Mods and Rockers Festival 2008 July 9, 2008

Join us for our ninth Mods and Rockers Festival, straddling the months of June and July in wide-stance, rock star fashion. We’re kicking off with the World Premiere of THE SEVENTH PYTHON, a superb documentary about founding Bonzo Dog Band member (and prime Python and Rutles accomplice) Neil Innes (who’ll be appearing In-Person)! It’ll be a super fun night, followed by another evening with Neil live in concert at the Egyptian. We’ll also be featuring the U.S. Premiere of LOVE STORY, the fascinating documentary about key L.A. ‘60s band, Arthur Lee and Love as well as the Los Angeles Premiere of THIS IS GARY MCFARLAND, an incisive look at the Mod, ascot-wearing vibraphonist who died mysteriously in 1971. Plus in July you can look forward to screenings of Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett rarities as well as the welcoming of filmmaker Tony Palmer In-Person for his multi-episode extravaganza ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE, a glorious celebration of American music over 4th of July weekend. For more details go to: www.modsandrockers.com

Thursday, June 26 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

World Premiere! Python/Rutles/Bonzos Star Neil Innes In-Person!

THE SEVENTH PYTHON, 2008, Frozen Pictures, 88 min. Dir. Burt Kearns. "The Most Famous Rock Star You’ve Never Heard Of…" 40 years after he made his debut in the Beatles’ MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR as a founder member of the legendary Bonzo Dog Band, the gloriously unplanned career of Neil Innes is spotlighted in this new documentary. Featuring appearances by all 5 surviving members of Monty Python. "You've got to remember that the Bonzos did 26 television shows with Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam. I think Eric's acknowledged that there was an influence from the Bonzos in terms of the anarchy. There is a link…when the band first met Eric and Mike and Terry and whatnot, there was a certain mutual suspicion, 'cause we were crazy guys just coming off the road. And they'd come from Oxford and Cambridge, and they'd written stuff for David Frost, and they were young, up-and-coming writers…It was a kind of cross-fertilization that took place over a couple of years. We all became very good friends." – Neil Innes (from a Perfect Sound Forever online music magazine interview) http://www.theseventhpythonmovie.com

THE BONZO DOG DOO-DAH BAND 40th ANNIVERSARY CONCERT, 2007, Classic Rock Legends, 89 min. Featuring original members: Neil Innes, Roger Ruskin Spear, Rodney Slater, Vernon Dudley Bohay-Nowell, Sam Spoons, Bob Kerr and the Irrepressible "Legs" Larry Smith. The year 2006 marked the 40th anniversary of the release of ‘My Brother Makes The Noises For the Talkies’, the first record by The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. The part of the late great and sorely missed Vivian Stanshall is performed here in the live concert variously by Messrs Stephen Fry, Adrian Edmondson, Phill Jupitus and Paul Merton. For the first time since the group broke up in the early ‘70s, a British stage once again resounded to the inspired flights of lunacy of the Bonzos favorites performed live. Some of the songs included: "My Brother Makes The Noises For The Talkies," "Little Sir Echo," "Falling In Love Again," "We Are Normal," "The Trouser Press," "My Pink Half Of The Drainpipe," "Mr Apollo," "Look At Me, I'm Wonderful," "Rhinocratic Oaths," "Monster Mash," "Urban Spaceman," "Canyons Of Your Mind," "The Intro and Outro" and more! http://www.bonzodog.co.uk Plus Rutles and Bonzo Dog film and TV rarities. Discussion in between films with Neil Innes.

Friday, June 27 – 7:30 PM

Rare L.A. Show by Neil Innes - Live Performance of Monty Python, Rutles & Bonzo Dog Songs!

LIVE CONCERT WITH NEIL INNES. In celebration of the World Premiere of the new film about him, THE SEVENTH PYTHON, Neil Innes gives a very rare solo concert to celebrate the celebrations. He will perform songs from throughout his 40-year career, including material from the Bonzo Dog Band, Monty Python and Rutles canons. Entire program approximately 120 min.

