"The Agony and Ecstacy of Phil Spector"
Phil Spector, the mad genius record producer in prison for killing a Hollywood B-movie actress, is, you know, nuts. So nothing like an incoherent documentary about him to make things even nuttier.
Over the weekend, Vikram Jayanti showed his “Agony and Ecstasy of Phil Spector” at the Hamptons Film Festival. Apparently it was shown by the BBC (which produced it) last year at least once. It’s also available for free download on a sanctioned site called veoh.com.
This part seems problematic since the documentary includes full length audio by the Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison and other artists whom Spector produced. It’s unclear that the music was actually “cleared” for use since Beatles recordings are usually not allowed in movies. And now it’s free on the Internet to underscore Spector’s ramblings. But I’ll have leave that up to lawyers since Jayanti professed no knowledge of the situation.
His film is, indeed, as incoherent as its subject. I’ve rarely seen such bad filmmaking from a professional filmmaker. It does look like Jayanti made some kind of deal with Spector to make him look good in exchange for exclusive interviews. The director denies it, but really, who’s kidding who? At the Q&A after the screening, Jayanti said he believed there was “reasonable doubt” that Spector did not kill Lana Clarkson. I’ve got some land to sell him in New Orleans.
Spector is obsessed with Tony Bennett. He doesn’t like him, and uses him as a refrain in the movie, referring to Bennett’s long ago drug problems. Spector thinks Bennett’s problems are more egregious than his own. Ha! He also compares himself to Galileo, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. Why not? They never had hit records, so he may be wrong.
Jayanti is well known for the Muhammad Ali film “When We Were Kings.” But in “Agony and Ecstasy,” he either was obsessed with Spector or just lazy. The film is long on odd, with full length versions of Spector’s produced music playing over disjointed videos of his first murder trial in 2007. It’s really weird. There’s little context for anything. Is this a film about Spector’s music, or his first murder trial, or what? Or all of it? And through it, poor Clarkson, a great girl by all accounts, is demonized.
There is a lot of grandiosity at work too. Spector claims credit for all his Brill Building recordings, from “You’ve Lost that Lovin’ Feeling” to “Spanish Harlem.” There is zero mention of the writers of the songs — Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller. It’s all Phil, Phil, Phil. He did it all, even the Wall of Sound. (Were there musicians? Not in this story.) Further, Jayanti doesn’t include any reference to Ronnie Bennett and the Ronettes, who made Spector, and just a scant one to Darlene Love.
Spector, of course, is a megalomaniac, and it comes across clearly. There is a particularly fascinating segment about the Beatles in which he attacks Paul McCartney and George Martin. He takes credit for all of John Lennon’s post-Beatles career. There’s also a bit about recording “My Sweet Lord” with George Harrison but no mention of the plagiarism suit that haunted the hit. The record was deemed similar to the Chiffons‘ hit “He’s So Fine,” which was not produced by Spector in the ’60s but certainly came from his world.
So do watch “Agony and the Ecstasy” to see and hear Spector — it’s probably the one and only time, whether accurate or not. And the video archival material of the Righteous Brothers, Ike and Tina Turner, the Ronettes is all beyond gorgeous.
P.S. There’s a much better actual documentary about Spector here.
October 12th, 2009 at 3:34 pm
Bad documentary, poorly-written review.
October 12th, 2009 at 7:30 pm
Phil Spector’s demand that Vikram Jayanti demonize Lana Clarkson and also demand that Jayanti declare publicly that their was “reasonable doubt” that Spector did not murder her–is so obvious in this crap disguised as a documentary. Who, or for what reason, would anyone want to see a fictitious badly made documentary? The wackos of Team Spector ? Maybe.
Edward Lozzi, Friends of Lana Clarkson
October 13th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Veoh’s video player is a dysfunctional application that does not work. Way to tease us with 5 minute previews!
October 14th, 2009 at 4:39 pm
Edward Lozzi is a publicist. It is obvious that Phil Spector was framed. See Dr. Henry Lee’s email to the LA Times, Bill Pavelic’s allegations that he, Dr. Lee, and Dr. Baden were set up – by LAPD in retaliation for the OJ matter, and see my letter to Spector prosecutor “Alan Jackson.” It’s pathetic that Lozzi is using Clarkson’s name to further his own career – obviously. The woman shot herself and the forensic evidence proves this. The gossip is apparently what the jury relied on. Lozzi and the rest of the cyber-terrorists are all over the internet as usual – attempting to silence anyone who gets in their sleazy way.
And then, of course, there’s Leonard Norman Cohen’s “probable” perjury in Phillip’s grand jury.
