DVD / Blu-Ray Review: SUPERMENCH: THE LEGEND OF SHEP GORDON

Is that Leather Tuscadero from “Happy Days” on the right with the sunglasses?

Quick Review of Mike Meyer’s Documentary SuperMench: The Legend of Shep Gordon

By Le Anne Lindsay, Editor

Rented Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (dir Mike Meyers) – What a truly unexpectedly amazing life did this guy have! Shep Gordon is a legendary entertainment manager who started in the 70’s as a complete no one, in between jobs, just staying at a hotel, and out of the blue meets Jimmy Hendrix and Janis Joplin, they tell him he should manage Alice Cooper, who at this point is just a burn out with a band, loving the counterculture. It’s through Shep he becomes the goth idol of that generation.

Shep goes on to manage Teddy Pendergrass, Anne Murray, Blondie, Pink Floyd, Luther Vandross Stephanie Mills, Groucho Marx, creates the whole concept of a celebrity chef, and so much more…

What’s fascinating is he becomes one of the most powerful and beloved men in Hollywood, knows EVERYONE who’s anyone, can make a deal with anyone, about anything, at anytime and he never set a course for any of it. He graduated from college, but no fancy degree, he didn’t have a business plan or even a dream of being in the entertainment industry. He does seem to have an instinct for marketing and can think on his feet, despite all the women and drugs. He also seems to understand the psychology of people, he’s organically spiritual, loyal, loving and very lucky!

It may sound over the top, but I’ve added Shep Gordon to my list of most admired people; those whose lives seem to be guided by a muse or angel of some sort. He’s right under Benjamin Franklin & Stevie Wonder.

This doc is so funny with so many crazy anecdotes, a must see for anyone who just eats up celebrity and Hollywood like I do. I’m surprised this movie didn’t get more attention, it came out in 2013. It should be made into a biopic. “It’s like Madame Tussauds with a pig” – Mike Meyers.

MM: He’s a fantastic cook. And during that time, I just asked him questions about show business and realised that he knew everybody. First one I said was Peter Sellers. And I was like, “Oh my God, you knew Peter Sellers. That’s fantastic.” Chaplin? Wow. Fantastic. And then I thought, “I’ve got him stumped: Groucho [Marx]?” He goes, “I manage Groucho.” And then he told me the whole Groucho story: how Alice Cooper used to get in bed with Groucho every day and they’d watch TV together.

SG: Great piece of Alice-Groucho trivia.. READ MORE theguardian.com