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Mr. Beaks Travels To BRANSON With Brent Meeske And The New Man In Black, Jackson Cash!

Published at:  Jul 06, 2009 2:48:14 AM CDT



Every year, nearly eight million tourists pass through Branson, Missouri in search of wholesome family entertainment. For the most part, they come to see the heavy hitters: Andy Williams, Shoji Tabuchi, The Lennon Sisters and Yakov Smirnoff. But some will hop off the beaten path and explore Branson's many, many alternatives, and this is where they'll find an insanely cheery/desperate assortment of variety shows and magic acts and celebrity impersonators.

This is the subculture documentarian Brent Meeske unearthed several years ago when he found himself stuck in Branson shooting a reality show that was disintegrating by the minute. He first stumbled upon a revue called #1 HITS OF THE 60'S (which could essentially be retitled SHOW CHOIR: THE MUSICAL), and realized he'd found a potential real-life WAITING FOR GUFFMAN scenario. But it wasn't until he made the acquaintance of a Johnny Cash tribute artist named Jackson Cash that he realized he had a movie.

That movie is BRANSON, and it recently debuted at the Los Angeles Film Festival to deservedly positive reviews. Though comparable to any number of fringe showbiz documentaries (AMERICAN MOVIE, ANVIL! and MULE SKINNER BLUES spring immediately to mind), Meeske makes sure that the laughs aren't derived exclusively from his subjects' earnestness (which is quite the accomplishment seeing as how the performers in #1 HITS OF THE 60'S and BLAST! are all earnestness). Most of the performers in BRANSON aren't grasping for superstardom; they're just trying to find a way to make a living doing what they love in a town where this just might be attainable. These people might be incredibly quirky, but they're also kind of pragmatic.

And then there's Jackson Cash, the one wild card in Meeske's deck. A veteran country musician who wound up with a voice uncannily close to The Man in Black's after getting punched in the throat by a Las Vegas drug dealer (!), Cash is the film's unruly heart and soul. Though deeply religious (many of his original songs deal directly with faith), Cash is always running up against his sinner past - much of which is written across his body in scars (I'm still wincing at the one he earned from gangrene poisoning). His most persistent demon is addiction, which gets a hold of him just as he's on the verge of crossing over into the Branson big time. Suddenly, he's skipping shows and burning bridges - and the viewer is left wondering whether this undeniably gifted misfit is going to pull it together before he's drummed out of town.

That I had the opportunity to chat with Meeske and Cash the day after BRANSON's LAFF premiere should give you an idea of how things turn out in the film. But there was still plenty to talk about. So please read on as we discuss the impetus of the project, the tao of Boxcar Willie, and how you can always depend on the kindness of Jonathan Winters lookalikes. You won't get this stuff out of Shia LaBeouf, folks!



Mr. Beaks: I read that this movie grew out of a reality show you were attempting to shoot called BK AND CODY, which was about some rich guy buying a kid off of eBay?



Brent Meeske: Yes, that's absolutely true. It's a bizarre story. There was this kid named Cody. He was a self-proclaimed "hippie" who lived in a converted school bus parked on his parents' lawn. They grew tired of that and decided to auction him off on eBay. It got a lot of attention on THE TODAY SHOW and THE TONIGHT SHOW, and they got quite a few bids, including the winning bid from a guy named BK Haynes, a sixty-six-year-old millionaire who lives in Virginia. He thought he was buying the bus. When he found out he was buying something called "The Ultimate Hippie Vacation", he went along with it. So he jumped in the bus with Cody, and they were supposed to live together for a few weeks on the road. We jumped on the bus to document it - maybe for a potential reality show, maybe for a potential documentary. We didn't know where it was going to go, but I jumped on to film it. We only made it about forty-five minutes across the border from Arkansas to Missouri straight into Branson. It was Day Two when BK threw up his hands, refused to participate, locked himself in the Radisson, and the show was over; the project was dead. I was stuck in Branson with the camera crew, some gear, a few more weeks on the schedule, and decided to turn the cameras the other direction and start a documentary about Branson. It was a really lucky accident.



Beaks: I like how you just dive into the world of Branson. I've never been there, but I've read about it. And I remember when it boomed back in the '90s. The building up of Branson would seem to be quite a story on its own. Did you ever think about doing a traditional history of Branson?



