Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2014)

A Masterpiece!

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Outstanding documentary. The story of Shep Gordon, a man who, while a brilliant agent in the entertainment industry, is relatively unknown to most people, despite exerting incredible influence in the music and movie industries. Moreover, his personality goes against the image we have of agents, in that he is not just about the money but shows genuine compassion and friendship.The amount of stars in his sphere of influence, and as friends, is amazing.Incredibly well made by Mike Myers, in his directorial debut. He painstaking compiled stills and footage of Gordon for the movie. Some scenes are dramatized but these are generally very humorously done, giving the movie an (appropriate) light-hearted tone.Not just a story of a man, pretty much a "how to" manual on publicity. He was a genius at marketing.Surely one of the best documentaries ever made.

Mike Myers's documentary called supermensch should have been called super schmuck.I started watching this as I was intrigued with some of the history of what I love most (music ) and parts were okay to cool-the guy Shep Gordon thinks he's someone who wants to change the world, wants to help kids -I think cool he finds himself at a hotel and meets Jimmy Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Jim Morrison -very cool especially Janis.. but he is a drug dealer and only becomes a music manager as a cover for the drugs -first strike as that is a very stupid reason to join anything in music if not insulting to anyone who cares about music.Later he takes on Alice Cooper who's music has always been mediocre to me , nothing deep , moving, innovative or inspiring but I was trying to give the guys a chance (Shep and Alice).The story goes on to tell about how Shep does all these shallow gimmicks to get Alice noticed -chasing him around with fake photographers who had no film in their cameras to make him seem famous to Alice holding out money over a crowd to get them to stand up to his music to make it appear his music is generating excitement - any chance of me respecting or admiring these two goes out the door -they are no different than shallow talentless fame hungry vile beings like Lady caca today.NO mention of how music saved their lives, gave them hope, was a place where they shared courageous truths, no mention of inspiration or empowerment which is what great music does and is about! but worst of all is this subhuman Shep Gordon puts a live chicken on stage who must have been terrified and Alice cooper being the other subhuman in this situation throws the chicken into the crowd who rips the chicken to pieces alive and Alice than wipes the blood all over him-that made me turn this "movie" off what a load of utter garbage! a innocent being was terrified and brutally murdered all so Alice pooper can become famous ?this is NOT what music is about or ANY art.Art is sacred whether it be a silly comedy that makes you laugh or a song that moves your soul and empowers you art is the ambrosia of life and non humans are the living angels on this planet.We humans are the masses who are beyond asses and many are vile, some are magnificent.If you love music , if you know the beauty and epic brilliance of non humans you will loath this film.it is shallow and cruel and glorifies subhumans who not only defecate on something as amazing as music but on humans and non humans.

"Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon" (2014 release; 85 min.) is a documentary (written, produced and directed by Mike 'Austin Powers' Myers) about the life and times of Shep Gordon, one of the legendary managers in the entertainment industry. As the movie opens, and after some general introductory comments from people like Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Alice Cooper and others, Gordon tells in his own words how it all got started, back in 1968 when he really wanted to become a probation officers, and even took and passed the California Probation Officer exam. But when it became clear he didn't fit in with the others at the CA juvenile facility he was assigned to, he dropped out and drove to LA where he checked into the Hollywood Landmark Hotel, and promptly befriended Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix. It was Hendrix who 'pushed' Gordon into managing ("You a Jewish boy?" "Yea" "You should become a manager." "Okay", ha!). Gordon's first important client was Alice Cooper, then still toiling into obscurity, but not for much longer. Gordon was 21 at the time, if you can believe it. To tell you more would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.Couple of comments: first and foremost, even if Shep Gordon may not be known to you at all, you are in for a finger lickin' good time with this documentary. The man was arguably one of the most connected people in the Hollywood entertainment scene, and apparently one of the most respected and beloved. Besides managing many stars in the music and movie business, Gordon practically single-handedly started the 'celebrity chef' scene when he befriends French chef Roger Verge and later agrees to manage him and many other chefs. Second, given the 40+ year relationship and bond between Gordon and Alice Cooper, we get to see quite a bit of the Cooper saga with fascinating insights on how Cooper was able to break through, with the ideas from Gordon playing a crucial role (and hence it's a nice compliment/contrast to the recent "Super Duper Alice Cooper" documentary). Third, the documentary does not shy away from the personal side: while we see Gordon having relationships with Sharon Stone and other well-known women, in the end we see Gordon alone. Says his assistant: when he wakes up after the surgery and sees me beside the bed, it's clear that he wishes it was not me, his paid personal assistant, whom he'd be staring at", wow.This is not a 'dirty laundry' type of documentary, so if you think you'll be hearing/seeing a lot of gossip on the artists managed by Gordon, you will be sorely disappointed. If on the other hand you are interested in getting a portrait on one of the most successful managers in the Hollywood entertainment business, then this is for you. I enjoyed this from start to finish. Quite a nice debut for first-time director Mike Myers. "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon" is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

