Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon

Last updated

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
Supermensch The Legend of Shep Gordon poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Mike Myers
Produced by Beth Aala
Starring Shep Gordon
CinematographyMichael Pruitt-Bruun
Edited byJoseph Krings
Production
companies
A&E IndieFilms
Nomoneyfun Films
Distributed by RADiUS-TWC
Release dates
  • September 7, 2013 (2013-09-07)(TIFF)
  • June 6, 2014 (2014-06-06)(United States)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$220,065 [1]

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon is a 2013 American documentary film about talent manager Shep Gordon, produced and directed by Mike Myers in his directorial debut. [2] The film is the account of Gordon's career and his clients such as Alice Cooper, Blondie, Teddy Pendergrass, and Pink Floyd. The film also addresses Gordon's personal life and his interest in cooking, producing films, and his Buddhist beliefs.

Contents

The film was screened in the Gala Presentation section at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival. [3] It won the audience award for best documentary at the 2014 Sarasota Film Festival, [4] and also screened at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival. [5] It was released theatrically on June 6, 2014. [6]

Cast

The film's narrative is driven primarily by Shep Gordon as he recounts the story of his career. Supporting interviews feature some of the many friends and associates in his life, including actors Michael Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, Tom Arnold and Mike Myers, musicians Alice Cooper, Willie Nelson, Mick Fleetwood, Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar and Anne Murray, film producer Carolyn Pfeiffer, record producer Bob Ezrin, NBA coach Don Nelson, and celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse.

Reception

Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon received generally positive reviews. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes gave the film an approval rating of 78% based on reviews from 79 critics. The site's critical consensus reads: "Its unabashedly positive tone may strike some viewers as disingenuous, but even if Supermensch doesn't tell the whole story, it's an undeniably entertaining one." [7] Metacritic gives the film a score of 64/100 based on reviews from 26 critics. [8]

David Rooney of The Hollywood Reporter described Myers's film as a "sloppy kiss on an entertainment industry maverick" and called it "brisk", "entertaining", and "somewhat scattered". [9] Justin Chang of Variety wrote: "It’s an affectionate, sometimes downright slobbery career salute with a soft, unexamined center — a moving experience for all involved, no doubt, but one of limited interest outside the celebrity bubble it depicts." [10] Mark Adams of Screen Daily described the work as "warm-hearted", "enjoyably fluffy", and "a genially non-critical film that leaves audiences with a smile". [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike Myers</span> Canadian-American actor, comedian, director, producer and screenwriter (born 1963)

Michael John Myers is a Canadian actor, comedian, director, producer and screenwriter. His accolades include seven MTV Awards, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. In 2002, he was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for "his extensive and acclaimed body of comedic work as an actor, writer, and producer."

<i>Voyage of Time</i> 2016 film by Terrence Malick

Voyage of Time is a 2016 American experimental documentary film written and directed by Terrence Malick. The film is said to be an examination of the birth and death of the known universe. Malick had been working on the film for over forty years and it has been described by Malick himself as "one of my greatest dreams".

<i>This Is Martin Bonner</i> 2013 American film

This Is Martin Bonner is a 2013 American drama film written and directed by Chad Hartigan. The film stars Paul Eenhoorn as Martin Bonner, a man in his late 50s forced to relocate to Reno, Nevada, for a new job and his attempts to acclimate and make new friends. Through his work at a non-profit organization, he meets Travis Holloway, and the two men form an unlikely friendship. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2013, where it won the Audience Award for Best of NEXT.

<i>Anesthesia</i> (2015 film) 2015 American film by Tim Blake Nelson

Anesthesia is a 2015 indie drama film written, produced and directed by Tim Blake Nelson. Nelson stars in the film with Sam Waterston, Kristen Stewart, Glenn Close, Gretchen Mol, and Corey Stoll. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 22, 2015. The film was released in a limited release and through video on demand by IFC Films on January 8, 2016.

<i>The Overnighters</i> 2014 American film

The Overnighters is a 2014 American documentary film written, directed, and produced by Jesse Moss. It premiered on January 18, 2014, as part of the U.S. Documentary Competition section of the Sundance Film Festival, and it won the festival's Special Jury Prize. The film also won a prize at the Miami International Film Festival, at which it was screened on March 13, 2014.

<i>Hits</i> (film) 2014 American film

Hits is a 2014 American comedy-drama written and directed by David Cross. The film is the directorial debut of Cross. The film had its world premiere at 2014 Sundance Film Festival on January 21, 2014. The film later screened at 2014 Sundance London Film Festival on April 26, 2014. On February 13, 2015, Hits became the first feature-length film to be released on BitTorrent with a pay-what-you-want model. The Recording Academy's Chapter President Tammy Susan Hurt contributed music to the film via Georgia Music Partners.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shep Gordon</span> American talent manager and film producer

Shep E. Gordon is an American talent manager, Hollywood film agent, and producer. Gordon is featured in a 2013 documentary, Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, which was directed by Mike Myers.

