Mayor of the Sunset Strip

2003 Directed by George Hickenlooper

One unlikely man made America listen

A look at the history of fame in the world through the eyes of pop star impresario, Rodney Bingenheimer

Rodney Bingenheimer Kim Fowley Exene Cervenka John Doe Courtney Love Alice Cooper Debbie Harry Neil Young George Wendt Pete Townshend Mick Jagger Iggy Pop David Johansen Poe Beck David Bowie Sarah Michelle Gellar Joan Jett Annabella Lwin Paul Reubens Tori Amos

94 mins More details at IMDb TMDb Report this film

Popular reviews

Review by mrbalihai ★★★ 2

For newbies, this documentary is a reasonably entertaining introduction to the obscure world of club owner, DJ, and scene-maker, Rodney Bingenheimer, a pivotal player in the formation of the L.A. punk scene of the 1970s.
Rodney is a very odd cat; a cipher with a barely discernible personality, an asexual pod person, possibly inhabited by alien slugs from the Dumbbell Nebula. An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, sprinkled with bacon bits. I've met him a few times, and he seemed pleasant enough, but as my sainted mother always says, "Something just ain't right about that boy."
He's is also distinctly untalented, and unsuited for anything other than being a scenemaker. He's the Forrest Gump of Hollywood; always present at the…
Review by John S. ★★½ 2

I had heard of Rodney Bingenheimer before I heard him one night on KROQ. Whoa, this is the guy? Such a strange, muffled, oddly modulated voice, self-conscious. But excited. I tuned in whenever I had a radio on at night (until, sorry, I found the nightly electronic show on KCRW. L.A. absolutely had the best radio). “Rodney on the Roq” in the ‘90s usually hit a happier, poppier mood than the regular fare. Melodies, bands with women in them, alternative guitars, Brit-pop. It was a fuckload better than KROQ’s playlist at the time which was leaning heavier and heavier towards metal hybrids. Gag. Sorry not sorry. No more KNAC, and most rock stations were struggling. Ch-ch-changes.
Bald Joan Jett is…
Review by sandoym ★★★★

Sad movie about a sad man living a very shallow life.
Review by Patrick McCoy ★★★½

A friend recommended The Mayor Of Sunset Strip, a documentary about DJ and famed groupie Rodney Bingenheimer. I had a vague knowledge of him as a DJ that broke a lot of cool new music in LA (X, The Ramones, Blondie, Iggy Pop, The Smiths, The Sex Pistols, Elvis Costello, Blur, Oasis, and Cold Play among others) “Rodney On The Roq”-is his show, which seems to have been pushed into the 12am-3 am spot after having a more prominent position. It is an unusual documentary; it reminded me a bit of Crumb-the principle characters are quirky and strange. Kim Fowley, another groupie from the era, is a very strange and creepy man who has several great sound bites throughout the…
Review by Martin McClellan ★★★★

Fascinating to me -- but then, I get that feeling of discovering a band that is so cool that you can't help but share it. At times in my life, I've prided myself on my in-depth music knowledge. Such pride is always knocked flat by some other asshole who actually does know more than me, and usually in one way or another they are like Rodney Bingenheimer. Except, of course, Rodney has street cred like no one I know. He trumps us all.
My earliest musical influences, apart from 70's pop radio, were forged in the schoolyard. There was this guy, Christian, who was wiry and tough. He had a gang, although a pretty pathetic group by today's high-shooting standards.…
Review by MoviePhreak ★★★½

Rodney Bingenheimer, "Rodney on the ROQ" the KROQ DJ in L.A. and his "Zelig"-like presence on the L.A. music scene. He comes off as a likeable loser, a person that people like and respect for his musical taste, but who also strikes the viewer as a sad and lonely man. It's a great look back at the history of music in L.A. and on Sunset Blvd. and beyond. Look for David Bowie, Chris Martin of Coldplay, Cher, and other famous fans of the DJ.
Review by Ouija_Bored_666 ★★★

A pretty depressing look at Rock n Roll’s most influential yet least appreciated figure. A little disjointed, but it painted an adequate picture of the L.A. music scene.
This was also my reminder of how glad I am that Kim Fowley’s dead. What a fucking ghoul
Review by no2camels ★★★½

I grew up in a musical LA created by Rodney on the Rock— so many of my childhood memories are papered with music he brought to California. And while this movie is ostensibly about his life, it is about something more existentially potent: what does it mean to be the person who recognizes the potential in others, starts people on their path, only to be left behind.
If this movie could be summed up in a t-shirt . . . “I helped make you millionaires and all I got was this sad movie focused on my loneliness.”
And as old and stodgy as this may sound (“I remember when DJs could pick their own music my-boy”) this movie does make me despair for music. What will happen when our access to music is entirely determined by the industry and algorithms?
Review by bandsaboutmovie ★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

George Hickenlooper was a director who excelled at telling peoples’ stories. Edie Sedwick in Factory Girl. Jack Abramoff in Casino Jack. And documentaries on Dennis Hopper, Apocalypse Now, Peter Bogdanovich, Monte Hellman and this take of Rodney Bingenheimer, Rodney on the ROQ, the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, the man who launched so many bands into American consciousness.
When Rodney was 16, his mother dropped him off at Connie Stevens’ house, told him to get her autograph and abandoned him. He ended up as a stand-in for Davy Jones, as the live-in publicist for Sonny & Cher, opened a club, brought glam to the U.S. and took to the air on Los Angeles’ KROQ.
The list of bands that Rodney broke…
Review by Kevin Cormier ★★★½

