Glam rock is often associated these days with the ‘80s pop metal aesthetic—loud guitars, bombastic videos and the requisite power ballad. But in reality, this was just another interpretation of the original movement that started back in the early ‘70s, where image and spectacle were part of a rebellion against the gratuitous jam bands and pretentious singer-songwriters of the time.
Early glam practitioners such as David Bowie, Marc Bolan and Roxy Music viewed the makeup and costumes as part of their art, parading themselves as human canvases, while enhancing the musical experience. Alice Cooper and KISS used elements of the macabre and theatrics to elevate their stage productions, while Sweet and Slade tarted up their sing-a-long pop with loud, tacky colors and stack-heeled boots. Street urchins such as The New York Dolls, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed used androgyny to highlight the more deviant aspects of the human existence—spearheading the punk movement in the process. While styles and sounds varied wildly from art rock to bubblegum pop, the flamboyant sense of self-expression and theatricality were unifying threads.
Enter Jobriath. Born Bruce Campbell, the American musician had cut his teeth on classical piano as well as in national productions of smash musical Hair. What would soon follow was a rock ‘n’ roll fairytale replete with excess, hype and bad deals of Faustian proportions that would see Jobriath’s career spectacularly implode within just a couple of years.
In a nutshell, the story goes that manager/Svengali Jerry Brandt had heard an audition tape of the young Jobriath in the offices of Columbia Records music mogul Clive Davis and was instantly intrigued. He soon fell in love with the young muse and vowed to make him a superstar. Shortly after, a reportedly massive record deal was procured with Elektra Records and Brandt went about devising an even bigger media hype machine around his new star, in advance of his debut release.
Part of the hype was based around Jobriath’s sexuality. While Bowie and Bolan wore makeup and hinted at bi-sexuality in the UK press, Jobriath and Brandt took a far more blatant approach. “I am the true fairy of rock,” stated the singer in one infamous interview. As he saw it, he was no pretender to the throne, like some of his counterparts who wore the makeup and clothes but were really straight men shagging female groupies left and right. As expected, the press and the public weren’t ready for the first openly gay rock musician and—coupled with the overly hyped PR from the Brandt machine—a major backlash ensued against the misunderstood maestro, even in gay circles. As a result, the moody, complex sounds of his two studio albums would go largely unnoticed and Jobriath would quietly retire with his piano to the Chelsea Hotel, playing occasional lounge gigs until passing away from AIDS in 1983.
It’s a sad, unjust rock ‘n’ roll tale that has now been documented in the excellent feature film Jobriath A.D., now available in a deluxe DVD and vinyl package (Factory 25/MVD). Filmmaker Kieran Turner does a fine job in compiling the scant available clips of the mysterious musician, along with interviews of family, friends and former musicians from the artist’s backing band, The Creatures. There are also interview segments with fans such as Marc Almond, Joe Elliot of Def Leppard and more.
Narrated by Henry Rollins, the film unravels the obscure musician’s life and career, using clever animated vignettes to move the story along, plus an ultra-rare clip of Jobriath and The Creatures’ only televised appearance on The Midnight Special in 1973. The DVD features loads of extras including extended interview sections and rare footage of Jobriath in the studio with legendary producer Eddie Kramer. For a true rock ‘n’ roll rollercoaster ride, Jobriath A.D. is the genuine article.
