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00:00:07,758 --> 00:00:08,985
- [ Smooches ]
- Leonardo.
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00:00:09,009 --> 00:00:10,528
-Many people said
at The Viper Room,
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00:00:10,552 --> 00:00:11,571
that the crowd was more famous
than the bands,
4
00:00:11,595 --> 00:00:13,072
and that was absolutely true.
5
00:00:13,096 --> 00:00:14,490
{\an8}-The Viper Room...
A West Hollywood nightspot
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00:00:14,514 --> 00:00:16,367
{\an8}frequented by celebrities.
7
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-There was a lot of velvet
rope... going on at that club.
8
00:00:20,062 --> 00:00:21,748
- Hey, looking nice.
- Thanks, brother.
9
00:00:21,772 --> 00:00:23,958
-Johnny Depp could be telling
the person at the door,
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00:00:23,982 --> 00:00:26,586
"Let that person in.
Don't that other person in."
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00:00:26,610 --> 00:00:28,880
-Everyone was sneezing fame
all over each other.
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-Christina Aguilera.
13
00:00:30,656 --> 00:00:33,009
-David Arquette,
Charlize Theron,
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Christina Applegate.
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-I met Jennifer Aniston there.
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-If you could just get inside,
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you could let your hair down.
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-Hidden away from fans
and paparazzi,
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00:00:43,043 --> 00:00:46,606
the shadowy corners
and back rooms of The Viper Room
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are also a new safe place
to indulge
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00:00:49,299 --> 00:00:52,094
in an old and dangerous vice.
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-Suddenly, heroin started
flowing into L.A.
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-It felt like we were living
through, like, an epidemic,
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when you have friend
after friend die.
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-An investigation is underway
into the sudden death
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of one of Hollywood's
brightest young stars.
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-I opened the door to
Sunset Strip, and I looked down,
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and I saw who it was,
and I was, like, shocked.
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{\an8}♪♪
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{\an8}[ Dial-up connection
screeching ]
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{\an8}♪♪
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{\an8}♪♪
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{\an8}[ Horns honking ]
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[ Siren wailing ]
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-As time goes on, people get
remembered for, like, one thing.
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50 years from now,
The Viper Room...
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It's the place
where River Phoenix died.
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-23-year-old River Phoenix
collapsed outside
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a Los Angeles nightclub
early this morning.
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-Witnesses say he appeared
high on drugs.
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{\an8}-Fans have been gathering
outside the nightclub
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{\an8}where the 23-year-old actor
collapsed and died
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on early Sunday.
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00:02:21,016 --> 00:02:23,745
-I think the '90s Viper Room,
without a doubt,
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it's intertwined fully
with the death of River Phoenix.
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That's, I think, what most
people would know about it.
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-The Viper Room might have been
a lot more underground
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00:02:32,944 --> 00:02:36,174
for a lot longer
if River hadn't passed away.
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That was a big thing
that made it infamous,
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maybe, instead of famous.
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-When it's all said and done,
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I hope The Viper Room
is remembered
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for something other than
River Phoenix,
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00:02:47,793 --> 00:02:51,546
because it was so much more
to a lot of people.
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-One reason that The Viper Room
is so important to people
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00:02:58,053 --> 00:03:01,449
has to do with the street
it's located on.
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00:03:01,473 --> 00:03:04,827
-The Sunset Strip is an area
of Sunset Boulevard,
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00:03:04,851 --> 00:03:09,123
which is one of the truly
longest streets in Los Angeles.
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Um, it goes from East L.A.
to the ocean.
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My name is Pleasant Gehman.
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I'm a writer and performer,
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and, um, I spent four decades
of my life
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{\an8}[laughs] hanging around
on the Sunset Strip.
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I'm a Hollywood icon.
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Kiss the hem of my dress.
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00:03:28,208 --> 00:03:31,145
Since the late '30s
and early '40s,
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the Sunset Strip
was always populated
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00:03:33,213 --> 00:03:35,400
by a lot of nightclubs.
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Some of them are legendary
in rock 'n' roll circles.
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-In the early '90s,
you had The Whiskey a Go Go,
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the Roxy, and those were, like,
prestige places,
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and then Gazzarri's, which was
catering to a heavy-metal crowd.
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-There's Guns 'N Roses!
They're the band of the '90s.
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- Did you like the new material?
- I loved it.
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-Guns 'N Roses were
the biggest band in the world,
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and they came out of
the Sunset Strip.
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00:04:00,574 --> 00:04:01,801
[ Cheering ]
78
00:04:01,825 --> 00:04:03,344
[ Laughs ]
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00:04:03,368 --> 00:04:06,139
My name is Randall Slavin,
and I am a photographer,
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00:04:06,163 --> 00:04:08,266
{\an8}and, uh, I've been
taking pictures
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00:04:08,290 --> 00:04:09,892
{\an8}for as long as I can remember
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and compiled some of
my favorites in a book called
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00:04:12,669 --> 00:04:14,856
"We All Want Something
Beautiful."
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00:04:14,880 --> 00:04:18,734
[ Cheering ]
85
00:04:18,758 --> 00:04:20,528
Everything was heavy metal.
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00:04:20,552 --> 00:04:25,950
A lot of Harleys
and hairspray and fishnets.
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00:04:25,974 --> 00:04:28,161
-But that begins to change.
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A new sound can be heard
on the Sunset Strip,
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and it'll set the stage
for The Viper Room.
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-Coming out of the '80s,
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00:04:36,109 --> 00:04:39,213
which was one of the most
debauched times ever,
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00:04:39,237 --> 00:04:41,007
and even into the early '90s,
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there was a lot of
musical things going on.
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00:04:43,408 --> 00:04:45,052
[ Audience cheering ]
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00:04:45,076 --> 00:04:48,222
-When Jane's Addiction came in
in the early '90s,
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00:04:48,246 --> 00:04:50,183
that was the new wave.
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00:04:50,207 --> 00:04:54,187
They were cool, and they were
different and younger
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00:04:54,211 --> 00:04:57,106
and felt like a whole different
kind of energy.
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And that's when things changed.
100
00:05:00,175 --> 00:05:02,778
-But it was a moment where,
you know, it's sort of like,
101
00:05:02,802 --> 00:05:05,740
"Yes, this is
the non-hair-metal alternative
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00:05:05,764 --> 00:05:07,992
that we've been looking for."
103
00:05:08,016 --> 00:05:09,410
-In the early '90s,
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00:05:09,434 --> 00:05:12,413
the grunge movement invades
the Sunset Strip
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on its way
to changing rock 'n' roll.
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But it's changing Hollywood,
too,
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as many young actors
fall under its spell.
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00:05:21,404 --> 00:05:23,591
-There was a lot of people
that had been involved
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00:05:23,615 --> 00:05:28,262
in one facet of show business,
as in movies or television,
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00:05:28,286 --> 00:05:32,016
who were now exploring
rock 'n' roll.
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00:05:32,040 --> 00:05:36,687
Like, I remember Juliette Lewis
had a band for a long time.
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00:05:36,711 --> 00:05:39,941
Jared Leto was always
playing in bands.
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00:05:39,965 --> 00:05:41,817
-Other actors who dabble
in music
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00:05:41,841 --> 00:05:45,071
are Keanu Reeves with Dogstar,
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00:05:45,095 --> 00:05:49,325
River Phoenix
as front man for Aleka's Attic,
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00:05:49,349 --> 00:05:52,828
and Johnny Depp
with his band, "P."
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00:05:52,852 --> 00:05:54,455
-With both River Phoenix
and Johnny Depp,
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{\an8}they originally started off,
like,
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00:05:55,939 --> 00:05:57,792
{\an8}thinking they were
going to do music.
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-How are you doing tonight,
Johnny?
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00:05:59,568 --> 00:06:01,003
-And then they discovered,
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00:06:01,027 --> 00:06:04,215
"Oh, I'm really good
at this other thing."
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00:06:04,239 --> 00:06:06,133
-Johnny Depp wasn't the biggest
movie star in the world.
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00:06:06,157 --> 00:06:08,761
He wasn't Jack Sparrow,
but he was on
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00:06:08,785 --> 00:06:12,890
a long-running TV show,
"21 Jump Street."
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00:06:12,914 --> 00:06:17,311
But in Hollywood in that time,
being cool was just as important
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00:06:17,335 --> 00:06:22,692
as being a big movie star,
and he was very cool.
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00:06:22,716 --> 00:06:24,652
- Johnny?
- Yeah.
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00:06:24,676 --> 00:06:27,613
-At the height of grunge
in 1993,
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00:06:27,637 --> 00:06:32,034
Johnny Depp buys The Central,
a dirty little live music club
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00:06:32,058 --> 00:06:35,079
in the heart
of the Sunset Strip.
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-The Central is a dive.
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It was just a place to play.
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00:06:40,567 --> 00:06:43,379
-By the time that Johnny Depp
bought The Central
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00:06:43,403 --> 00:06:45,381
and changed the name
to The Viper Room,
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00:06:45,405 --> 00:06:49,635
I think there was a couple
of different camps going on
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because The Central had been
a really popular club.
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00:06:53,163 --> 00:06:56,225
{\an1}And so the people that played it
thought it was gonna turn into,
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00:06:56,249 --> 00:06:59,979
like, what would now be known
as an A-list venue...
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00:07:00,003 --> 00:07:03,858
You know, snobbish
and not rock 'n' roll enough.
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00:07:03,882 --> 00:07:06,902
-The Central was also the spot
where singer/songwriter
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00:07:06,926 --> 00:07:09,614
Chuck E. Weiss played.
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00:07:09,638 --> 00:07:14,535
You may not know him,
but Johnny Depp was a big fan.
