The Smiley Smile Message Board

Curious what is known about this not-particularly important, yet mildly topic.

- I recall Ed Roach saying that Dennis saw the film ET in the theater.

- Brian has seen the film Seconds and the TV show Flipper.

- Mike, I'm guessing, has seen the film Cocktail.

What else needs to be added to the list? Surely there are many. Have any of the band members watched Back to the Future? Police Academy 6? Diff'rent Strokes? Press Your Luck?

I also wonder if the entire band ever went to the movies together.

Don't forget about Norbit.

Forget the name but the film that Brian saw in the 60's where someone said "good morning Mr. Wilson" and he apparently thought they were talking about him.

Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Some of the backing band guys have been known to quote from it.

I think that was Seconds.  It seems like there was more to the story that was really strange, but I can't remember what it was.

Brian - Love & Mercy

Brian - Johnny Carson

It was John Frankenheimer's Seconds. It is a terrific movie, by the way, strongly recommended to all lovers of good films, not only BW fans. The story was that Brian had an idea (don't know if it was caused by drug use) that Phil Spector was watching him, keeping track of him, speaking to him personally, with that line in the motion picture, sort of a paranoid moment if you will.

Thing is: the movie is about the personal 'rejuvenation' of the lead in the movie, played by Rock Hudson. And people like me, who like to (over)interpret, find that what happens to Hudson is not totally unlike Brian's first major 'healing' by Eugene Landy.

But you may decide for yourself.

Movie review: http://filmschoolrejects.com/features/seconds-john-frankenheimers-forgotten-60s-masterpiece.php

The full movie is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU28jXfTJzc  (very poor quality, enough for a taster anyway, dim the lights etc.).

imagine sitting there at the tv set with Brian watching 'Flipper'.
He would probably start doing a harmony with the theme song then
ask you to do a part, before you know it, you'd be at the piano singing
'flipper' in harmony with a boogie woogie arrangement.

At one point during one of the "SMiLE" sessions, Dennis asked if anyone else had seen "I Spy" the night before. I don't think that bit made it to the box set (and I'm sure wouldn't nowadays, given the stigma associated with Bill Cosby), but if memory serves, it was during the tracking date for "Holidays", on which Dennis played drums.

Bruce Johnston loves Apocalypse Now. He talked about it in that long interview that can be seen on youtube (the one where he mocks Friends - the album).

They talk about shows on the Today track 'Sessions with Big Daddy'. I dont have it with me, but what shows did they talk about?

Police Academy 6?

Wow, CD.  That's the one sequel I didn't even like way back when. 

RIP - George Gaynes. 

Yeah, 6 is a stinker! Only 7 is worse! RIP Gaynes indeed.

That is really fascinating. If you happen to figure out what date that might have been, it would be interesting to go to imdb.com and check the airdate of I Spy episodes, because I wonder what reason in particular Denny was taken with an episode enough to mention it...

Side note: I wonder if any I Spy episodes have any hidden, subtle Cosby roofie references, the way it was discovered an episode of The Cosby Show did with the creepy BBQ sauce episode. Ick. Talk about Cos for concern. There's a Get Smart episode which is direct I Spy parody, where Robert Culp even makes a cameo, and he passes out unconscious due to what he's drinking. 

Oh my, Part 7 is unwatchable.  Truly horrible movie. 

I was a big Police Academy fan growing up.  But I have to say, as an adult, the only one that still hold up is the original. 

I even used to have a cassette of the soundtrack of Part 4, which happened to have a song called Let's Go to Heaven in My Car on it.  First BB related song I ever owned. 

They probably watched at least one episode of Karen.

If only Bobcat Goldthwait could have done a duet with Brian (in Zed character) on Smart Girls.

If Sire wanted to push the first ever BW solo single, maybe they should've pushed for a cameo in Police Academy 4.  The possibilities are endless. 

**Would've been better than a snippet on the song heard over a mall loudspeaker in the movie**

I'm not sure where, but I've read something with an extended bit about the parallels (beyond the name) that BE saw between his life at that time and the character's. He was into a Subud rebirth thing and saw the movie as very analogous.

I have it on good authority that Carl and some of the guys attended a screening of Americathon in Chicago, 1979, and were not particularly impressed.

That would have been awesome. I can just see it now - Officer Wilson in the mall. 1980s Brian Wilson, Mall Cop  :lol
Love that Brian/Mike/Bruce Disorderlies cameo. I'd be shocked if they ever watched that film though.

Agreed, it is very good.  The first time I saw it a few years ago, it really creeped me out when they were working on him.  Especially when he was trying to speak.

I'm sure at least Brian watched American Bandstand, as in a 1980 interview, he calls Dick Clark one of his heroes.
They probably saw themselves in the movie Girls on the Beach, and probably watched Dennis in Two Lane Blacktop.

Don't tell Mike, but given his interest in PS and those studio scenes, I would bet Bruce has too. ;)

I think Dennis intended to watch the Super Bowl in 1981...

I love silly topics like this! According to the ‘I Am Brian Wilson’ book (pp. 9-10), Brian loves to start his day by sitting in his chair, which he calls his ‘command center’. There, he’ll tune in to Eyewitness News because “the newscasters are pleasant to watch”. He’s also a fan of game shows, nameably Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy, although he’s “getting tired of watching” the latter. Lots of interesting information like this in his book, I suggest it to anyone who hasn’t picked it up yet.

I remember reading at one time that Brian said "The Bucket List" was his favorite movie.  I also saw in one of his early fan club newsletters that he had seen "The Truth About Cats And Dogs" and "Twister".  He mentioned that "Twister" was scary but good.

On howard stern he asked brian what shows he watched in his bedroom during the “bed years” and he said “i dont remember....” then he remembered that one thing he used to watch was “mission impossible”.

I wonder if during those years he really got into stuff like “misson...” of he would literally just put on anything and didnt really care what it was...

Add Jones' 10000 mouth imitations. :3d Btw, Zed/ Bob rules! Best character in "Police Academy", miles away. :3d

Interesting title. If it's cool pet film, maybe will check it.

Thanks to Brian, we know Murry watched Joey Bishop. :-D

Someone saw Brian at a movie theater watching Almost Famous. At the closing credits, when Feel Flows plays, Brian said "that's my brother's song" and cried.

Read somewhere that Brian liked Hitchcocks The Birds, and he mentions a car explosion. I've seen that movie several times but didn't remember seeing that. So I watched again and, sure enough, there was a car that catches fire towards the end. It's funny how he remembers this - I assume that most people remember the bird attacks. He sees things in a different way

I believe I have read Dennis was a fan of Star Trek

Also, can someone link me to the long YouTube video where Bruce mocks Friends? I am on mobile and cannot quote the poster who said this early in the first page.