Kelley Lynch
http://cyberterroristwatch.blogspot.com/2009/09/kelleys-final-version-letter-to-alan.html
Bill Pavelic’s Allegations:
http://guiltyofincompetence.com/lapd-hunt-for-dr-henry-lee-dr-michael-baden-b-pavelic-t99.html
Dr. Lee:
Text of statement from Dr Henry Lee: Dr. Henry Lee is currently traveling abroad on a lecture tour in Italy. He has made the following statement regarding the recent slanderous and incorrect news reports of him removing and withholding evidence related to the Spector case. “1. Numerous police officers, detectives, crime scene investigators and forensic scientists from The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and L.A. Coroner’s Office conducted detailed searches of a small area in the foyer of Mr. Spector’s house on February 3rd and 4th, 2003, for about 38 hours. It is impossible for that large of a group to have missed a fingernail or a tooth. Dr. Michael Baden and I arrived at Mr. Spector’s house at approximately 9:00 pm on February 4, 2003, after the police had left and released the scene. 2. One prosecution witness, a former L.A. detective, accused me of finding a red-colored fingernail and putting that nail in my handkerchief. A second witness said Dr. Baden and Sara Caplan found a tooth and took it from the scene. Sara Caplan said that I found a white-colored object, similar to a fingernail-size object, and subsequently placed that object in a test tube. There are obvious and major discrepancies related to conflicting observations among the witnesses. In addition, there is no evidence that anyone involved in this case lost a fingernail. Lana Clarkson only has a small chip on one of her cream-colored, acrylic artificial fingernails. The minute size of a potential chip and the color of her actual nails are completely different than what the witness said about the alleged fingernail located at the scene. 3. As I stated several times before, I did not find a fingernail nor did I take any fingernail-like material from the scene. What I found was two small bundles of white thread-like fibers imbedded in blood. These two pieces of fiber were documented in my notes and photographed before and after collection. The materials were packaged, labeled and sealed in an evidence bag. Copies of my notes and photographs were sent and reviewed by four sets of defense lawyers and members of The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office over the past four years. What I have collected, the so-called “evidence” from a “released scene” has also been turned over to The L.A. County Sheriff’s Crime Laboratory for examination. My original notes, photographs and even the negatives were all given to the L.A. District Attorney’s Office. There is no basis whatsoever for anyone to accuse me or Dr. Baden of concealing evidence in this case. 4. I do not know why my Chinese accent has become an issue in this case. I am proud of my heritage and certainly see no relevance between it and the matter at hand. I have always believed that our justice system is committed to seeking the truth and all of the relevant facts. The fact remains clear that there was no fingernail at the scene. It is clear the motive for this slanderous attack is a tactic to kill the messenger before the message is delivered. I have all the documentation and records pertaining to what I did and what I collected at the scene. If necessary, I can and will make it public to protect my good name and my professional reputation. I have also contacted my personal attorneys to look into the legal issues regarding these unjustified, slanderous, false accusations, and the damage that I will likely incur as a result of these unjust misrepresentations.”
November 23rd, 2009 at 4:50 pm
An Open Letter From Phil Spector To A Good Friend.
Sunday July 26th
Steven,
I had no voice the day I was sentenced in court on May 30th 2009 due to throat papalomas I had removed 3-days earlier on the 27th.of May. It left me with no voice. I was indeed very upset because when I was asked to address the court, I could not speak for I had no voice. What I wanted to say follows: Be it known that I, Phillip Spector had absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the death of Lana Clarkson. And irrefutable science and five of the greatest, most famous forensic scientists all swore under oath that Ms. Clarkson died of a self inflicted gun shot wound, a suicide. They swore by irrefutable science. And while juries and judges lie and make mistakes, science and DNA do not. When their scientific findings and words were ignored is a mystery to me, and hopefully will not be ignored by the appellate court. And I shall return.
But let it also be known that there IS a murderer in the court room and it is NOT Phil Spector, it is Alan Jackson. During the trial he murdered the truth, ,he murdered the constitution, he murdered the law, and he murdered my reputation, and he should not go unpunished for his dastardly deeds. He used his five little “groupies” women, one of whom recently overdosed and died from drugs, and could not be here to testify to slander and lie about me, and victimize me so that he could get his conviction without any scientific proof whatsoever. That’s because he had none. He lied and cheated and double crossed that before along with his cohort Truc Doe whenever they got to it, yes my friends, HE is the real murderer. But, what goes around comes around. And the appellate court will see through his chicanery and smoke and mirrors, and false law and overturn my conviction, and then I will be back stronger than ever, a free man as I should be. Until then, POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Steven, I would like this published verbatim from the beginning of this letter to the end. And tell Chris Paven to also put it on my website.
Thanks, Phillip
March 10th, 2010 at 3:21 pm
I note that the “Letter From Phil Spector To A Good Friend” posted by Kelley Lynch was not addressed to her, nor has she ever posted a letter from Phil Spector–despite the fact that she professes to be Spector’s “Dear Friend” and despite the fact that this woman even posted the auto-reply generated by her email to Anderson Cooper 360 on her wing-nut blog.
Quite obviously, neither Phil Spector, nor his legal team (whom Lynch emails daily about all manner of conspiracy theories and wacky ideas–cc to the IRS, Justice, Alan Jackson, 30 others), will ever give this woman the time of day.