Documentary about Rodney Bingenheimer whose attraction to music and celebrity helped him forge a career from being a groupie/hanger on to a quasi celebrity of his own as a Los Angeles DJ helping to get exposure to what would eventually become world reknowned bands.
Virtually a who’s who of musicians lend a hand in the interview segments. Always entertaining but sometimes sad when it comes to his personal and family life/relationships. Must see for music fans.
Review by KyranLucien ★★★½

This documentary traces Rodney Bingenheimer's journey from a hard-luck childhood to a successful career as a disc jockey. Involved in the Los Angeles rock 'n' roll scene since the 1960s, the omnipresent Bingenheimer has seen his fair share of both triumphs and hardships during his time as a musical taste-maker. Featuring interviews with rock legends like David Bowie, Brian Wilson and Beck all chiming in on Bingenheimer, the film also underlines the consequences of romanticizing fame.
Initial release: March 26, 2004 (USA)
Director: George Hickenlooper
Screenplay: George Hickenlooper
Music composed by: Anthony Marinelli
Nominations: Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary Feature
Wiki

www.bitchute.com/video/HkHL1ZlAz9KQ/
Review by Richard Gill ★★★★

Such a heartbreaking look at one of the real unsung heroes of alternative music

Recent reviews

Review by Ouija_Bored_666 ★★★

A pretty depressing look at Rock n Roll’s most influential yet least appreciated figure. A little disjointed, but it painted an adequate picture of the L.A. music scene.
This was also my reminder of how glad I am that Kim Fowley’s dead. What a fucking ghoul
Review by Marty ★★

A relatively charming portrait of Rodney Bingenheimer made toxic by trying to ‘expose’ his dysfunctional family and love life.
Review by no2camels ★★★½

I grew up in a musical LA created by Rodney on the Rock— so many of my childhood memories are papered with music he brought to California. And while this movie is ostensibly about his life, it is about something more existentially potent: what does it mean to be the person who recognizes the potential in others, starts people on their path, only to be left behind.
If this movie could be summed up in a t-shirt . . . “I helped make you millionaires and all I got was this sad movie focused on my loneliness.”
And as old and stodgy as this may sound (“I remember when DJs could pick their own music my-boy”) this movie does make me despair for music. What will happen when our access to music is entirely determined by the industry and algorithms?
Review by Bethany ★★

This doc is sooooo 2003. Courtney Love being a central interviewee is a big tip off but so is the dispassionate and frequent references to Gary Glitter, Phil Spector (this hadn’t really happened yet!), and Kim Fowley, who it turns out is the actual worst. Also it got kind of repetitive and I got to the last 30 minutes and kind of lost interest because it’s just not that well constructed
But David Bowie! And music history!
Review by Cornelio Villadragones ★★★★½

If you're curious, here's my review process.Also, I don't believe in Rotten Tomatoes. I just believe in me.
(***all-purpose SPOILER ALERT*** there may be some in this review)
importance 9
directing 9
effects 9
editing 9
writing 9
SW SCORE: 45
4.5 out of 5
++
A very close friend of mine, The Blushing Whale, is allowing me to re-print this review he wrote back in 2004. I've seen the documentary, too, and I can't add anything that isn't already eloquently put forward here. So, to be clear, the numbers above are mine. Don't yell at my buddy.
You may not have heard of Rodney Bingenheimer but chances are, he has made an impact in your life if you're a…
Review by Dan Fite Jr. ★★★★

A wild ride through LA’s music culture, through the eyes of one its most influential players and lesser known icons.
Review by Tyler Coates ★★★

could easily be made into a limited series
Review by Dave Kornfield ★★★

Decent doc. Annoying promoter. Dollar store Andy Warhol.
Weird how people think the act of curation deserves so much credit.
Review by Bil Antoniou ★★★

Find the full review here: wp.me/p3waMl-5gl
Review by John S. ★★½ 2

I had heard of Rodney Bingenheimer before I heard him one night on KROQ. Whoa, this is the guy? Such a strange, muffled, oddly modulated voice, self-conscious. But excited. I tuned in whenever I had a radio on at night (until, sorry, I found the nightly electronic show on KCRW. L.A. absolutely had the best radio). “Rodney on the Roq” in the ‘90s usually hit a happier, poppier mood than the regular fare. Melodies, bands with women in them, alternative guitars, Brit-pop. It was a fuckload better than KROQ’s playlist at the time which was leaning heavier and heavier towards metal hybrids. Gag. Sorry not sorry. No more KNAC, and most rock stations were struggling. Ch-ch-changes.
Bald Joan Jett is…
Review by bandsaboutmovie ★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

George Hickenlooper was a director who excelled at telling peoples’ stories. Edie Sedwick in Factory Girl. Jack Abramoff in Casino Jack. And documentaries on Dennis Hopper, Apocalypse Now, Peter Bogdanovich, Monte Hellman and this take of Rodney Bingenheimer, Rodney on the ROQ, the Mayor of the Sunset Strip, the man who launched so many bands into American consciousness.
When Rodney was 16, his mother dropped him off at Connie Stevens’ house, told him to get her autograph and abandoned him. He ended up as a stand-in for Davy Jones, as the live-in publicist for Sonny & Cher, opened a club, brought glam to the U.S. and took to the air on Los Angeles’ KROQ.
The list of bands that Rodney broke…
Review by sandoym ★★★★

Sad movie about a sad man living a very shallow life.