Love and Mercy - News and Reviews - First clip is out.

[Ray Lawlor]

Thank you for that, Ray. I generally don't like to speak ill of the dead, but in Landy's case, I hope he brought plenty of sunblock for where he's at now. What a horrible, horrible excuse for a human being. I'm happy that Brian managed to get away from him.

Couldnt agree more about Landy....horrible excuse for a human being.  He was diabolically brilliant; he assesed the situation and immediately recognized what he could get away with ( the second time) .  What a charlatan
 

[mtaber]

Thank you, Ray, for the insight.  It is very much appreciated.

[shadownoze]

I don't post very often, but I want to add my thanks, Ray, for sharing your knowledge with us. The least appealing aspect of the internet, for me at least, is that it brings out the urge in people to proclaim themselves "experts" in matters they have no firsthand experience with. Bless you for setting the story straight.

[Ray Lawlor]

I don't post very often, but I want to add my thanks, Ray, for sharing your knowledge with us. The least appealing aspect of the internet, for me at least, is that it brings out the urge in people to proclaim themselves "experts" in matters they have no firsthand experience with. Bless you for setting the story straight.

Youre welcome. I posted it because nobody outside of a few people know what really was the driving factor in getting BW the hell out of there ; I feel she is not treated fairly on so many levels and deserves all the credit in the world in plowing the road out of Landyworld . I read all the articles in the press at the time and I remember thinking " you people have no earthly clue what you are writing about".

I am looking forward to seeing how it is played in the movie.

[GoofyJeff]

Thank you for that wonderful insight, Ray. God bless.

[Steve Mayo]

word is getting out and about...as of this moment "brian wilson" is the  #2 trending search on yahoo....all because of the movie

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Nevermind, I was fooled.

[CenturyDeprived]

So how is Mike portrayed in the film? Anybody who's actually seen it care to respond?

He was portrayed rather ok in my opinion. He was caring for the band and trying to make Brian focus his work on music that would be succesful with their fan base. Problem is that Van Dyke's character was not elaborated and the Smile period was not explored in depth in terms of what Brian's intentions were. So when Mike dismisses Van Dyke, its actually makes sense.

Now, on a different note, the rest of the band was shown as having no relevance whatsoever. Not even Carl.

That's interesting particularly because they would have more room to depict Carl or Dennis in whatever fashion they wanted without fear of lawsuits, as opposed to the living members.

I'm guessing (without having seen the film) that maybe that since they wanted to preemptively prevent any lawsuits, they decided to equally (more or less) not have much involvement of the other bandmates (living or deceased) to as not call attention to the fact that there's suddenly lots of deep scenes with Carl and Dennis, which would only serve to call attention to the potential lack of scenes with other living members, which could make that targeted avoidance stick out even more.

Maybe keeping all members at a relatively equal level of not being featured very prominently just helped to diffuse that situation entirely, and doesn't make it seem like they were tiptoeing around any specific living member(s). Makes sense to me, but what do I know.

Not to mention I'm sure they just wanted to focus on certain aspects of Brian's life which surely was VERY hard to do in a single movie.

[Shady]

word is getting out and about...as of this moment "brian wilson" is the  #2 trending search on yahoo....all because of the movie

We can all agree that is very cool.

A new album from Brian and this apparently brilliant movie. A lot to look forward to.

[Amy B.]

Thank you, Ray. I remember Melinda talking about this in an interview (maybe it was Larry King?). She said Brian had used her phone to call a family member and that's how she got the family member's number. She subsequently tried to call the family member in an attempt to get help for Brian.

[Mikie]

Ray tells it as it is.

Yes he does.

[Mikie]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?"  Was it jealousy? Did Carnie think Melinda had too much control? Did Melinda at any point come between Brian and his daughters and/or prevent him from seeing them?

[Shady]

Thank you, Ray. I remember Melinda talking about this in an interview (maybe it was Larry King?). She said Brian had used her phone to call a family member and that's how she got the family member's number. She subsequently tried to call the family member in an attempt to get help for Brian.

That interview is on youtube

It's very good

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6Gf6rBS49o

[halblaineisgood]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?" 

[Cyncie]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?"  

I assume Mikie is referring to the insulting "Me-landy" nickname that has become all to frequent on this board.

edit: It would seem this is being auto changed.