<i>How to Make Money Selling Drugs</i> 2012 American film

How to Make Money Selling Drugs is a documentary film written, directed and narrated by Matthew Cooke and produced by Bert Marcus and Adrian Grenier. The film premiered at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival and was theatrically released in June 2013.

<i>Point and Shoot</i> (film) 2014 American film

Point and Shoot is a 2014 documentary film written and directed by Marshall Curry. It was produced by Marshall Curry, Elizabeth Martin and Matthew VanDyke.

<i>Champs</i> (film) 2014 American film

Champs is a 2014 documentary film focusing on boxers Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and Bernard Hopkins. The film had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 19, 2014. Starz released the film on March 13, 2015, in a theatrical release and through video on demand.

<i>Nas: Time Is Illmatic</i> 2014 American film

Nas: Time Is Illmatic is a 2014 documentary film directed by One9 and produced by One9, Erik Parker and Anthony Saleh. The film recounts the circumstances leading up to Nas' 1994 debut album Illmatic. Released on the 20th anniversary of Illmatic, the film includes interviews with Nas, his brother and father, and figures from the East Coast hip hop scene. Nas: Time Is Illmatic premiered during the opening night of the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, on April 16, 2014. The project received a grant from Tribeca All Access and additional funding from the Ford Foundation.

<i>De Palma</i> (film) 2015 American film

De Palma is a 2015 American documentary film directed by Noah Baumbach and Jake Paltrow about the director and screenwriter Brian De Palma. The documentary features clips from his films starring various frequent collaborators like Al Pacino, John Lithgow, Tom Cruise, Sean Penn, Nicolas Cage, Sean Connery, Michael Caine, John Travolta and various others.

<i>Dreamland</i> (2016 film) 2016 American film

Dreamland is a 2016 American musical comedy-drama film directed by Robert Schwartzman in directorial debut, from a screenplay by Benjamin Font and Schwartzman. It stars Johnny Simmons, Amy Landecker, Jason Schwartzman, Noël Wells, Alan Ruck, Beverly D'Angelo, Talia Shire, Shay Mitchell, Frankie Shaw and Nick Thune.

Beth Aala is a three-time award-winning American documentary filmmaker and film producer.

<i>The American Meme</i> 2018 documentary film by Bert Marcus

The American Meme is a 2018 American documentary film that explores the lifestyle and trajectory of four social media influencers. The film was directed, produced and written by Bert Marcus, and follows Paris Hilton, Emily Ratajkowski, DJ Khaled and Josh Ostrovsky as they work to create commercial brands out of their online presence.

<i>You Dont Nomi</i> 2019 documentary film

You Don't Nomi is a 2019 American documentary film that details the history of the 1995 erotic drama film Showgirls. The documentary is directed by Jeffrey McHale and it features the original cast of the film. It premiered on 27 April 2019 at the Tribeca Film Festival, and upon release it was met with positive feedback from the critics. The film was nominated for Ad Hoc Docs Competition category at the Cleveland International Film Festival.

<i>17 Blocks</i> 2019 American film

17 Blocks is an 2019 American documentary film, directed by Davy Rothbart, written by Rothbart and Jennifer Tiexiera. The film revolves around the Sanford family, who spent 20 years filming themselves.

<i>Dear Mr. Brody</i> 2021 American film

Dear Mr. Brody is a 2021 documentary film directed and produced by Keith Maitland. The film centers on letters written to Michael James Brody Jr. from the general public in response to Brody Jr.'s announcement that he would give away his inherited fortune to those in need.

<i>Pray Away</i> 2021 American documentary film

Pray Away is a 2021 American documentary film produced and directed by Kristine Stolakis. It follows survivors of conversion therapy, and former leaders. Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy serve as executive producers.

The Pentaverate is a Canadian comedy streaming television miniseries created by Mike Myers for Netflix, inspired by conspiracy theories from his 1993 film So I Married an Axe Murderer. The series premiered on May 5, 2022, and consists of six episodes.

References

  1. "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  2. Amy Kaufman, "Mike Myers to direct documentary about talent manager Shep Gordon", Los Angeles Times , July 22, 2013.
  3. "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon". TIFF. Archived from the original on September 14, 2013. Retrieved August 6, 2013.
  4. Wade Tatangelo, "Sarasota Film Festival awards announced", Sarasota Herald-Tribune , April 12, 2014.
  5. Ashley Lee, "Tribeca: 'Supermensch' Shep Gordon Talks Maui Parties, Rap Music and Advice for Today's Managers", The Hollywood Reporter , April 27, 2014.
  6. Amber Ray, "'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon' trailer: Meet the guy behind the guy", Entertainment Weekly , April 27, 2014.
  7. "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  8. "Supermensch: the Legend of Shep Gordon Reviews". Metacritic . June 6, 2014. Retrieved July 23, 2014.
  9. David Rooney, "Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon: Toronto Review", The Hollywood Reporter , September 12, 2013.
  10. Chang, Justin (June 10, 2014). "Film Review: 'Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon'". Variety.
  11. Mark Adams, "Supermensch: The Legend Of Shep Gordon" (review), Screen Daily , March 15, 2014.