Just had to say how much I love the Pop Star wish part of Bedazzled. Wow. It's musically great. It says something about pop culture and music that's still true to this day. They nail the whole "Hard Day's Night" vibe perfectly. Sheer genius.
That's all...
I don't care.
"What rotten sins I've got working for me. I suppose it's the wages." -Bedazzled (1967)
Interestingly it was also a real life 'wish' for Peter Cook to be a pop star, but he was completely tone deaf and unable to sing or dance. Note that he doesn't sing in the film - just talks in key.
shareYou fill me with inertia.
shareit's way ahead of its time. dudley is the beatles and peter cook is like the smiths or the cure or something.
shareIt was! His whole performance seemed like something belonging in the late 70s/early 80s rather than the 60s. A brilliant scene in a brilliant film.
shareI thought Dudley was like Don Berry dressed as Elvis and Cook was like a cross between Pink Floyd and Scott Walker.
Spot on characterization.
"What rotten sins I've got working for me. I suppose it's the wages." -Bedazzled (1967)
All through the movie Pete kind of looks and seems like 'Hard Days Night'-era George Harrison (always with the quiet, wicked sense of humor).
sharePeter's part reminded me very much of post-acid Syd Barrett
But I guess the individual characterizations don't matter in this instance as much as how well Dudley 'n Pete nailed the emotional lure of pop music - the yin and yang, Beatles and Stones, please love me!, I don't need you. Brilliant.
I don't wish to lower the tone of this conversation, but, aside from its obvious good points, I think it's probably the sexiest scene in the film - Pete and Dud are both spellbindingly lovely.
It also shows what a talent Dudley Moore had for parody with his compositions (I'm assumming the 'Can't Believe that I'm Here With You' NOBA pop song is his too). 'Love Me' is not only perfect for the era but I really like it as a song in its own right too. Although it's generally upbeat, there's an element of sadness in the two mid-verse descending phrases ("Tell me you're full of yearning..."etc.) which really gets to me for some reason, and makes it a great song. Sorry if I'm getting all pretentious or musogeek-like here, but does anybody else know what I mean?
Hey, I know exactly! Something about the chord changes in Dudley's entire soundtrack suits the mood of the movie perfectly; always a feeling of unstable footing there.
shareyou fill me with inertia.
you fill me with inertia
I think that's the greatest lyric i ever heard in a film. love it, love it, love it
Thunderbirds Aren't Slow
I was pleased to find a cover of the 'Drimble Wedge and the Vegetation' song by Bongwater - Ann Magnuson sings it in a clipped Germanic monotone that totally works!
shareThat's funny. I would have liked that lassie from the Velvet Underground to do a version.
sharePeter Cook was obviously years ahead of his time with Dremble Wedge and the Vegetation. And I think one sucessful pop star he definitely influenced later on was Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys.
Tennant wasn't exactly the greatest vocalist, and he always stood rigid behind the mike stand on stage. His passionless spoken word bits on Pet Shop Boy's songs always remind me of Dremble.
.
Good point, I can definitely see the idea, although Tennant is a bit more cheerful. :)
shareExcept that Tennant's disinterest in women would be genuine. Dud was rated a genuinely talented and innovative jazz pianist by experts.
shareThe first time I saw the movie, it was shown on TV (take THAT, Bedazzled trailer that said it would probably never be shown on TV!), and a lot of chunks of it were cut out for time, including the "Love Me" song. It left me confused about the "Dremble Wedge" number - sure, George loves his loopholes, but how did he even come close to granting the pop-star wish when Stanley was pushed off to the sidelines the whole time?
I was glad when I got to see it intact - not just because it finally made sense, but because, like others have said here, both songs are awesome.
That's the best part of the whole movie. I just love the cinematography for that scene. That's also my mom's favorite part.
Volker Flenske: (While torturing David) I don't know why you're doing this to yourself!
BOTH of the songs are all-time favourites of mine, too!!!!
Dudley was really good in his multi-coloured gear, and Peter was SOOOO George Harrison-ish all the way through the film. But most especially during his "I'm Not Available" song!!!
^_^
The Opener of the Way is waiting....