Up of the news this evening is speculation
concerning the real facts
behind the prop have held announcement about a
radioactive
spill
supposed to have a occurred yesterday at the
state nuclear plant.
You will die.
Only to live again in a younger body,
then you can tell me if the operation
was a success
now.
But I'm determined to have your brain
You're listening to the really awful movies podcast,
the celebration of genre cinema.
From her downtown toronto a headquarters 2 up
so 4 71 of the really awful movies
podcast,
dirty pop, the boy band scam.
Wow. What a shift? You can almost hear
the tires screeching.
Amazing. Hopefully, listeners will appreciate, I guess this
brief diversion and foray into not only a
different
style of filmmaking documentary style and the the
recent Netflix documentary about boy bands
and
appreciate, I guess the giant gulf, but between
this subject matter and the ones
tackled previously, which was a poverty in, Victorian
and London and the jack the ripper murders
through the lens
of the excellent and
underappreciated Bob Clark film murder by decree starring
Christopher Plum. So here we go that you
can't get
any further apart really in in film, and
it's rare that I'll actually dive into documentary
film, I think the last 1 might have
been the 1 about the
infamous shock rock band
gu. So
here we go. I mean, the this 1
really popped up
literally and figuratively because it was just... I
mean, it's fed to you through whatever kind
of a new programming algorithm Netflix has, and
it was actually a little bit of an
accident that I hit the start button and
the play button because I'd had been actually
trying to seek out
various horror films and a truth be told
full disclosure of had a bit of an
issue
trying to nail down something to watch and
sort of briefly, obviously fell out of love
with the horror genre, and that, of course,
was a a period that only lasted 2
weeks, but to... I think or maybe 2
to 3 weeks, so it's still... That's almost
an eternity when you watch as much horror
as I do. So I thought, okay. It
would take a little turn here, and boy
was like glad I did. And suffice it
to say, I think it's because she comes
as no surprise that, you know, I'm not
exactly
in tune with this kind of music, although,
I appreciate the song writing of something like,
I want it that way, and in the
craftsmanship and the undo, and
the talent that goes into
both performing in but also creating 1 of
these very manufactured groups. And this is By
no means at modern invention. Right? Even though
I'm in the latest incarnation was
1 direction, and obviously,
the... They're... Whenever these super groups are formed.
There's always the best looking 1 who forge
their own path. As in a destiny child
and whatnot. But this kind of thing has
been happening since
Pop music, I memorial, and,
even as
the the quality of the the music would
would have been quite sublime for Moto town.
This was still a part and parcel of
how groups were created and you had to
select who, according to who would have a,
kind of appeal to the masses, and it's
been going on forever,
and what is
essentially a very, very s business
as we've known for years with how Blues
musicians and Tim Pan alley, song writers were
ripped off or ripping 1 another off in
the fifties and sixties and the forties. It's
it's been
an industry that's been rife with problems. Most
recent obviously, the Did situation. And and on
a only somewhat less s note, those 03:60
deals. The infamous, I guess, total ownership deals
that desperate musicians sign with big record companies
that basically
preclude them from
deriving any sort of income that the company
doesn't take a major cut of. Even if
it's not related to the music business at
all. Like, so you could say right your
auto,
and Bm g or 1 of these big
conglomerate will will take take take. And then
there's essentially nothing
left of your own self, Although otherwise, suppose
you could write under a suit in them,
but good luck with that if you... But,
you know, any any kind of merchandising, any
kind of tour revenue, they just get a
a piece,
And it's something I got a a very,
very
brief
sense of through the book business because you're
given in advance and you're expected to,
you know, earn it back at which point,
after which point you get royalties and not
before that. So it is kind of interesting
although on a larger scale in music when
say, a band will be given 50 k.
