Merry Death

Its a Movie Weekend

This weekend I decided to get back on track with my Netflix subscription and watch the movies I have been sitting on for 2 weeks. Tonight, I made Phil watch Mean Girls with me. I figured that it couldn't be all that bad considering it was written by Tina Fey of Saturday Night Live. If all those news segments were written by her the past few years, then its got to be funny.

It was. Phil and I both laughed out loud more than once. My big question about these movies is, if high school was this bad everywhere, then why does no one I know remembers it being that bad? I never saw anyone as rude and mean as people in the most recent high school movies. Truly, Breakfast Club was even too harsh for my school.

The other movie was Mayor of Sunset Strip. These two movies could not have been more different. This is a documentary about Rodney Bingenheimer. He is a slight, unobtrusive man with a soft voice and a sad demeanor. His life story starts with the divorce of his parents and a mentally unstable mother. He flees his home and ends up on the streets of LA during the 60s. He makes many friends, is the body double for Davy Jones in a Monkees episode, and introduces LA radio to David Bowie, Sex Pistols, Rolling Stones on to Coldplay and No Doubt. He knows all the stars and can get into any venue, any party, anything in LA. He is truly a local celebrity. After watching all the facts about how his lifestyle is one most people can only dream of, the director gives us a true glimpse into his life. He is lonely, aging and sad. He has never been married and is in love with a woman who loves someone else. He is truly alone. He might know 10,000 celebrities, but he has no one to go home to.

Seeing this movie really hit home for me. At a time when I am starting to fondly remember concerts and the need for that connection with rock bands, I was so pleased to come across a movie that puts it all back in to perspective. That man lived the life I would have died for 10 years ago. I wanted nothing more than to be a roadie for Metallica, the personal wardrobe attendant to Madonna, or the Tour Director for Depeche Mode (a job I actually went to LA to pursue). Looking back I can see a life of lonely traveling, long hours and no sense of personal goals. Now, looking ahead, I see a family and a lifetime of love that cannot be taken away. And after seeing this movie, I wouldn't trade it for the world.

posted by Metalmeredith @ 11:09 PM