B-Movie Bedlam For Mike Bennett, Co-Producer Of The Rubettes ft. John, Mick, & Steve’s ‘Glamnezia’

0
2828

 

 

It started out with five actors traipsing from Manchester to Hollywood to make a B-movie style film that encompasses everything from vegan vampires to zonked out zombies and everything in between.

The film, which we brush upon before, is called Pier Pressure and is part of a trilogy of misadventures and horror capers centered around various piers. Laundry Matt which is about murky Matt from the laundry went well in terms of execution.

The Bird Man of Bognor is set to shoot around Christmas in Bognor Regis and is a collaboration with Steve Etherington (of noted glam legends The Rubettes featuring John,  Mick, and Steve).

The vegan vampire movie has been fraught with despair starting with the director of photography walking offset with his young team after two days, allegedly to pursue girls on Tinder, and leaving the actors and writer high and dry.

Steve EtheringtonHowever, the cameras kept rolling and an off-script drama began to unfold. Mike Bennett whose writing credits include The Muppets, Rik Mayall, and Primary science for the BBC, explains the story so far.

When he got back to England a quick-thinking Bennett looked at the rushes where it was decided to use the off-script footage and put together the backstory of five actors in search of the B-movie!

However, it is not over yet. Bennett and his industrious team are now searching for the ultimate actor/presenter to come in and wave their journalistic and dramatic wand thus binding the elements together.

“We’ve asked Jon Robb and it’s looking really good. Being a member of The Membranes, as well as a consummate actor and journalist, makes him a fine contender and he’s great on-screen.” Bennet explains.

Continuing, Bennett states: “Also, we’ve had a meeting in Media City with Mike Bushell of the BBC, with a view to him doing a little bulletin in the style of a weather report about vegan vampires appearing above the stratus clouds on a tragic carpet, as more of a sort of warning not to go near them. After all, just because they’re vegan doesn’t mean they aren’t vampires, and vampires have a deadly reputation.”

Bennett adds: “Steve Etherington has to be in the piece because he’s contributed so much towards the music and there is a documentary element that is quite viable for him to come in as a brilliant talking head.

I’ve worked with him for years and he is very versatile in the performance department.

He was quite shocked when I told him about the director of photography floating off into the ether.”

Continuing Bennett states: “Steve quite rightly pointed out that I was too trusting when I was told this guy was the business. In many ways, the so-called director of photography has done us a favor because it’s given the film a
different slant.

Steve is looking at all the rushes and doing some fantastic compositions. A lot of them are very eerie with weeping cellos, and there is one track containing piccolos, with lots of haunting delays panning from speaker to speaker in
an ephemeral manner. That’s what I like about Steve he captures the moment.”

With the likes of The Specials and Fun Boy Three-star Neville Staple and the brilliant Christine Sugary Staple on the soundtrack, along with Johnny Kaplin’s LazymStars featuring Daryl Hannah, these guys are finally on to a winner!

So what other projects has Bennett got lined up with Steve Etherington?

Bennett says: “‘Glamnezia’ is the new boxed set that we are doing with the Rubettes featuring John, Mick, and Steve. I’ve worked very closely with Steve on this, and it includes a massive coffee table book affair. At the beginning of the book the Rubette’s members
John, Mick, and Steve are given a Glam exam.

Although it’s slightly tongue in cheek and dips into the band’s past and future, there are lots of Glam snippets and tales of the band on the road that will be fantastic for the fans. The story of the making of Sugarbaby Love is a treat for one and all, and no one tells the story better than John himself.

Steve talks about his early influences and has many multiple-choice questions about David Bowie, Mark Bolan, and even the New York Dolls.’ The box set containing a bespoke DVD replete with interviews, previously unseen footage and custom-made videos will be announced soon and fans will get an opportunity to purchase a Deluxe Edition.

Steve is also setting up his own podcast series with Mike where they will play their favorite Glam Rock tunes.

As for Back to Drak watch this space, for as we speak they are sweating over a hot mixing desk putting the finishing touches to the diverse and eclectic soundtrack!”

Written by Barbara Sobel

Sources: Barbara Sobel/Sobel Promotions

Featured and Top Image Courtesy of Sobel Promotions – Used With Permission