Van Dyke Barks

[Bittersweet-Sanity]

Van Dyke Parks is the biggest butthole in the world https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fgAMHVL9hBQ

Someone needs to tweet this to him  

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I am assuming it is coming up now because of the movie which is more specific to his time with Brian than past biopics.

Seriously. The guy needs to actually watch this thing before he gets all snarky about it. It's not an American Family type hatchet job. Van Dyke is depicted as scholarly and well spoken and very much involved in SMiLE, even taking the lead in explaining the concept to the dinner guests in the scene where Brian's auditory overload happens. So what if no one actually stood up and listed his credits? That's not the story that is being told. Parks is in the business. He should know this. It's not a movie about SMiLE or Van Dyke. It's not a documentary. It's a movie about Brian's collapse and recovery.

Everyone, from Mike to Carol Kaye to Van Dyke were treated fairly, IMO. If any of these complainers who haven't actually seen the movie want the story told their way, they can get their own screenwriters and do it. But, if they do, I expect them to do more than just say, "See, I did this! Look at me!" To be in Brian's league in this, they need to have the balls to plaster all of their own personal pain up on a 22 foot screen for everyone to see and comment on. Then I'll pay attention.

Touchdown! Grand slam! Goal!

The hilarious thing about all of this is that Parks now IS the goof he was portrayed as in American Family. Remember the scene where he is sitting atop something and spews off some jibberish like a little weasel. It's reality now. That's what he and his tweets have become. It's kind of stunning.

Absolutely.

Of course, we'll know just how bad it is if we get Mike Love Presents Smile in a year

[joshferrell]

So what's the deal with VDP claiming to play marimba and keyboards on Pet Sounds? A quick scan of the credits in the box set does not link him to any of the sessions.

he must be hanging out with Carol these days,,,,

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

[Paul J B]

I am assuming it is coming up now because of the movie which is more specific to his time with Brian than past biopics.

Seriously. The guy needs to actually watch this thing before he gets all snarky about it. It's not an American Family type hatchet job. Van Dyke is depicted as scholarly and well spoken and very much involved in SMiLE, even taking the lead in explaining the concept to the dinner guests in the scene where Brian's auditory overload happens. So what if no one actually stood up and listed his credits? That's not the story that is being told. Parks is in the business. He should know this. It's not a movie about SMiLE or Van Dyke. It's not a documentary. It's a movie about Brian's collapse and recovery.

Everyone, from Mike to Carol Kaye to Van Dyke were treated fairly, IMO. If any of these complainers who haven't actually seen the movie want the story told their way, they can get their own screenwriters and do it. But, if they do, I expect them to do more than just say, "See, I did this! Look at me!" To be in Brian's league in this, they need to have the balls to plaster all of their own personal pain up on a 22 foot screen for everyone to see and comment on. Then I'll pay attention.

Touchdown! Grand slam! Goal!

The hilarious thing about all of this is that Parks now IS the goof he was portrayed as in American Family. Remember the scene where he is sitting atop something and spews off some jibberish like a little weasel. It's reality now. That's what he and his tweets have become. It's kind of stunning.

Absolutely.

Of course, we'll know just how bad it is if we get Mike Love Presents Smile in a year

The definitive Smile. Including the true lost tapes of the original GOOD VIBRATIONS, a Love/Parks masterpiece featuring Carol Kaye on bass. Just so we are clear...if you listen close you can hear her baseline even if there's another one in the mix. I think this might also be the version with 6 cellos all going ape sh*t at once.

[Cyncie]

OHHHHH. But, I thought Mike's show was gonna be "50 Years of SMiLE… a Mike Love Concept Album."

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

I am assuming it is coming up now because of the movie which is more specific to his time with Brian than past biopics.

Seriously. The guy needs to actually watch this thing before he gets all snarky about it. It's not an American Family type hatchet job. Van Dyke is depicted as scholarly and well spoken and very much involved in SMiLE, even taking the lead in explaining the concept to the dinner guests in the scene where Brian's auditory overload happens. So what if no one actually stood up and listed his credits? That's not the story that is being told. Parks is in the business. He should know this. It's not a movie about SMiLE or Van Dyke. It's not a documentary. It's a movie about Brian's collapse and recovery.

