Alice Cooper - Super Duper Alice Cooper (01/06/2014)
Super Duper Alice Cooper is a neatly packaged documentary on the career of the eponymous rock star in all his trail-blazingly macabre and glittery glory. While never plunging too deeply in to the psychological motivations of Cooper and his band, the flick still remains immersive through the use of archive photographs excellently composited and brought to life with some slick digital manipulation. The band’s rollicking, drug-and-booze-soaked journey from rags to stardom is exhibited fairly comprehensively, and fans will no doubt gorge on multiple viewings.
Although visually the doco proves a great delight, thematically it comes off corny and thin. Attempting to splice in an early 1900’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie as metaphor for Vince Furnier’s struggle with being consumed by his wily onstage persona, the film only succeeds in stilting the flow of a story that didn’t require assistance. Time the repetitious old footage clutters could have been easily replaced with any of the thousands of hours of interesting footage Alice Cooper the person or (originally) band no doubt occupies in archives all over the world.
Cooper and the band’s original line up do most of the narration, and it’s exciting not to have a single talking head interview throughout. This audio-only technique leaves much more space for the always impressive footage and pictures. Elton John and John Lydon inject some brief but effective star power in the mix as well, belting out funny anecdotes at opposite ends of the show.
Unbeknownst to some fans may be Cooper’s strong Christian beliefs, which certainly aren’t hidden throughout the film. No one has any right to deny Cooper expressing his opinion in a biographical documentary, but there’s a feeling it could have been a tad more limited. There are points where the regularly blood-drenched front man contrarily sounds as though he’s really working hard at making sure you know he loves his Christian God. As the sun of a preacher, that’s understandable, but when Cooper’s Mum mentions she fasted and prayed with his father while Cooper entered rehab for coke addiction, one may not help but cringe the archaic nature of it all. Christian fans will obviously nod along, but the spectrum of secular punters may be left with a bad taste.
Religious persuasion and corny horror movie motifs aside, there are certainly still gems throughout the journey that do well to emphasize the madness and decadence that came with rock n’ rolls awkward teenage years. Cooper accidentally murdering a chicken in front of 7000 hippies, and later having a helicopter drop thousands of pairs of women’s underwear on the Hollywood Dome during the pinnacle of his fame being two particular stand outs.
Super Duper Alice Cooper is quaint and in no way challenging, but excitingly serves it purpose as a look back on a one-of-a-kind career in rock and roll. Fans will cheer over repeat viewings, while the uninitiated should still get a kick from the spectacle of it all.
Todd Gingell
Although visually the doco proves a great delight, thematically it comes off corny and thin. Attempting to splice in an early 1900’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde movie as metaphor for Vince Furnier’s struggle with being consumed by his wily onstage persona, the film only succeeds in stilting the flow of a story that didn’t require assistance. Time the repetitious old footage clutters could have been easily replaced with any of the thousands of hours of interesting footage Alice Cooper the person or (originally) band no doubt occupies in archives all over the world.
Cooper and the band’s original line up do most of the narration, and it’s exciting not to have a single talking head interview throughout. This audio-only technique leaves much more space for the always impressive footage and pictures. Elton John and John Lydon inject some brief but effective star power in the mix as well, belting out funny anecdotes at opposite ends of the show.
Unbeknownst to some fans may be Cooper’s strong Christian beliefs, which certainly aren’t hidden throughout the film. No one has any right to deny Cooper expressing his opinion in a biographical documentary, but there’s a feeling it could have been a tad more limited. There are points where the regularly blood-drenched front man contrarily sounds as though he’s really working hard at making sure you know he loves his Christian God. As the sun of a preacher, that’s understandable, but when Cooper’s Mum mentions she fasted and prayed with his father while Cooper entered rehab for coke addiction, one may not help but cringe the archaic nature of it all. Christian fans will obviously nod along, but the spectrum of secular punters may be left with a bad taste.
Religious persuasion and corny horror movie motifs aside, there are certainly still gems throughout the journey that do well to emphasize the madness and decadence that came with rock n’ rolls awkward teenage years. Cooper accidentally murdering a chicken in front of 7000 hippies, and later having a helicopter drop thousands of pairs of women’s underwear on the Hollywood Dome during the pinnacle of his fame being two particular stand outs.
Super Duper Alice Cooper is quaint and in no way challenging, but excitingly serves it purpose as a look back on a one-of-a-kind career in rock and roll. Fans will cheer over repeat viewings, while the uninitiated should still get a kick from the spectacle of it all.
Todd Gingell