Meeske: I did. We shot over 400 hours, so we explored a lot of avenues that we didn't necessarily end up following for the film, but we... I think kind of the easiest place to start... Branson kind of lends itself to this kind of GUFFMAN-esque documentary. "Look at this bizarro Las Vegas!" Fortunately, the stories were so strong that we abandoned a lot of those paths and just dove into the personal stories of the characters.



Beaks: I'm glad you said "GUFFMAN-esque". That's how I described it to someone last night. But it's very compassionate, I think, in terms of capturing its subjects' hopes and aspirations. When did you meet Jackson?



Meeske: We met Jackson at least a year into the project. For the first year, I stuck with my first show and my first characters exclusively, which was the THE #1 HITS OF THE 60'S. There are a bunch of great, great characters in that show, and I thought that would kind of be the focus of the whole film. About a year into it, nothing very dramatic was happening with the cast, so I started to branch out and explore other people and other characters. I interviewed at least fifty other people in Branson. Some of the big shots like Mickey Gilley, The Lennon Sisters and Yakov Smirnoff. And Jackson was kind of this omnipresent force. We were stationed in the Branson mall, and he was playing in the food court. We were basically camped out there filming the 60's show, and Branson's music wafted through all the time. Eventually, we took notice. He played one of his original songs, "Ghost Town", and that really caught our attention, so we started shooting his performance. Then we did a really quick interview, and that's how he became part of the story.



Jackson: Well, I approached them first. I was looking for somebody to film a promotional DVD for me. Because I had just gotten there, and I didn't have enough money to do anything for somebody that might help me. And I see these guys walking around with their cameras. I asked them if they would do it, and as I remember it (to Brent), you said no. You were doing a Branson documentary, and you didn't do that thing. You were from L.A. And I thought, "Well, that's too big time for me. And I couldn't afford these guys anyway. They're top-notch." And from what I remember, he heard one of my original songs and said, "We'll make a deal with you: if you give us clearance to use one of your songs in our documentary, we'll film that promotional DVD for you." Which they did. Right?

Meeske: Mm-hm.

Jackson: And I still had brown hair. I hadn't dyed my hair black yet. I was just getting into the thing, and that's when it took off. I had a little DVD.



Beaks: (To Brent) So you actually bore witness to the transformation?



Meeske: Oh, yeah. We met Jackson within a few weeks, right?

Jackson: I was still wearing my cowboy hat when you met me. I hadn't even started combing my hair back yet.

Meeske: He had just arrived in Branson. It was just about the time you changed your name, right?

Jackson: Yep.

Meeske: So, yes, we did get to witness the transformation. We were there for his discovery and his whole journey into the Caravelle Theatre.



Beaks: How long was this after the fight that cost you part of your voice?



Meeske: That happened about a year before I went to Branson in Las Vegas, Nevada.



Beaks: What was your set list like before this incident?



Jackson: Just before that, I had had a gig in Bryce Canyon, Utah. That's where John Wayne used to film a lot of his movies. It's cowboy and western country, and people come from all over the world to experience the cowboy thing. So my list was doing Sons of the Pioneers, "Red River Valley", "Ghost Riders in the Sky"... all western songs. And some Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard... cowboy stuff, you know? That's pretty much the kind of stuff I was doing.



Beaks: So was there this moment where you heard yourself and said, "Holy shit, I sound just like Johnny Cash", or did someone have to point that out to you?



Jackson: I always knew that I could be an impersonator. I could sound real close to Willie, and I could sound real close to Waylon Jennings. And if I was ever going to be a tributer, I couldn't do a real good job at Waylon because that guy played a Fender guitar, and I cannot play that style. He was incredible. And I feel like if you're going to do that, you've got to do it all. My style was just like Johnny Cash. But I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to do it because he was 6'1", okay, and he had black hair. I think maybe my features were right and my voice was definitely [right] by that time, but I was afraid I wasn't tall enough. And when Joaquin Phoenix came out with WALK THE LINE, I said, "Okay, if that guy can do it, maybe I can." So I started looking up Johnny Cash impersonators on the internet and listened to them. I listened to everyone that was being booked around the world, and... I wasn't impressed at all. Not to think I'm big or anything like that, but it just didn't seem like it would be that tough to fall into that.