Everyone, from Mike to Carol Kaye to Van Dyke were treated fairly, IMO. If any of these complainers who haven't actually seen the movie want the story told their way, they can get their own screenwriters and do it. But, if they do, I expect them to do more than just say, "See, I did this! Look at me!" To be in Brian's league in this, they need to have the balls to plaster all of their own personal pain up on a 22 foot screen for everyone to see and comment on. Then I'll pay attention.

Touchdown! Grand slam! Goal!

The hilarious thing about all of this is that Parks now IS the goof he was portrayed as in American Family. Remember the scene where he is sitting atop something and spews off some jibberish like a little weasel. It's reality now. That's what he and his tweets have become. It's kind of stunning.

Absolutely.

Of course, we'll know just how bad it is if we get Mike Love Presents Smile in a year

The definitive Smile. Including the true lost tapes of the original GOOD VIBRATIONS, a Love/Parks masterpiece featuring Carol Kaye on bass. Just so we are clear...if you listen close you can hear her baseline even if there's another one in the mix. I think this might also be the version with 6 cellos all going ape sh*t at once.

Under and under the crow walks cover up the Wheatfield. ..

[Gohi]

Surprised no one's mentioned today's tweet yet.

https://twitter.com/thevandykeparks/status/615562914422849537

I don't want to reignite a fight.  ("So why are you posting this?")  But that hyphen is pretty interesting.

That's just childish and petty.

[Matt Etherton]

It appears to me that for whatever reason, Van Dyke wants attention, weather good or bad...he seems desperate to get Brian to notice. Odd.

[Bittersweet-Sanity]

all this nonsense makes me wonder what other B.W. associated people think of Love & Mercy. Like David Leaf. I bet he'd have some interesting things to say about the Landy era scenes. He managed to maintain contact w/ Brian throughout that period. An impressive feat, no doubt.

[CenturyDeprived]

I am assuming it is coming up now because of the movie which is more specific to his time with Brian than past biopics.

Seriously. The guy needs to actually watch this thing before he gets all snarky about it. It's not an American Family type hatchet job. Van Dyke is depicted as scholarly and well spoken and very much involved in SMiLE, even taking the lead in explaining the concept to the dinner guests in the scene where Brian's auditory overload happens. So what if no one actually stood up and listed his credits? That's not the story that is being told. Parks is in the business. He should know this. It's not a movie about SMiLE or Van Dyke. It's not a documentary. It's a movie about Brian's collapse and recovery.

Everyone, from Mike to Carol Kaye to Van Dyke were treated fairly, IMO. If any of these complainers who haven't actually seen the movie want the story told their way, they can get their own screenwriters and do it. But, if they do, I expect them to do more than just say, "See, I did this! Look at me!" To be in Brian's league in this, they need to have the balls to plaster all of their own personal pain up on a 22 foot screen for everyone to see and comment on. Then I'll pay attention.

Very well put. +1.

[The_Holy_Bee]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

[Autotune]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

Interesting post. And not having yet seen the film, I give you 100% credit in that Van can feel mis represented by the scenes you describe. However, one may wonder what "setting the record straight" may mean in this case. Is it stating that Smile was a serious artistic attempt? Is it showing the world that Brian was not an idiot savant surrounded by whimsical hippies of which VDP was but one? It seems to me that Van's main issue these days has to to do with creative credit; i.e. after decades of self proclaiming a "glorified scribe" he now believes that arranging, compsosing and/or production credit is due. But then, doesn't setting the record straight require a straightforward approach instead of the oblique remarks that lead to more speculation as to their meaning?

[filledeplage]

Surprised no one's mentioned today's tweet yet.

https://twitter.com/thevandykeparks/status/615562914422849537

I don't want to reignite a fight.  ("So why are you posting this?")  But that hyphen is pretty interesting.

