Dennis Wilson Movie News

[Paulos]

I personally think that the movie will be a good thing as it will expose many younger people to Dennis' work - kids who wouldn't have even considered listening to Ray Charles & Johnny Cash started doing just that after Ray & Walk The Line.

[astroray]

The movie will only be as good as the fake beards!

[SamMcK]

Wow I thought I was the only one who thought that, that version of Great Balls Of Fire really cooks!   BTW Ol' Jerry needs another 'better' bio movie while he's still around to see it!

I'm surprised noboby has commented on this aspect yet:

"He will serve as exec producer and record his own renditions from Wil-son's solo album "Pacific Ocean Blue," released in 1977."  WTF?!?!?!
 
Worked out really well with the what-could-otherwise have been excellent Kevin Spacey bio of Bobby Darrin, "Beyond the Sea", didn't it?

I don't like the idea of re-recordings done by actors. Didn't work in "Walk the line", probably (!) won't work in The Drummer. An exception is Great Balls Of Fire but only because Jerry Lee re-recorded the songs himself (there was talk that Dennis Quaid would record them before) and out-did his originals if I might say so

[Matt H]

Well, in a way, this movie can avoid the Walk The Line pitfalls because Dennis wasn't out there doing shows as a solo guy. So, they can avoid those stupid, overly worshipful concert re-enactments. Dennis rehearsing/recording, drumming with the Beach Boys (which is about all they have to pull from) would make sense for Eckhart to do his own singing.

I just hope they toss in a good dramatization of the 1979 Lovester/Dennis Universal Amphitheater face-off. Oldsurferdude can be wheeled in down the red carpet at the premiere for this one!

Better be careful with that scene, or a lawsuit will occur.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Shouldn't this whole movie be scared of a lawsuit?

Unless they plan on there being no Mike (or "Mike" character) in the flick, I'd find it hard to imagine him signing off on any such thing.

From what I understand, Dennis and Mike weren't exactly the best of buds from 77 - 83

[Pretty Funky]

Looking back on a lot of the music bios of the last few years, band members don't get a lot of coverage and I think this will be the case here.

An example.

Scene: Various group members in late 70s fake beards, and managers sitting around a table in discussing Dennis and his wayward ways and then the Mike character saying something like 'Fire him'. A legal minefield!

or the safe Hollywood way.

Scene: Dennis character with a drinking buddy on a boat saying something like 'those b@stards have fu*ked me over and fired me!' Who he means is left open.


I am sure this movie will play it safe and not risk any lawsuits.

[SMiLE Brian]

The remaining Beach Boys should all see this movie together or even play a short set before the movie. Also do the same thing with Brian's movie premiere.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I like that idea.

It would be a thoughtful and smart approach.

A movie like this will probably only bring up awful and painful memories for Mike, Brian, and Al.

[Pretty Funky]

I have an issue with 'The Beach Boys', 'thoughtful' and 'smart' being used in one topic!

[hypehat]

^^^


This movie is essentially not an 'indie' if it has Aaron Eckhart in it, which means it might well be a whitewash. Of course, it's called 'The Drummer', which would imply The Beach Boys feature in some respect. But you have to respect Brian's problems, which may mean 'The Cocaine Sessions' are excluded, and Mike's itchy dialling finger to Ambulance & Chaser L.A might preclude some testy moments like Shawn Love. You might just get Dennis losing it onstage and Carl being the main advocate of sanity, being his brother, but depending on timing that might ignore his own problems in the 77-78 period - instead of fixing the ragged band of the early 80's, he did just quit after all. It's too soon to know.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

I have an issue with 'The Beach Boys', 'thoughtful' and 'smart' being used in one topic!

I guess I should have just been honest and used the words HOW TO AVOID BEING SUED!

[Pretty Funky]

I have an issue with 'The Beach Boys', 'thoughtful' and 'smart' being used in one topic!

I guess I should have just been honest and used the words HOW TO AVOID BEING SUED!

 

[Pretty Funky]

Quite a interesting movie could result on the Dennis behind the Beach Boys. The music and story of the band has been told many times in movie and print but how many know or knew who had the first solo album, had a probable hand in the writing of YASB or by the early 80s, why a singer in one of the greatest vocal groups could barely sing?

I mentioned Dennis and his buddy on the boat before. We have all seen the clip from EH of Dennis laughing while under sail (I think during his obit) I can just picture another scene of that drinking buddy asking 'is it true you wrote YASB?' and Dennis saying nothing and letting off that laugh.

May be a ok movie without hardly another Beach Boy in it!