Well, maybe not so much these days to
record an album. And then for all we
know
the the,
music could be released into the Ether never
to touch the the years of man ever,
and you couldn't... Will not be able to
recoup these until you, manage to maybe e
out to touring,
revenue generator or what have you. So it's
it's quite common even for big successful bands,
from, you know, sixties until today to be
gifted a huge budget for a, record company,
deal know, to record some sort of album
and then have the sophomore or subsequent efforts
completely tank and be in hawk to the
business. So, you I mean, squeezing us abound
and and sure enough. I mean, the kind
of skull
and and
financial mel that takes place at the heart
of this
documentary is very fascinating. So Lou Pearl is
a Queen's New Yorker who
grew up and in all places,
you know, in in some d apartment building
with his family sleeping on the sofa and,
really, cheek by job living in very modest
circumstance.
And then,
finally, finding his way into some
b business of all things. Now which kind
of caught my attention as I'm in the
marketing space as a journalist, and I thought.
It it's amazing. Like, now when you see...
It's called them in, marketing par out of
home advertising. So you'll see a building that's
been,
that has technology
to make it look like there's maybe ocean
waves,
you know, lapping up against the side of
the building because you have this incredible, a
very immersive 3 d technology.
But it's easy to forget, like, the humble
out of home advertising for the most part
is let Let's say, just some poster and
a bus shelter, or going way back, you
can even see different trends like the 1
mister Per was involved in, which was b.
Most people associate b with the Goodyear b,
which hover over football stadiums. But if for
a time, it was... The means of advertising
and as this film showcases, and this is
all about the Mu,
Mcdonald's and George jeans, everyone was trying to
slap their logo on these flying machines. It
almost conjure up the the Hindenburg and the
fad from from you know, hundred years prior.
It's really wild. How these things are cyclical
and a lot of stock was put in
b as a way to get your message
across. It's almost like sky or some other
absurd nonsense onset. So it's really strange and
bizarre how
Per got his start, essentially, for some hook
by crook, Yeah, no pun intended, getting his
hands on on a airplane hanger
and leasing and or selling various
aircraft. And then that's how he made his
bones before moving to Florida
and figuring all this shit out as this
trans.
This ne entity that had various tentacles in
different businesses of all stripes, like entertainment business
flying...
All, all sorts of things that this guy
was involved in investment vehicles as well. That
we're supposedly under written by Lloyd of London,
and we'll we'll get to that.
This guy's hobby was basically putting together banned.
Much like Simon Cowell did with 1 direction.
So it cast your minds back to the
nineties and the ubi and the popularity of
acts like, it's new kids on the block
and backs street boys and in sync and
backs streets back. Alright. Right? And, a lot
of the principles
shed a little light on what it was
like to to work with Per. And, obviously,
it's a very mixed blessing
because not... He... While he did put them
on the map, he also a thief from
them, like, considerably by the sounds of it.
At the at the very least, if not
wholly from them, then certainly from some of
the investors the who ended up shirtless
when they found out that his assets were
really nothing, but AAA giant Po scheme effectively
as he was... Using German banking money to,
I guess, foster connections with Bm g over
there, Sony Bi over in Germany,
And of all things. I mean, there's just
so many eye openers about this. So I
mean the b thing was kind of a
crazy connection because I did not foresee
this guy's background being and pe being in
an a completely unrelated industry. Usually, it's guys
who own maybe a studio or radio or
have some sort of talent management
background that help foster and and and generate
these kinds of musical movements, whether it's gru
or anything else really and is it's shocking
to me that he was not only involved
in b, but also it was involved with
an actual. I mean, an actual nazi, not
just the silver that's thrown around to people.
Who would disagree with other people, but an
actual lu off a pilot who became a
business partner with Pearl in a very unlikely
team up with a a Jewish guy from
New York with,
a former Lu off pilot for the Nazis.
I just absolutely
shocking and and bizarre documentary and in many
respects. And
amazing how P was effectively
putting up the funds to both
instruct these groups in in dancing and singing,
and he really did as he well, no
doubt pointed out on several occasions.
He,
as a true capitalist was the guy who
took on all the risk and essentially a,
a amassed and accumulated, all these teenagers, from
essentially local mall talent shows and various, you
know, entities such as,
you know, the Mickey Mouse clubs in the
case of, someone like a Britney spears or
a Justin Timberlake lake,
Britney Spears how who had AAA brief in
association with Pearl men in a girl group,
and she, of course, being the, you know,
the the prettiest 1. Let's face it, moved
on to... Well, you know, the rest is
history and the same with Justin Timberlake lake.
