Main Cast: Justin Henry, Royale Watkins, Jason Boggs, George Wendt, Brett Gilbert
Release Year: 2003
Country: US
Run Time: 90 minutes
Plot
Although he later received notoriety as a member of Frank Zappa's Mothers of Invention and as half of the duo Flo & Eddie, Howard Kaylan is likely best remembered as the lead singer of the 1960s pop band the Turtles. It is this period of his life that Kaylan illustrates in his autobiographical screenplay for My Dinner With Jimi. Beginning right before the band hit it big with their single "Happy Together," the film follows Kaylan (played here by Justin Henry from Kramer vs. Kramer) as he and his bandmates struggle through gigs at small clubs and spend their free time hanging out in a deli, discussing the draft with Jim Morrison (Bret Roberts), Mama Cass (Lisa Brounstein), and Zappa (Adam Tomei). When their song hits number one on the charts, the Turtles head out to tour England, where they catch up with their old friend Graham Nash (Chris Soldevilla). Nash takes the band to a club where they meet the Beatles and Kaylan has a lengthy chat with John Lennon (Brian Groh). Further cementing his rapid transformation from fan to star, Kaylan is then introduced to Jimi Hendrix (Royale Watkins), leading to the titular dinner. Featuring a supporting cast led by George Wendt, John Corbett, and Curtis Armstrong, My Dinner With Jimi was directed by Bill Fishman, best known for his cult-classic directorial debut, 1988's Tapeheads. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide
Sean Maysonet - Jim "Tucko" Tuicker; Kevin Cotteleer - Jim Pons; Georges Stanchev - Al Nichol; Brian Groh - John Lennon; Quinton Flynn - Paul McCartney; Ben Bode - Ringo Starr; Nate Dushku - George Harrison; Lisa Brounstein - Mama Cass; John Corbett - Henry Diltz; Bret Roberts - Jim Morrison; Allison Lange - Mary; Wendie Jo Sperber - Louella; Adam Tomei - Frank Zappa; Curtis Armstrong - Herb Cohen; Taylor Negron - Psychiatrist
Credit
Kent Casey - Art Director, Connie Cappos - Costume Designer, Bill Fishman - Director, Londin Angel Winters - Editor, Peter Shelton - Editor, Preston Holmes - Line Producer, Cal Naylor - Line Producer, Andrew Gross - Composer (Music Score), Phillip Vasels - Production Designer, Philip Holahan - Cinematographer, Harold Bronson - Producer, Howard Kaylan - Screenwriter
My Dinner with Jimi is a 2003autobiographical film written by Howard Kaylan, dealing with events in 1966-67 which led up to the night in 1967 when Kaylan (and The Turtles) encountered The Beatles in London, England. The film is currently available on home video in Germany, and was given an extremely limited theatrical release in Toronto in late September 2007.
It's an absolutely true story," Kaylan said. "It was our first trip to London, and we met Graham Nash, Donovan, The Rolling Stones, andThe Beatles—who played us Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandbefore it was released—all on the same night! I wound up eating dinner with Hendrix at 4 a.m. and getting violently ill and puking all over his red velvet suit![1]
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My Dinner with Jimi received the best screenplay award at the 2003 Slamdunk Film Festival in Park City, Utah, and was well-received when it was shown as part of the Santa Monica Film Festival.
