MIKE MYERS wants you to know what a great guy Shep Gordon is. When Myers was having a rough time (possibly after The Love Guru came out? The movie doesn't specify), Gordon let Myers stay in his Maui beach house and cooked him meals. Myers returns the favor with Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon, a documentary that details Gordon's crazy adventures as a rock 'n' roll manager in the '70s and '80s, but also, in its last third, takes on the weird characteristics of a very expensively made dating video. Gordon's not just a terrific guy—he's single, ladies!
Gordon bluffed his way into becoming Alice Cooper's manager in the late '60s, and the movie makes no secret about the flimflammery he used to make Cooper a global star. Similar tactics were used with Teddy Pendergrass, who suffered a catastrophic car accident in 1982 that disheartened Gordon enough to look outside the music biz for his next endeavor. Gordon found it in food, and the film credits him with creating the notion of the celebrity chef.
Truthfully, Gordon is an entertaining, avuncular screen presence and does seem like a super nice guy. But Supermensch is best when it's gossipy and tawdry about the "biz"—when it gets touchy-feely about Gordon's personal life, it feels like lip service.