Super Duper Alice Cooper: A True Masterpiece

By Andrew Bansal

sdac_squareHeaded by Sam Dunn and Scott McFadyen, Banger Films Inc. is a Canadian production entity founded merely 10 years ago but has already won plenty of accolades for their manner of depicting the hard rock and heavy metal world through documentaries such as ‘Metal: A Headbangers Journey’, ‘Global Metal’, ‘Iron Maiden: Flight 666’, ‘Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage’ and the ‘Metal Evolution’ TV series. Their latest endeavor ‘Super Duper Alice Cooper’ is their take on Alice Cooper’s rock ‘n roll journey, had a limited theatrical run in April this year, was released on DVD/Blu-Ray via Eagle Rock Entertainment in June, and is a markedly huge departure from anything Banger Films has done before. I watched it for the first time only a week or so ago, and albeit late to the party, I’d still very much like to tell all my readers why this movie is a masterpiece in every sense.

The story of Alice Cooper’s early childhood, the formation of his original band and the events that transpired through various stages of his career are perhaps already known to a large number of people, but this film’s version of it still compels in its own unique style and not only captures Alice’ life on a broader level highlighting its most major milestones and chapters, but also delves into the intricacies and lighter moments that hardcore Alice Cooper fans would appreciate.

Above everything, the film stamps its authority on the viewer’s mind with its storytelling pace and format. Alice Cooper himself, as expected, narrates a sizable portion of the story but the speaking version of him (and of anyone and everyone else narrating parts of the film) stays in the background throughout, as the story itself, interwoven with a mind-blowing sequence of rare concert footage and vintage photographs, takes center stage. This is extremely refreshing, as I’ve frankly never understood the appeal of video interviews or the need to watch a video of somebody merely talking. With complete removal of this redundant aspect, this film covers tremendous ‘real estate’ within its 98-minute duration.

As for the said visual sequence, the video footage is excellently chosen and compiled, poised to put a smile on every Alice Cooper fan. But the usage of still photographs is probably the strongest and most outstanding quality of this film. These images are extrapolated and projected to create a 3-D illusion, a very powerful technique employed by the creators to truly make the viewer feel a part of the moments being portrayed. And if you’re watching this in an altered state of consciousness under the effect of whatever it is you prefer to indulge in, this already breathtaking blend of stills and video has an even more profound impact.

With this effort, the creativity of these filmmakers has surged to a new peak, outdoing all of their past efforts and they now carry the glorious burden of attempting to top this one. ‘Super Duper Alice Cooper’ is the definitive time machine for fans of the legend and for lovers of rock ‘n roll. If you fall under either or both categories and haven’t yet seen the film, forget about the next Hollywood blockbuster and order this one on DVD instead.

Super Duper Alice Cooper links: website | facebook

Banger Films links: website | facebook | twitter | instagram

Comments

comments