Upcoming Movie About Jani Lane?
Friday, September 14, 2012 at 12:01AM The last few days there has been a lot of talk regarding an upcoming film about the life of Jani Lane. Paparazzi Daily reported that Jeff Dandurand, a radio personality and comedian, will portray Jani and also direct the film. He says he want people to know how serious Lane was as a songwriter, but also how out of control he was when he used alcohol and drugs. Cherry Pie Guy is supposed to take its start when Jani arrived to Hollywood in 1985. Dandurand also says that the movie will treat our beloved era of the late 80’s and early 90’s with respect.
"Artists like Lane were treated like scum and paid a terrible price for their fame. Cherry Pie Guy will astonish those who can’t see beyond cliché hair-metal nostalgia and open their eyes to an amazing songwriter and frontman."
My own thoughts are somehow mixed at the moment. At first I got excited and thought it was a great idea, a movie I would really want to see. Then I googled a picture of Jeff Dandurand and got a bit doubtful... But I guess if you’re a good actor, it doesn’t matter whether you actually look like the person you’re trying to portray or not. And the fact that someone recognizes that the 80’s always is being ridiculed made me hopeful – maybe he is the right man to do this movie after all?
Later on I came across this piece from MetalSucks and even though I don’t agree with most of what is said, it got me thinking. There’s also a clip available on Youtube (below) where Jeff Dandurand himself talks about the film. First thing that hit me was the part where he speaks about Jani Lane’s family. It’s only been a year – is it already time to make a movie? For his nearest it could very well be way to early to even be talking about a film, which of course should be respected. I get that you could do a movie “loosely based” on Jani Lane, just to get around all the legal issues, but is that really the way to go?
Also, the title! Cherry Pie Guy, really? If you want to make a movie that’s both respectful towards Jani and shows how serious he was as a songwriter – don’t use that title!
That’s as far as I’ve come. The film is supposedly said to be done sometime next year, and regardless of what I think right now I would probably go see it – if it’s actually happening. How about you guys? What do you think of all this?
Reader Comments (19)
I was thinking myself about writing this movie, so i'm really glad that they are doing it, it's some real darkness In Janis life.
Lane was talking about an irony Durant understands -- no matter how great a songwriter he was, the record machine just wanted more "Hair Metal Hits of the 80's" so that's what he delivered, biting his own a*s in the process as he apparently couldn't live with himself for doing so.
But beyond the idea, Durant should stay out of it. Judging from the audio clip and the accompanying photo of Durant Al's posted here, he's a batsh*t lunatic who, if he winds up being attached to the project at all, should be, at best, one of those producers a hot P.A. has to keep away from the set by whatever means necessary -- whether it be long shopping sprees at Fred Segal to find "just the right pair of yellow alligator cowboy boots", drunken escapades at The Sunset Marquis pool or better yet, trysts you don't really want to know about in Vegas.
My bet is the guy is a clueless freak who won't do anything with it beyond blabbering about it, especially now that it sounds like the family is telling him to back off, and rightfully so, since, as you will hear, he's going about it all wrong.
First of all, he should know better than to star in the biopic himself. Because of his all American good looks, Lane wouldn't be that hard to cast, lookswise, believe it or not, but the guy's gotta act and almost just as important, sing AND play piano. What was so convincing about Jamie Foxx's performance in "Ray" was the fact that he is a Julliard trained classical pianist.
Durant is none of the above. I'll give him this, though -- he seemingly has the right intentions -- he just needs to get somebody else to pull it off for him, especially to star in it but to also bring he project to fruition.
Hey, why not get that dude from Reckless Love or somebody like that? Yeah, he looks nothing like Lane but he is attractive and sure can sing. Of course, it would be better if he could play piano and, most importantly, act. So, yeah, it needs to be a young guy like that. Durant just looks too bizarro and, unfortunately, worse still, over the hill.
Regardless, Durant does show some respect for Lane and the genre as a whole, acknowledging it's unwarranted (pun unintentional) much maligned reputation.
