On the eve of the world premiere of The Seventh Python, the Neil Innes biopic from our pals at Frozen Pictures, the LA CityBeat weekly newspaper is running a prominent interview in its issue that hits stands later today:
In a town full of fame junkies and discarded icons, the affection held for the unglamorous likes of Neil Innes is heartening. A nimble musical satirist in the jolly company of W.S. Gilbert and Spike Jones... the low-key and eccentric Innes is the subject of the documentary The Seventh Python, premiering Thursday at the venerable “Mods & Rockers” festival at the Egyptian Theater, and performs a solo concert there on Friday...
CityBeat: Hello and how do you find yourself this morning?
Neil Innes: Well, I just rolled back the sheets and there I was!
Tell us about The Seventh Python. It sounds a bit like Harry Reems meets Ray Harryhausen.
Bonnie Rose and Laurie Stevens started this Web site a couple of years ago in L.A. and they decided to get in contact with me and asked if I’d come play there. I was coming through in 2003 on my way to a comedy festival in Melbourne, and said if they can find a couple of rooms, we’d play. A little band was put together and, in typical fashion, the Iraq war and the Oscars happened that weekend, so L.A. was pretty much gridlocked. But nevertheless, the filming took place and the movie began to take shape, and it soon turned out they were making a movie about someone who didn’t really want to become rich and famous! [wheeze] So they had to work hard to make it interesting, and they have the rest of the Pythons on there talking through their trousers. I haven’t seen the finished thing, but it’s quite sweet and fun for me to hear people go on about my songwriting in a grown up way, since I muck about so. It’s not a career move, but hopefully an interesting thing, as it was born out of love.
Read the entire interview here.
The Seventh Python is the opening selection in Martin Lewis' ninth Mods & Rockers Film Fest (a division of American Cinematheque). Showtime is at 7:30 pm. Neil Innes himself will be there; a Bonzo Dog Dooh Dah Band concert film follows, and on Friday, Neil is performing an unprecedented solo show at the Egyptian!
Tickets at ModsandRockers.com.
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