144
00:07:14,559 --> 00:07:17,038
{\an8}-When they're getting ready
to sell The Central,
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00:07:17,062 --> 00:07:19,540
{\an8}and that was gonna be
the end of Chuck E.'s gig,
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00:07:19,564 --> 00:07:21,709
and I think for half the reason
Johnny bought the place
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00:07:21,733 --> 00:07:25,838
was to keep a club open
so Chuck E. could play.
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00:07:25,862 --> 00:07:27,632
-When Johnny came in
and took it over,
149
00:07:27,656 --> 00:07:31,385
it became this special sort of,
like, cool underground
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00:07:31,409 --> 00:07:33,888
{\an8}kind of like
almost like a speakeasy,
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00:07:33,912 --> 00:07:37,808
{\an8}you know, which he obviously
was very into.
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[ Audience cheering ]
153
00:07:39,542 --> 00:07:43,481
And the biggest,
most gigantic rock stars
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were coming to perform
at this little, tiny club
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00:07:46,883 --> 00:07:48,778
of only 200 people.
156
00:07:48,802 --> 00:07:51,155
I mean, you couldn't fit any
more than 200 people in this...
157
00:07:51,179 --> 00:07:53,741
In this nightclub,
and that is packed.
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00:07:53,765 --> 00:07:55,910
-And, like, for opening night,
you know, sort of like
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00:07:55,934 --> 00:07:58,079
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers,
owed me a favor,
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00:07:58,103 --> 00:08:00,081
so they'll, like,
play the opening gig.
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00:08:00,105 --> 00:08:02,875
And because
it's this small room,
162
00:08:02,899 --> 00:08:05,002
it becomes this, like,
little celebrity clubhouse.
163
00:08:05,026 --> 00:08:06,587
Literally, they didn't have
to let in anyone
164
00:08:06,611 --> 00:08:08,005
that they didn't want to.
165
00:08:08,029 --> 00:08:10,257
-There was this sudden
new renaissance
166
00:08:10,281 --> 00:08:11,926
of young Hollywood people
167
00:08:11,950 --> 00:08:15,429
that just wanted to go out
and have fun.
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And in some places,
they couldn't.
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00:08:18,540 --> 00:08:20,226
-Leonardo, tell us about Johnny.
170
00:08:20,250 --> 00:08:21,727
-What do you want me
to tell you?
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00:08:21,751 --> 00:08:23,020
-We just want you to tell us how
much fun it was
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00:08:23,044 --> 00:08:24,355
working with Johnny.
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- It was great.
- Come on!
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00:08:26,172 --> 00:08:29,694
-Johnny Depp could be in his
office looking at the camera,
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00:08:29,718 --> 00:08:31,529
telling the person at the door,
176
00:08:31,553 --> 00:08:34,156
"Let that person in.
Don't let that other person in."
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-It's good to see you.
Hey, looking nice.
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- Thanks, brother.
- The reason The Viper Room
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00:08:38,268 --> 00:08:42,498
became a haven for famous people
180
00:08:42,522 --> 00:08:46,752
is because of
how protected they felt.
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00:08:46,776 --> 00:08:48,587
There was definitely a sense
of, like,
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00:08:48,611 --> 00:08:53,008
if you could just get inside,
you could let your hair down.
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00:08:53,032 --> 00:08:54,635
-There were just fame
spraying...
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00:08:54,659 --> 00:08:56,387
Like, everyone was sneezing
fame all over each other.
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00:08:56,411 --> 00:08:58,973
It was just a lot of
famous people,
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00:08:58,997 --> 00:09:00,641
and they were all cool,
187
00:09:00,665 --> 00:09:02,476
and it was like we were all
in this room together
188
00:09:02,500 --> 00:09:04,919
and we just got to
hang out and talk.
189
00:09:07,380 --> 00:09:09,066
-Inside The Viper Room was...
190
00:09:09,090 --> 00:09:12,194
Was very insular
and very protected,
191
00:09:12,218 --> 00:09:15,823
and famous people
were no different
192
00:09:15,847 --> 00:09:17,450
than everyone else inside,
193
00:09:17,474 --> 00:09:20,018
because you weren't
the only famous person in there.
194
00:09:22,061 --> 00:09:26,500
-That was the only game in town
for young Hollywood.
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00:09:26,524 --> 00:09:29,336
They were hanging out there
trying to elude fame
196
00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:32,506
while, at the same time,
their very appearance there
197
00:09:32,530 --> 00:09:37,136
was what caused so many people
to flock to The Viper Room.
198
00:09:37,160 --> 00:09:39,847
It was like
its own little "secret"...
199
00:09:39,871 --> 00:09:44,143
In giant, five-story-high,
lime-green, neon air quotes...
200
00:09:44,167 --> 00:09:46,395
Hideaway for famous people.
201
00:09:46,419 --> 00:09:52,902
-♪ And it's one more day
up in the canyons ♪
202
00:09:52,926 --> 00:09:58,491
♪ And it's one more night
in Hollywood ♪
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00:09:58,515 --> 00:10:01,285
-The same month The Viper Room
opens its doors,
204
00:10:01,309 --> 00:10:03,287
{\an8}a little band
called Counting Crows
205
00:10:03,311 --> 00:10:05,289
{\an8}finally hits it big,
206
00:10:05,313 --> 00:10:07,708
{\an8}and their lead singer,
Adam Duritz,
207
00:10:07,732 --> 00:10:12,838
is immediately welcomed
into The Viper's inner sanctum.
208
00:10:12,862 --> 00:10:14,507
-Boy, I could talk for hours,
but sitting there
209
00:10:14,531 --> 00:10:17,283
staring at a camera makes me...
Makes my skin crawl.
210
00:10:19,244 --> 00:10:21,138
Mostly I lived at
The Viper Room,
211
00:10:21,162 --> 00:10:22,515
night in and night out,
212
00:10:22,539 --> 00:10:24,433
and a lot of
really interesting people
213
00:10:24,457 --> 00:10:26,310
that I got to just talk to.
214
00:10:26,334 --> 00:10:28,062
It wasn't walking up
for autographs.
215
00:10:28,086 --> 00:10:29,772
It was... it was talking.
216
00:10:29,796 --> 00:10:32,191
And that was kind of what
The Viper always was to me,
217
00:10:32,215 --> 00:10:35,110
was this place to go be.
218
00:10:35,134 --> 00:10:37,238
I met Jennifer Aniston there
219
00:10:37,262 --> 00:10:39,949
'cause a bunch of my friends
lied to me
220
00:10:39,973 --> 00:10:42,117
and told me
she had a crush on me.
221
00:10:42,141 --> 00:10:44,453
And those same friends
lied to her
222
00:10:44,477 --> 00:10:47,498
and told her
I had a crush on her.
223
00:10:47,522 --> 00:10:48,999
I honestly had no idea
who she was.
224
00:10:49,023 --> 00:10:50,334
I'd been on the road
during all of "Friends."
225
00:10:50,358 --> 00:10:52,461
I had never seen it,
I don't think.
226
00:10:52,485 --> 00:10:54,421
She was really nice,
really funny, really pretty.
227
00:10:54,445 --> 00:10:57,007
Those were pretty good
requirements for me,
228
00:10:57,031 --> 00:10:59,593
and also, she liked me.
229
00:10:59,617 --> 00:11:02,513
Yeah, it didn't last very long,
so probably because of that,
230
00:11:02,537 --> 00:11:05,099
but she's a very nice girl,
you know?
231
00:11:05,123 --> 00:11:08,102
-The secret sauce
of The Viper Room
232
00:11:08,126 --> 00:11:12,439
was you had the coolest actor
in Hollywood
233
00:11:12,463 --> 00:11:17,444
who is dating the coolest girl
in the world, who is Kate Moss.
234
00:11:17,468 --> 00:11:20,531
And he wants a place
to hang out,
235
00:11:20,555 --> 00:11:23,325
and they don't need
to make money.
236
00:11:23,349 --> 00:11:26,203
-With Viper,
Johnny Depp creates a bubble
237
00:11:26,227 --> 00:11:30,332
for his cool A-lister friends
where they can feel sheltered.
238
00:11:30,356 --> 00:11:34,712
But it's just a matter of time
before that bubble bursts.
239
00:11:34,736 --> 00:11:37,381
-Get the... out of the way!
I can't see!
240
00:11:37,405 --> 00:11:38,865
[ Horn honking ]
241
00:11:42,577 --> 00:11:45,288
[ Bell tolling ]
242
00:11:46,915 --> 00:11:51,186
-We have reports from Paris
that Diana, Princess of Wales,
243
00:11:51,210 --> 00:11:54,064
has been killed
in a car accident
244
00:11:54,088 --> 00:11:56,734
and that her partner,
Dodi Fayed,
245
00:11:56,758 --> 00:11:58,360
has also been killed.
246
00:11:58,384 --> 00:11:59,945
They were apparently
being pursued
247
00:11:59,969 --> 00:12:02,948
by paparazzi on two motorcycles.
248
00:12:02,972 --> 00:12:05,284
-Killed by the royal family
or hit by...
249
00:12:05,308 --> 00:12:10,998
-The paparazzi spends the '90s
hunting down Hollywood royalty
250
00:12:11,022 --> 00:12:16,128
before killing an actual member
of the royal family in 1997.
251
00:12:16,152 --> 00:12:17,880
-How you doing, Sean?
252
00:12:17,904 --> 00:12:19,506
-Shouldn't you guys be out
killing a princess somewhere?
253
00:12:19,530 --> 00:12:21,842
-Yeah, we did that already.
254
00:12:21,866 --> 00:12:25,346
-But Diana's death was
the unhappy ending to a story
255
00:12:25,370 --> 00:12:28,515
that begins much earlier
in the decade.
256
00:12:28,539 --> 00:12:30,768
-That was the very,
very beginning
257
00:12:30,792 --> 00:12:33,520
of the tabloids being revamped
from, like,
258
00:12:33,544 --> 00:12:36,649
stuff like soap operas
into young Hollywood.
259
00:12:36,673 --> 00:12:40,277
I mean, that sort of started
around that time, you know,
260
00:12:40,301 --> 00:12:42,488
and it was because
there was such a new guard
261
00:12:42,512 --> 00:12:43,948
{\an8}coming up in Hollywood,
262
00:12:43,972 --> 00:12:45,532
{\an8}and they were people
that were going out.
263
00:12:45,556 --> 00:12:46,825
{\an8}They weren't sheltered.
264
00:12:46,849 --> 00:12:48,702
-You can turn that off, man,
come on.
265
00:12:48,726 --> 00:12:50,245
-All right.
266
00:12:50,269 --> 00:12:52,081
-The studios weren't
controlling people
267
00:12:52,105 --> 00:12:55,626
the way they had
in that golden age of Hollywood.
268
00:12:55,650 --> 00:12:58,921
-And that's when it all of
a sudden became a big business,
269
00:12:58,945 --> 00:13:00,631
{\an8}selling pictures of people
270
00:13:00,655 --> 00:13:04,218
{\an8}coming in and out of
a nightclub.
271
00:13:04,242 --> 00:13:07,888
{\an1}-It hadn't been like that since
maybe, like, the Beatles landed,
272
00:13:07,912 --> 00:13:09,848
you know,
for the first time in America.
273
00:13:09,872 --> 00:13:12,059
There wasn't, like, legions
of screaming fans
274
00:13:12,083 --> 00:13:15,771
and a bunch of paparazzi again
until the early '90s.
275
00:13:15,795 --> 00:13:18,315
[ Horn honking ]
276
00:13:18,339 --> 00:13:20,985
-There were a ton
of paparazzi then,
277
00:13:21,009 --> 00:13:23,028
everywhere you went,
278
00:13:23,052 --> 00:13:25,364
especially in a town like L.A.
279
00:13:25,388 --> 00:13:27,866
That was seriously unpleasant.
280
00:13:27,890 --> 00:13:30,703
-You guys need to back up.
I can't see the cars.
281
00:13:30,727 --> 00:13:33,580
-Okay, back up, guys.
He can't see the cars.
282
00:13:33,604 --> 00:13:35,749
-Get the... out of the way!
I can't see!
283
00:13:35,773 --> 00:13:38,168
There are cars there, mother...
284
00:13:38,192 --> 00:13:40,004
Get out of the way there!
- They're stopped.
285
00:13:40,028 --> 00:13:43,215
-While the flashbulbs and prying
eyes of the paparazzi
286
00:13:43,239 --> 00:13:46,677
ravage most of Hollywood
in the mid-'90s,
287
00:13:46,701 --> 00:13:51,515
Johnny Depp's Viper Room
remains mostly immune.
288
00:13:51,539 --> 00:13:55,310
{\an1}-The paparazzi at The Viper Room
was always just one or two guys,
289
00:13:55,334 --> 00:13:58,605
this guy Woody and Brian.
290
00:13:58,629 --> 00:14:00,190
{\an8}-It was like a clubhouse,
291
00:14:00,214 --> 00:14:02,484
{\an8}but the club was open
to everybody, you know,
292
00:14:02,508 --> 00:14:04,987
{\an8}and, uh, even the paparazzi
seemed to appreciate it
293
00:14:05,011 --> 00:14:06,280
for what it was.
294
00:14:06,304 --> 00:14:09,783
And it was pretty casual
that way.
295
00:14:09,807 --> 00:14:11,618
Definitely makes
a huge difference that it was
296
00:14:11,642 --> 00:14:14,705
pre-social media
'cause people were willing to
297
00:14:14,729 --> 00:14:18,792
let themselves go in ways
that it's not smart to now.
298
00:14:18,816 --> 00:14:21,295
-Not just pre-social media,
299
00:14:21,319 --> 00:14:24,173
but pre-everyone having
a digital camera
300
00:14:24,197 --> 00:14:26,467
right inside their cellphones.
301
00:14:26,491 --> 00:14:29,428
-Johnny Depp was making
a valiant attempt
302
00:14:29,452 --> 00:14:33,891
to protect the young and famous
or the up-and-comers
303
00:14:33,915 --> 00:14:38,771
or that already A-listers
of rock stars and movie stars
304
00:14:38,795 --> 00:14:41,482
and TV stars.
305
00:14:41,506 --> 00:14:44,318
- That, man.
- It's a video camera.
306
00:14:44,342 --> 00:14:46,612
-[ Laughs ] Don't...
307
00:14:46,636 --> 00:14:48,530
Let him get his...
home movie.
308
00:14:48,554 --> 00:14:51,742
[ Indistinct talking ]
309
00:14:51,766 --> 00:14:56,789
-He was wanting to create
a safe haven for them.
310
00:14:56,813 --> 00:15:00,626
-As the Sunset Strip continues
to be full of rock clubs,
311
00:15:00,650 --> 00:15:02,628
The Viper Room is much more
312
00:15:02,652 --> 00:15:06,298
than just another place
to hear live music.
313
00:15:06,322 --> 00:15:08,675
-I mean, I think every club
has bands,
314
00:15:08,699 --> 00:15:10,928
but, like, the thing that made
The Viper Room special
315
00:15:10,952 --> 00:15:17,434
were the other things
they did that were just... fun.
316
00:15:17,458 --> 00:15:19,645
{\an8}♪♪
317
00:15:19,669 --> 00:15:22,898
You know,
they would do theme nights
318
00:15:22,922 --> 00:15:26,026
that must have cost a fortune
319
00:15:26,050 --> 00:15:28,654
and were only up for one night.
320
00:15:28,678 --> 00:15:31,115
-They would have, like,
a "Dating Game" night.
321
00:15:31,139 --> 00:15:33,575
David Arquette
from the Arquette acting family
322
00:15:33,599 --> 00:15:35,327
would be the bachelor.
323
00:15:35,351 --> 00:15:37,412
-I remember once they covered
324
00:15:37,436 --> 00:15:41,041
the entire inside
of the place with tinfoil.
325
00:15:41,065 --> 00:15:42,334
-They would do these shows.
326
00:15:42,358 --> 00:15:44,128
Like, everyone would dress up,
327
00:15:44,152 --> 00:15:46,630
and it'd be, like, an old-school
burlesque night.
328
00:15:46,654 --> 00:15:48,173
You know, act like you were
in a different time
329
00:15:48,197 --> 00:15:49,925
for a little while.
330
00:15:49,949 --> 00:15:52,219
-I remember they did
an "Alice in Wonderland" night.
331
00:15:52,243 --> 00:15:54,221
That was incredible,
332
00:15:54,245 --> 00:15:57,474
the whole place done up in
an "Alice in Wonderland" theme.
333
00:15:57,498 --> 00:16:00,394
And I remember going up
and all of a sudden
334
00:16:00,418 --> 00:16:03,063
you get to the top,
and it's Timothy Leary
335
00:16:03,087 --> 00:16:06,900
is on stage reading
from "Alice in Wonderland"...
336
00:16:06,924 --> 00:16:09,278
-"Why, sometimes I believe
as many as six
337
00:16:09,302 --> 00:16:11,905
impossible things
before breakfast."
338
00:16:11,929 --> 00:16:14,783
- surrounded by a bunch
of giant toadstools
339
00:16:14,807 --> 00:16:18,787
in this, like,
glow-in-the-dark club,
340
00:16:18,811 --> 00:16:21,832
and he's reading from
"Alice in Wonderland."
341
00:16:21,856 --> 00:16:25,085
And you're like,
"How did this happen?
342
00:16:25,109 --> 00:16:26,795
How is this happening?"
343
00:16:26,819 --> 00:16:30,781
And, like,
this is the coolest thing ever.
344
00:16:32,950 --> 00:16:37,264
{\an8}-Outside The Viper Room,
celebrities are on their own.
345
00:16:37,288 --> 00:16:43,061
{\an8}But inside, it's a safe space
to explore their creativity.
346
00:16:43,085 --> 00:16:45,814
-I remember, like, some of the
real burlesque club nights, too,
347
00:16:45,838 --> 00:16:48,984
like, when Christina Applegate
had this group of friends,
348
00:16:49,008 --> 00:16:50,694
and they had a really cool
burlesque show,
349
00:16:50,718 --> 00:16:53,238
and they were called
The Pussycat Dolls.
350
00:16:53,262 --> 00:16:54,531
-Christina Applegate was on
351
00:16:54,555 --> 00:16:56,366
"Married... with Children"
at the time,
352
00:16:56,390 --> 00:17:01,496
and she had a housemate named
Robin who was a choreographer.
353
00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:03,415
-I'm Robin Antin.
354
00:17:03,439 --> 00:17:05,167
{\an8}I'm the founder
of The Pussycat Dolls,
355
00:17:05,191 --> 00:17:09,796
{\an8}which started at The Viper Room
in 1994.
356
00:17:09,820 --> 00:17:13,425
I was creating this little show
in Christina's garage
357
00:17:13,449 --> 00:17:16,929
at, like, midnight
with a couple of my friends.
358
00:17:16,953 --> 00:17:19,097
Christina will come down and go,
like, "What you...?"
359
00:17:19,121 --> 00:17:20,432
You know, like,
"This is so cool."
360
00:17:20,456 --> 00:17:21,767
And I'm like,
"You should be in it,"
361
00:17:21,791 --> 00:17:23,352
'cause Christina was a dancer,
362
00:17:23,376 --> 00:17:24,937
and a lot of people
didn't know that about her,
363
00:17:24,961 --> 00:17:29,608
that she had this talent
as a real, trained dancer.
364
00:17:29,632 --> 00:17:31,693
-Of course, where else were
they gonna do it
365
00:17:31,717 --> 00:17:32,945
but at The Viper Room?
366
00:17:32,969 --> 00:17:35,822
That was their hang.
367
00:17:35,846 --> 00:17:40,327
-So we went and we auditioned
for Johnny at the club.
368
00:17:40,351 --> 00:17:44,873
We got on stage, put on
our corsets and our, you know,
369
00:17:44,897 --> 00:17:48,293
our whole garb,
everything that I had made.
370
00:17:48,317 --> 00:17:51,255
[ Audience cheering ]
371
00:17:51,279 --> 00:17:54,132
And it was perfect
because right on the chorus
372
00:17:54,156 --> 00:17:55,634
was when we did the strip...
373
00:17:55,658 --> 00:17:57,344
♪ You blow a fuse ♪
374
00:17:57,368 --> 00:18:00,472
♪ Zing, boom,
strip another corset ♪
375
00:18:00,496 --> 00:18:03,308
♪ Zing, boom,
down to another corset ♪
376
00:18:03,332 --> 00:18:04,601
♪ Dun-dun-dun ♪
377
00:18:04,625 --> 00:18:07,020
Yeah, then we'd take a glove off
378
00:18:07,044 --> 00:18:09,690
and take a glove off.
379
00:18:09,714 --> 00:18:12,317
And I remember he was just,
like, looking at us, going,
380
00:18:12,341 --> 00:18:16,780
"These girls are crazy
and wild and outrageous,
381
00:18:16,804 --> 00:18:18,532
and this is so cool," you know?
382
00:18:18,556 --> 00:18:21,285
And we're just throwing
all the clothes off
383
00:18:21,309 --> 00:18:22,536
into the audience.
384
00:18:22,560 --> 00:18:23,996
[ Audience cheering ]
385
00:18:24,020 --> 00:18:27,082
-It was layers and bustiers
under bustiers
386
00:18:27,106 --> 00:18:30,085
and shorter shorts
under frilly shorts.
387
00:18:30,109 --> 00:18:33,755
-It was like a... like,
literally a strip tease,
388
00:18:33,779 --> 00:18:36,550
so we didn't really
strip down to nothing.
389
00:18:36,574 --> 00:18:38,302
And I remember Johnny saying,
390
00:18:38,326 --> 00:18:41,972
"This is exactly
why I opened The Viper Room."
391
00:18:41,996 --> 00:18:43,682
[ Applause ]
392
00:18:43,706 --> 00:18:48,061
He said, "I would love for this
to be a show
393
00:18:48,085 --> 00:18:51,106
at The Viper Room
like once a week, maybe?
394
00:18:51,130 --> 00:18:52,441
I mean, do you guys...
Can you do it?"
395
00:18:52,465 --> 00:18:54,067
And so the next thing we knew,
you know,
396
00:18:54,091 --> 00:18:55,944
we were on stage
at The Viper Room
397
00:18:55,968 --> 00:18:58,613
for like eight years.
398
00:18:58,637 --> 00:19:01,366
-They were lip synching
to old songs,
399
00:19:01,390 --> 00:19:04,328
and the place went bananas.
400
00:19:04,352 --> 00:19:07,205
The place went crazy.
401
00:19:07,229 --> 00:19:10,959
-Everybody would hear about it,
from the cast of "Friends"
402
00:19:10,983 --> 00:19:13,295
to, you know, Marilyn Manson
403
00:19:13,319 --> 00:19:18,216
to, you know, Jimmy Iovine
was there and Ron Fair,
404
00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,887
and Dr. Dre was coming around,
Hugh Hefner...
405
00:19:21,911 --> 00:19:23,930
I mean, [laughs] the most...
It was just wild,
406
00:19:23,954 --> 00:19:26,683
like, the people that would
show up to the show,
407
00:19:26,707 --> 00:19:28,643
that would be in the audience.
408
00:19:28,667 --> 00:19:31,188
-That grew, and then I think
Carmen Electra
409
00:19:31,212 --> 00:19:35,025
was the first sort of
regular famous member.
410
00:19:35,049 --> 00:19:37,277
-We felt like we were
celebrating
411
00:19:37,301 --> 00:19:38,945
being women up there.
412
00:19:38,969 --> 00:19:40,322
I mean, that...
That was the beginning
413
00:19:40,346 --> 00:19:42,741
of female empowerment
as I knew it.
414
00:19:42,765 --> 00:19:44,117
-I'm loving it.
415
00:19:44,141 --> 00:19:46,620
-And that's when all of
these label heads
416
00:19:46,644 --> 00:19:49,373
were coming down to check it out
and see what's going on.
417
00:19:49,397 --> 00:19:51,333
-And The Pussycat Dolls
outgrew The Viper Room
418
00:19:51,357 --> 00:19:54,669
and then started performing
at other clubs and other places,
419
00:19:54,693 --> 00:19:56,755
and then they got a record deal
and then became
420
00:19:56,779 --> 00:20:00,717
a multi-platinum
international pop group.
421
00:20:00,741 --> 00:20:03,387
Crazy.
422
00:20:03,411 --> 00:20:04,846
-While The Pussycat Dolls
423
00:20:04,870 --> 00:20:07,766
are killing it
on The Viper Room stage,
424
00:20:07,790 --> 00:20:11,228
an even deadlier act
shows up in town.
425
00:20:11,252 --> 00:20:13,480
-A dangerous drug has dropped
like a bomb
426
00:20:13,504 --> 00:20:15,857
on the streets of the suburbs.
It's heroin.
427
00:20:15,881 --> 00:20:17,818
-It started off a little slowly,
428
00:20:17,842 --> 00:20:20,386
but then it just hit
like a sledgehammer.
429
00:20:26,767 --> 00:20:28,870
-Everyone had been doing coke,
you know?
430
00:20:28,894 --> 00:20:30,372
I mean, that was huge
in the '70s,
431
00:20:30,396 --> 00:20:34,126
and L.A. was kind of
the coke capital.
432
00:20:34,150 --> 00:20:37,838
-But by 1993, a drug that has
fallen out of favor
433
00:20:37,862 --> 00:20:39,548
is back in vogue
434
00:20:39,572 --> 00:20:43,260
and will help define the decade.
435
00:20:43,284 --> 00:20:47,431
-Suddenly, heroin started
flowing into L.A.
436
00:20:47,455 --> 00:20:49,724
-Heroin has made
a major comeback,
437
00:20:49,748 --> 00:20:51,560
particularly within
the music world,
438
00:20:51,584 --> 00:20:54,813
where it is the chic drug of
choice for some rock musicians.
439
00:20:54,837 --> 00:20:58,066
-Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love,
Kelley Deal of The Breeders,
440
00:20:58,090 --> 00:21:01,403
Steve Adler of Guns 'N Roses
have all abused heroin.
441
00:21:01,427 --> 00:21:05,031
{\an8}-In L.A., as in other places,
heroin was ascendant.
442
00:21:05,055 --> 00:21:08,076
-It's everywhere.
You can get it easier than pot.
443
00:21:08,100 --> 00:21:13,915
{\an1}-It's hard to really explain how
rampant heroin was in Hollywood.
444
00:21:13,939 --> 00:21:16,960
It was like Hollywood turned
into a zombie town suddenly,
445
00:21:16,984 --> 00:21:19,045
{\an8}so many people...
It was so easy to get,
446
00:21:19,069 --> 00:21:21,089
{\an8}and it was so ubiquitous.
447
00:21:21,113 --> 00:21:22,507
{\an8}It was really scary.
448
00:21:22,531 --> 00:21:24,384
[ Siren wailing ]
449
00:21:24,408 --> 00:21:28,680
-As emergency rooms are flooded
with victims of bad heroin,
450
00:21:28,704 --> 00:21:31,600
many are arriving violent
and disoriented.
451
00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:34,311
-It felt like we were living
through an epidemic that,
452
00:21:34,335 --> 00:21:38,607
you know, sort of when you have
friend after friend die.
453
00:21:38,631 --> 00:21:42,402
-You could always kind of tell
if someone was doing heroin
454
00:21:42,426 --> 00:21:45,780
if the door to the dressing room
was locked.
455
00:21:45,804 --> 00:21:47,199
That could be The Viper Room.
456
00:21:47,223 --> 00:21:49,034
That could be any club
that you'd go to,
457
00:21:49,058 --> 00:21:52,078
because normally there
wouldn't be a lock on the door
458
00:21:52,102 --> 00:21:55,248
if someone was just doing blow.
459
00:21:55,272 --> 00:21:56,875
-It was a drug
that was very easy...
460
00:21:56,899 --> 00:21:58,960
If you had a...
Took a wrong step,
461
00:21:58,984 --> 00:22:00,795
you didn't just, like, have
a bad hangover the next day.
462
00:22:00,819 --> 00:22:02,714
Like, you would be dead.
463
00:22:02,738 --> 00:22:06,426
{\an8}♪♪
464
00:22:06,450 --> 00:22:10,138
-For some new stars of Hollywood
and rock 'n' roll,
465
00:22:10,162 --> 00:22:12,390
heroin becomes a perfect escape
466
00:22:12,414 --> 00:22:16,269
from the pressures
of their newfound fame.
467
00:22:16,293 --> 00:22:19,022
For others,
it's a way to cope with demons
468
00:22:19,046 --> 00:22:22,067
that have been there all along.
469
00:22:22,091 --> 00:22:25,320
-Radio stations nationwide
offer tribute to Kurt Cobain
470
00:22:25,344 --> 00:22:26,863
as young fans mourn
the rock singer's
471
00:22:26,887 --> 00:22:28,990
apparent suicide in Seattle.
472
00:22:29,014 --> 00:22:32,494
-Many people over 30 probably
never heard of Kurt Cobain.
473
00:22:32,518 --> 00:22:35,455
But for younger fans,
his music captured the spirit
474
00:22:35,479 --> 00:22:39,292
of the difficult transition
from youth to maturity.
475
00:22:39,316 --> 00:22:41,044
-It was obvious this man is dead
476
00:22:41,068 --> 00:22:43,255
from a shotgun wound
to the head.
477
00:22:43,279 --> 00:22:45,882
Now, there was a suicide note
left inside.
478
00:22:45,906 --> 00:22:50,303
{\an1}-I'm sitting there waiting to be
interviewed for "Rolling Stone,"
479
00:22:50,327 --> 00:22:54,349
and I got a call from a guy
who used to be our A&R guy
480
00:22:54,373 --> 00:22:57,477
{\an8}who signed us,
who signed Nirvana.
481
00:22:57,501 --> 00:22:59,563
{\an8}Me and Kurt were like
his little brothers.
482
00:22:59,587 --> 00:23:01,422
And... and Kurt died.
483
00:23:02,631 --> 00:23:04,317
- That's enough said.
- Anyway...
484
00:23:04,341 --> 00:23:06,444
- What are you from?
- CBS.
485
00:23:06,468 --> 00:23:09,656
-It was weeks after
Kurt killed himself.
486
00:23:09,680 --> 00:23:11,157
-See you, Courtney.
God love you, babe.
487
00:23:11,181 --> 00:23:14,119
-I remember being
at The Viper Room.
488
00:23:14,143 --> 00:23:15,829
{\an8}It was after hours,
and it was only a few of us
489
00:23:15,853 --> 00:23:18,373
{\an8}sitting downstairs,
490
00:23:18,397 --> 00:23:23,169
and myself, Courtney,
and my friend Michael Stipe.
491
00:23:23,193 --> 00:23:25,130
She was a mess.
492
00:23:25,154 --> 00:23:28,925
She was a mess talking about it.
493
00:23:28,949 --> 00:23:33,054
And she was trying to rewrite
what had happened
494
00:23:33,078 --> 00:23:36,182
and trying to,
"We should have done this,
495
00:23:36,206 --> 00:23:40,937
and we could have done that,
and if we'd only done this."
496
00:23:40,961 --> 00:23:44,441
And I remember Michael
just being, like,
497
00:23:44,465 --> 00:23:48,236
trying to console
this sobbing widow.
498
00:23:48,260 --> 00:23:52,282
It was a really...
499
00:23:52,306 --> 00:23:54,516
heavy, heavy night.
500
00:23:57,186 --> 00:24:00,373
And I think it's a testament
to the atmosphere
501
00:24:00,397 --> 00:24:02,834
that she felt safe there
502
00:24:02,858 --> 00:24:06,713
and protected by The Viper Room.
503
00:24:06,737 --> 00:24:10,467
-I mean, it really shook me up
'cause I didn't think
504
00:24:10,491 --> 00:24:14,429
{\an8}we were all that different, um,
in a lot of ways.
505
00:24:14,453 --> 00:24:16,806
{\an8}-Adam's first album
with Counting Crows
506
00:24:16,830 --> 00:24:20,226
{\an8}becomes a seven-times
platinum hit
507
00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:24,522
and the fastest selling record
since Nirvana's "Nevermind."
508
00:24:24,546 --> 00:24:29,486
But Adam and Kurt have an even
more profound connection.
509
00:24:29,510 --> 00:24:31,613
-You know, I wasn't talking
about it publicly then,
510
00:24:31,637 --> 00:24:34,616
but I had pretty severe
mental illness and I knew that.
511
00:24:34,640 --> 00:24:36,785
So, you know, the things
that had concerned me
512
00:24:36,809 --> 00:24:39,079
before that morning
513
00:24:39,103 --> 00:24:42,499
concerned me a lot more
after that morning.
514
00:24:42,523 --> 00:24:45,293
-Adam was having a really hard
time being famous.
515
00:24:45,317 --> 00:24:47,420
And when your little, cool band
516
00:24:47,444 --> 00:24:50,006
becomes the cover
of "Rolling Stone,"
517
00:24:50,030 --> 00:24:52,217
people are gonna
rebel against it
518
00:24:52,241 --> 00:24:53,593
'cause it's not theirs anymore.
519
00:24:53,617 --> 00:24:54,886
It's everyone's.
520
00:24:54,910 --> 00:24:56,888
-Everywhere I went,
it was an issue.
521
00:24:56,912 --> 00:24:58,264
Sometimes just like,
"We love you,"
522
00:24:58,288 --> 00:25:00,433
sometimes, "We hate you,"
523
00:25:00,457 --> 00:25:02,936
but an issue everywhere.
524
00:25:02,960 --> 00:25:04,729
I felt very exposed.
525
00:25:04,753 --> 00:25:07,023
Anonymity... you don't realize
what a shield it is
526
00:25:07,047 --> 00:25:08,316
until it's gone.
527
00:25:08,340 --> 00:25:12,654
[ Crowd cheering ]
528
00:25:12,678 --> 00:25:15,264
[ Telephone ringing ]
529
00:25:17,933 --> 00:25:19,452
One night, I got a phone call
530
00:25:19,476 --> 00:25:21,705
from Johnny from the office
at The Viper.
531
00:25:21,729 --> 00:25:24,082
"It's Kate Moss's
21st birthday tonight.
532
00:25:24,106 --> 00:25:26,167
The Viper's closed
and we're having a party.
533
00:25:26,191 --> 00:25:28,920
You need to get down here now."
534
00:25:28,944 --> 00:25:30,255
And went to The Viper Room,
535
00:25:30,279 --> 00:25:31,923
and I never really
went home again.
536
00:25:31,947 --> 00:25:34,551
[ Indistinct talking ]
537
00:25:34,575 --> 00:25:36,553
Pretty soon I just started
bartending every night
538
00:25:36,577 --> 00:25:39,848
because I made insane tips for
the people that worked there.
539
00:25:39,872 --> 00:25:42,016
I didn't keep them,
but I would go there every night
540
00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:43,893
and just work bartending.
541
00:25:43,917 --> 00:25:47,439
{\an1}I was trying to, you know, deal,
you know... get a little space.
542
00:25:47,463 --> 00:25:50,567
-And I think The Viper Room
was a real refuge,
543
00:25:50,591 --> 00:25:54,779
a real place they could go in
and feel safe.
544
00:25:54,803 --> 00:25:57,198
And also, Adam ain't
the most famous dude
545
00:25:57,222 --> 00:25:58,700
running around The Viper Room.
546
00:25:58,724 --> 00:26:02,704
And that's a big weight
off your shoulders.
547
00:26:02,728 --> 00:26:05,290
And everyone loved Adam,
and Adam's a lovable guy.
548
00:26:05,314 --> 00:26:08,543
And he's not a dick,
so they liked having him around.
549
00:26:08,567 --> 00:26:10,920
And it was cool to have the guy
who's on the cover
550
00:26:10,944 --> 00:26:14,382
of "Rolling Stone," you know,
serving you Amstel Lights
551
00:26:14,406 --> 00:26:17,844
And it added to the coolness
of The Viper Room.
552
00:26:17,868 --> 00:26:19,429
-I wasn't comfortable anywhere.
553
00:26:19,453 --> 00:26:22,474
The whole world had turned
uncomfortable for me.
554
00:26:22,498 --> 00:26:24,100
The Viper Room gave me a home
555
00:26:24,124 --> 00:26:26,519
at a time
when I really needed one,
556
00:26:26,543 --> 00:26:31,149
{\an1}another way of saying it gave me
a second shot at life, you know?
557
00:26:31,173 --> 00:26:33,401
-For some stars,
The Viper's legacy
558
00:26:33,425 --> 00:26:38,072
will always be the safety
they felt inside its walls,
559
00:26:38,096 --> 00:26:40,617
but its infamy comes from
what happens
560
00:26:40,641 --> 00:26:44,078
just outside
on Sunset Boulevard.
561
00:26:44,102 --> 00:26:47,040
-To happen right in front
of The Viper Room
562
00:26:47,064 --> 00:26:48,792
was like, "Oh, my God.
563
00:26:48,816 --> 00:26:52,778
This is just never gonna,
you know, be forgotten."
564
00:26:57,157 --> 00:26:58,676
-At Pittsville High School,
it is wildly unpopular...
565
00:26:58,700 --> 00:27:00,136
A new dress code passed by
the school committee
566
00:27:00,160 --> 00:27:01,846
last night five to one.
567
00:27:01,870 --> 00:27:03,765
It prohibits the wearing of what
the committee describes as
568
00:27:03,789 --> 00:27:06,976
anything depicting illegal acts,
provocative dress,
569
00:27:07,000 --> 00:27:10,355
profanity, gangs,
drugs, or violence.
570
00:27:10,379 --> 00:27:12,023
- It's wrong.
- Why?
571
00:27:12,047 --> 00:27:14,859
-'Cause we should be allowed
to wear whatever we want.
572
00:27:14,883 --> 00:27:17,862
-The '90s are a time of
transition when youth culture
573
00:27:17,886 --> 00:27:21,741
is reimagining the world
with a tenacity not seen
574
00:27:21,765 --> 00:27:25,185
since the counterculture
movement in the '60s.
575
00:27:27,187 --> 00:27:29,082
{\an8}-The people who were young
in the '90s
576
00:27:29,106 --> 00:27:33,127
{\an8}felt culturally disaffected
and, you know, sort of like,
577
00:27:33,151 --> 00:27:34,546
{\an8}"What is going on
with the system
578
00:27:34,570 --> 00:27:37,549
{\an8}that we don't feel like
we fit into?"
579
00:27:37,573 --> 00:27:40,385
A lot of people were trying
to tear down the archetypes
580
00:27:40,409 --> 00:27:41,970
that existed before.
581
00:27:41,994 --> 00:27:43,930
This is what a blockbuster
Hollywood movie is.
582
00:27:43,954 --> 00:27:46,224
This is what, like,
a mega-successful,
583
00:27:46,248 --> 00:27:48,601
like, rock band is.
584
00:27:48,625 --> 00:27:51,563
It's all kind of up for grabs,
and people are figuring it out.
585
00:27:51,587 --> 00:27:54,023
[ Indistinct shouting ]
586
00:27:54,047 --> 00:28:00,613
River, in many ways, was the
grungy version of a movie star.
587
00:28:00,637 --> 00:28:02,866
He has this attitude
and appearance,
588
00:28:02,890 --> 00:28:05,451
and sometimes it explicitly
crosses over the... you know,
589
00:28:05,475 --> 00:28:09,289
sort of, like, he hangs out
with the Red Hot Chili Peppers,
590
00:28:09,313 --> 00:28:11,690
becomes great friends with Flea.
591
00:28:13,609 --> 00:28:16,045
-I like to say that River was
592
00:28:16,069 --> 00:28:18,798
a musician
with a damn good day job.
593
00:28:18,822 --> 00:28:21,551
And it's his day job
that made him rich and famous,
594
00:28:21,575 --> 00:28:24,637
but his music
was always his heart.
595
00:28:24,661 --> 00:28:27,891
{\an8}My name is Sasa Hasid Ra.
596
00:28:27,915 --> 00:28:29,684
I'll do a little dance for you.
597
00:28:29,708 --> 00:28:32,312
[ Laughs ]
598
00:28:32,336 --> 00:28:35,982
My relationship with River
was primarily as a friend
599
00:28:36,006 --> 00:28:37,567
and as a little brother,
600
00:28:37,591 --> 00:28:40,320
but also developed into
a musical relationship
601
00:28:40,344 --> 00:28:42,447
where we produced
amazing music together
602
00:28:42,471 --> 00:28:45,825
and wrote some really
beautiful songs.
603
00:28:45,849 --> 00:28:48,703
-I'll probably be, um,
in the Bay Area,
604
00:28:48,727 --> 00:28:53,458
um, playing local
underground clubs.
605
00:28:53,482 --> 00:28:56,169
-I think River was
pretty laid back
606
00:28:56,193 --> 00:28:57,962
in the way
that he dealt with Hollywood.
607
00:28:57,986 --> 00:29:00,298
He didn't... it's not like
he was always eager
608
00:29:00,322 --> 00:29:03,176
to try to get
the most blockbuster movie
609
00:29:03,200 --> 00:29:05,053
and to try to get
all of these contracts.
610
00:29:05,077 --> 00:29:06,679
He was almost more interested in
611
00:29:06,703 --> 00:29:10,558
the artistic expression of film
and acting.
612
00:29:10,582 --> 00:29:12,101
-How old were you, then,
when you started?
613
00:29:12,125 --> 00:29:13,394
-10.
614
00:29:13,418 --> 00:29:14,771
- Is that so?
- Mm-hmm.
615
00:29:14,795 --> 00:29:17,023
Television, commercials,
616
00:29:17,047 --> 00:29:19,734
and then later you, uh,
617
00:29:19,758 --> 00:29:21,903
get cast in a film
if you're lucky.
618
00:29:21,927 --> 00:29:25,365
-Mm-hmm.
You're a natural.
619
00:29:25,389 --> 00:29:26,950
-Uh, I'm not saying anything.
620
00:29:26,974 --> 00:29:28,952
- Mm. I'm saying it.
- Okay, thank you very much.
621
00:29:28,976 --> 00:29:30,954
-Yeah, I thought you did
a wonderful performance
622
00:29:30,978 --> 00:29:32,705
in that movie.
- Thank you very much.
623
00:29:32,729 --> 00:29:34,624
-River Phoenix gets
his big break
624
00:29:34,648 --> 00:29:38,044
{\an8}in the coming-of-age classic
"Stand By Me,"
625
00:29:38,068 --> 00:29:41,422
{\an8}and although he goes on
to accept roles in studio films
626
00:29:41,446 --> 00:29:44,342
with Robert Redford
and Harrison Ford,
627
00:29:44,366 --> 00:29:47,053
he feels more at home
on indie art productions
628
00:29:47,077 --> 00:29:49,138
like "My Own Private Idaho"...
629
00:29:49,162 --> 00:29:50,848
-They could drop a big old bomb
on this city,
630
00:29:50,872 --> 00:29:52,308
and know what we would do?
631
00:29:52,332 --> 00:29:54,268
-Take shelter?
632
00:29:54,292 --> 00:29:57,188
{\an8}-...where he acts alongside
other young voices
633
00:29:57,212 --> 00:30:01,484
{\an8}like Keanu Reeves
and his friend Flea.
634
00:30:01,508 --> 00:30:04,570
-And, actually, one of
the Chili Peppers songs,
635
00:30:04,594 --> 00:30:06,364
"Give It Away"...
636
00:30:06,388 --> 00:30:07,782
♪ Give it away, give it away,
give it away now ♪...
637
00:30:07,806 --> 00:30:09,909
There's an interesting verse
in that
638
00:30:09,933 --> 00:30:13,371
that is like dedicated to River
that most people don't know.
639
00:30:13,395 --> 00:30:15,373
But that first verse...
640
00:30:15,397 --> 00:30:18,584
♪ There's a River
that's always a giver ♪
641
00:30:18,608 --> 00:30:20,920
♪ Keep you warm,
won't ever let you shiver ♪
642
00:30:20,944 --> 00:30:24,007
Yeah, that's, like, about River,
'cause he was so, so generous.
643
00:30:24,031 --> 00:30:26,134
He was such a generous
kind of...
644
00:30:26,158 --> 00:30:28,886
He was always a giver.
645
00:30:28,910 --> 00:30:32,432
-A lot of it was sort of, like,
caretaker for the Earth.
646
00:30:32,456 --> 00:30:34,767
And so you have this,
uh, sense of, like,
647
00:30:34,791 --> 00:30:36,686
River Phoenix
cares about the dolphins,
648
00:30:36,710 --> 00:30:38,855
and he cares about animals
and his dogs,
649
00:30:38,879 --> 00:30:40,898
and he believes in
the rainforest.
650
00:30:40,922 --> 00:30:44,318
And he's, like, in many ways
could serve as a movie fan's
651
00:30:44,342 --> 00:30:47,572
introduction
to larger social issues.
652
00:30:47,596 --> 00:30:50,783
-Like a handful of other
young stars at the time,
653
00:30:50,807 --> 00:30:53,536
Rivers starts using heroin
as a way to cope
654
00:30:53,560 --> 00:30:56,497
with the pressures
of his success.
655
00:30:56,521 --> 00:30:58,416
-I don't do television.
656
00:30:58,440 --> 00:31:01,836
I don't want to sit there
and be a puppet.
657
00:31:01,860 --> 00:31:05,339
And you become more of, like,
a speaking piece for their show
658
00:31:05,363 --> 00:31:07,717
than you're on film,
and so then you have
659
00:31:07,741 --> 00:31:10,428
shows all the time
showing clips of the film,
660
00:31:10,452 --> 00:31:12,513
speaking about the film,
but you don't have,
661
00:31:12,537 --> 00:31:15,683
{\an1}"And then we talked to the actor
River [gibberish] Robert Penis."
662
00:31:15,707 --> 00:31:18,102
And, you know, I sit down, like,
"Yeah," and then like,
663
00:31:18,126 --> 00:31:20,646
"Yeah, I had a fun time doing
this project.
664
00:31:20,670 --> 00:31:22,231
Yeah."
665
00:31:22,255 --> 00:31:25,443
It's just stupid, man.
It's just a waste of time.
666
00:31:25,467 --> 00:31:28,988
- Why?
- It bores me.
667
00:31:29,012 --> 00:31:31,491
And it scares the shit
out of me, too, to be frank.
668
00:31:31,515 --> 00:31:34,535
- To be in front of a camera?
- Oh, it's so frightening.
669
00:31:34,559 --> 00:31:38,664
{\an8}♪♪
670
00:31:38,688 --> 00:31:43,669
-I had seen River Phoenix
a few months earlier.
671
00:31:43,693 --> 00:31:47,090
I didn't know it was
River Phoenix at first.
672
00:31:47,114 --> 00:31:51,803
He was sprawled in the middle
of the back little corner,
673
00:31:51,827 --> 00:31:54,097
and I was like,
"Who is that really cute
674
00:31:54,121 --> 00:31:55,807
{\an8}and really... up boy?"
675
00:31:55,831 --> 00:31:57,433
{\an8}And someone said,
"That's River Phoenix."
676
00:31:57,457 --> 00:31:59,477
{\an8}And I was like,
"That's River Phoenix?"
677
00:31:59,501 --> 00:32:03,314
- Can you get me one, Scott?
- Yeah, I will.
678
00:32:03,338 --> 00:32:05,650
-A glass of wine would be good.
679
00:32:05,674 --> 00:32:07,860
-He's got addiction problems,
and at a certain point
680
00:32:07,884 --> 00:32:09,278
he's going to have to
deal with this.
681
00:32:09,302 --> 00:32:12,031
-Thank you. Thank you.
That's all.
682
00:32:12,055 --> 00:32:15,243
-He would clean out and dry out
when he was making a movie,
683
00:32:15,267 --> 00:32:18,371
for example, his last movie,
you know, was "Dark Blood,"
684
00:32:18,395 --> 00:32:19,997
and it was filmed in the desert,
685
00:32:20,021 --> 00:32:23,209
and he sort of showed up
straight
686
00:32:23,233 --> 00:32:25,169
and going for, like, long hikes.
687
00:32:25,193 --> 00:32:28,881
{\an8}And when he got away from L.A.,
he was able to, like, you know,
688
00:32:28,905 --> 00:32:31,801
{\an8}not have people, like,
feeding him cocaine.
689
00:32:31,825 --> 00:32:33,719
And, you know, it's like,
"Here's what you need."
690
00:32:33,743 --> 00:32:36,472
{\an1}-That's why I don't hang out and
talk to those Hollywood people,
691
00:32:36,496 --> 00:32:39,225
because they're there to...
To hurt me.
692
00:32:39,249 --> 00:32:41,644
They're there to hurt my...
My views.
693
00:32:41,668 --> 00:32:43,563
[ Indistinct shouting ]
694
00:32:43,587 --> 00:32:45,940
-And he actually said
to the director, George Sluizer,
695
00:32:45,964 --> 00:32:48,484
when, like, uh,
filming this shifted
696
00:32:48,508 --> 00:32:50,611
from the desert to L.A.,
he said,
697
00:32:50,635 --> 00:32:53,030
"I'm going back
to the bad, bad town.
698
00:32:53,054 --> 00:32:54,740
Like, this is where
temptation is for me."
699
00:32:54,764 --> 00:32:58,411
{\an8}[ Jet engine roaring ]
700
00:32:58,435 --> 00:33:00,413
{\an8}-River gets to town,
and he pretty much
701
00:33:00,437 --> 00:33:03,416
immediately falls off the wagon.
He's out of it.
702
00:33:03,440 --> 00:33:05,501
Like, there was sort of,
like, uh, meetings
703
00:33:05,525 --> 00:33:07,628
he's supposed to take
with directors where he's,
704
00:33:07,652 --> 00:33:10,173
you know, like, slurring
his words and, you know,
705
00:33:10,197 --> 00:33:12,216
calls up his agent, and they can
tell, like, he's in...
706
00:33:12,240 --> 00:33:14,910
Within 24 hours
he's in bad shape.
707
00:33:16,745 --> 00:33:19,348
Samantha Mathis,
his girlfriend, is there.
708
00:33:19,372 --> 00:33:21,267
Two of his siblings
are there, as well...
709
00:33:21,291 --> 00:33:25,771
Joaquin Phoenix
and his sister Rain.
710
00:33:25,795 --> 00:33:28,608
His siblings... they want to go
out to The Viper Room.
711
00:33:28,632 --> 00:33:30,818
It's the hot club in town.
They're curious
712
00:33:30,842 --> 00:33:34,322
He's gonna stay in and just sort
of, like, have a quiet night,
713
00:33:34,346 --> 00:33:37,950
um, so he's in good shape
for tomorrow's shooting.
714
00:33:37,974 --> 00:33:40,244
"You guys go have a good time
at The Viper Room."
715
00:33:40,268 --> 00:33:42,663
His girlfriend's gonna take
his siblings there,
716
00:33:42,687 --> 00:33:44,290
and as they're, like,
heading out the room
717
00:33:44,314 --> 00:33:45,666
and, like, going to
the elevator, like,
718
00:33:45,690 --> 00:33:48,252
he changes his mind.
719
00:33:48,276 --> 00:33:50,129
Like, "Okay," like, "let's go,"
720
00:33:50,153 --> 00:33:52,656
and runs after them
into the night.
721
00:33:54,741 --> 00:33:57,428
-I got a call from
"Spin" magazine,
722
00:33:57,452 --> 00:33:59,639
whom I was writing for
in those days.
723
00:33:59,663 --> 00:34:03,893
Um, "Will you go and cover
this band at The Viper Room?"
724
00:34:03,917 --> 00:34:05,937
And went there, and the line
was just insane.
725
00:34:05,961 --> 00:34:07,897
Everybody wanted
to get in that night
726
00:34:07,921 --> 00:34:10,066
because there was
a special band playing.
727
00:34:10,090 --> 00:34:14,445
It was kind of a super group,
and it was called "P,"
728
00:34:14,469 --> 00:34:16,322
the initial "P."
729
00:34:16,346 --> 00:34:17,990
- "P" was Johnny Depp's band
730
00:34:18,014 --> 00:34:21,911
that included Gibby Haynes
from the Butthole Surfers.
731
00:34:21,935 --> 00:34:26,123
Also sitting in that night
was Rivers' friend Flea.
732
00:34:26,147 --> 00:34:28,125
[ Indistinct talking ]
733
00:34:28,149 --> 00:34:33,422
-I went into the club,
and it was already packed.
734
00:34:33,446 --> 00:34:36,592
I went to the dressing room,
which was what I always did,
735
00:34:36,616 --> 00:34:39,303
but the door
was pretty much locked.
736
00:34:39,327 --> 00:34:42,640
People that knew me inside the
dressing room at The Viper Room
737
00:34:42,664 --> 00:34:44,016
on that night
weren't letting me in.
738
00:34:44,040 --> 00:34:47,103
I knew what was going on
in there.
739
00:34:47,127 --> 00:34:48,980
-It's a crowded, dark room,
740
00:34:49,004 --> 00:34:52,858
{\an1}and there's a lot of conflicting
versions of, uh, what happened.
741
00:34:52,882 --> 00:34:56,404
{\an8}♪♪
742
00:34:56,428 --> 00:34:59,198
It's possible that most of them
are true and different people
743
00:34:59,222 --> 00:35:03,869
saw different things happen
and it all added up.
744
00:35:03,893 --> 00:35:06,539
The version that I heard
from a friend of his
745
00:35:06,563 --> 00:35:08,207
was somebody walked up
to the table
746
00:35:08,231 --> 00:35:09,583
and then gave him this cup
and says,
747
00:35:09,607 --> 00:35:13,587
"Drink this.
You'll feel great."
748
00:35:13,611 --> 00:35:15,548
And River does and downs it
749
00:35:15,572 --> 00:35:17,216
and almost immediately
starts to feel
750
00:35:17,240 --> 00:35:19,051
like there's something
in the drink
751
00:35:19,075 --> 00:35:21,911
that's starting to send his body
into convulsions.
752
00:35:24,581 --> 00:35:28,060
-I watched a few songs of "P."
753
00:35:28,084 --> 00:35:32,732
It was humid, it was sweaty,
and it was super smoky.
754
00:35:32,756 --> 00:35:34,734
I was like,
"I can't stand this anymore."
755
00:35:34,758 --> 00:35:37,236
So I opened the door
to Sunset Strip,
756
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:40,698
and I almost tripped
over paramedics
757
00:35:40,722 --> 00:35:42,074
resuscitating someone.
758
00:35:42,098 --> 00:35:43,576
I mean, I'm literally
almost tripped.
759
00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,786
It was happening
right in front of the door.
760
00:35:45,810 --> 00:35:50,875
[ Siren wailing,
police radio chatter ]
761
00:35:50,899 --> 00:35:53,502
Then I looked down,
as one would naturally do,
762
00:35:53,526 --> 00:35:56,922
and I saw who it was,
and I was like, shocked.
763
00:35:56,946 --> 00:35:58,948
[ Police radio chatter ]
764
00:36:03,036 --> 00:36:05,372
[ Sirens wailing,
horns honking ]
765
00:36:30,105 --> 00:36:33,751
-There was this heartbreaking
tape of his brother watching,
766
00:36:33,775 --> 00:36:35,586
you know, sort of, like,
losing his mind
767
00:36:35,610 --> 00:36:38,196
because his brother is dying
in front of him.
768
00:36:49,749 --> 00:36:51,751
{\an8}[ Sirens wailing ]
769
00:36:55,088 --> 00:36:57,274
He's, like, on the sidewalk
770
00:36:57,298 --> 00:36:58,734
right in front of
The Viper Room.
771
00:36:58,758 --> 00:37:00,236
He's having seizures.
772
00:37:00,260 --> 00:37:03,114
Um, his sister is lying
on top of his body
773
00:37:03,138 --> 00:37:04,824
trying to, like, sort of,
like, settle down
774
00:37:04,848 --> 00:37:06,659
and, like, stop him
from hurting himself
775
00:37:06,683 --> 00:37:08,685
{\an8}as he flails around.
776
00:37:30,415 --> 00:37:32,500
{\an8}-[ Sobbing ]
777
00:37:35,378 --> 00:37:39,108
-This tape gets played over
and over in the aftermath.
778
00:37:39,132 --> 00:37:41,485
And this is, like, the moment
when America,
779
00:37:41,509 --> 00:37:44,697
like, met Joaquin Phoenix,
when, you know, sort of like,
780
00:37:44,721 --> 00:37:46,615
you know, at the lowest point
of his life.
781
00:37:46,639 --> 00:37:49,535
{\an1}His brother, who he, like, loved
and worshipped and looked up to
782
00:37:49,559 --> 00:37:51,603
is dying in front of him.