Komera - you didn't start this information sharing.  Not your fault. 

First - "Then-brilliant Brian" - calculated to be unbridled offense to Brian's intelligence and creative ability. Every word is a bullet with him, and abuse of his literary gift.  More leaks seem to be springing on his boat.  He doesn't appear to want an open conversation but prefers to launch barbs when it suits him.  This is beneath him.

Second - SOS - "as it is supposed to be sung by Ray Charles?" What does that mean?  He certainly performed it during the 25th show in Hawaii.  Is this a direct diss to Carl, Blondie, Brian, or whomever else performed the lead?

Why these insults now? If he hasn't seen the film, he might reserve judgment until he has.  Otherwise, his opinion is uninformed.  And just not credible.

If he has a problem with credits, let him go litigate it (like everyone else) with solid proof in a court rather than whining on twitter.  Maybe he can join this board, just like Brian Wilson.   

[Cyncie]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

Interesting post. And not having yet seen the film, I give you 100% credit in that Van can feel mis represented by the scenes you describe. However, one may wonder what "setting the record straight" may mean in this case. Is it stating that Smile was a serious artistic attempt? Is it showing the world that Brian was not an idiot savant surrounded by whimsical hippies of which VDP was but one? It seems to me that Van's main issue these days has to to do with creative credit; i.e. after decades of self proclaiming a "glorified scribe" he now believes that arranging, compsosing and/or production credit is due. But then, doesn't setting the record straight require a straightforward approach instead of the oblique remarks that lead to more speculation as to their meaning?

I think it would be really helpful, if he wants to set the record straight, for him to see the film so he knows what the record actually is. He admits that he has not, and until he does, I don't find his opinion to be valid one way or the other. So far he hasn't said anything clear about how he feels the SMiLE era should have been represented in the film. All he's done is make some snarky comments about minor credits he feels he deserves, and take sarcastic jabs at Brian.  I don't think this is about what's really in the film, or being accurate . This is about something else, and the film made a nice catalyst for some indirect swipes at Brian. And frankly, the last couple of tweets were just plain offensive, directed toward someone with Brian's history of mental health issues and addiction. I expect better of Mr. Parks.

[filledeplage]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

Interesting post. And not having yet seen the film, I give you 100% credit in that Van can feel mis represented by the scenes you describe. However, one may wonder what "setting the record straight" may mean in this case. Is it stating that Smile was a serious artistic attempt? Is it showing the world that Brian was not an idiot savant surrounded by whimsical hippies of which VDP was but one? It seems to me that Van's main issue these days has to to do with creative credit; i.e. after decades of self proclaiming a "glorified scribe" he now believes that arranging, compsosing and/or production credit is due. But then, doesn't setting the record straight require a straightforward approach instead of the oblique remarks that lead to more speculation as to their meaning?

I think it would be really helpful, if he wants to set the record straight, for him to see the film so he knows what the record actually is. He admits that he has not, and until he does, I don't find his opinion to be valid one way or the other. So far he hasn't said anything clear about how he feels the SMiLE era should have been represented in the film. All he's done is make some snarky comments about minor credits he feels he deserves, and take sarcastic jabs at Brian.  I don't think this is about what's really in the film, or being accurate . This is about something else, and the film made a nice catalyst for some indirect swipes at Brian. And frankly, the last couple of tweets were just plain offensive, directed toward someone with Brian's history of mental health issues and addiction. I expect better of Mr. Parks.

Cyncie - you are way too kind.  They are direct hits at Brian, not indirect ones. And I agree that without seeing the film, it is not credible.

[Cyncie]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

Interesting post. And not having yet seen the film, I give you 100% credit in that Van can feel mis represented by the scenes you describe. However, one may wonder what "setting the record straight" may mean in this case. Is it stating that Smile was a serious artistic attempt? Is it showing the world that Brian was not an idiot savant surrounded by whimsical hippies of which VDP was but one? It seems to me that Van's main issue these days has to to do with creative credit; i.e. after decades of self proclaiming a "glorified scribe" he now believes that arranging, compsosing and/or production credit is due. But then, doesn't setting the record straight require a straightforward approach instead of the oblique remarks that lead to more speculation as to their meaning?