To a degree as well. And and you
see the the x members of even lesser
known acts like a natural talking about how
just the the amount of touring they had
to endure and meanwhile, like, only really getting
pitt in terms of a payday day, Chris
Kirk patrick.
Infamous
disc by M and M, you know, you're
gonna get your ass kicked worse than that
little limp biz bastard. Right? He
we talked about having getting a a check
for 10 grand, and this was after
endless touring and touring all over Germany,
And as they sit in spinal tap the
world and elsewhere and and really being a
key part of in sync, which was blowing
up at the time and yet getting this
sort of a poultry some at the outset
of of this,
and and wondering quite rightly
where all the money went,
and this is something that this 3 part
documentary
explores later as the the various again business,
diversion that the trans
was involved in and in it... It's amazing
the the reach of something like a trans
con continental.
As I knew it as a def
airline. But meanwhile, I I don't think it
really he
owned any planes outright. He was just I
don't know how he managed to build this
brand to the extent that it's is known
and,
appreciated in the same breath as something like
the... Now to fund Eastern airlines as well,
but he had apparently a roster of 50
planes.
Don't know how he came by them, lease
them to various musicians, including Paul Mccartney for
various tours, found out that it was easier
to make money, maybe creating your own acts,
and that's how he was able to,
you know, Forged career for himself. That was
very, very unlikely. And my god, this guy
had quite a ro. He's
He had the ear of po and sheriff
and celebrities and everyone wanted a piece of
this guy. He was a mover and a
shaker. And again, had his tentacles
everywhere, and there was
association with George Bush, The... 1 of the
more shocking things. If you can actually top
and actual Nazi as a business partner was
the fact that post 09:11,
Per was able to charter a plane
which was shocking because planes
universally
globally were grounded and yet of all think
he managed to get an f 16
escort to get him and 1 of his
charges. I forget whether it with the backs
boards or whoever, from New York City,
to
Orlando their home base. And it's just unbelievable
privilege and and proximity to power, which is...
I just can't even imagine the
Us Air Force
prioritizing,
a stupid mission like this after the world
was shocked into just on
unbelievable. I mean, the
breath less, word less,
horror by the the the the taking out
of the twin towers on that fateful day,
and it and it's just... And it really
bog the mind and beg belief that they
were able to get a jet and move,
like, a shitty pop group out and about
and and
there there's there's a lot of interesting trick
here with the,
friends of Per who grew up with him
in Queens, and
and to his credit, Per, I mean, as
much credit as you can give to an
em and a chi and and a scam
artist, and a and just to complete
thief, but he did take along his boys
for the ride. So in the case there
there's a frankie vas, and I believe a
Mike Pi chen,
couple of New Yorkers that he just said,
hey. Listen. I've got this thing going in
Florida come with me and I'll hook you
up. So it that was pretty cool that
he brings it... He brought his boys along
to
come along for the ride and essentially just
made something out of nothing to become this
huge
internationally recognized of mo. And another thing is
very interesting speaking of Germany was the extent
to which they'd blown up over there before
having deep, deepening or strengthening any pop music
roots over here. So a bit, like, David
Has or something. Like they had the connection
with the German investors and the Bm gs
of the world over there in the Be
men's and and whoever. So they... Were actually
trying on multiple occasions to,
jump start the careers over there and get
I guess, touring acts like in sync and
backs street boys
concert ready on these shores, So they were
really, I guess, seasoned veterans of multiple,
you know, shopping mall and, high school events
that they had. Throughout Germany trying to build
awareness and build,
mass appeal over there before moving over to
Mtv and and finally developing, some,
a attraction over over in the in the
key North American market, and it really was
just
quite a time as as
Patrick pointed out, I think in the documentary,
they were essentially sandwiched between nineties wrap and
and grunt. Kirk and they managed to forge
their own path despite these 2 movements being
so,
iconic and so an linked to nineties culture,
and and they were able to, for a
time anyway,
spawn, tons of
I
and and
tons of other attempted copycat cats. I think
there was even a Canadian 1. I think
they were called B44I
think they were... No, I wanna say there
were twins and maybe a another brother or
they might have been triplets. These goofy guys
with
muscles upon muscles and frosted hair and
another just ridiculous. And and and, obviously, like,
most musical movements, this 1 had to come
to an abrupt end as,
finally, people started to really appreciate the... Just
the silliness. But it was not for lack
of trying in the case of Per
who,
I think it was it was something called
Big in America. So a reality show that
they built up in Germany where they were
trying to pick. The next boy band, much
like, I guess, Simon Cowell copied
for
for the... I think it was the show
that ultimately put 1 direction together and and
whatnot. So,
all the Sv jolly
behind the scenes stuff was really wild and
and the get getting back to Per
the sort of lack of moral character of
this guy was an expert, forge,
very, very def hand at copying signatures and
forging all sorts of documents whether it was
this Phony Bo baloney, German investment bank or
or contracts or other sign of various documents.