More new DVD and Blu-ray releases…
An Irish Exorcism
Shot on a shoestring, this “found footage” faux-documentary follows the misadventures of an anthropology student and her final project—exploring an exorcism in the Catholic Church. With a solid script, decent acting and some convincing tension, the film has promise, but its tediously slow pace and lack of action make it a tough sell in an already crowded horror subgenre. For exorcism completists, it still may be a worthy addition. (Virgil Films)
Scorpio Letters
While it’s got spies, black mail and a swingin’ ‘60s feel, this sure is no Austin Powers. And although the cover art implies a groovy and raucous good time, the film was actually originally shot for TV on a small budget with B-actors. The story itself has quite a few holes—and American ex-cop investigates an international incident—and it seems like a rush job created to capitalize on a famous book. But, that’s part of its charm; its dank and slightly depressing feel are hard to shake. (Warner Archive Collection)
From the Dark
There’s nothing particularly new about vampire flick From The Dark. A young couple gets lost in the countryside—check. They soon meet with an ancient monster—check. Havoc ensues—check. But! From The Dark does score high marks for its organic, low-budget creep factor and tense atmospherics. The film’s overall look is dark, making everything seem worse than it normally would, and its eerie monster is as nasty as they come, making for a new twist on a largely overdone genre. (Dark Sky)
Stay As You Are
When it comes to controversy, today’s young stars and shite disturbers have nothing on Nastassja Kinski. For a spell during the ‘70s and ‘80s, Kinski was a hot topic, not for her off-screen shenanigans, but for some her racier onscreen roles, including To the Devil a Daughter (as a young teen) and Cat People. Italian film Stay As Your Are (1978) pairs Kinski up with film vet Marcello Mastroianni, who plays a middle-aged suitor that comes to find out that he may in fact, be her long-lost father! Controversial at the time for the way it presented Kinski—who was still a teenager—the film has attracted a cult following over the years, and can now be seen in pristine hi-def, with a slew of bonus features. (Cult Epics)
Black Patch
When an outlaw and an ex-girlfriend arrive in his town, one-eyed Marshall “Black Patch” must figure out their game or get caught up in it. Toss in a crooked saloon keeper and a host of other seedy folk and you have the makings of a twisted, psychological western, well worth the watch. Shot in stark black and white, the film stars vet George Montgomery and a score by then up-and-comer by Jerry Goldsmith. Out of print for eons, you can now grab a copy at a pittance, courtesy of Warner’s archival division. (Warner Archive Collection)
REC 4: Apocalypse
The fourth installment of the Spanish zombie/virus/quarantine series does not disappoint. Unlike prior installments, Apocalypse avoids the “found footage” approach that’s prevalent in other installments, which frees up the screen a bit, allowing the claustrophobia to truly set in. As much of this takes place on a ship, the dank setting serves to heighten the tension and horror. Picking up where Rec 2 left off, this installment makes for a nice send-off to the series and our heroine Angela, who was sorely missed in the prior installment. (Sony)
Invaders From Mars
This ‘80s remake not only boasts a far bigger budget than its B-movie predecessor, it’s also got Tobe Hooper in tow, director of the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Hooper’s foray into Sci-Fi comes off a little campy in this film, and it paid a dear price with critics and fans upon its release in 1986. But in reality, the story of insidious aliens infiltrating Earth is not nearly as bad as initially thought, and this new hi-def transfer presents the film in its full seamy glory, including a bevvy of cool extras. (Shout! Factory)
Vampyros Lesbos
For fans of ‘70s exploitation and Euro-horror, Vampyros Lesbos is often considered to be the Holy Grail. Directed by cult maestro Jess Franco, this West German/Spanish film was like no other of its time. Artful yet graphically in-your-face, the film is exactly what the title suggests, but with a healthy shot of psychedelia and a far-out and fuzzy soundtrack that still sounds relevant today.
Vampire Countess Nadine Carody (Soledad Miranda) lures young women to her crooked abode to feed on them in colorful ways. When the Countess meets her match, all goes awry, resulting in an unexpected twist at the end. While the acting is a bit stiff and there’s an aura of cheesiness that permeates the proceedings, its iconic standing in trash cinema makes it a must-see, now for the first time in hi-def. This new issue, courtesy of the good folks at Severin Films boasts some new bonus goodies and expanded packaging. Also, check out the studio’s new issue of the similarly flavored, She Killed in Ecstasy. (Severin)
Video Nasties
The Definitive Guide, Part 2
Back in the mid ‘80s, the wise and considerate folks in the conservative British government saw fit to compile a list of films that should be banned, so as not to offend or corrupt the good people of the UK. Hence, the term “Video Nasties” came to be. A sequel to last year’s excellent documentary, The Definitive Guide Part 2 continues the story, focusing on another batch of films that got caught up in the controversy, and features 82 trailers for the films that got put on that unfortunate list, including insightful intros to each. It’s a fascinating story, with direct parallels to book burnings and other repressive government acts that are hard to fathom in modern Western society. Standouts include Mark of the Devil, Suicide Cult, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Xtro and Zombie Holocaust. (Severin)
Asylum
The After Dark film series boasts some of the coolest, most ominous art work in the horror DVD genre. The trouble is that many of the films that reside on the discs contained within, fail to live up to cover art’s promise. This particular film chronicles a riot squad descending upon an asylum where the inmates have taken over. Okay, sounds straightforward enough, and it even features acclaimed British actor Stephen Rea (The Crying Game). But, layered upon the original premise are two guys talking about the film we’re watching, similar to Mystery Science Theatre 3000, but without the humor and funny puppets.
