ISMN: “Vivian Stanshall: The Canyons of His Mind” (2003) - Saturday Jan. 14th, 8 PM at the Springville Mansion
Not Available on Netflix #21
DVDR/60 Mins/BBC Documentary
I suppose I never got into the band “Death Cab for Cutie”, because they were named after a song written by Vivian Stanshall. My guess had been that they probably saw him perform it in The Beatles’ movie “Magical Mystery Tour”, but had never listened to his other music and I can’t really see them as fans of “The Bonzo Dog Band”…their own music doesn’t seem to attest to it anyway. ha ha
Regardless, this documentary was long over due, in dedication to a true musical eccentric and visionary.
I became a fan while seeking out unusual music during my Oddity Rock Radio days (beginning circa Fall 1997) and was in love with Viv’s debut “Bonzo Dog Band” album “Gorilla.”
Not knowing their history in the beginning, “Bonzo Dog Band” often reminded me of the “rock version of Monty Python”, odd British psychedelia and old black and white cartoons.
Which makes sense because their name derives from the 1911 cartoon character by George Studdy, featured in some of the world’s earliest animation and who became widely commercialized during the 1920s.
I was very glad to see this film and find out more about a band I was already fascinated by and to learn more about their place in history. What I didn’t know about was what Vivian’s life was like after leaving the band, his body of music, film and stage that followed, and his tragic untimely death by fire (probably caused by a drunken night smoking in bed.)
IMDB review:
While most people would admit that Viv Stanshall’s work in music and film was an acquired taste, this profile should whet anyone’s appetite. Using a mix of archive footage of Bonzo appearances (Canyons of Your Mind, of course, amongst them) and various stuff after, with interviews with the likes of Neil Innes, Rodney Slater, and Stephen Fry, it manages to make a fair assessment of the increasingly bizarre songwriter, who died ten years ago next March at the unfairly young age of 51.
Part of BBC4’s ‘originals’ series which have focused on the most off-the-wall contributors to the world of music, this is in-depth TV at its best, and made me for one go back to the songs I already knew about and seek out some I didn’t. The series itself underlines yet again that we are fast running out of people like Viv, true creative spirits who make the world that bit better while they’re in it.
You can also read the original BBC review of this film @ http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2004/05_may/05/stanshall.shtml
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Bonus Short Film: Fishing with John: Episode 4 - Willem Dafoe (1991)
In this episode John Lurie and Willem Dafoe go ice-fishing in Maine and practically starve to death.
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Time: Saturday, January 14th @ 8 PM
Place: “The Springville Mansion”, 363 w 300 s, Springville, UT
Off the main road in Springville, turn right before “Allen’s Super Market” on 300 S. Drive straight for several blocks and it’s the last house on the left that looks like an old mansion by the train tracks. Go in the side door from the driveway.
Plenty of parking at this location, and more space than my living room.
See you Friday!
(Pop corn, pizza, drinks and potluck welcomed at your discretion.)
- BC Sterrett