Unless it a good budget and the movie has integrity I wish they would skip it. The last thing I want to see is a half baked misrepresentation of Jani's life. I got to shake his hand once and I am almost positive he would not want it titled the Cherry Pie Guy he hated the references to that song. He wrote so many much better songs he should be remembered for.
There is more than one way to interpret Roth's line in Panama, "I got my back against the record machine."
...now you see what I mean. (word substitution for those paying attention).
Sorry, but this just reeks of some clown out to make a buck & take down Jani's reputation in the process.
Unless Jani's family gets full final edit approval, I'll be one of the first to vote "NO". Residual fame buzzards like this guy are to be avoided at all costs.
And to my friend Jani, when you died, "HEAVEN" got a little more awesome. Rest in peace, Bro.
Like it or lump it, Jani "was" known as the cherry pie guy, and yes, he didn't like it, but he grew to embrace it. Well, at least grew to accept it and sometimes embrace it. Perhaps, he would've gone further with it, but his time was cut chort, so, fuck you, cherry pie guy! Now, we're left to clean up
Huh-uh-lo-oh! The title, "Cherry Pie Guy", is about IRONY! It goes right along with what Lane was actually quoted as saying about what he had to endure since writing one of THE most recognizable Hair Metal anthems of the 80's...
...And that is the fact that no matter what he did before or after writing what some theorize as the death nell of Hair Metal, he would always be remembered for penning THAT SONG.
Love it or hate it, "Cherry Pie" was a clever, yet quite annoying, little dittie that still tortures our ears to this day, yet came to be known as one of the last Hair Metal Hits out the door before a multitude of bands flooded the market with lame attempts at topping another big anthem that came along shortly after it, "Smells Like Teen Spirit".
I believe the story goes -- and correct me if I'm wrong -- Lane wrote "Cherry Pie" after a record executive told him he needed a "HIT" for their follow up to the way more adventurous "Dirty Rotten Filthy Stinking Rich" (even just the title of that album is a shining example of Lane's more poetic expressions that stretched the boundaries of what was possible within the Glam Metal Genre).
Lane obliged, feeling his "back against the record machine", writing "Cherry Pie" in 15 minutes, like Lennon and McCartney wrote their hit, "Hard Day's Night", supposedly, on a match book, in about the same amount of time, under pressure to deliver a theme song for their movie of the same name.
Never did he realize that moment would forever curse him as the "Cherry Pie Guy", a term he used himself in an interview years ago during the height of his alcoholism, acknowledging that, no matter what he did, that's what he would forever be known as, like putting it on his grave.
Later, toward the end of his life, he seemed to make piece with it, his voice back and his bloated body and face reduced to a tan and fit, new and improved, Jani Lane, as witnessed during his appearance on "That Metal Show" and when he got up on stage with KIX at House of Blues, when he belted out "Cold Blood".
I, too, met Lane, even buying him a beer after a Warrant performance at Limelight in NYC, as I was dating guitarist Joey Allen's cousin at the time. Lane looked splendorous in a black vinyl motorcycle jacket with matching black vinyl jeans, replete with a black eye (an unfortunate accoutrement he was periodically known for throughout his life), as he shyly sauntered up to us while we talked to Joey.
Little did we all know at the time that "Cherry Pie" would be Lane's black eye that never went away. He let it get to him. And when all of us thought he conquered it, along with the other demons that haunted him, he succumbed to it, and finalized his epitaph, rightly or wrongly, forever as "Cherry Pie Guy".
If only there were more things in pop culture and entertainment done more tastefully.
This project is good in theory but with this guy involved is doomed to failure. A good honest movie about the time and genre would work but Rock Of Ages has peed in that pool unfortunately.
Simply, wow. spot on, MB, spot on.
Jani 'did' "let it get to him", but he started to make peace with it, or as MB writes, "make 'piece' with it." I don't know whether this was a purposeful misuse of the word, in the sense that Jani allowed it to become a piece of him, or an oversight. either way, the comment works.
I have more to offer on this subject...stay tuned.
I meant "Peace", Fletch.
May Janie Lane be remembered for the talent that he was.
Hopefully, someday someone will do Lane's legacy justice though I highly doubt it will be Dandurand.