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Bibliodiscoteque Presents: X’ploitation X’plosion X’travaganza #3 – Terrorsaurus Wrecks & LesRubber
In 1978, Charles ‘Ditch’ Hooker made LesRubber, the 20th and final film of his 25 years as an outlaw American entertainer. This film destroyed both his career as a film star and recording artist.
A remake of LesRubber by famed director Terrence Quire, caused a surge in popularity and won Hooker a posthumous lifetime achievement award from Mtv in 2002, as well as a reissue box set of his impressive 16 album recording career; but Hooker, who died in 2000, will be forever remembered by this final film.
Filmed in just 18 days in the California desert, and introducing future Academy Award winning starlet Julie Strata, this low budget revenge-musical was meant to propel the character of Ditch Hooker into the consciousness of a new generation of fans. Instead, it played too readily on fears of biker gangs and an outlaw generation that was already copiously documented.
Having directed the successful and much-lauded film, Desert Rose and won fans over with his drunken cowboy character in Whisky Bottle Rocket, Hooker, avoiding the suggestions of Hollywood friends and bankers, decided to make this his Citizen Kane. Audiences, sadly, hated the characters and the performances. Opening night, half the Chinese Theatre emptied before the second reel prompting famed movie expert, Cecil Roberts, to write, “I can only imagine that the Titanic emptied slower than this theatre.”
With a once sterling reputation shot, Hooker released his 16th country album to an America moving towards disco and the experimental music of New York City. One Shot Left, featuring the near hit ‘ Lost Love of Alice’, never reached the charts until, in 2001, rap entrepreneur Def Sta’, remixed it as the title track for the remake of LesRubber.
Terrence Quire, called ‘the reanimater of dead ideas’, called Hooker, during the remakes’ award acceptance speech, “An icon without whom you wouldn’t have half the movies being made today. He was the man who brought being an outlaw into popular culture. His brief appearance in A Dry Wind, single-handedly brought leather vests and cowboy boots into vogue. He does one bad film? One frikkin’ film and America turned on him? That man died never getting a thanks from America. Turning LesRubber into an award winner is my personal thanks. What are you gong to do?”
America answered Quires’ call with two more remakes, giving the lifetime achievement award to his widow, and making a 16 disc set a platinum seller. Leather vests came back, too.
- Greyhound – The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion
- Bad Bad Woman – Izzy Cox
- My 45 - The Green Lady Killers
- Peso Party Girls -The mag Seven
- I’m Gonna Catch Me A Rat – Fabienne DelSol
- No Help Coming – Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs
- If I Die Today – The Hellfreaks
- Ain’t No Miracle Worker – Satelliters
- The Queen In 3D – The Computers
- Devil Girl – The Wolfgangs
- Last Words – Peacocks
- Road Bound – Bob Wayne
- All The Right Enemies – Flat Tires
- Double Line – Heavy Trash
- Mister Bang-Bang Man – Little Hank
- Bang Bang – Janis Martin - Quite honestly, this is one of the best tracks in two years of doing this show!
- Didn’t Know Yet What I’d Know When I Was Bleedin’ – Dax Riggs
- Out Of Control - Zeno Tornado & The Boney Google Brothers
- Down On A Bender – .357 String Band
- Can’t Go To Heaven - The Dirt Daubers
- Addicted To Freaks – The Beatings