And no, it is not “obvious” that Phil Spector was “framed”.
Nor did any Spector attorney or defense expert ever utter that wacky opinion, on or off the record.
March 21st, 2010 at 9:16 pm
Paul Huebl disagrees with you Fembot. He was framed. Read the appeal.
What do you think they’re addressing with respect to the judge. Nor will I ever post a letter from Phil Spector.
I can assure you that my emails to Jackson aren’t wacky. He’ll understand this when he’s on the receiving end of my lawsuit. For now, I’m working on my slander suit against Cohen, Lindsey, et al.
Kelley Lynch
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Phil Spector’s Murder Trial Was An Absolute Sham
Los Angeles, CA—I wrote extensively about legendary record producer, Phil Spector’s first murder trial that ended in a mistrial when jurors could not reach a unanimous verdict. . I was not able to do much with the retrial because of other commitments, but it was even worse that the first trial.
Both trials were as unfair, and as outrageous as I’ve ever seen in my 40 years of experience inside the criminal justice system. During the trials I compared L.A. Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler to Roland Freisler, the President of The People’s Court of Germany’s Third Reich. I don’t think that was an exaggeration because of nearly every ruling made by Fidler.
It was obvious to me that Judge Fidler had an agenda to convict Spector at any cost after numerous embarrassing high profile acquittals of other celebrity defendants. Fidler was drunk with power as he satisfied the harpy-pundits of that failed TV network, Court TV. It just so happened that I met Judge Fidler when he was invited to San Francisco to attend an Investigative Reporter’s and Editor’s conference in San Francisco with that very pretty, former Court TV correspondent, Beth Karas.
Spector’s trial was not about evidence but was an exercise of pure hatred. The trial manifested hatred for Spector’s wealth, flamboyant hair, manner of dress and lifestyle.
Spector had a lifetime’s worth of gold-digging women satisfying his libido and then angered when Spector did not give them the wealth and fame they sought. The very worst of this group were allowed to testify against Spector about decades old affairs.
Spector’s real crime was his sometimes horrible taste and judgment in the women he allowed in his bed. In that mix were thieves, extortionists and drug addicts. Some would return to haunt Spector for a slim chance at fame and of course the cash they could get from the tabloids for their tall tales.
The dead woman, Lana Clarkson fit Spector’s bedmates well. Clarkson was a failed and now too old actress with habit for ingesting Vicodin nearly a dozen times a day. The poor woman was an alcoholic suffering from depression and was nearly destitute. It was clear that Clarkson was under the influence of both drugs and alcohol when she died.
None the less Clarkson was a sympathetic figure that Hollywood used and spit out. Clarkson was beautiful and there was evidence she tried very hard to gain fame and fortune that sadly never materialized. Clarkson was really just another tragic story from The Boulevard of Broken Dreams.
Clarkson did not go home with Phil Spector who she just met for anything more than an act of commerce. Spector had money and Clarkson needed some.
A violent death occurred but the evidence of murder just was not there. On the contrary there was a lot of evidence suggesting suicide or a self-inflicted accidental shooting by a drunken woman.
We don’t have a video, instant replay of this tragedy. We and the jury had to guess how Clarkson died. It’s a human trait to want to assign blame for a needless death. The blame went to Phil Spector.
In Judge Fidler’s court Clarkson’s problems were sanitized while any and everyone who wanted was encouraged by the jurist to throw mud on Spector.
Phil Spector was railroaded to a prison cell for more years than the 70 year-old has left on earth. Spector very well may never live long enough to win his appeal. This is wrong.
With The People’s Court of Germany, the public did not see much of anything wrong with Judge Freisler’s show trials either. “Justice” was always administered there, swift and sure. What happened in this Los Angeles courtroom can happen to you or someone you love.
Read now the appeal brief filed on behalf of Phil Spector:
http://www.crimefilenews.com/search?q=phil+spector
April 15th, 2010 at 11:32 pm
I have read Spector’s appeal brief Kelley. Nowhere in it is te claim made that Phil Spector was “framed”.
Instead, 5 issues are urged on appeal:
1. Error by the trial judge in allowing the jury to hear evidence of two prior statements by Spector at the Joan River’s Chirstmas parties;
2. Error by the trial judge in in allowing the jury to hear evidence of 6 prior gun incidents occuring 10, 20, adn 30 years ago, testified to by 5 women;
3. Error by the trial judge relating to jury instructions;
4. Error by the trial judge in admiting a Court TV Video tape of a key witness testifyng at a jury excluded hearing during trial #1 wherein Judge Fidler is seen and heard on the video essentialy testifying;
5. prosecutorial misconduct.
That is what the appeal addresses, NOT any contention that Spector was “framed”.
I do have a question, kelley: What is the basis for your lawsuit against Alan Jackson?
OK, two questions.
Has Phil Spector written to you?
Thanks.
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