I think it would be really helpful, if he wants to set the record straight, for him to see the film so he knows what the record actually is. He admits that he has not, and until he does, I don't find his opinion to be valid one way or the other. So far he hasn't said anything clear about how he feels the SMiLE era should have been represented in the film. All he's done is make some snarky comments about minor credits he feels he deserves, and take sarcastic jabs at Brian.  I don't think this is about what's really in the film, or being accurate . This is about something else, and the film made a nice catalyst for some indirect swipes at Brian. And frankly, the last couple of tweets were just plain offensive, directed toward someone with Brian's history of mental health issues and addiction. I expect better of Mr. Parks.

Cyncie - you are way too kind.  They are direct hits at Brian, not indirect ones. And I agree that without seeing the film, it is not credible.

You are correct. Perhaps I should have said, The film made a nice catalyst for some hateful swipes at Brian, with a poor attempt to disguise them as "wit"

[filledeplage]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

Interesting post. And not having yet seen the film, I give you 100% credit in that Van can feel mis represented by the scenes you describe. However, one may wonder what "setting the record straight" may mean in this case. Is it stating that Smile was a serious artistic attempt? Is it showing the world that Brian was not an idiot savant surrounded by whimsical hippies of which VDP was but one? It seems to me that Van's main issue these days has to to do with creative credit; i.e. after decades of self proclaiming a "glorified scribe" he now believes that arranging, compsosing and/or production credit is due. But then, doesn't setting the record straight require a straightforward approach instead of the oblique remarks that lead to more speculation as to their meaning?

I think it would be really helpful, if he wants to set the record straight, for him to see the film so he knows what the record actually is. He admits that he has not, and until he does, I don't find his opinion to be valid one way or the other. So far he hasn't said anything clear about how he feels the SMiLE era should have been represented in the film. All he's done is make some snarky comments about minor credits he feels he deserves, and take sarcastic jabs at Brian.  I don't think this is about what's really in the film, or being accurate . This is about something else, and the film made a nice catalyst for some indirect swipes at Brian. And frankly, the last couple of tweets were just plain offensive, directed toward someone with Brian's history of mental health issues and addiction. I expect better of Mr. Parks.

Cyncie - you are way too kind.  They are direct hits at Brian, not indirect ones. And I agree that without seeing the film, it is not credible.

You are correct. Perhaps I should have said, The film made a nice catalyst for some hateful swipes at Brian, with a poor attempt to disguise them as "wit"

All of these rants lead me to believe that his character was authentically treated in the film.

[Paul J B]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

You start out by saying the film was half an hour too long them spend a really long paragraph explaining that the Smile stuff was reduced to very little. For the last time...this is a movie about BRIAN WILSON...not Smile or Parks. There are no myths about smile in this movie. Beautiful Dreamer, though it has its strengths is not reality either. You think documentaries are not scripted to an extent. It is a David Leaf production. It is implied that all Brian needed to do was finish Smile and he would shed some kind of deamons and be able to sort of return to his old self. That was BS.

People that want to defend this guy right now, and you are by trying to rationalize through his imagined perspective, and say things like, if they are snarky tweets, really need to stop. A day back another guy said "seemingly" about this guys tweets. There is nothing seemingly about them. These tweets from this learned genius are spiteful, rude, obnoxious, and completely uncalled for. He has taken shots at Brian, Melinda, NPP, Love and Mercy and more. He is not a Beach Boy, he is not a family member, he is not a spouse, and he sure as hell is not was not and never will be Brian Wilson.

[Autotune]

Van will never admit to having seen the film when and if he does. This way, he can keep throwing his poisoned darts without having to comment specificially about the film.

