Jeff Krulik

Last updated

Jeff Krulik
Born
United States
Occupation(s) Film director, film producer, author

Jeff Krulik is a director of independent films and a former Discovery Channel producer. Krulik's work frequently explores the fringes of popular culture from an enthusiastic and appreciative point of view.

Contents

He is best known for his 1986 documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot, co-produced by John Heyn, a gently disturbing (but, for the most part, fun-loving) look into hard-rock fandom recorded at the Capital Centre parking lot in Landover, Maryland, before a Judas Priest concert. Most of the fans appear drunken and drugged, with "bare feet, muscle shirts, bare-chested, bleach blonde frizzy perms, mullets from hell, big hair, bad teeth, scar tissue, and by far the largest collection of late '70s Camaros ever seen in one location." [1] Cult director John Waters said of the film, "It gave me the creeps." [1]

Background

Heavy Metal Parking Lot, for a decade or more, circulated through word-of-mouth, via the internet and on second-to-nth-generation bootlegged copies. A 20th-anniversary DVD edition with sequels, outtakes, where-are-they-now bonus footage and other inspirations is now available for sale.

In his first professional position, Krulik served as the Metrovision Public-access television cable TV channel coordinator for the southern portion of Prince George's County, Maryland, a community that has inspired several of his films, including Public Access Gibberish (1990), a "greatest hits" montage of the most bizarre acts during his tenure at the cable access channel. Other films are Neil Diamond Parking Lot (1996), about the fans before a Neil Diamond concert at the same stadium as Heavy Metal Parking Lot, one decade later; and Ernest Borgnine on the Bus (1997), a documentary about actor Ernest Borgnine, his son and his custom RV; a compilation of many of the director's short films titled Heavy Metal Parking Lot: The Films of Jeff Krulik was released several years ago. Most of these films, along with films made by Krulik's friends and some additional found footage, are viewable for free in streaming formats on his official website.

In 2004, the Trio cable channel began broadcasting a show by Krulik titled Parking Lot , which expanded on the "parking lot" documentary series started in the 1980s. Created & co-produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn (in association with Radical Media), eight episodes were filmed, although it is unclear as to how many of them were actually broadcast. It does not appear that the program will be shown again on the channel.

In 2010 Jeff released Heavy Metal Picnic, [2] edited by Greg DeLiso, a feature-length, semi-follow-up to Parking Lot. Picnic chronicles the goings on at a weekend-long field party in Potomac, Maryland in 1985. The party was captured on video by a few of the patrons wielding a VHS camcorder and a stolen CBS microphone. Jeff interviews the men behind the camera, the party's organizer and some of the attendees, who had not previously seen the footage. Heavy Metal Picnic was released on August 6, 2010.

Krulik also directed Led Zeppelin Played Here, about a Maryland youth center where Led Zeppelin supposedly performed on its first US tour. [3]

Filmography

Demo reels

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ernest Borgnine</span> American actor (1917–2012)

Ernest Borgnine was an American actor whose career spanned over six decades. He was noted for his gruff but relaxed voice and gap-toothed Cheshire Cat grin. A popular performer, he also appeared as a guest on numerous talk shows and as a panelist on several game shows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Phillips (drummer)</span> English drummer (born 1957)

Simon Phillips is an English jazz, fusion and rock drummer, songwriter, and record producer, based in the United States. He worked with rock bands during the 1970s and 1980s, and was the drummer for the band Toto from 1992 to 2014.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tribute act</span> Musical act playing the music of a well-known act

A tribute act, tribute band, tribute group or tribute artist is a music group, singer, or musician who specifically plays the music of a well-known music act. Tribute acts include individual performers who mimic the songs and style of an artist, such as Elvis impersonators covering the works of Elvis Presley or groups like The Iron Maidens, an all-female band that pays tribute to Iron Maiden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slaughter (band)</span> American glam metal band

Slaughter is an American hard rock band that formed in Las Vegas, Nevada in 1988. The group was founded by lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Mark Slaughter and bassist Dana Strum, who previously played together in the band Vinnie Vincent Invasion. The addition of guitarist Tim Kelly and drummer Blas Elias allowed Slaughter to quickly gain attention for their lively performances, catchy hooks, and melodic guitar solos.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miami Arena</span> Defunct arena in Miami, Florida, United States

Miami Arena was an indoor arena located in Miami, Florida. The venue served as the home of the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League (NHL). From 1988 until 1999, it also was the indoor arena for the Miami Hurricanes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capital Centre (Landover, Maryland)</span> Demolished arena in Landover, Maryland

The Capital Centre was an indoor arena in the eastern United States, located in Landover, Maryland, a suburb east of Washington, D.C. The seating capacity was 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jason London</span> Actor from the United States

Jason Paul London is an American actor, known for his roles as Randall "Pink" Floyd in director Richard Linklater's film Dazed and Confused (1993), Jesse in The Rage: Carrie 2 (1999), and Rick Rambis in Out Cold (2001).