You know that famous line from, Almost Famous, "I am a golden god!"? That quote pretty much sums up the life and times of Shep Gordon, a would be prison guard turned drug dealer turned one of the most famous managers to some of the biggest musicians of their day. You know that scene from Almost Famous where the plane is going down, and the bandmates blurt out confessions? Shep Gordon was on that plane and so was Cameron Crowe, when he put that true outrageous moment into the movie. Shep Gordon's life is one very outrageous movie and now Mike Myers, in his directorial debut, turns it into a good time love letter and at times, moving documentary movie.More than outrageous, Shep is a legend in his excess of sex, drugs and rock and roll. Not one to miss an opportunity with the ladies, he would wear a t-shirt on tour that said, "No head, no backstage pass". But the magic of this film, something that Myers didn't craft on accident, is that the biggest legend of Shep's excess was the capacity of his heart. A kind and very generous man, Shep was every famous person's best friend because, unlike 99% of the music managers with their slimy reputation, he had the biggest heart in the room. After being ostrasized by the fellow prison guards because of his big unkempt hairstyle, Shep found himself holed up in a Hollywood hotel. That hotel turned out to be the infamous Landmark Motor Hotel selling drugs to none other than Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison, and Jimi Hendrix. When Shep knew the heat would catch up to him sooner than later, he stepped away from dealing and got the idea from Hendrix to start managing music. "You're a Jew aren't you? You should manage music", and that's how it all started. Shep's first client was Alice Cooper, and they've been inseparable since. Even many, many, years and famous clients later, when Shep decided to retire he didn't retire from his best friend Cooper.It was with Cooper that Shep improvised press out of thin air turning Cooper into a star. Shep was a very adaptable manager who had a diversity of clients that spanned the hard rock stylings of Cooper, to the R&B Teddy Pendergrass, to the Canadian country good girl Anne Murray. He reached beyond music with many film producing credits, and when he became infatuated with the culinary arts, he represented the greatest chef's in the world, inventing the celebrity chef (Emeril Legasse among many others). The insight into each of these clients is truly wild and usually ended up with a happy ending; Pendergrass ending up a mixed bag tale.And while we could listen to Shep's wild tales and conquests forever, Myer's gets us deep access into his personal life, never letting us forget that this is a good human being who really made a difference in so many lives. His want for offspring keeps surfacing throughout. The mix of his earlier promiscuous life with his self sacrificial motivation to bring all of his clients everything they could ever want has left him without an heir to the Gordon empire. Shep gets closest to being a dad when tragedy strikes as an old girlfriend's grandchildren lose their mother and he comes to the rescue not only wildly financially but also as a loving father figure. That selfless deed is where the true legend of Shep Gordon lies, a supermensch, aka a superman."this" selfless deed is where the true legend of Shep Gordon lies, a supermensch, aka a superman.Matthew 7:12