Shep Gordon - Supermensch
My Take

By Stanley Dyrector

I dug it. Mr. G., cuts quite an extraordinary figure being a charitable gentleman warts 'n all which Mike Meyers so deftly nuances in his biog film. We journey back and forth with this engagingly enigmatic character, Shep, whose life changes spontaneously, like colors of a chameleon. He was kicked out of his salaried counseling job helping imprisoned youth, and headed to L.A. in the era of sex, DRUGS 'n Rock'n Roll.

In Hollywood, he’s snorting coke in his room at the Landmark Hotel. Early on, he hears a girl yelling at a guy down by the pool – and thinking she's in danger, he, the gallant Quixote, goes to damsel’s rescue, but gets rewarded with a punch in the kisser from Janis Joplin, whose noises he mistook were her lovemaking with Jimi Hendrix. Ecco! He meets his future! The Rockers!

Jimi Hendrix figures, since Shep is a Jewish guy, he should be a manager, so Voila! Sheps' in Biz! He gets stoned with his clients, sharing his larder of drugs altruistically. The Doors, and other rockers, some Almost Famous. Shep Gordon hooks up with Alice Cooper and helps him reinvent his persona into stardom He creates opportunity for Teddy Pendergass to become a stellar superstar, and many others. Was this all by accident?... or was it Karmic? You gotta figure that one out by yourself, because along his path he meets the Dalai Lama, who did influence him! - so, if you’re looking for signs…

Lotsa twists and turns in this one man's life; or perhaps a metaphor for Shep Gordon's many conscious reincarnations. Michael Douglas and Stallone and Emeric, and an ex-love deceased family, including, a gal cousin of his swear he's the most generous charming unselfish loving guy you’d ever meet. Shep’s got a wonderfully meshuga laugh. He makes shrewd moves in techniques in management skills, making peace on all sides. Would you believe he becomes a recluse on an island?( I wouldn’t mind being on it). But the Socko scene with Steve Jobs is worth all the dough you pay for admission. At the end of the ride we are amazed after all the abuse he gave himself he's still vertical! But wait a minute! We are talking about a Supermensch!!!