<i>Heavy Metal Parking Lot</i> 1986 documentary short produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn

Heavy Metal Parking Lot is a 1986 documentary short produced by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn. The film features interviews with several small groups of young heavy metal fans gathered for a tailgate party in the parking lot outside the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland on May 31, 1986, as they prepare for a Judas Priest/Dokken concert being held there later that evening.

WMUC-FM is the student-run non-commercial radio station licensed to the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland, broadcasting at 30 watts. It is a freeform radio station staffed entirely by UMD students and volunteers.

<i>The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years</i> 1988 film by Penelope Spheeris

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years is a 1988 documentary film directed by Penelope Spheeris. Filmed between August 1987 and February 1988, the film chronicles the late 80s Los Angeles heavy metal scene. It is the second film of a trilogy by Spheeris depicting life in Los Angeles at various points in time as seen through the eyes of struggling up-and-coming musicians. The first film, The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), dealt with the hardcore punk rock scene during 1979–1980. The third film, The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998), would later chronicle the gutter punk lifestyle of homeless teenagers in the late 1990s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Axel Rudi Pell</span> German guitarist

Axel Rudi Pell is a German hard rock guitarist.

Bonham was a British/Canadian hard rock and heavy metal band founded in 1988 by drummer Jason Bonham, the son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. The band's most successful line-up was also its initial one which included late singer Daniel MacMaster, bassist/keyboardist John Smithson, and guitarist Ian Hatton. The band had released four studio albums between 1989 and 1997.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bally Sports Florida</span> Regional sports network

Bally Sports Florida is an American regional sports network owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group, and operates as an affiliate of Bally Sports. The channel broadcasts local sports coverage in the state of Florida, with a focus on professional sports teams based in Miami, Tampa and Orlando.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brent Huff</span> American film director, actor and model

Brent Huff is an American actor, writer and film director. Huff is best known for his recurring role of Smitty in the hit ABC show, The Rookie and The Rookie: Feds. He has also had recurring roles in Shameless, Pensacola: Wings of Gold and Black Scorpion. Some of Huff's other television appearances include, Mad Men, The West Wing, NCIS, Jag, and Cold Case.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Revelation Perth International Film Festival</span>

Revelation Perth International Film Festival began in 1997. Founded by Richard Sowada to showcase a large range of independent feature films, documentaries, short films, and experimental works, it runs every July in Perth, Western Australia and is regarded as one of the best independent film festivals in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg DeLiso</span> American film director

Greg DeLiso is an American filmmaker, film editor, and director of photography. He was born in Detroit, Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Litvin</span> Musical artist

Peter Litvin is an American music artist, actor, music producer, film maker, audio engineer, composer, songwriter, performer, YouTuber, and multi-instrumentalist based in New York City. Litvin is best known for his lead role as Hectic Knife in the film Hectic Knife, which was picked up for distribution by Troma Entertainment in 2016. He was discovered and mentored by music engineer Bob Ebeling who has worked with artists like Eminem, Rufus Wainwright and Phish. Litvin acted as a producer on JJ Brine's studio album President of Mozambique, and as a composer for Jeff Krulik's musical documentary, Heavy Metal Picnic, in 2010. Litvin has collaborated with writer & actor Trent Haaga on several short films. He is also the founder of Revolution Studios, a recording studio in New York City.

Ernest Borgnine on the Bus is a 1997 video documentary short featuring Ernest Borgnine. It chronicles Borgnine on his 1996 road trip in his bus across the United States to greet his fans. The documentary was directed by Jeff Krulik.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Otto Retzer</span> Austrian actor, producer and director (born 1945)

Otto Retzer is an Austrian actor, producer and director.

<i>Led Zeppelin Played Here</i> Documentary about a Led Zeppelin concert in Silver Spring, Maryland

Led Zeppelin Played Here is a 2014 documentary film directed by Jeff Krulik. The film centers around the Wheaton Youth Center, in Silver Spring, Maryland, where on January 20, 1969, Led Zeppelin supposedly performed on its first US tour. There are no known recordings, photographs, or any other physical evidence that the concert took place.

References

  1. 1 2 "HMPL". Archived from the original on December 12, 2004.
  2. ↑ "Heavy Metal Picnic".
  3. ↑ Markowitz, Andy (March 2, 2011). "Jeff Krulik and the Mystery of the Missing Zep Show". MusicFilmWeb.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.