But what really made my mind up was I had moved to the Jackson Hole, Wyoming area with my last wife. This was six months before I went to Branson. We were living in Wyoming, and I decided to maybe go to Nashville. I was thinking maybe Branson, but no. I was so fed up with the music business that I thought, "I'm just going to settle down with my wife and get a real job. To hell with the music business." So I actually went over to a truck stop at about five in the morning - and I have a song that I've written about this - to go talk to this manager about getting a job in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I was waiting to see a certain manager there that I could talk to at the coffee counter, and while I was waiting to talk to him this great big feller next to me introduced himself as "Big Joe". And he told me his story, and how he was a rancher and always had been in Wyoming, and how he had a friend named Boxcar Willie. Boxcar Willie had a theater at one time in Branson, and this guy Big Joe looked exactly like Jonathan Winters. It spooked me. And what he had to say to me for the next five minutes changed my entire life.

He told me that Boxcar Willie told him that he was a spitting image of Jonathan Winters, that he was funny and a natural comedian, and that he could have his own tribute to Jonathan Winters in Branson, and that he ought to go try it out. So he went to Branson, Missouri ten years ago. He started out making $200 dollars a night, and ended up making $5,000 a night. And he said, "Son, you sure sound like Johnny Cash, and you look like him. I think you can do it." So I packed my bags and was on my way to Branson, Missouri, and that's when the thing happened with Brent and me. And when I got there, and I recorded that song and put it on one of CDs six months later, I come to find out people were saying, "This might be the same Big Joe that Red Sovine sang about years ago in a song called "Phantom 309". He's an angel, and he helps people along the way. I believe it was really him. I really do. Because I met another gal who had moved... her family loved Boxcar Willie so much that her family from Montana was on their way to go work for him in Branson. They were coming through Wyoming in Evanston, where I met my first wife. And there was a blizzard. A complete whiteout. And they were stuck for three hours in the restaurant. And while they were waiting for the blizzard to clear, here comes this great big feller who kinda looked like Jonathan Winters with a Boxcar Willie hat on and a Boxcar Willie coat. And there was this light all around him. And he told them, "Folks, the blizzard's clearing away right now. You'll be able to get in your car and go down and meet Boxcar Willie, and everything will be alright." So they went down there, and the daughter ended up doing Boxcar Willie's train whistle when Boxcar lost his voice. She actually ended up working for him and being his mistress for quite some time. (Laughs)

Meeske: What's her name? The girl that did the whistle? We filmed her, right?

Jackson: Not her, no.



Beaks: How old was she?



Jackson: She was about forty or forty-five.



Beaks: Well, good for Boxcar. Brent, when you're dealing with people who are aspiring to a certain level of celebrity, is there ever a concern that they might be playing to the camera too much?



Meeske: Yeah, there is. When we started, I have to say that the first few days of interviews produced a different type of footage. I feel like they were maybe giving me their PR persona. Not Jackson, but some of the other folks. It made for some interesting footage, and we did use it in the movie; it's actually some of the funnier footage. But eventually we were able to get to know them and wear them down to where they reveal their true selves. I think that provided the real powerful footage - the emotional, true, honest footage. I think that in the process of spending three-and-a-half years there, we were able to get to the real people. But I was concerned about that. I wanted to make sure that we told real stories, and got to know the people as they really were.



Beaks: Jackson, when you were holing up in your hotel at that one point, were you just hoping that the cameras would go away?



Jackson: Yeah. I just thought I needed to focus on my sobriety. Just let it go completely and concentrate on that.



Beaks: (To Brent) How did you negotiate that? On one hand, you want to keep your distance, but on the other you've got this great story...



Meeske: That was tough. I needed the end of the movie, and Jackson and I had agreed to do one more interview. I showed up, and it was clear he wasn't in the mood. I have to say I probably forced my way in through the door and set the camera up. I think it only lasted a few minutes before he asked me to leave. But we had gotten the conclusion that we needed. That's not the end of the film, obviously; I had to fly back six months later and get the ending. But that was one of those times that was pretty uncomfortable for me. I felt like I was balancing my personal relationship with Jackson with my responsibility as a filmmaker to make sure I got that part of the story. That was one of the more difficult moments. I'm sure it was for Jackson as well.



