Author Archives: Phil Hall

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The Bootleg Files: Henrietta and Myrna Sing ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’

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BOOTLEG FILES 789: “Henrietta and Myrna Sing ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain’” (bizarre public access television segment from the late 1980s).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: People happily borrow the footage for their own wacky videos.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

Viral videos emerge from the least likely sources, and without any planning they somehow take on a life of their own. As we sail deeper into the Christmas season, I would like to turn attention to a holiday-inspired viral video that has become something of an anti-classic that spawned tribute and parody videos.
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Jerry Lewis: The Total FilmMaker

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This year marks the 50th anniversary of Jerry Lewis’ book “The Total FilmMaker,” based on a series of lectures he gave on the challenges and strategies for being a film director. On this episode of “The Online Movie Show,” film historian James L. Neibaur shares his recollections of Lewis and provides insight on his contributions to filmmaking.

The episode can be heard here.

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The Bootleg Files: Godspell at Plimoth Plantation

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BOOTLEG FILES 788: “Godspell at Plimoth Plantation” (1973 PBS production).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: It fell through the cracks.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

When the 1971 Off-Broadway musical “Godspell” was adapted into a 1973 movie, it was decided to eschew the black box setting of the intimate theatrical staging and lace the film’s sequences through the streets, rooftops and venues of New York City. In concept, it was a good idea by symbolizing how the parables and philosophy put forth by Jesus in ancient days still had resonance in the contemporary urban world. Whether it actually worked is a matter of opinion.
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The Power of the Dog (2021)

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Jane Campion’s interpretation of Thomas Savage’s 1967 – which had defied adaptation for decades prior to this release – doesn’t have a great deal of power, and its recent dominance in the movie awards realm suggests a deficit of competitive excellence in the 2021 film slate rather than a surplus amount of brilliance in this particular work.
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The Bootleg Files: The Beatles Forever

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BOOTLEG FILES 787: “The Beatles Forever” (1977 all-star train wreck).

LAST SEEN: On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: No serious person would put this out in front of the public again.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: Unlikely.

Fuck that three-part Disney+ rehash of mountains of discarded footage from the making of “Let It Be” – the real Beatles rediscovery emerged on YouTube last week via someone going by the handle of Denton115. This beautiful individual has brought back one of the most brilliantly embarrassing television specials ever dropped on an unsuspecting world: “The Beatles Forever,” a one-hour atrocity that NBC threw on an unsuspecting America on Thanksgiving night of 1977.
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