Saturday, June 28 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

Digitally Restored! A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, 1964, Miramax, 85 min. Director Richard Lester's brilliant, carefree comedy captured the early Beatles at their best, clowning (as one respected reviewer said) like the new Marx Bros. and set the tone for the Sixties revolution. From the restless, handheld camerawork and slight-of-hand jumpcut editing, writer Alun Owen's surreal day-in-the-life script and George Martin's sprightly score (both Oscar-nominated) to the Beatles themselves - exuberantly singing "Can't Buy Me Love," "She Loves You" and ten other Beatles classics -- this is the essence of the monochromatic early Sixties. (Will be screened from a digital video source). Plus preceding A HARD DAY’S NIGHT, the short: "Things They Said Today (Reflections On A Hard Day's Night)" (2002, Miramax, 35 min. Dir. Martin Lewis)

WONDERWALL, 1969, 76 min. As a tribute to the late, great George Harrison, who composed WONDERWALL’s shimmering, sitar-laced score, and to director Joe Massot, we bring back one of the Mod Fest’s most popular offerings, a gloriously meaningless, headtripping fantasy about an eccentric scientist (Jack MacGowran) who discovers a secret window into the endless sex life of gorgeous nymph Jane Birkin (Serge Gainsbourg’s main squeeze and co-moaner of "Je t’aime moi non plus"!) The restored version of the film features a long-lost theme song produced by Harrison during the film’s scoring sessions, which had been lying forgotten for nearly 30 years in his personal vaults. Plus preceding WONDERWALL, Joe Massot’s short film: "Reflections On Love", (1965, 13 min.), an exuberant Cinemascope portrait of Swinging London featuring Patti Boyd’s sister Jenny (and a cameo by the Fab Four!)

Sunday, June 29 – 7:30 PM

Double Feature:

U.S. Premiere: LOVE STORY, 2006, 109 min. Produced and directed by first-time filmmakers Chris Hall & Mike Kerry, this is the story of legendary Los Angeles band Love and their singer Arthur Lee. One of the first mixed-race rock bands, the dark claustrophobic vision of their music and the band’s sinister reputation set them apart from the utopian ideals of the Flower Power generation and the Summer of Love era. Their 1967 album "Forever Changes" is rightly deemed to be one of the greatest records of all time. Set against the turbulent era of the 1960s in America, this documentary covers the fascinating journey from their origins at Dorsey High School in South Los Angeles to their spell as Hollywood’s favorite band to the creation of their masterpiece "Forever Changes," followed by their drug-fueled disintegration in 1968 and their continuing relevance to this day. Featuring extensive interviews with Love’s front man and main songwriter Arthur Lee, as well as original band members Johnny Echols, Bryan MacLean, Alban ‘Snoopy’ Pfisterer, Michael Stuart, Elektra boss Jac Holzman, producer Bruce Botnick, The Doors’ John Densmore and arranger David Angel, their story is told first hand by those who were there. "…very crucial to the West Coast sound in the era…fronted by the charismatic Arthur Lee, a space cowboy…Hendrixian on the one hand, but a sensitive folk-pop crooner also…The era is beautifully evoked, hazy and dreamy…fans of the band – or indeed the late 60s scene – will enjoy the lucid madness caught and preserved on film." – The Lumiere Reader.

Los Angeles Premiere: THIS IS GARY MCFARLAND, 2006, 71 min. First-time filmmaker Kristian St. Clair’s documentary stands in ethereal complement to Love’s "Da Capo" and "Forever Changes" albums. Born and raised in Los Angeles, vibraphonist Gary McFarland was the consummate Mod stylist, an ascot-wearing fashion icon pioneering a cool jazz groove akin to Georgie Fame. New York Magazine dubbed McFarland "the best arranger since Duke Ellington" in 1963, which turned heads the following year as Gary started adding Beatles covers to his repertoire. In 1964, his album "Soft Samba" (featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim on guitar) garnered a Grammy nomination, and collaborations with Stan Getz, Bill Evans and Gabor Szabo were soon to follow. In-crowd footage shows McFarland with music peers Lalo Schifrin, Machito, Al Cohn, Zoot Sims, Jim Hall, Grady Tate and Clark Terry. Incredibly strange psych-pop-jazz excursions were released by him throughout the rest of the decade, until McFarland’s mysterious and tragic death in 1971..

Official Website: http://www.modsandrockers.com