The Life And Hard Times Of Guy Terrifico
Apr0205:53 PM
Filed in: Opinion
A friend recently recommended The Life And Hard Times Of Guy Terrifico to me, a movie I've never heard of, despite it being a Canadian film all about music. If you're a music lover, and you are, because you're on The Bleeder Blog...you must see this movie. It's an instant classic. If you thought Spinal Tap was funny...well, you'll see.
It's a Honky-Tonkumentary, a music mockumentary, a faux documentary about the rise and fall of fictional country singer Guy Terrifico, featuring some legendary real-life performers including Matt Murphy (who plays the lead role, and also wrote the entire soundtrack), Kris Kristofferson, Merle Haggard, Colin Linden, George Stroumboulopoulos, and Ronnie Hawkins, among others.
Taken from their YouTube trailer page:
He's a poet, he's a picker, he's a prophet and he's a pusher.
He's a pilgrim and a preacher and a problem when he's stoned.
He's a walking contradiction, partly truth, mostly fiction.
Taking every wrong direction on that lonely road back home.
-Kris Kristofferson, (The Pilgrim: Chapter 33)
When Kris Kristofferson wrote these words about country music legend Guy Terrifico in 1971, Guy was at the zenith of his career. What seemed like moments later, in a blaze of whiskey, pills, canceled shows and gun shots, his career was over and so -- allegedly -- was his life. One of the brightest stars of '70's country-rock left behind only fond memories and outrageous stories. At least so everyone thought until something truly weird happened; 30 years after his 'death' a new Guy Terrifico album is released. Naturally this has raised some questions because, as Merle Haggard observes, "It's real hard to sing when you're dead."
The DVD was released in 2007...and if this movie escaped you as did me, jot the title down and check it out as soon as you can.