[Ray Lawlor]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?"  Was it jealousy? Did Carnie think Melinda had too much control? Did Melinda at any point come between Brian and his daughters and/or prevent him from seeing them?

Mikie; I know that Carnie did call her that several years ago : I didnt know why as there never seemed to be any problem that I was aware of; the girls were and are always welcome at their house. My own experience was that Carnie and Melinda get on great. Last year for Brian's birthday they had a nice dinner at a restaurant Brian likes in Beverly Glen...Carnie and Rob were there as well as Danny Hutton and his wife ; Carnie and Melinda were having a great time; I sure didnt see any negativity. Maybe it was a blip on the radar screen back then , or they had a disagreement, but I doubt there was ever anything substantial.  

[Mikie]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?"  

I assume Mikie is referring to the insulting "Me-landy" nickname that has become all to frequent on this board.

edit: It would seem this is being auto changed.

Thanks for the correction, Cyncie.  I shoulda preafrood my question before posting!  

[Mikie]

Ray, do you have an inkling as to why Carnie use to call Melinda "Melinda?"  Was it jealousy? Did Carnie think Melinda had too much control? Did Melinda at any point come between Brian and his daughters and/or prevent him from seeing them?

Mikie; I know that Carnie did call her that several years ago : I didnt know why as there never seemed to be any problem that I was aware of; the girls were and are always welcome at their house. My own experience was that Carnie and Melinda get on great. Last year for Brian's birthday they had a nice dinner at a restaurant Brian likes in Beverly Glen...Carnie and Rob were there as well as Danny Hutton and his wife ; Carnie and Melinda were having a great time; I sure didnt see any negativity. Maybe it was a blip on the radar screen back then , or they had a disagreement, but I doubt there was ever anything substantial.  

Good to know.  Thanks, Ray.

[Cyncie]

Thank you for that, Ray. I generally don't like to speak ill of the dead, but in Landy's case, I hope he brought plenty of sunblock for where he's at now. What a horrible, horrible excuse for a human being. I'm happy that Brian managed to get away from him.

Couldnt agree more about Landy....horrible excuse for a human being.  He was diabolically brilliant; he assesed the situation and immediately recognized what he could get away with ( the second time) .  What a charlatan
 

We like to cast Murry or Capitol records or Mike in the role of villain at various times in Brian's story, but no one can hold a candle to that despicably slimy excuse for a human being.

[Pretty Funky]

In response to AGD's post earlier

Andrew;

Your dates are correct with regard to the filing of the lawsuit initiated by Carl, Audree, Wendy and Carnie. And yes, Melinda was officially cut off, by Landy, from Brian , starting 1989 , until they got together in 1993. What nobody could possibly know (actually maybe three or four people know) is what was going on “off radar”, or behind the scenes at that time; I was “in the mix” during that period and I remember it all too vividly. I have never said a word about it, but it is time I did.

First of all, it is abject fiction that she never saw Brian after being banned by Landy in 1989. Melinda had her own house in Malibu, which was three miles from the dump that Landy had Brian living in; and it was a dump. Brian had to jog six miles daily; the Landy goons were at specific checkpoints all the time; hell, they weren’t running.  He and Melinda saw each other constantly, on the sly. Brian would sneak to a phone booth and call her, and they would meet; albeit briefly; topic was always a progress report on getting him out of there, and of course, encouragement for Brian in such a sick , twisted situation. Remember; he was forbidden by this sicko to contact his family; so the two of them devised a system that worked.

Melinda (then) Ledbetter, met Brian in 1986 ; dated him until Landy found out in 1989 that ,not only was their relationship very serious, but also she was on to him and the bullshit he was doing to Brian; and had been on to him for some time. She was quickly and effectively blocked from all contact with Brian ,or so he thought, as shown above. During that time, both prior to being doused by Landy and after, she tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get the family involved in ousting this bastard. I remember that she got Audree’s cell number off her carphone bill, when Brian tried, unsuccessfully , to try and contact her; I also remember that Audree thought that Mike Love had put her up to calling ! By then it was pretty apparent that eliminating Landy would be a daunting task, as it was difficult to figure out who to trust, and who would weasel her out to Landy. Finally, she contacted the Attorney General, State of California, who told her what she already knew; that she needed to get Brian’s family onboard; without family involvement and consent, nothing could happen, and to that end, gave her Carl’s attorney’s information, Ross Schwartz and Jody Leslie.

