Book Review - "Born Standing Up" by Steve Martin

Let me start this book review by saying, there is no way I can objectively review this book.  For those of you who know me well, know that Steve Martin is my Gawd.  I worship at his altar, & (sometimes reluctantly) support all that he does.  I own all 4 of his stand-up albums, on vinyl.  That includes the very hard to find "The Steve Martin Brothers."  One side being stand-up, the other being orignal songs he wrote, featuring him on the banjo.  I own, & have read all his books. "Cruel Shoes" still being one of my favorite comedy reads. Since "The Three Amigos," I have seen all but two of his movies in the theatre.  The first one being "Novocain." This is mostly because it was an independent & by the time I was able to get out to Pasadena to see it, it was no longer showing.  The other being "Cheaper By The Dozen 2," & I don't think anyone can blame me for that.  But, it is in my NetFlix queue.  And yes, I plan on seeing "The Pink Panther 2," so don't even bother asking.

If you find me to be a funny guy, you can thank the almighty Steve for that.  I discovered him in Junior High, by watching SNL reruns that were aired late night, by a local channel.  My best friend at the time (the one & only, Mr. Dave Crow), would tape these episodes on this contraption called a VCR.  Wathcing them over & over, we would memorize the sketches.  Later, to act them out for our other friends.  Steve Martin, with his unique style of comedy, stood out to us as genius.  We scoured thrift stores, looking for his albums, as that's the only way we knew how to find them at the time.  We mimicked his style, his timing & his movements.  We didn't always understood the jokes (some I literally did not get until I was in college), but we knew they were funny.  Eventually, all that worked its way into our own humor & mannerisms.  Steve made me funny.  And I thank him for that.

But, since this is supposed to be a book review, I'll touch on some of the basics.  He was born Stephen Glenn Martin in Waco, Texas, in on August 14, 1945.  His family moved to California when he was five, eventually settling in Garden Grove.  He started working at Disneyland, shortly after it opened, at the age of 10, selling guidebooks.  They went for 25 cents, which he earned 2 cents for every one sold.  Here, he got his first taste of performance comedy, by watching the vaudeville acts performed at the Golden Horseshoe.  While working there, he also learned rope tricks, & magic.  In his teenage years, he worked at the Magic Shop, in the Magic Kingdom.  Many of the things he learned, he later used for many years in his stand-up act.  Later, his career would take him a few a miles down the road to Knott's Berry Farm.  He performed at the Bird Cage Theatre, in a variety of different acts.  Permorming magic, short skits, & songs.  His first writing credits came from television. Most notably "The Smothers Brother Comedy Hour," & "The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour."  This is also the time, that he would start performing outside of theme parks, trying to discover what kind of act he was. He built his act, & his name, by numerous television appearances on shows like "The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson," & hosting "Saturday Night Live." But mostly, his name was made by being a road dog.  As his name grew, so did the crowds.  Eventually playing to rooms seating numbers that no other comic has ever matched.  The constant pressure of performing & traveling, eventually took its toll.  In the early 80s, he walked away from stand-up & never looked back, to concentrate on his new venture, acting.  In fact, the first time he even looked through his props & notes from that time, was when he needed to start researching to write this book. Though after doing so, he found a fondness for his past, that he didn't think he had.

How would I rate this book?  How else would I rate it!?!  This is a must read, must own, must buy for everyone that you know.  Believe it or not, I actually found a new appreciation for Steve after reading his biography.  Deeper & more intelligent than I ever knew.  This is someone I feel proud to call an personal icon.

Book Review - "Big Bosoms And Square Jaws: The Biography Of Russ Meyer, King Of The Sex Film" by Jimmy McDonough

This will be the first time I attempt to write a review of anything.  Hopefully, it won't be my last.  So, please bear with me as I stumble through this first attempt.  Nothing ventured, nothing gained.  So, here we go...

Do you like porn?  Of course you do.  Who doesn't?  Well, one person didn't.  Russ Meyer.  He saw it unexciting, flat (as a lot of the girls were, in his opinion), & just not sexy.  All ya needed was a willing female, a hotel room & a camera.  No art whatsoever.  But, for someone who didn't care for the stuff, few people did more to help bring it to the mainstream.

Born Russell Albion Meyer, on March 21, 1922 in San Leandro CA.  He got his first camera at age 14, when his Mother pawned her wedding ring to get the money.  His mother started a career, that she would never support.  Often referring to the well-endowed starlets he would bring around as "cows."  But in the end, Russ was a momma's boy, carrying a picture of her, with him throughout his life.  He also had a half-sister, that suffered from mental illness, that he would care until she passed.  He served in World War II in the 166th Photo Corps, documenting the action.  Some of his footage can even be in the 1971 movie "Patton."  After the war, he took a job making industrial films.  These later two positions, are what most people credit for his gonzo, yet efficient, style filmmaking.  Also, the connections that he made with his comrades in the 166th, would last for the rest of his life.  He would make sure of that.  Many of them would work as crew members on his fims, & even some of them would appear before the camera.

He would make a total of 25 films between the years 1952-2001.  Ironically, his most well known film "Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill!", was actually one of his biggest flops at the time of its release.  He fought the MPAA over ratings his films received, & won many of his lawsuits.  Perhaps even blazing the trail for such people as Larry Flynt, to do the same.  But, in the end, he didn't really care what rating his films got.  What went up on that screen was him, through & through.  And, no one was going to quantify it.  His fingerprints were all over every facet of his films.  He ran his sets like military camps, & he was the general.  He would go so far, as to prohibit any copulations between cast & crew.  He wanted them to save all their vital juices for the scenes.  The all-or-nothing devotion he required from those he worked with would have one of two consequences.  A life-long loyal friend, or bitter enemy to the end, if he ever felt you had somehow done him, or his pictures, wrong.

Later in his life, RM would succumb to dementia brought on by Alzheimer's disease.  During this time, his business, & personal, affairs would be taken over by his personal assistant.  Some, would even say, they wrenched away from a man who could no longer see the wolf in sheep's clothing.  Slowly, she would shelter him away, cutting off all contact to him from the outside world.  Some of his closest friends did not see him for years.  Russ Meyer died September 18, 2004, from Pneumonia.

The book itself, is a par for the course biography.  It's not gonna sell anyone who wasn't already interested in this man's life.  The narration is at times too disconnected, & at others, far too biased for someone this man obviously revered.  Parts delve too far into the minutia of behind the scenes affairs.  By the third film, you knew what kind of set he ran, there was no need to go into it again for his 15th.  But, in the end I did find the book enjoyable & informative.  Maybe, just a tad overly long winded.  But, if ya really like long winded ramblings, I suggest you pick up Russ Meyer's own 3 volume(!) autobiography "A Clean Breast."  It'll only run ya about $200 at Amazon.  Or save yourself some time (and some sanity) & pick up this one, to learn more about one of films most fascinating & singular talents.  Go, Russ Go!