Beaks: Having spent so much time with Jackson, did you talk to people to try and help him out a little? Or did the show get back up on its own?



Meeske: Oh, that happened on its own. I think everything that happened in Jackson's life was a surprise to me. (Jackson laughs) I just tried to stay in touch with him and the Mock family. We'd get a little notice and fly out to Branson as soon as one of these big developments would take place. So, no, I played no role in that whatsoever. I tried to remain a professional cameraman-documentarian. I followed him and let him lead me.



Beaks: Brent, how did Jack Black get involved as a producer. And what are your plans beyond BRANSON? Do you want to stick with documentaries or would you like to try your hand at a fictional narrative feature?



Meeske: When the "Hippie Vacation" thing blew up, and I shot that first stuff... we shot ten hours in three days. I came home and edited it down to about six minutes, and Jack was really the first and only person I showed it to. He responded to it immediately and jumped on based on that. He's been involved since day one.

And I would love to have a career as a documentarian. I find it fascinating. I love the trip it takes you on. Like I described earlier, I love going in and filming these people's stories and not knowing how it's going to end. It's the most challenging part, but it's definitely the most rewarding. In film school, I watched a lot of non-documentary films, so... I kind of stumbled into this. But I love it. I'd be really happy doing this.



Beaks: If there was one disappointment with the documentary, it's that you never filmed Shoji Tabuchi's restrooms.



Meeske: (Laughs) You know, we never got access to Shoji. He's just too powerful. The big names turned us down: we couldn't get into Shoji, we couldn't get into Yakov... they just didn't want to be a part of it. I guess the media has been a little unfair to Branson; they've been the butt of the joke a lot, and I think they thought they had nothing to gain and a lot to lose by [going on camera]. So unfortunately we couldn't get in there. Maybe one day. (To Jackson Have you ever been in there?

Jackson: No. I hadn't even heard about them. What's going on.



Beaks: Early in the film there's talk about how great Shoji's bathrooms are.



Jackson: Maybe there's a waterfall in there or somethin'.



Beaks: It seems like people are awfully proud of their bathrooms in Branson. It comes up a lot.



Meeske: Jackson had a great answer last night.

Jackson: Someone asked me "What's the fascination with bathrooms in Branson?" I told them it's the elderly.





BRANSON is currently without a U.S. release date. We'll let you know when this great little documentary gets distribution.

Faithfully submitted,

Mr. Beaks



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    Readers Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 2:56:52 AM CDT

    snoooooooooooze

    by bob c. cock

  • Jul 06, 2009 3:02:38 AM CDT

    No question about the drug dealer throat punch?

    by sgt.steiner

    Sounds pretty damn cool in a non-condescending way.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 3:17:31 AM CDT

    I remember

    by bloo

    going to Branson in the mid to late 80s one of my families favorite places to go on vaction before it blew up and became BRANSON! curious to check this out

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 4:13:36 AM CDT

    Hey, do you hear banjo music?

    by melvin_pelvis

    time to superglue your asshole shut

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 5:46:16 AM CDT

    BOOOORIIING. All forms of country music be RETARDED.

    by choclatewoman

    Men who love country music tend to be wimp dicked lovers. Fucking FACT. Can't handle the fucking pus-s-say, if you know what I mean. Men who watch any kinda media related to Country music tend to be whole sale faggots. Double fucking FACT.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 5:56:03 AM CDT

    is this about that guy in prison?

    by ironic_name

  • Jul 06, 2009 6:28:50 AM CDT

    lissoning to country music is bad enough.

    by cronkit

    But watching it? No thanks.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 6:33:24 AM CDT

    I rather have a spiny fish swim in my pee hole

    by cronkit

  • Jul 06, 2009 6:48:08 AM CDT

    Wow, Andy Williams still playing there..?

    by alb_ariel

    I remember that Simpsons episode -- 15 years ago. Fifteen years ago!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 7:18:40 AM CDT