Anyway, Melinda then had a few preliminary meetings, I believe, with Ross Schwartz, but soon found that Jody Leslie was “all ears” and was committed to help. It was Jody Leslie who finally convinced the family they needed to step in, after Melinda hand delivered Brian’s will to her, which had been given to Melinda by Andy Dean, one of Brian’s ‘bodyguards”, who developed a conscience after his girlfriend pushed him to help Melinda. This will had been dramatically altered by Landy, whereas he and his girlfriend/wife, Alexandra Morgan, became beneficiaries of 80% of Brian’s estate; Carnie and Wendy were left with 10% each; prior to that, the bulk of the estate went to Carnie and Wendy , with I believe , a smaller portion left to Carl. It was then that the family started the ball rolling with the conservatorship filing; additionally Carl was determined not to let Stan Love take custody of Brian.  This all started in 1989; even though blocked by Landy from seeing Brian, Melinda was relentless is trying to get him the hell out of there. She was asked by Jody Leslie to set up Landy getting served the conservancy papers at the Cadillac dealership; she was so scared of Landy by that time that when he arrived, she was in her office , doors locked , hiding under the desk, afraid of Landy’s erratic behavior. I know that there was a time, just before she was cut off from Brian, that she was secretly taping the mandatory Landy meetings, just in case something happened to her ; it was scary stuff.  I had to go through that bastard twice to see Brian ; I live in New York but Los Angeles was too close for me with Landy; he was that crazy ; I don’t know how she dealt with him , but to her eternal credit she did.
Anyone who loves Brian’s music owes, at minimum, a “thank you” to Melinda Wilson; without her perseverance in exposing Landy and getting the family involved, Brian would be long gone. Think about it; Landy was pumping him full up with all those meds and making him run six miles a day all jacked up ; it was only a matter of time before his heart gave out, or had a stroke.

Her role in getting Brian away from Landy should not and cannot be denigrated or minimized. The vitriol for Melinda Wilson by some on this board is uncalled for, usually over the top and misguided; personally I don’t get it, but from now on when it happens, I, for one, will have her back , armed with the facts.

Finally; I was reading in a few posts wondering what Brian’s reaction to the film was.  Here you go:  “I really liked the movie because the real life was so much worse”.

Somehow I hope this story gets told in Brian's book next year. It deserves more than getting lost in this message board. Thanks Ray.

[JohnMill]

Thank you for that, Ray. I generally don't like to speak ill of the dead, but in Landy's case, I hope he brought plenty of sunblock for where he's at now. What a horrible, horrible excuse for a human being. I'm happy that Brian managed to get away from him.

Couldnt agree more about Landy....horrible excuse for a human being.  He was diabolically brilliant; he assesed the situation and immediately recognized what he could get away with ( the second time) .  What a charlatan
 

We like to cast Murry or Capitol records or Mike in the role of villain at various times in Brian's story, but no one can hold a candle to that despicably slimy excuse for a human being.

Is the general consensus out there that Dr. Landy never truly helped anyone period?

[Andrew G. Doe]

In response to AGD's post earlier

Andrew;

Your dates are correct with regard to the filing of the lawsuit initiated by Carl, Audree, Wendy and Carnie. And yes, Melinda was officially cut off, by Landy, from Brian , starting 1989 , until they got together in 1993. What nobody could possibly know (actually maybe three or four people know) is what was going on “off radar”, or behind the scenes at that time; I was “in the mix” during that period and I remember it all too vividly. I have never said a word about it, but it is time I did.

First of all, it is abject fiction that she never saw Brian after being banned by Landy in 1989. Melinda had her own house in Malibu, which was three miles from the dump that Landy had Brian living in; and it was a dump. Brian had to jog six miles daily; the Landy goons were at specific checkpoints all the time; hell, they weren’t running.  He and Melinda saw each other constantly, on the sly. Brian would sneak to a phone booth and call her, and they would meet; albeit briefly; topic was always a progress report on getting him out of there, and of course, encouragement for Brian in such a sick , twisted situation. Remember; he was forbidden by this sicko to contact his family; so the two of them devised a system that worked.