And it was amazing the extent you just
built up the shell game and got people
on board with him and again, having his
fingers in so many pies
with all these different business ventures ranging from
the likes of a yogurt
Qs, you know, quick service restaurant, Qs r
to the steak house trying to compete with
the likes of the C, just so many
operations, and I know to the extent that
they... These really,
gained any any appeal. When he basically used
his musical act as a Conduit to gain
investor
interest. So he'd go to these parties in
Hop knob with the the big shots in
Manhattan and Long Island and South Beach and
bring along his act, and they would sing
for his supper effectively as he scammed them
out of millions of dollars. It turns out.
And which just amazing that he was really
a vehicle to line his own pockets. Although
you do get the sense that he really
did have a love for for music, and
it's funny to hear when he was
imprisoned that he would have wrappers coming up
to him in in the Florida Pen where
he was housed and dropping off d facto
resumes and and and
dropping bars for this guy.
Hopefully not
bars on his head, but, although he did,
I guess,
eventually die in prison, although not from what
you think. And and again, there are s
aspects
briefly alluded to hear how someone who was
so entrenched and in boy bands and and
do is by own admission, Touchy feely and
asking the kids to see their abs and
whatnot. So there's a certain under belly of
seating is. But I think what the viewer
will,
come away from this
appreciating is that the, I think Per was
more asexual than anything else, and there was
no evidence that he was involved in any
sexual imp proprietary with any of these people.
Or assured, they would have come forward. I'm
pretty sure by by by this point. So
he was just 1 of these guys who
was
like to be the center of attention and
liked to, you know, be basically a music
venture capitalist and
boost the careers of these and what would
do I become household names for a decade
and a half and a pop culture par.
So really amazing, a wild tale know, inexplicable
on so many fronts.
A lot of the the people's accounts were
really interesting. I mean, it was fascinating to
see Per
on the lamb in Bali Indonesia. I mean,
this is a globe t
affair that would rival any James bond film.
I mean, there's so much in
so much craziness in this film, Like, I'm
so glad I
inadvertently clicked on it because there's so much,
you, especially for someone like me really didn't
pay too much heed to the likes of
a pearl other than thinking it a bit
a bit un savory that this guy was
creating all these boy bands, but not really
delving too much into it, but truly very
interesting me, a a very solid effort on
Netflix currently and creating quite a buzz much
like those acts did back in the day
with songs like, 1 it that way. Tell
me why. And all this good stuff. 3
and a half out of 5 for me
learned a lot that I've detailed here, and
it it was kinda good to get away
from a horror a little bit to
dive into the the music business. So speaking
of horror words really.
Anyway, hope you enjoy the show. We'll hopefully
be back to regularly scheduled programming
I've been super busy and caught a
a rare summer bug. So I'm hopefully gonna
be back to
the territory with which I'm much more familiar
and, my home home base is at work.
I'll talk to you soon. Take care.