    Bathrooms

    by boomshock

    I have to say, years ago my wife and I went to Branson. Shoji's bathrooms are impressive. I read he spent like a million dollars on each. The men's room has gold plated plumbing fixtures, attendants to refill the crushed ice in the urinals after each person pees, and an ante room with a billiards stadium that seats like 30-40 spectators. You can sign up to play pool while you wait to take a dump. There's another attendant there that makes sure everyone follows the rules. It's rediculous, but definitely not to be missed in Branson.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 7:59:05 AM CDT

    C'mon, it's Missouri...

    by statelywaynemanor

    Just having the bathrooms indoors is a big deal...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 8:03:43 AM CDT

    StatelyWayneManor, Just like

    by choclatewoman

    Ass rapin' all your daughters is considered the norm. Gotta love those bubba buttfuck southerners. The best faggot's come from down there. Or so all my cooch lovin' dyke friends tell me.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 8:38:13 AM CDT

    Shoji's bathrooms...

    by ldm882

    http://shoji.com/bathroom.html

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 8:56:59 AM CDT

    Waiting for the Branson lovers to talkback...

    by statelywaynemanor

    ...just as soon as they get the internet down there.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 9:07:03 AM CDT

    Not even 16 posts yet...

    by clarencebeaks

    and I am laughing my ass off.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 10:02:52 AM CDT

    THAT JOHNNY CASH BIOPIC WAS HORRID

    by titbag

    ABSOLUTELY FUCKING DREADFUL. MY GOD.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 10:05:00 AM CDT

    Brrraaaaannnnson

    by mightyhole

    Like Bart Simpson once said, "Branson is like Las Vegas if Ned Flanders ran it."

    I am a Branson resident and even have some ties to the entertainment community here. Most entertainers are actually pretty cool. A bit "Big Headed" at times, but that can be said about any and all entertainers. I am looking forward to seeing this when it is released, as I'm sure, are other people in the area. Branson has been getting the short end of the stick on a lot of media coverage, but there is some really cool shit going on here. Local musicians play punk, funk, bluegrass and rockabilly when they aren't pandering to Andy Williams and the Grand Old Gospel Hour.
    It isn't perfect and god knows if I have to hear another Journey, Styx or Kansas song on the local station I may torch a trailer, but there is more to offer than pool tables in the bathrooms and toothless old people.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 10:29:07 AM CDT

    Jackson Cash playing Denny's

    by jcubedz

    Last year I went to Branson with my family. One morning we were having breakfast at a Denny's or a Perkins or something like.

    Jackson Cash was there with his band singing and passing out cards for his show.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 10:47:55 AM CDT

    Who are the ad wizards...

    by wampa 1

    ...that came up with this one?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 11:24:19 AM CDT

    Fuckin Branson

    by klytus_i.m_bored

    My wife and I were traveling through and we stopped in Branson on a lark a year ago. FUCK ME that place is atrocious. It's the worst kind of crass, commercial, Christian nonsense. The streets are filled with morbidly obese old pieces of shit lumbering from TGI Fridays to TCBY to T-shirt shops and back. Unbelievable. We stopped at what could be the worst Mexican restaurant I've ever fucking eaten at. I asked the waitress where the gambling was. She gave me this empty-headed bovine look and said "Gambling? Ain't no gambling in Branson!" My wife and I thought it was like Vegas or something, but NO these fucking people come here to waddle around, get fatter, and see Yakov Smirnoff and other losers. It's fucking surreal. What an unbelievably worthless fucking town. I saw so many PTA-lookin cunts in those Palin glasses. I wanted to fucking scream. This could be a funny movie but only if it doesn't take that place for anything other than a black fucking hole of culture.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 11:52:50 AM CDT

    Branson...

    by ws

    I've been there. I appreciate it in much the same way I appreciate the Insane Clown Posse. Its existence pisses off snobs and assholes so much that I can't help but like it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 12:22:27 PM CDT

    John Cougar Mellen-cash!

    by down75

    I think he looks more like JCM then Johnny Cash, but noone wants to be the Cougs.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 1:00:08 PM CDT

    Branson is Las Vegas for people without teeth.

    by rev. slappy

    Dennis Miller said that back when he was funny and not O'Relly's jester.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 1:54:55 PM CDT

    Oh Branson...

