"When will this rotten summer end? In a film, it'd already be over. Fade-out, cut to storm. Wouldn't that be great?"
- Salvatore played by Marco Leonard (CINEMA PARADISO 1989)
Since today is Bob Dylan's 63rd birthday we here at film babble are celebrating with lists, fun facts and the usual movie blather. First off we admit that his Bobness has had a career in movies that honestly is pretty spotty. This isn't surprising considering the biggest news lately about who many consider one of the best songwriters ever and a figure deserving of a nobel prize is that he appears in a Victoria's Secret ad ogling underwear models as his 1997 song "Lovesick" plays. That got more press than the release of his last album! So let's take a look at the poet prophet's acting career :
1. PAT GARRETT AND BILLY THE KID 1973. Bob actually makes the most of a small part and gets a hit out of "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" to boot. His character's name is Alias. How apt.
2. RENALDO AND CLARA (1978)This was never commercially available on videotape and now isn't on DVD. It's only been available on limited panned screenings and fuzzy as Hell bootleg copies. It's a weird movie (Ronnie Hawkins plays Dylan, Dylan plays Renaldo, and all the women end up looking like whores or something like that) that can broken into two parts - confusing drama and disjointed concert movie. A later cut made it into mostly concert movie but apparently that didn't save it from being just an important work in heated Dylan geek circle debates only.
3. HEARTS OF FIRE (1987) Bob plays over the hill ornery former rock star Billy Parker. Dylan's worst movie by far in his worst period by far. Joe Eszterhas (BASIC INSTINCT, SHOWGIRLS, BURN HOLLYWOOD BURN) wrote it. Need I say more?!!?
4. BACKTRACK AKA CATCHFIRE AKA DO IT THE HARD WAY (1990) A Dennis Hopper movie but it's fitting that the last flick on this Bob round-up had Joe Eszterhas because Allan Smithee (the common pseudonym for directors whose film was clearly taken away from her/him and recut heavily against her/his wishes in ways that completely altered the film) is also credited. Bob does a brief cameo as a welder/conceptual artist. I think. Don't quote me on that.
5. MASKED AND ANONYMOUS (2003)Bob plays Jack Fate - another over the hill formerly relevant musician who walks through a majorly incomprehensible movie nightmare. An A-list cast (Jeff Bridges, John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Penelope Cruz, Bruce Dern, Val Kilmer, and even Ed Harris in black face!) and a great soundtrack can't save this mess.
So Mr. Spokesman for a generation (a label I've always hated and am sure he hates too) hasn't exactly lit up the silver screen as an actor but his legendary songs have enhanced many a film. Check out the top five best uses of Dylan's music in the movie :
1. THE BIG LEBOWSKI (1998) "The Man In Me" set to a bowling montage that opens the Coens loosest effort perfectly captures the spirit of the Dude (Jeff Bridges) and the rambling world he inhabits.
2. HIGH FIDELITY (2000) "Most Of The Time" has John Cusack yet again in the rain soaked by nature and his love life dilemnas. "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here WIth You" also features in a love scene with Lisa Bonet.
3. THE WONDER BOYS (2000) Bob won the Oscar for "Things Have Haved" - a great slab of later day Dylan that along with "Shooting Star" and "Not Dark Yet" illustrate the burned out mind frame of Grady Tripp (Michael Douglas).
4. NEW YORK STORIES (1989)Martin Scorsese's segment LIFE LESSONS artist Nick Nolte blares Bob and the Band's live "Like A Rolling Stone" from Before The Flood from a paint splattered boom-box to inspire his passion-fuelled painting.
5. FLASHBACK (1990) Dylan's stately cover of Curtis Mayfield's "People Get Ready" briefly redeems this lame Dennis Hopper/Keifer Sutherland hippy meets yuppie comedy.
* HONORABLE MENTION - AMERICAN BEAUTY (2000) Kevin Spacey blares "All Along The Watchtower" as he smokes pot and works out.
So until Marty Scorcese's Dylan Anthology project and Todd Haynes weirdly named I'M NOT THERE : SUPPOSITIONS ON A FILM CONCERNING DYLAN (seriously!) both supposedely due next year the best Bob as himself and as true performer are undoubtedely :
DON'T LOOK BACK
(1967) D.A. Pennebaker's grainy black and white documentary of Dylan's 1965 solo tour of Britain contains the definitive picture of young Bob. Some critics think Bob comes off as an asshole here as he seems to be putting on everyone from rival musicians to newpaper reporters but I think he's hilarious and clearly enjoying his moment in the Sun. Though no song is heard from start to finish there's lots of good music and the DVD nicely contains the audio of a few complete songs as well as director commentary and a few other treats. If you only see one Bob movie...
THE LAST WALTZ (1978) Scorcese's fabulous flick of the Band's farewell concert at Thanksgiving in 1977 only features Bob for a few songs but what a few songs! He looks odd with an beach hat barley containing scragglier than usual hair but sings a concise "Forever Young" then blazes through "Mama Let Me Follow You Down". Bob didn't allow his whole set to be filmed. I have never understood why. Another great DVD though.
UNPLUGGED(1994 - SONY DVD 2004) This however is a very disapointing DVD of a great performance. There were 2 nights of Bob and his great touring band doing over an hour sets including several songs like "Hazel" and that didn't make the broadcast and should have been included here. This just has the program as it was originally released in 1995 on videocassette. A shame indeed but it's still an essential disc in my book - the versions of "Shooting Star" and "Dignity" alone keep the proceedings from being a by-the-numbers hits set. Bob looks cool with sunglasses and polk-dot shirt too.
CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH (1972) - This ground breaking benefit concert organized by George Harrison has cool tunes by Ravi Shankar and Eric Clapton among others but all of them SUCK compared to the 5 song set by Bob! He does definitive versions of his classic '60s songs. A must see.
There are too many lost obscure Bob movies and bootleg videos out to go into but I'll just say that his EAT THE DOCUMENT (1968)about the infamous electric tour of England in '66 - which he himself edited is screaming for a proper release. Maybe someday.
So Happy Birthday Bob! Keep on keepin' on like a bird that flew...
More later...
is the Green Art Nail
