Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon
Director: Mike Myers
Talent: Shep Gordon, Sylvester Stallone, Michael Douglas, Alice Cooper
Release Date: 18th July 2014
“Shep Gordon is the nicest man I have ever known.” So says Mike Myers, the director of this documentary about renowned Hollywood manager Shep Gordon who, if the accounts present here are anything to go by, is not only that, but also the greatest man who has ever lived. Gordon has managed a vast array of A-list talent, from Alice Cooper to Michael Douglas to Teddy Pendergrass, and while his charisma, Maui “Jewbu” (Jewish Buddhist, Douglas clarifies) spirituality and gift for storytelling are certainly engaging as cinematic material, his life story as presented here — centred around his business decisions and personal life — seems at a remove from its most interesting aspect: the often brilliant work of the artists he has managed. Myers’ directorial intentions too never stray far from the hagiographical, lending proceedings the quality of a “The Person I Admire Most” show-and-tell project. And if Gordon’s so great, then where’s the fourth Austin Powers movie?
Words: Oisín Murphy-Hall
For more cinema coverage this month, check out our reviews of:
Hector and the Search for Happiness, The Rover, Pudsey The Dog: The Movie, Boyhood, The Grand Seduction, Grand Central, Finding Vivian Maier & Joe