    by yackbacker

    There's a girl out there I used to chat dirty with back in 2000... she wanted me to go out there and meet and that was NEVER gonna happen. I hope she's still happy with her Mexican husband and kids...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 2:07:21 PM CDT

    jesus

    by bloo

    I've seen a lot of hate on the AICN talkbacks, and I've seen some really funny shit on the AICN talkbacks...and I'm not sure where to place this, funny and yet slightly disturbing in a red state/blue state hate war way

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 2:29:42 PM CDT

    I live in California, but I am from Missouri.

    by rev. slappy

    I wouldn't vacation in Branson if it was free. It's the worst possible kind of tourist trap. Klytus' description of it sounds over the top, but it's really pretty on the nose. Remember Branson was where Hank Kingsley was going after the Larry Sanders Show went off the air.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 2:32:40 PM CDT

    Branson lover here!

    by sith witch

    I steer clear of the cheese, the nostalgia, and the modern country though; there's a lot of richness hidden behind the tacky front the tourism venues promote.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 4:54:17 PM CDT

    My honeymoon was in Branson!

    by stlost

    It's not a bad place. We didn't hit any of the shows though. We did the winery tour, checked out the caves at Silver Dollar City, rode the ducks (amphibious vehicle) and one lovely dinner at the Candlestick Inn. And Table Rock lake is nice. If you don't get sucked into the commercialism, it's not too bad.

    And yes, my wife and I are still married. It didn't ruin us.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 5:27:46 PM CDT

    I prefer Bronson Missouri.

    by otm shank

    Hey ma how bout some ice cream?
    No, you'll spoil your dinner.
    Dis ain't ovaaa.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 5:53:50 PM CDT

    Yep, The hate is kind of rough

    by liljuniorbrown

    I accept talkback for what it is and usualy take part in some of the hate fest's myself. I just don't get all the hatred towards the south though. I travel to the Missouri area every now and then and I get shit from the locals about my accent and being southern. I guess anyone living south of the north pole are inbred hicks to everyone else. Oh well,fuck it... Hate on haters. I hate Transformers 2 and I refuse to see it. Honestly I do.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 06, 2009 11:45:07 PM CDT

    Whoa, my hometown...

    by captainmorgan

    I've been hittin this site for years, mainly just lurking, and maybe dropping off a post or two. Friggin tripped me out to see this. Not that I am terribly proud to admit this, but I am born and raised in Branson, lived here (next to) for 30 years. Pretty trippy to see about this here first, and not hear any buzz around town (course I really avoid going into town if I can for the most part). What wierd thing to run upon. Gotta give props to the guys that put this together. I know a lot of aspiring film guys around here, and for the most part, its a shitty place to get stuck in and try to get into film (obviously these guys made something work though!)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 1:51:49 AM CDT

    So it's BRANSONS GOT TALENT basically?

    by lockesbrokenleg

    Pass. Shit, no one will see this fucker anyway.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 1:57:47 AM CDT

    ChoclateWoman...?

    by natural_selection

    I can't figure out if you're just joking...or just a fucking joke.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 4:06:08 PM CDT

    as someone who is part-owner of a branson show..

    by rkdn

    let me first say that this movie's "waiting for Guffman reality" approach is designed for the purpose of exploiting the 'lesser ranked' talent this city has to offer.
    also, the "branson mall" where this is filmed hosts a parade of acts who use it as their last ditch effort to 'make it' before leaving down. Its an old 'flat floor' movie cinema converted to host live shows, and generally, if you go see a show there, you're getting a high school drama production level act for the most part.
    This movie is like going to the World Series and spending the whole time filming a guy outside the stadium selling $2.00 T-shirts me made the night before in his basement.
    None of the acts featured in this movie (aside from the celebrity interviews) are still in town. Why? Because this film intentionally sought out low budget acts to lampoon and mock Borat-style. The town is very laid back Mayberry style, and you'd have to conduct an exhaustive search to find someone who came here and decided they didn't like it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 6:28:48 PM CDT

    Branson is an entertainment Mirage

    by doodler

    I live in St Louis, and growing up, my family went on vacation to Branson. Once. Granted, it was the '80's/early 90s, but it was Hillbilly Fabulous. Every place (restaraunt, shop, music hall) used the "hillbilly" hook, like it's a matter of pride or something. It's like people from Chicago laughing at the Da Bears guys - they're mocking you, morons, don't play into it!!

