Eric Burdon Movies

Part of The Blues documentary film series on PBS, Red, White & Blues is directed by British filmmaker Mike Figgis. This installment explores the impact of black American blues music on mostly white audiences in the U.K., who then reintroduced the style to mainstream America during the British invasion of the early '60s. Kids from London, Birmingham, Manchester, and other parts of England were heavily influenced by the "race music" that middle-class white America largely ignored. Figgis himself was involved in the British blues music scene in one of Bryan Ferry's early bands. Tom Jones, Jeff Beck, Van Morrison, and Lulu come together for a live improvised recording session at Abbey Road Studios. Eric Clapton, John Mayall, Mick Fleetwood, and Steve Winwood offer commentary in interview segments. Red, White & Blues was originally broadcast by PBS on October 3, 2003. ~ Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide

Eric Burdon, a member of the rock and roll hall of fame, tears through hits from every phase of his career with a top-notch backing band on this concert film. Included during the show are renditions of "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood," "It's My Lie," "When I Was Young," and others. The DVD release of the concert offers a slide show. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Thosten Schmidt directs this over-the-top Teutonic spectacular consisting of pregnant Russians, bales of cocaine and a drunken bear. Right before the big millennial new year, hefty loser Toto (Jurgen Tarrach) gets released from the joint after a three year stint for drug possession. He simply wants to get his life in order and start working in his old job as a Berlin bus driver. His recently released cellmate Frank (Dieter Landuris), however, is looking for one last score -- toting a wad of blow for hot-head drug lord Henry (Andre Hennicke) -- so he and his girlfriend Nora (Nadja Uhl) can live the big life. Little does Frank know, but a crippled DJ named Commander Zippo (Hannes Jaencike) is actively wooing Nora on his radio show and voyeuristically spying on her from a secret window in his apartment. Meanwhile, a pregnant, desperately poor Russian woman, Natalia (Tamara Simunovic), throws herself in front of Toto's bus. In his attempt to avoiding flattening her, he manages to kill Henry's drug courier (Royal Atakpa). With an injured though beautiful woman, a corpse, and ten kilos of snow on his bus, he gets talked into holding the stash for ransom by Natalia, who hopes to earn enough to bankroll her child's life. Somewhere in all this wackiness, a black bear gets released from the zoo by an animal rights activist, gets drunk, boards the bus and causes one of those impressive movie accidents where no one gets hurt. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide

Antonis Kokkinos directed this Greek comedy-drama about brothers with different worldviews; the film features a cameo appearance by British blues vocalist Eric Burdon as himself. Athens Polytechnic student Thanassis (Demosthenes Papadopoulos), 24, lives with his elderly mother and respects his 45-year-old brother, rock musician Petros (Vangelis Germanos), who has decorated his house with posters of memorable '60s films (Breathless, Alfie, Blow Up). After the death of their mother, Thanassis moves into Petros' house. At the same time, Petros' old girlfriend Eleni (Pemy Zouni), who left Athens in 1973, makes a return to Petros' life, and sets him straight about his '60s obsessions. Other film references include conversations about Stuart Hagmann's The Strawberry Statement (1970) andJohn Huston'Fat City (1972). Shown in 1998 at (Cannes Film Festival and Karlovy Vary Film Festival). ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide

Val Kilmer delivers what was considered one of 1991's best performances as Jim Morrison in Oliver Stone's hallucinatory bio-pic of the seminal 1960s rock group The Doors. Stone cuts a jagged swath through Morrison's life, starting with a childhood memory where Morrison sees an elderly Indian dying by the roadside. It picks up with Morrison's arrival in California and his assimilation into the Venice Beach culture, followed by his film school days at UCLA; his introduction to his girlfriend Pamela Courson (Meg Ryan); his first encounters with Ray Manzarek (Kyle MacLachlan); and the origin of The Doors -- made up of Manzarek, Robby Kreiger (Frank Whaley), and John Densmore (Kevin Dillon). As the fame of The Doors grows, Morrison's obsession with death increases. The band grows weary of Morrison's missed recording sessions and no-shows at concerts. Morrison, meanwhile, sinks deeper into a drug-induced haze, having mystical sexual encounters with Patricia Kennealy (Kathleen Quinlan), an older rock journalist involved with sadomasochism and witchcraft. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Rock stars who performed in London between 1964 and 1973 (as the title of this documentary indicates) are featured in 104 minutes of stage performances, interspersed with an interview or two. Artists include the Rolling Stones, Otis Redding, Cat Stevens, Jimi Hendrix, and Ike and Tina Turner. One of the interesting aspects of this documentary is how quickly it became dated, even at its time of release 8 years after completion. Tina had found the courage to split from battering Ike, and several of the artists had died - but not their music. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide

Originally aired on the ABC Television Network on November 28, 1975, this leisurely musical comedy stars stage great Liza Minnelli in a modernized re-imagining of the Little Red Riding Hood fable. Everyone knows the tale of the little girl who was on her way to grandma's house when she encountered a vicious wolf, but what would the wolf have to say about the gruesome events that took place that fateful day in the forest? Scripted by Robert Emmett and featuring original music by Julie Stein and Bob Merrill, this playful take on the familiar story co-stars Cyril Ritchard as Lone T. Wolf, and Vic Damone as the heroic woodsman. Lead through the forest by prowling front man Eric Burdon, The Animals provide fitting musical accompaniment as the hard rocking Wolf Pack. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide