Tag: Zippin Pippin

Categories
Film/TV Film/TV/Etc. Blog

Mike McCarthy’s Zippin Pippin Doc Destroy Memphis Returns To The Screen

Mike McCarthy is one of Memphis film pioneers. Starting in the 1990s, his feature films such as Teenage Tupelo, Superstarlet A.D., and Cigarette Girl forged a mondo, anything goes aesthetic from punk rock, trash cinema, and pop culture ephemera.

In the last few years, McCarthy has thrown himself into historic preservation, and his filmic output has migrated towards nonfiction. Destroy Memphis is his document of the years long quest to save Libertyland and the Zippin Pippin, Elvis’ favorite wooden rollercoaster. It’s a sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and always riveting story of grassroots civic engagement.

The film premiered at last year’s Indie Memphis Film Festival. In today’s time of protests, letter writing, and Memphis accelerating but often controversial development, this film seems even more relevant. The controversy at the heart of the film, what to do with the Fairgrounds, has only grown more murky and heated over time. Destroy Memphis will screen at Malco’s Studio on the Square on Thursday, October 26 at 7:00 PM. It seems like a perfect time to, as McCarthy says, “Start celebrating our history, and stop tearing it down!”

Mike McCarthy’s Zippin Pippin Doc Destroy Memphis Returns To The Screen

Categories
News

Libertyland, Part 1,287

Libertyland advocates had another reason to say, “pip, pip hooray,” after Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

The parks committee voted in favor of a resolution preserving and protecting both the Grand Carousel and the Zippin Pippin pending further study.

“Basically, [this will] save it for the time being,” said resolution sponsor Myron Lowery.

Committee chair Scott McCormick questioned whether the resolution might mean unforeseen expenditures.

“This could go on for another two years. The Pippin is a wooden structure. What if the wood starts to rot?” he asked. “Are we going to have to rebuild it?”

Lowery said the intent was to keep the roller coaster in its current state: “Let’s save the Pippin.”

Categories
News The Fly-By

The Cheat Sheet

CREDIT: Greg Cravens

A car on the miniature train that loops through the Memphis Zoo overturned on a curve, tumbling passengers onto the ground. Luckily, no one was seriously hurt since the locomotive just barely chugs along. But considering that this is a place crawling with lions, tigers, bears, alligators, pythons, and all sorts of deadly creatures, who would have thought the most dangerous thing at the zoo would be the children’s train?

Greg Cravens

In the latest development in the never-ending Zippin Pippin saga, the roller coaster may be donated to the city. Just one problem: They plan to keep the old cars. We hate to point out the obvious, but a roller coaster really needs two things: a track, and cars that roll along it.

Senator — make that former senator — John Ford is convicted of bribery charges as part of the Tennessee Waltz sting, though he somehow manages to escape other charges of extortion and intimidating witnesses. Ford used to be called “Teflon John” because he had an amazing ability to slip out of the most incredible messes, but it looks like this time something finally stuck to him. And next week, he travels to Nashville to face charges of fraud.

Memphis City Schools has a snappy slogan: “Every Student. Every Day. College Bound.” Trying to catch up, the Shelby County school system came up with a slogan of its own: “Preparing students for tomorrow today.” We’re sorry, but that just sounds all wrong. How can you prepare students for tomorrow today if you can’t even come up with a well-written slogan?

Collierville police nab three men who snatched iPods and other personal items from cars by resorting to a brilliant tactic: They pulled on car doors until they found one that was unlocked. Thieves are certainly getting awful clever.