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

Yeah, but you remove the fact that Dennis was a Beach Boy and the music he wrote, and his voice: what are you left with for a movie?

Aside from those who knew him and loved him, we appreciate Dennis as a Beach Boy and the author/singer of such great music. Aside from all that, his story (especially the years this movie intends to cover) might be pretty rough going.

The last chapters of Jon's book, the end of the Dennis BBC special with Ed at the marina: it's just sad, tragic stuff. I just hope these filmmakers have a real concept.

It's like that Bukowski movie "Factotum" It sucked (in my opinion) because when you take away Bukowski's words, his language, his writing, all you're left with is an unpleasant drunken wreck of a person doing unpleasant things for 90 minutes. Not that I'm even remotely equating this description with Dennis. I just hope they don't wallow in all the bad stuff and understand why Dennis is so loved by his fans and those who knew him....

Therefore, I really hope the other Beach Boys are in it.

[Pretty Funky]

Several ideas spring to mind that are interesting and should be in the movie that can not be challenged surely.

Motor racing with McQueen.
Manson family.
The Ladies. He knew a few!
Run-ins with Murry.
Solo work.
Raising heck.
Feelings toward the 'travelling jukebox'.

....the list could go on.

Putting Dennis aside for a minute. We have had movies on artists hitting the big-time, falling down then rising again. The '27' club in some cases did not live long enough to justify a movie. Perhaps the time has come to see a artist who passed 27 but went down hill and did not make it up the other side?

[SurfRiderHawaii]

From Rolling Stone
http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/aaron-eckhart-cast-as-dennis-wilson-20111017

By Matthew Perpetua
October 17, 2011 12:15 PM ET


Aaron Eckhart has been cast as Beach Boys drummer Dennis Wilson in The Drummer, a film based on the life of the late musician. Eckhart, who has been in negotiations for the role for several months, will also serve as executive producer for the film and record his own versions of tracks from Wilson's 1977 solo album, Pacific Ocean Blue.

Photos: Random Notes
The Drummer is currently scheduled to begin shooting in late spring. The movie will focus on the last six years of Wilson's life as he struggled with alcoholism, leading up to his death by drowning in 1983.

[Jay]

I was going to make another topic, but it seems like it might be able to fit in here. My question is, when did Dennis start drinking heavily? I mean, he wasn't an alcoholic his entire life, was he? I'm just wondering if there is a specific point where we can say that he became totally out of control. Did it first start to get really serious during the Australian tour in 1978?

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

If you're right about Dennis descending into serious alcoholism around the 78 Australian tour, it would be funny because he's quite obviously the most together guy on stage in any of the Australia clips.

[beach boys fan podcast]

Bruce Greenwood was a wonderful "Dennis" I think, even though Summer Dreams had so many faults. He just captured the soul. But I´m looking forward to this, what with all the cred Aaron Eckhart has, and he was excellent in Rabbit Hole.

[Jay]

I agree with Jo about Bruce Greenwood. Although I think don't think he was very good for the early years. He always seemed to old. But I think he was great for the 1983 period. Even with the terrible fake beard. 

[Bud Shaver]

The movie will only be as good as the fake beards!

Seriously! If they don't allow the actors to grow real beards I will be pissed! Fortunately for Dennis, you can start with the long hair and beard and then trim it....damn those horrible TV movie beards!

[Disney Boy (1985)]

As a wannabe director myself, I've always envisaged a DW movie of my own. I've always thought opening with River Song - with Dennis on piano surrounded by a mass choir belting out the tune - before then, post credits, fading to a quiet street in Hawthorne, as suddenly we see a young Dennis rocketing down the road in a sports car. Oh, and it would DEFINITELY feature Charles Manson at some point. How could you not...?

[hypehat]

I was going to make another topic, but it seems like it might be able to fit in here. My question is, when did Dennis start drinking heavily? I mean, he wasn't an alcoholic his entire life, was he? I'm just wondering if there is a specific point where we can say that he became totally out of control. Did it first start to get really serious during the Australian tour in 1978?

I think it was way before then - Certainly the life of the rock n roll band and Dennis' athletic consumption would mean he was drinking heavily, if not quite alcoholic levels, around '71 or something. After all, he busted his hand whilst on the lash, right? You might be able to point to Murry's death as the start of the spiral also, but I don't know enough.

[Alex]

The ONLY biopic ever worth watching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yzjtnj8Y3U

[SMiLE Brian]

The ONLY biopic ever worth watching!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yzjtnj8Y3U

Need to re-watch the director's cut with the full SMiLE parody scene.