Since its premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival a few weeks back, the buzz has been scary-good over Super Duper Alice Cooper, the first ever ‘doc opera’ – a dizzying blend of documentary archive footage, animation and rock opera that further cements the legend of Alice Cooper. Vanyaland is once again proud to team up with the Brattle Theatre and Eagle Rock Entertainment to present the film next Thursday, May 15 at 7:00pm.
Super Duper Alice Cooper is the story of Vincent Furnier, preacher’s son, who struck fear into the hearts of parents everywhere as Alice Cooper, the ultimate rock star of the bizarre. From the advent of Alice as frontman for a group of Phoenix freaks in the sixties to the hazy decadence of celebrity in the seventies to the winking comeback as glam metal godfather in the eighties, one will watch in wonder as Alice and Vincent battle for each other’s souls.
This twisted tale of a teenage Dr. Jekyll whose rock and roll Mr. Hyde almost kills him is an unflinching portrait of the entertainer who inspired everyone from Kiss to Rob Zombie to Marilyn Manson. Alice’s story is told not only by the man himself, but through exclusive interviews with members of the original Alice Cooper band, Elton John, Iggy Pop, Sex Pistol John Lydon, and Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snider.
The ‘doc opera’ combines audio interviews with a bounty of Alice Cooper footage. Concerts, television appearances, movie cameos, newspaper headlines, magazine spreads and many other visual elements have been cut out, layered and collaged like a cinematic View-Master.
Alongside the hits that defined an era, overlooked gems of Alice Cooper’s oeuvre have been dug up and melded into montages that soundtrack his life. Footage from old scary movies serves as allegories for Alice’s madness, all the creation of Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn of Banger Films, producers of Iron Maiden: Flight 666 and Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage and much-lauded filmmaker Reginald Harkema, winner of the TIFF Special Jury Prize for his film Monkey Warfare.
Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 students, seniors and Brattle members and are on sale now.
Also, be sure to check back next week when Vanyaland will have an exclusive interview with Cooper.