The whole thing’s a mess—and unfortunately it lives up to the reputation After Dark has cultivated. Rumor has it that the original writer was asked to step in and “fix “ the film in its initial form, and that’s where the comedic commentary came in. Either way, it still doesn’t live up to its killer cover. (After Dark/Lionsgate)
Let Us Prey
A female rookie cop starts her first nightshift at a rundown station crawling with cretins and disgruntled cops. Soon, a strange man is brought into the station and bizarre, supernatural events begin to happen, with flashbacks moving each of the characters’ stories along. The film then morphs into a full-blown parable of right vs. wrong, with religious overtones mingling with violence and gore. With excellent cinematography and acting, courtesy of Pollyanna McIntosh as Rachel the constable and Liam Cunningham (Game of Thrones) as “Prisoner Six,” Let Us Prey is an inspired little flick, in spite of its financial limitations and occasional plot holes. (Dark Sky)
Magician: The Astonishing Life & Work of Orson Welles
To commemorate what would’ve been Orson Welles’ 100th birthday, Magician chronicles the life and work of one of the cinema’s greatest practitioners. If you’re the least bit interested in film history, then you probably already know about his 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane, which is widely seen as the greatest film ever made. Renowned for its innovative camera and storytelling techniques, it still holds up today incredibly well.
But Welles was also a master of horror and suspense, as evidenced in two of my all-time favorites, the gritty Touch of Evil and eerie The Lady from Shanghai, both of which get talked about in this insightful documentary. (Cohen Films)
Masters of Sex
Season 2
When this Showtime series kicked off a year or so ago, I have to admit, it was a bit of a snooze. The vague approximation of Masters and Johnson set to a serial melodrama came off as slow and a tad bit whiny. But, as I gave it a few chances, things began to take shape, especially during the second season, which touches on hot-button issues such as race and class. Lead actress Lizzie Caplan lights up the screen as the Virginia Johnson, and while there’s a heavy dose of fan fiction to be had, the acting and narrative continue to evolve. (Showtime)
The Roommates/A Woman for All Men
This groovy 2-fer from the sage proprietors at Gorgon Video features the obscure work of filmmaker Arthur Marks. The ‘70s saw the exploitation film take flight, and while this pair would scarcely qualify, both were still a bit too racy for prime time. The Roommates centers on a group of party girls gone wild at a swinging lake town for vacation. It’s all fun and games—and occasionally reminiscent of the far superior Beyond the Valley of the Dolls—before girls randomly start dying. When the killer is finally revealed, subjects like emasculation and gender identity get tossed into the mix. There are certainly better films from the era to be had, but The Roommates is entertaining in its own quirky way.
A Woman for All Men is the stronger of the pair and features renowned character actor Keenan Wynn as a millionaire developer with grown children, who marries Karen a far-younger woman from Las Vegas. It’s all a Malibu-style mindf@ck from there, as the family unravels in front of our eyes, with paranoia and jealousy taking center stage. In the end, it almost succeeds as a viable suspense story but falls short by way of a wayward narrative. Nevertheless, its trashy ‘70s appeal makes it an interesting view for fans of the period. (Gorgon Video)
For questions, comments or something you’d like to see, drop me a line at Retrohead77@yahoo.com. JK