    But Branson's impotence is old news in Missouri. The poster above has it right - hit Table Rock Lake, hit the Ozarks trails, do the wineries and parks, but stay out of town!!

    What really surprises me is people from even more boring states (ND, KS, OK, IA, NB, for example) have told me that they WANT to go to Branson, that they've SAVED UP to go. See - that's what it is: a mirage. If you live in a boring enough state, Branson appears on the horizon like an oasis of entertainment - sweet water in the desert. But once you get there, you reach out, and pull back a hand full of torquoise jewelry, the worst kinds of country music, and warmed over cornpone bullshit.

    if you want good Southern Hospitality without the kitsch, but with go-carts and other such tourist trap amenities, hit Gatlinburg, TN. You can totally avoid Dollywood if you want to, there's a great load of natural activities in the Smokeys, and the food is cheap and excellent.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 6:32:12 PM CDT

    oh, and Bluegrass is Awesome

    by doodler

    but you can find great bluegrass music in urban centers, thanks to its resurgence. but don't lump it in with "Country". Bluegrass mixes the awesome instrumentalism of jazz with the toe-tapping ear-pleasing meter of swing music.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Jul 07, 2009 8:54:17 PM CDT

    RING OF FIRE

    by frank cotton

    one of the greatest songs of all time - do NOT dis the CASH! slam 'country music' all you want, however

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  • Jul 08, 2009 3:43:58 AM CDT

    Doodler

    by captainmorgan

    I agree with ya on everything you said. Even the Gatlinburg statement! My pops used to own a shop in Dollywood (and Silver Dollar City in the Branson area), so we traveled back and forth during the summers. We spent most of our free time in Gatlinburg and Knoxville, and also traveled a lot of the mountains there (Chimneys, Mt. Lecontte, etc). I always thought Pigeon Forge reminded me a lot of Branson, with the strip being similar to Bransons strip (with all the goofy entertainment shops on the sides), but Gatlinburg was an actual riot to spend time in! Ive lived here in Branson for 30 years, and have worked at a few of the TV stations in this area (including KY3, the biggest station) and have done commercials and worked alongside a lot of the "entertainers". While some were actually talented cool people, theres a lot that are an absolute joke in my opinion. Some atctually have huge egos, and that always cracked me up. But yeah, since Ive gotten outta television, I avoid Branson like a plague, going there only when I really need to.

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  • Jul 08, 2009 3:50:53 AM CDT

    RKDN

    by captainmorgan

    I think the filmmakers were actually going for that though, maybe not "borat" style, but maybe moreso compared to that documentry on the people who dressed up as superheros. I see it as more of a look at the bottom of the ladder for people trying to "make it" like the more successful shows. For a place that people create shows about anything (families who dribble basketballs...really?), it is interesting to look and see what motivates these people to do so, and actually try to understand how these people think they can make it big doing that. If you were to interview the Jim Staffords, the Andy Williams, and acts like that, that pretty much started during the "boom", it would be a totally different story, and maybe not quite as entertaining.

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  • Jul 11, 2009 12:41:23 PM CDT

    Klytus

    by benho6251

    I must say that Kytus’s remarks are quite entertaining. After making a living in music here for 20 years, I will be the first to agree that Branson isn’t for everyone. I make no apologies to you, or anyone else who comes here and discovers that it is not their cup of tea.
    The tourists that come here to enjoy themselves may not be your type of people, but as long as we give them what they want, they will gladly spend their hard earned money to enjoy their vacations.
    I agree with all of RKDN’s remarks. Everyone that lives and works here does so because they want to.

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  • Jul 11, 2009 2:23:57 PM CDT

    RKDN

    by wtfo

    RKDN is NOT an owner of a Branson show.

    He has NEVER seen the movie. There were NO celebrity interviews. 3 out of the 4 acts filmed ARE still in Branson. The Branson Mall and Theatre are 2 distinct locations and were just a few of the locations filmed. There was NO lampooning Borat or Bruno style.

    Most likely the negative comments are from the pair of hapless film makers who are making a film about Branson and weren't sharp enough to figure out someone beat them to the punch.

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