Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper
In many ways, concert films are only as good to a person depending on if theyâre a fan of the band in question, whereas non-Led Zeppelin fans might have trouble getting into something like The Song Remains The Same. With this reviewer though, Alice Cooper is truly the King Of Rock And Roll, and having seen him front row live in concert, this might seem to be the perfect thing to watch and enjoy. Unfortunately this 1974 film, which played in theatres back then and then virtually disappeared for almost 25 years until its recent DVD release, is marred by its attempt to have a filler plot, featuring an untalented comic actor named Fred Smoot playing various characters looking to get ârevengeâ on the Cooper band. First as a whiny thick-accented German director (guess the Fuhrer couldnât rescue him), then as a Lone Ranger wannabe and finally as a hick security guard, Smoot is the worst kind of comedic performer, one who gets so carried away with his unfunny schtick that it quickly crosses the line into self-indulgence, and having some fat guy dressed as a Viking for his sidekick doesnât help, as one can see why Smoot immediately faded into obscurity, with an overlong dialogue scene between him and the box office manger at the concert going absolutely nowhere. However Cooper fans themselves still do get a great look at the original lineup for the band in their prime, with many (but not all) of their early classics including âBillion Dollar Babiesâ, âEighteenâ, âElectedâ, âNo More Mr. Nice Guyâ, and âSchoolâs Outâ getting rocking renditions here. Being familiar with many of his theatrics, it was nice to see such bits as the guillotine, the snake, and the female mannequins (complete with pubic hair) get worked in, but the part with the large dancing tooth and Alice chasing it around with an oversized toothbrush was a new one even for me. While not exactly well shot or edited, the filmmakers make a mistake of excluding the live crowd from the performance (a must for concert films) until the last twenty minutes, with Alice hilariously busting balls on a guy in the front row while making overtures to his girlfriend right in front of him. Since the DVD offers a âconcert onlyâ option, fans with low patience might be better suited to take that to enjoy Alice doing his thing, which he still does 35 years later, as less talented musicians get all the current hype. Overall, a must for the fans of the Greatest Rock Star Of All Time, whose current exclusion from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Time is a travesty that shows just what a fucking joke institutions like that really areâŚ
7/10