cult film freak: REST IN PEACE MONKEES RENAISSANCE MAN MICHAEL NESMITH

Written by James M. Tate / 12/10/2021 / No comments / counter-culture , cult , davy jones , eighties , memorial , michael nesmith , micky dolenz , music , peter tork , sixties , the monkees

REST IN PEACE MONKEES RENAISSANCE MAN MICHAEL NESMITH

12/10/2021 | No comment

RIP Michael Nesmith here in THE MONKEES montage opening credits

The fact the 1960's counter-culture generation were angry that four comedic actors (who could also sing/play a little music) on an obvious sit-com-parody of The Beatles' eclectic stab at movies is like the cast of FRIENDS being blamed for not hanging around together at a local coffee shop...

And while there are two Beatles left, THE MONKEES are down to one, and sole-surviving Micky Dolenz was currently on a "Farewell Tour" with recently-departed Michael Nesmith, the lanky wool cap-wearing straight man who, with a fortune from his mother's Liquid Paper invention, never financially needed part of various Monkees reunions...

Michael Nesmith in THE MONKEES episode ON THE LINE

Every decade or so, syndicated reruns would emerge, and, because of renewed interest and proving how timeless the show really was, three not four members went on tour; the most popular revival occurred in the 1980's on MTV's Pleasant Valley Sunday Monkees Marathon, after which the band had an actual hit song (with only Tork and Dolenz)...

However, by that time, like fellow wealthy/artistic renaissance man George Harrison, Mike Nesmith produced offbeat movies, backing low-budget cult flicks TIMERIDER and the classic punk-noir REPO MAN...

Michael Nesmith produced REPO MAN directed by Alex Cox

He also had offhand involvement for MTV's origins, ironic since The Monkees were imitating The Beatles' early groundbreaking videos (piecemeal clips from their movies)... And even if The Beatles had starred in their very own sit-com, playing yourself becomes acting once it involves a scripted fictional setting...

But overall, what Nesmith, Jones, Tork and Dolenz (mirroring John, Paul, George and Ringo respectively) were brilliant at was being funny on a show showcasing catchy (often plot-moving) songs that, upon the Oz-like revelation of hidden session players and songwriters, made and broke these poor fellas, who thereafter tried too hard being bonafide musicians when, all along, it was THEIR COMEDIC ACTING that still speaks for... themself.

Michael Nesmith with THE MONKEES in the episode On The Line

The Monkees in THE MONKEES episode ON THE LINE

Mike Nesmith of THE MONKEES and let it be said he resembles Frank Langella

Share This Post :

Tags : counter-culture , cult , davy jones , eighties , memorial , michael nesmith , micky dolenz , music , peter tork , sixties , the monkees

James M. Tate

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.

FAVORITES SHORTLIST

1)OTLEY 2)HELL IS A CITY 3)ROBBERY 4)THE FEARMAKERS 5)CANYON PASSAGE 6)VIOLENT SATURDAY 7)HOT CARS 8)JUNGLE STREET 9)THE CROWDED SKY 10)THE ROARING TWENTIES 11) ANATOMY OF A MURDER 12)SHARKS' TREASURE 13)SWEENEY TWO 14)RAIDERS FROM BENEATH THE SEA 15)HARDCORE 16)THE BREAK 17)WHITE HEAT 18)AL CAPONE 19)HIDDEN FEAR 20)FALLEN ANGEL 21)NIGHT CREATURES 22)THE ASPHALT JUNGLE 23)ASH WEDNESDAY 24)THE SYSTEM 25)AIR PATROL 26)THE STONE KILLER 27)EASY LIVING 28)WILLIAM CONRAD'S BRAINSTORM 29)FRENZY 30)THE MAN FROM LARAMIE 1)DANA ANDREWS 2)JAMES CAGNEY 3)STANLEY BAKER 4)MARLON BRANDO 5)CHARLES BRONSON1)VIRGINIA MAYO 2)SUE LYON 3)GENE TIERNEY 4)MERRY ANDERS 5)FAYE DUNAWAY DIRECTORS 1)JACQUES TOURNEUR 2)RICHARD FLEISCHER 3)VAL GUEST 4)STANLEY KUBRICK 5)OTTO PREMINGER 6)ORSON WELLES 7)JOHN GUILLERMAN 8)JOHN LANDIS 9)JOHN CARPENTER 10)MICHAEL WINNER