''Sunset Strip'' is a 2012 documentary directed by

Hans Fjellestad Hans Fjellestad (born 1968) is an American pianist, music composer and documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles. Early life Hans Jorgen Fjellestad was born on May 2, 1968. He studied music composition and improvisation at University of Cali ...

and produced by Tommy Alastra. The documentary explores the history of the mile and a half long stretch of road through

West Hollywood West Hollywood is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Incorporated in 1984, it is home to the Sunset Strip. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, its population was 35,757. History Most historical writings about West Hollywood be ...

known as

Sunset Strip The Sunset Strip is the stretch of Sunset Boulevard that passes through the city of West Hollywood, California, United States. It extends from West Hollywood's eastern border with the city of Los Angeles near Marmont Lane to its western bord ...

. It premiered at the

South by Southwest Film Festival South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has continued growing in both s ...

Synopsis

The film begins with a poem recited by Mark Mahoney, and utilizes several celebrities to discuss the history of the Sunset Strip. The Sunset Strip was born during the

Roaring Twenties The Roaring Twenties, sometimes stylized as Roaring '20s, refers to the 1920s decade in music and fashion, as it happened in Western world, Western society and Western culture. It was a period of economic prosperity with a distinctive cultura ...

as a dirt road connecting Hollywood's big studios to the new development known as

Beverly Hills Beverly Hills is a city located in Los Angeles County, California, United States. A notable and historic suburb of Los Angeles, it is located just southwest of the Hollywood Hills, approximately northwest of downtown Los Angeles. Beverly Hil ...

. The so-called strip was just outside of the city, and LAPD's jurisdiction, which provided the ideal environment for speakeasies, brothels, and crime of every level, but also led to much creativity. Using the stars who worked and found success there, this film explores the stories that make up the history of the Sunset Strip. Much of the time spent is on the 1950-1970s era, but the film touches upon major events such as the

Golden Age of Hollywood Golden means made of, or relating to gold. Golden may also refer to: Places United Kingdom *Golden, in the parish of Probus, Cornwall *Golden Cap, Dorset *Golden Square, Soho, London *Golden Valley, a valley on the River Frome, Stroud#Golden Val ...

Ciro's Ciro's (later known as Ciro's Le Disc) was a nightclub on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, California owned by William Wilkerson. Opened in 1940, Ciro's became a popular nightspot for celebrities. The nightclub closed in 1960 and was reopen ...

and the Trocadero,

The Doors The Doors were an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1965, comprising vocalist Jim Morrison, keyboardist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger and drummer John Densmore. They were among the most influential and controversial rock acts ...

playing at the Whiskey-A-Go-Go and The Roxy, legends about

Mickey Cohen Meyer Harris "Mickey" Cohen (September 4, 1913 – July 29, 1976) was an American gangster based in Los Angeles and boss of the Cohen crime family during the mid-20th century. Early life Mickey Cohen was born on September 4, 1913, in New York ...

, and the multiple influential rock artists who called that part of the city home.

Production

Tommy Alastra Productions began shooting in 2010. The film features so-called "guerilla footage" (amateur shots, often from the crowd's perspective) of the Strip's club and rock and roll shows, and interviews shot in different locations. Conversation-style interviews about memories are used, as opposed to the traditional "talking at the camera" format of documentaries. As a result, the film eschews the more structured format of shaping its ideas. Many of the interviews feature more than one actor or musician, and Tommy Alastra Productions compiled footage under multiple sources. It was a challenge to remove background noise, create smooth sound quality and ensure archival footage was presented clearly as a result.

Celebrity appearances

Various musicians, movie celebrities, and personalities are asked about their experiences in and around the Sunset Strip, and their recollection of important moments (such as the shutdown of Tower Records).

Music

The documentary lists a total of 48 songs in the credits, ranging from "You Set the Scene" by Love to "The Trip" by Donovan as well as music from Ratt, X, The Pussycat Dolls and Jane's Addiction. Slash, Billy Corgan, Robbie Krieger of The Doors and Perry Farrell are all featured speakers in the documentary.

Release and distribution

''Sunset Strip'' debuted at the

South by Southwest South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual conglomeration of parallel film, interactive media, and music festivals and Convention (meeting), conferences organized jointly that take place in mid-March in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 and has conti ...

(SXSW) film festival in Austin Texas, The Cannes Film Festival in France and several others before being acquired by

Showtime Networks Showtime Networks, Inc. is a subsidiary of American media conglomerate Paramount Global under its networks division that oversees the company's premium cable television channels, including its flagship namesake service. Overview The compan ...

and

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

through

Ben Silverman Benjamin Noah Silverman (born August 15, 1970) is an American media executive. He is the co-CEO and chairman of the entertainment production company Propagate. From 2007–2009, Silverman served as co-chairman of NBC Entertainment and Universa ...

Electus Electus was a production company founded by Ben Silverman in 2009. It was financed by IAC. The company had development deals with NBC, ABC, MTV, VH1, Facebook, Yahoo!, and AOL. In 2018, IAC sold Electus to Propagate Content. History and partner ...

Distribution. A special Collector's Edition DVD was also released, and contained bonus interviews from several celebrities, including

Hugh Hefner Hugh Marston Hefner (April 9, 1926 – September 27, 2017) was an American magazine publisher. He was the founder and editor-in-chief of ''Playboy'' magazine, a publication with revealing photographs and articles. Hefner extended the ''Playboy ...

Dave Navarro David Michael Navarro (born June 7, 1967) is an American guitarist. He is best known as a member of the rock band Jane's Addiction, with whom he has recorded four studio albums. Between 1993 and 1998, Navarro was the guitarist of Red Hot Chili ...

Ozzy Osbourne John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne (born 3 December 1948) is an English singer, songwriter, and media personality. He rose to prominence during the 1970s as the lead singer of the heavy metal music, heavy metal band Black Sabbath, during which per ...

Keanu Reeves Keanu Charles Reeves ( ; born September 2, 1964) is a Canadian actor and musician. The recipient of numerous accolades in a career on screen spanning four decades, he is known for his leading roles in action films, his amiable public imag ...

Alice Cooper Vincent Damon Furnier (born February 4, 1948), known by his stage name Alice Cooper, is an American rock singer and songwriter whose career spans sixty years. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusion ...

and more.

References

External links

* {{IMDb title, 1542485 2012 films 2012 documentary films American documentary films Documentary films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Documentary films about Los Angeles Sunset Boulevard (Los Angeles) Films produced by Donovan Leitch (actor) 2010s English-language films 2010s American films English-language documentary films