Led Zeppelin Flashback

Comments Off
Share Button

Cameron with Jimmy Page

I thought today would be a great day to share some Led Zeppelin. First up is a piece entitled I Love Led Zeppelin that Cameron did for UK’s The Telegraph back in 2007 to honor the Zeppelin reunion. The article surrounds a 1972 encounter that the band had with The King and is new to the Journalism section. Enjoy!

It might also be a good time to point out the Rolling Stone cover story that Cameron did in 1975, along with the small piece on Presence and the mysterious object on the cover of the LP from summer 1976. There’s also the 1973 Circus magazine article that focuses on the band’s non-stop touring.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget his liner notes for the Zeppelin box set and his introduction on the Led Zeppelin Portraits book by longtime friend Neal Preston. Whew! That should keep you busy for awhile getting your fix, but more Zeppelin articles/interviews are coming.

Filed under News, Retro
April 25, 2011

The Union – Recap

Comments Off
Share Button


Elton John and Martin Scorsese

The Union debuted Wednesday night at the 10th annual Tribeca Film Festival. It sounds like the free, outdoor event went off without a hitch and the weather cooperated as well. More than 5,000 people watched the documentary which included opening comments from Elton John, Martin Scorsese and video messages from both Leon Russell and Cameron (along with the rest of the cast, crew and animals on the set of We Bought a Zoo).


Cast & Crew Video Intro

After the screening, Elton performed some of his biggest hits and a few songs from The Union as well. The entire set list was as follows: “Tiny Dancer”, “Rocket Man”, “Gone to Shiloh”, “You’re Never Too Old (To Hold Somebody)”, “I Guess That’s Why They Call it the Blues” and “Your Song”. Here’s a video snippet recapping the evening from Euro News:

Lastly, Here’s a few of the relevant quotes from the evening’s festivities. You can also read stories about the event over at the Hollywood Reporter or USA Today,

“For me, movies and music have been inseparable. They always have been and always will be,” said Scorsese. “And I know that the same holds true for Cameron Crowe. I have to say that I’ve always been kind of envious of Cameron’s teenage years. Because about a half a century ago when I was young. People always had a fantasy about running away with the circus or running away with the carnival. This was never seemed that appealing to me because I saw the film version of Nightmare Alley and it really wasn’t really my thing. But Cameron ran away with the band when he was a teenager. And his connection to the music is there in every frame of every film he has ever made. From Say Anything… to Almost Famous to the wonderful picture you are going to see here tonight, The Union – Martin Scorsese

“With Cameron (filming) was very uninvasive. You don’t notice him after awhile. He’s got a knack for appearing behind plants and things like that.” – Elton John

Filed under News
April 22, 2011

The Union – Tribeca Premiere Tonight!

Comments Off
Share Button

Director of Photography, Nicola B. Marsh films Leon Russell and Elton John

Tonight is the big night for the debut of Cameron’s new documentary, The Union (along with a free concert from Elton John). If any readers of the site are able to attend tonight’s debut in New York at the Tribeca Film Festival, please let me know how the experience was.

Cameron sat down recently for a video interview with EltonJohn.com from the set of We Bought a Zoo. In the first clip, he talks a bit about the project’s origin, and in the 2nd clip, Cameron shares his favorite moments from the doc.

Lastly, We thought you’d like to see a couple of behind the scenes photos from the 1st day of shooting the documentary (which was a writing session). Enjoy!

The Control Room, looking out into the rehearsal space (L-R: Leon Russell, Elton John)

Filed under News
April 20, 2011

Exclusive Debut: The Union Poster + Tribeca Screening Details

Comments Off
Share Button

With the Tribeca screening of The Union just days away, I’m very pleased that we are able to debut the poster for the documentary above (just click on the poster above to enlarge). As you can see, the credits for the film are on display as well. I can also report that the running time for the film is 90 minutes.  If you live in the New York area and are wondering how to attend the free screening of The Union on April 20th, here’s the details:

  • You must have a Tribeca Film Festival wristband to attend the screening.
  • Wristbands will be made available to the public on a first-come, first-served basis beginning at 4 pm on Wednesday, April 20th, at the BMCC Tribeca Performing Arts Center.
  • Two wristband limit per person.
  • When you get your wristband, you will also get a list of details about how, when, and where to find your seat.
  • The screening will begin at 8:15 pm on April 20.
  • Details are still being firmed up, but programming at the Plaza may begin at approximately 7:30.
  • Note: Venue access and capacity are at the discretion of the NYPD.