Melinda (then) Ledbetter, met Brian in 1986 ; dated him until Landy found out in 1989 that ,not only was their relationship very serious, but also she was on to him and the bullshit he was doing to Brian; and had been on to him for some time. She was quickly and effectively blocked from all contact with Brian ,or so he thought, as shown above. During that time, both prior to being doused by Landy and after, she tried several times, unsuccessfully, to get the family involved in ousting this bastard. I remember that she got Audree’s cell number off her carphone bill, when Brian tried, unsuccessfully , to try and contact her; I also remember that Audree thought that Mike Love had put her up to calling ! By then it was pretty apparent that eliminating Landy would be a daunting task, as it was difficult to figure out who to trust, and who would weasel her out to Landy. Finally, she contacted the Attorney General, State of California, who told her what she already knew; that she needed to get Brian’s family onboard; without family involvement and consent, nothing could happen, and to that end, gave her Carl’s attorney’s information, Ross Schwartz and Jody Leslie.

Anyway, Melinda then had a few preliminary meetings, I believe, with Ross Schwartz, but soon found that Jody Leslie was “all ears” and was committed to help. It was Jody Leslie who finally convinced the family they needed to step in, after Melinda hand delivered Brian’s will to her, which had been given to Melinda by Andy Dean, one of Brian’s ‘bodyguards”, who developed a conscience after his girlfriend pushed him to help Melinda. This will had been dramatically altered by Landy, whereas he and his girlfriend/wife, Alexandra Morgan, became beneficiaries of 80% of Brian’s estate; Carnie and Wendy were left with 10% each; prior to that, the bulk of the estate went to Carnie and Wendy , with I believe , a smaller portion left to Carl. It was then that the family started the ball rolling with the conservatorship filing; additionally Carl was determined not to let Stan Love take custody of Brian.  This all started in 1989; even though blocked by Landy from seeing Brian, Melinda was relentless is trying to get him the hell out of there. She was asked by Jody Leslie to set up Landy getting served the conservancy papers at the Cadillac dealership; she was so scared of Landy by that time that when he arrived, she was in her office , doors locked , hiding under the desk, afraid of Landy’s erratic behavior. I know that there was a time, just before she was cut off from Brian, that she was secretly taping the mandatory Landy meetings, just in case something happened to her ; it was scary stuff.  I had to go through that bastard twice to see Brian ; I live in New York but Los Angeles was too close for me with Landy; he was that crazy ; I don’t know how she dealt with him , but to her eternal credit she did.
Anyone who loves Brian’s music owes, at minimum, a “thank you” to Melinda Wilson; without her perseverance in exposing Landy and getting the family involved, Brian would be long gone. Think about it; Landy was pumping him full up with all those meds and making him run six miles a day all jacked up ; it was only a matter of time before his heart gave out, or had a stroke.

Her role in getting Brian away from Landy should not and cannot be denigrated or minimized. The vitriol for Melinda Wilson by some on this board is uncalled for, usually over the top and misguided; personally I don’t get it, but from now on when it happens, I, for one, will have her back , armed with the facts.

Finally; I was reading in a few posts wondering what Brian’s reaction to the film was.  Here you go:  “I really liked the movie because the real life was so much worse”.

That's the second person who was there who's picked me up on my statement concerning Melinda not being either in touch or part of the process, and I'm equally grateful to both for setting me, us and much more importantly, the historical record, straight. When the sources and info are this credible, I have no problem whatsoever with being told to STFU, in private or in public. 

[Andrew G. Doe]

Thank you for that, Ray. I generally don't like to speak ill of the dead, but in Landy's case, I hope he brought plenty of sunblock for where he's at now. What a horrible, horrible excuse for a human being. I'm happy that Brian managed to get away from him.

Couldnt agree more about Landy....horrible excuse for a human being.  He was diabolically brilliant; he assesed the situation and immediately recognized what he could get away with ( the second time) .  What a charlatan
 

We like to cast Murry or Capitol records or Mike in the role of villain at various times in Brian's story, but no one can hold a candle to that despicably slimy excuse for a human being.

Is the general consensus out there that Dr. Landy never truly helped anyone period?

Himself. That's it.

[sea of tunes]

Is Brian close to Carnie and Wendy now?

[stack-o-tracks]

Is Brian close to Carnie and Wendy now?

It's really none of our business, is it?

Of course their relationship is better now than it was when he was abusing drugs and didn't have his mental illness in check.

But are they close? That's subjective and there's no answer that any of us are going to get unless it comes directly from Brian, Carnie, or Wendy's mouth, and  I don't think any of them post here.