[Mike's Beard]

VDP may have very vaild points but he's doing himself no favours with what he's tweeting. For all his Southern gentlemanly charm he's coming off as no better than Mike on a bad press day.

[Komera]

Surprised no one's mentioned today's tweet yet.

https://twitter.com/thevandykeparks/status/615562914422849537

I don't want to reignite a fight.  ("So why are you posting this?")  But that hyphen is pretty interesting.

Komera - you didn't start this information sharing.  Not your fault. 

When I linked that tweet, this thread had fallen to close to the bottom of the page.  If I hadn't said anything, it's possible that this thread would have dropped to page two, where it'd have been less likely to continue.  That's why I excused myself.

[ForHerCryingSoul]

Simply put, Van Dyke is being a d*ck, and he needs to be reminded of how to treat a friend.

[♩♬🐸 Billy C ♯♫♩🐇]

Just got back from L&M. Half an hour too long, a bit (if not inaccurately) Angel Vs Demon in the latter day stuff, but I liked it a lot. Do have a couple of observations as a result I think are relevant to this thread.

I'm not going to defend or decry VDP's recent tweets, but considering the decades he's spent trying to correct the record on the Smile sessions - "a very athletic situation" etc - to see the whole period (and his involvement) reduced to a) a freak-out at the dinner table (immediately following the VDP character's use of the word "Smile") b) an underwhelming recreation of the last part of the "Surf's Up" demo recording c) Brian running around the "Fire" session with a pair of fire extinguishers d) Brian wandering a studio for "two and half a hours" to decide the vibrations aren't right and e) a climactic "band meeting" which he stalks off from after a verbal challenge from Mike Love...  you can see why the film might rankle. Those sections of the movie are basically a capsule summary of every - in his repeated view - cliche and misrepresentation about Smile he's spent four decades attempting to dispel. Even the near entirety of the tracks actually used from Smile are part of a "Brian's break down" audio collage.

Which would be one thing if this was a Beach Boys Co. hack job like "An American Band". But it's the fully-authorised Brian Wilson biopic, with the complete support and involvement of Brian and Melinda. After 2004 - watch the two of them together in "Beautiful Dreamer", and see how pleased VDP seems to finally be able to "complete the job", let alone "set the record straight" (and how genuinely and honestly sorry he is for "not being a big enough man for the door" when things got tough in '67) - surely it's possible to see why Parks felt he - and Smile - could have expected better than they got in a major release motion picture which to many inexpert eyes is going to form the definitive representation of the period.

Not saying that sarky tweets, if sarky tweets they are, are a reasonable response - but there do seem to be valid grounds for hurt feeling.

You start out by saying the film was half an hour too long them spend a really long paragraph explaining that the Smile stuff was reduced to very little. For the last time...this is a movie about BRIAN WILSON...not Smile or Parks. There are no myths about smile in this movie. Beautiful Dreamer, though it has its strengths is not reality either. You think documentaries are not scripted to an extent. It is a David Leaf production. It is implied that all Brian needed to do was finish Smile and he would shed some kind of deamons and be able to sort of return to his old self. That was BS.

People that want to defend this guy right now, and you are by trying to rationalize through his imagined perspective, and say things like, if they are snarky tweets, really need to stop. A day back another guy said "seemingly" about this guys tweets. There is nothing seemingly about them. These tweets from this learned genius are spiteful, rude, obnoxious, and completely uncalled for. He has taken shots at Brian, Melinda, NPP, Love and Mercy and more. He is not a Beach Boy, he is not a family member, he is not a spouse, and he sure as hell is not was not and never will be Brian Wilson.

 

[joshferrell]

I don't know why he would be upset with anything having to do with his portrayal in the film, he's not in it that long and when he is it's pretty much the tings we already know, like him getting offended by Mike questioning his lyrics then leaving the project,that's pretty much it, how else are they going to show him quitting the Smile project? after all that was a major part of Brian's story, and the turning point in his mental illness... I thought that they were being very careful with his character by not showing him too much and not having him say too much,, so I' not sure why he would be upset..