 

Filed under News
April 17, 2011

Press On!

Comments Off
Share Button

After many, many hours of reformatting, the Press section of the site is back for your reading pleasure. I just want to make a few things clear before you dig in. The objective here is not to be self-congratulatory in any way. I look at these 200+ interviews with Cameron as a time capsule. What was going on at that time, his thought process making these films, etc. Sure, some of the questions are redundant (What happened with the casting of (insert name)?, pop culture catch phrases and so on…). However, you’ll find many questions that are insightful and if you dig, some great gems that you might not have known.

For example, Cameron was talking about Singles (set in Phoenix) as far back as 1984 or Cameron’s Dad providing ideas/life lessons for the Fast Times book through the guise of Mr. Hand. Those are just a few, there’s many more including the legendary Ricky Fedora… So sit back, relax and explore…

 

Filed under News
April 13, 2011

5 Things I Learned About We Bought A Zoo

Comments Off
Share Button

I was fortunate to visit the set of We Bought A Zoo and thought you might enjoy hearing about my  few things I’ve learned, along with some of my own opinions.  I also wanted to share a few pictures that I took on set and I promise they will not spoil the film for you.

1. Changes – While Benjamin Mee’s book is the inspiration for the film, Cameron has rewritten the original script with many of his own touches. Some character names have changed, the location has been moved from England to Southern California and the name of the Zoo has changed from Dartmoor Zoological Park to Rosemoor Wildlife Park. Benjamin Mee is aware of these changes and is on board.

2. Technical Details – Film purists, don’t need to worry. Cameron is not going digital. We Bought A Zoo is being shot on film with Cameron’s preferred aspect ratio of 1.85:1.

3. The Kids – Wow. What can I say. I was privileged to see the young actors working (Colin Ford (Dylan Mee), Elle Fanning (Lily) and Maggie Elizabeth Jones (Rosie Mee) and they are something special. As usual, Cameron and casting director Gail Levin have found some gems. Great acting chops, heart and humor were on full display. As for the rest of the cast, I watched various scenes being filmed with Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, John Michael Higgins, Angus MacFadyen and Patrick Fugit. This eclectic cast was having a lot of fun and the chemistry on set was evident.

4. The Production Design – Clay Griffith and his team have done an amazing job with the creation of the Zoo and Benjamin Mee’s house. The attention to detail is staggering. The house looks like it’s been there for fifty years and the Zoo “feels” like a real, live working animal sanctuary.  I cannot wait to see how it looks on the big screen.


Rodrigo Prieto

5. The Look – Cameron’s new partnership with Director of Photography Rodrigo Prieto looks to be a winning combination. Rodrigo has shot some gorgeous films in the past (Biutiful, Babel, Lust Caution and Brokeback Mountain to name just a few) and it was exciting to watch their collaboration on set.

That’s it for now, but there will be plenty more to come as we inch closer to the finish line. Don’t forget that We Bought A Zoo will be released by 20th Century Fox on December 23, 2011.

 

Filed under News
April 7, 2011

San Diego Door Reviews: Leon Russell, Humble Pie & more

Comments Off
Share Button

We reach back into the archives again today for five brand spankin’ new album reviews that Cameron did for the San Diego Door circa Spring/early Summer of 1972! First up is a timely look (with Cameron’s The Union Tribeca debut right around the corner) at Leon Russell’s Carney. Cameron has very nice things to say about it and Humble Pie’s Smokin’. Also included are his very brief looks at Cold Blood’s First Taste of Sin, Buffy Sainte Marie’s Moonshot and Lindy Stevens’ Devotion.

Filed under News
March 29, 2011

Cameron Talks Bowie, T-Rex with Marc Bolan

Comments Off
Share Button

Cameron sits down for a chat with Marc Bolan for the July, 1973 issue of Creem magazine. Marc was not shy and shared his thoughts on David Bowie, his band T-Rex and much more. Marc was killed in a car crash in 1977, but he lives on with his music. Cameron also honored him with a line of dialogue in Almost Famous.

Filed under News
March 26, 2011

  • Almost Famous- Paramount+, AMC+

  • David Crosby: Remember My Name- Starz

  • Elizabethtown- FUBO

  • Say Anything...- Disney+, Hulu, AMC+

  • Vanilla Sky- Paramount+,Showtime

  • We Bought A Zoo- Disney+, Roku