren of a former girlfriend - whose upbringing he financed after their mother died; moved to maui where he developed a famous open - house lifestyle and developed a spiritual sense of life and still continues to yearn to have a child of his own .
“i do, ” he said. “but it’s mike’s vision of me, more than my vision of me. ”
profiling author laura albert, who found success publishing stories under the guise of a transgender ...
from jody shapiro' s burt' s buzz. courtesy of swstudio and the san francisco film society
you may relish the gossipy, dishy stuff myers serves up. for a while, you can feel like a part of the golden circle .
myers recaps gordon’s entry into chef management. this was undertaken more out of an interest in the culinary arts and as a favor to friends in a then - underappreciated field than as a moneymaking venture. but with emeril lagasse as his breakthrough client, he helped usher in the era of celebrity chefs on television .
shep gordon - - in his storied career as a talent manager, agent, and producer - - has worked with, and befriended, some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, from alice cooper to bette davis, raquel welch to groucho marx, blondie to jimi hendrix, sylvester stallone to salvador dalí, luther vandross to teddy pendergrass. he is also credited with inventing the “celebrity chef, ” and has worked with nobu matsuhisa, emeril lagasse, wolfgang puck, roger vergé, and many others .
locally, alongside moffatt, gordon has produced concerts including ub40, the who, aerosmith and willie nelson. but perhaps his most visible and lasting contribution to hawaii has been his work with local chefs in creating the hawaii regional cuisine movement. gordon, who has been to culinary school and often traveled with renowned chef roger verge, had been cultivating the concept of celebrity chefs — and wanted hawaii to also benefit from that .
he had checked into the landmark motor hotel without knowing that it was a low - key gathering place for the rock elite. gordon was relaxing in his room when he heard what he thought were sounds of distress by the pool. he ran down there and attempted to save joplin, whom he thought was being attacked. he was just trying to help. only joplin wasn’t being attacked. she was having sex, and gordon broke up the action. so she hit him .
the movie is like sitting at a restaurant with a guy who’s got some of the best stories you’ve heard in your life—provided, that is, that you’re into stories about showbiz. gordon, it can never be said enough, has met and / or done business with anyone who was ever anyone, and in some peculiar ways—he and cary grant had a joint custody arrangement concerning a housecat. gordon’s genius at showmanship—among other things, he pioneered the
for ladies only
concerts that shot r & b love man pendergrass’ career into the stratosphere—is, per this portrait, matched only by his menschiness. gordon, who has a distinct speaking style and infectious laugh, speaks of his philosophy of
compassionate business
as he recounts, with confidence but some modesty, how he put the business affairs of groucho marx in order. the recounting of some literally astonishing acts of generosity makes you like the guy quite a bit, in spite of his having sported a
no head, no backstage pass
t - shirt for a good portion of his drug - fueled ‘70s heyday. (and while his taste in music was all over the map, his accomplishments as a movie co - producer were refreshingly daring; he had a hand in bringing such pictures as
koyaanisqatsi
and
kiss of the spider woman
into theaters. )
“i just try to have winners and winners, ” gordon says. “i try to do an extra little bit of work to make sure that everybody sort of wins, and there is not a winner and a loser. you can’t do it all the time, but i try. ”
gordon’s involvement in movies is touched in cursory fashion and seems marginal compared to his influence in music. but the whirl of hollywood celebrities in his orbit is well documented. effusive testimonials to his qualities as a wildly unconventional character, a generous host and loyal friend come from michael douglas, sylvester stallone and tom arnold, among others. (sharon stone, whom gordon dated for a couple of years in the early' 90s, is a no - show. )
even when it comes to the paparazzi. he’ll often try to strike a deal with them: they can take their photo, the star gets to choose it, and he gets a cut of the money that he donates to the maui food bank .
“i had no real reason to be in the spotlight, ” gordon says. “and there is nothing i find attractive about it … i enjoy having my anonymity. ”
both those anecdotes are shared on - camera, and the loquacious gordon is an inveterate raconteur whose interviews benefit from his warm rapport with myers. the two met in 1991 while negotiating the use of a song by cooper in wayne’s world. myers reveals that when he fell into a funk some time after, he asked to go stay a few days at gordon’s house on maui; he ended up being cared for there by his friend for two months.
supermensch : the legend of shep gordon is a 2013 american documentary film about talent manager shep gordon , produced and directed by mike myers in his directorial debut . the film is the account of gordon 's career and his clients such as alice cooper , blondie , teddy pendergrass , and pink floyd . the film also addresses gordon 's personal life and his interest in cooking , producing films , and his buddhist beliefs . the film was screened in the gala presentation section at the 2013 toronto international film festival . it won the audience award for best documentary at the 2014 sarasota film festival , and also screened at the 2014 tribeca film festival . it was released theatrically on june 6 , 2014 . 
supermensch: the legend of shep gordon is a 2013 american documentary film about talent manager shep gordon, produced and directed by mike myers in his directorial debut. the film is the account of gordon's career and his clients such as alice cooper, blondie, teddy pendergrass, and pink floyd. the film also addresses gordon's personal life and his interest in cooking, producing films, and his buddhist beliefs. the film was screened in the gala presentation section at the 2013 toronto international film festival. it won the audience award for best documentary at the 2014 sarasota film festival, and also screened at the 2014 tribeca film festival. it was released theatrically on june 6, 2014.
supermensch: the legend of shep gordon is a 2013 american documentary film about talent manager shep gordon, produced and directed by mike myers in his directorial debut. the film is the account of gordon's career and his clients such as alice cooper, blondie, teddy pendergrass, and pink floyd. the film also addresses gordon's personal life and his interest in cooking, producing films, and his buddhist beliefs. the film was screened in the gala presentation section at the 2013 toronto international film festival. it won the audience award for best documentary at the 2014 sarasota film festival, and also screened at the 2014 tribeca film festival. it was released theatrically on june 6, 2014.