783
00:37:54,564 --> 00:37:57,835
-Seeing the first responders
with defibrillators
784
00:37:57,859 --> 00:38:01,338
and with an oxygen mask on
and with, like, girls,
785
00:38:01,362 --> 00:38:04,008
like, screaming and crying
on the sidewalk,
786
00:38:04,032 --> 00:38:05,676
I have tears
in my eyes right now.
787
00:38:05,700 --> 00:38:07,386
That was a traumatic thing.
788
00:38:07,410 --> 00:38:09,555
I didn't talk about that
for a long time.
789
00:38:09,579 --> 00:38:14,059
[ Siren wailing, horn honking ]
790
00:38:14,083 --> 00:38:18,713
It's not nice to witness
someone dying like that.
791
00:38:20,131 --> 00:38:23,235
-The band that was playing, uh,
finishes their set,
792
00:38:23,259 --> 00:38:25,112
and they hear, "Oh, a friend of
Flea's is having,
793
00:38:25,136 --> 00:38:27,448
like, a bad time,"
and so they come out,
794
00:38:27,472 --> 00:38:29,241
and Flea see what's happening
795
00:38:29,265 --> 00:38:32,077
and, like, rides in
the ambulance to the hospital.
796
00:38:32,101 --> 00:38:33,454
And they take him
to Cedars-Sinai,
797
00:38:33,478 --> 00:38:35,748
and they work
for about half an hour
798
00:38:35,772 --> 00:38:37,416
before they clear
that he's dead.
799
00:38:37,440 --> 00:38:39,919
But, you know, he died there,
like, on the sidewalk
800
00:38:39,943 --> 00:38:41,629
outside The Viper Room.
801
00:38:41,653 --> 00:38:44,173
-An investigation is underway
into the sudden death
802
00:38:44,197 --> 00:38:46,800
of one of Hollywood's
brightest young stars.
803
00:38:46,824 --> 00:38:49,345
23-year-old River Phoenix
collapsed
804
00:38:49,369 --> 00:38:52,264
outside a Los Angeles nightclub
early this morning.
805
00:38:52,288 --> 00:38:54,350
-The actor's brother says
he might have taken drugs
806
00:38:54,374 --> 00:38:56,185
before he died.
807
00:38:56,209 --> 00:38:57,811
-Toxicology results came back.
808
00:38:57,835 --> 00:39:00,564
Uh, the findings were that
he was found to have
809
00:39:00,588 --> 00:39:02,733
cocaine and heroin.
810
00:39:02,757 --> 00:39:05,569
It metabolizes as morphine
in the body,
811
00:39:05,593 --> 00:39:08,197
and, uh, they were
very high levels.
812
00:39:08,221 --> 00:39:15,746
{\an8}♪♪
813
00:39:15,770 --> 00:39:19,875
{\an8}-It was very difficult
when River passed.
814
00:39:19,899 --> 00:39:21,669
{\an8}Joaquin and I, you know,
815
00:39:21,693 --> 00:39:24,338
we didn't ever talk about
the specifics of that night.
816
00:39:24,362 --> 00:39:28,884
You know, it was too painful,
I think.
817
00:39:28,908 --> 00:39:31,428
But, um, we cried a lot.
818
00:39:31,452 --> 00:39:35,474
We cried a lot together,
you know, an ocean of tears.
819
00:39:35,498 --> 00:39:37,893
And, um, he was
such a beautiful boy.
820
00:39:37,917 --> 00:39:42,940
And he definitely left,
you know, way too young,
821
00:39:42,964 --> 00:39:45,276
you know,
too young to die for sure.
822
00:39:45,300 --> 00:39:48,595
[ Indistinct talking ]
823
00:39:50,847 --> 00:39:52,700
{\an8}♪♪
824
00:39:52,724 --> 00:39:55,411
-By the late '90s,
a new breed of celebrity
825
00:39:55,435 --> 00:39:58,330
invades the Sunset Strip.
826
00:39:58,354 --> 00:40:01,875
And for those who found safety
behind The Viper Room's walls,
827
00:40:01,899 --> 00:40:05,045
everything is about to change.
828
00:40:05,069 --> 00:40:07,590
-Reality TV kind of came around
and changed a lot
829
00:40:07,614 --> 00:40:09,925
of what fame was in America.
830
00:40:09,949 --> 00:40:11,669
-Watch out, watch out,
watch out, watch out!
831
00:40:15,580 --> 00:40:16,807
-The goal is that one day
every home in America
832
00:40:16,831 --> 00:40:18,392
will have a special cable box.
833
00:40:18,416 --> 00:40:20,561
We will hook up our computer,
our telephone,
834
00:40:20,585 --> 00:40:23,814
our video camera, and our TV
to that one box.
835
00:40:23,838 --> 00:40:25,566
[ Dial-up connection
screeching ]
836
00:40:25,590 --> 00:40:28,193
-In the late '90s, the Internet
matures from chat rooms
837
00:40:28,217 --> 00:40:31,864
and pay-per-view porn
into a powerful media tool
838
00:40:31,888 --> 00:40:37,369
that's altering our very concept
of what it means to be famous.
839
00:40:37,393 --> 00:40:41,123
And nowhere is that
transformation more evident
840
00:40:41,147 --> 00:40:44,501
than on L.A.'s Sunset Strip.
841
00:40:44,525 --> 00:40:46,879
-Every generation felt that
their generation was better
842
00:40:46,903 --> 00:40:49,882
than the generation
that came after them.
843
00:40:49,906 --> 00:40:52,217
And that just happens
every generation.
844
00:40:52,241 --> 00:40:54,845
But there is a definite line
in the sand
845
00:40:54,869 --> 00:40:58,724
with a pre-Internet
and a post-Internet,
846
00:40:58,748 --> 00:41:01,352
and that's the big demarcation.
847
00:41:01,376 --> 00:41:03,062
I don't remember any actors
in the '90s
848
00:41:03,086 --> 00:41:06,315
referring to themselves
as a brand.
849
00:41:06,339 --> 00:41:09,693
-I don't like L.A.
as much anymore.
850
00:41:09,717 --> 00:41:11,612
It's not what it was then.
851
00:41:11,636 --> 00:41:13,572
It really turned into a town
where there were a lot of people
852
00:41:13,596 --> 00:41:16,450
who got famous for being famous.
853
00:41:16,474 --> 00:41:18,160
And a lot of the sons
and daughters
854
00:41:18,184 --> 00:41:21,038
of really rich people,
you know, and famous people...
855
00:41:21,062 --> 00:41:23,123
That started to be, like,
a real thing in L.A.
856
00:41:23,147 --> 00:41:27,086
- When we got the...
- The '90s were the last era
857
00:41:27,110 --> 00:41:31,757
where it was really uncool
to like being famous.
858
00:41:31,781 --> 00:41:34,259
I think that era is long gone.
859
00:41:34,283 --> 00:41:36,011
-Right here, right here,
right here.
860
00:41:36,035 --> 00:41:38,931
-Fame used to be
the unfortunate byproduct
861
00:41:38,955 --> 00:41:41,266
of being really good
at something,
862
00:41:41,290 --> 00:41:44,687
whereas I think now
with a lot of people coming up,
863
00:41:44,711 --> 00:41:47,439
fame is the end goal.
864
00:41:47,463 --> 00:41:51,110
-With this new breed of
celebrity taking over the Strip,
865
00:41:51,134 --> 00:41:56,740
Johnny Depp finally sells off
The Viper Room in 2004.
866
00:41:56,764 --> 00:42:01,620
Although the name stays
the same, the vibe does not.
867
00:42:01,644 --> 00:42:05,874
And soon the Hollywood royalty
stop showing up.
868
00:42:05,898 --> 00:42:09,795
-I haven't been to
The Viper Room lately,
869
00:42:09,819 --> 00:42:12,089
meaning in the past few years.
870
00:42:12,113 --> 00:42:15,384
I constantly say that I am not
in rock 'n' roll anymore,
871
00:42:15,408 --> 00:42:17,636
and people roll
their eyes at me.
872
00:42:17,660 --> 00:42:19,680
[ Laughs ]
873
00:42:19,704 --> 00:42:27,187
-I can't really say when my sort
of Viper days drew to a close,
874
00:42:27,211 --> 00:42:29,398
because by the time you realize,
875
00:42:29,422 --> 00:42:34,403
"Oh, I haven't been there
in a while, huh"...
876
00:42:34,427 --> 00:42:36,471
I guess... I guess it's over.
877
00:42:38,639 --> 00:42:42,453
The Viper Room
wasn't The Viper Room anymore.
878
00:42:42,477 --> 00:42:46,415
Those... those golden hours
don't last forever.
879
00:42:46,439 --> 00:42:49,209
It's only an hour.
880
00:42:49,233 --> 00:42:52,171
You know, commerce
catches up to everything,
881
00:42:52,195 --> 00:42:55,340
and now the Viper Room
is going to be bulldozed,
882
00:42:55,364 --> 00:42:59,178
and a hotel is gonna be
erected in that space,
883
00:42:59,202 --> 00:43:02,306
and then it'll be gone forever.
884
00:43:02,330 --> 00:43:04,683
-Yeah, I mean, we all have to
grow up with that.
885
00:43:04,707 --> 00:43:07,186
You go to the places that you
grew up going to see shows,
886
00:43:07,210 --> 00:43:10,272
and they're...
They're not there anymore.
887
00:43:10,296 --> 00:43:15,360
-I have lifelong friends
because of The Viper Room
888
00:43:15,384 --> 00:43:17,112
that I met at The Viper Room
889
00:43:17,136 --> 00:43:19,615
and grew to love
at The Viper Room.
890
00:43:19,639 --> 00:43:23,368
So you just have to be
appreciative of what you had
891
00:43:23,392 --> 00:43:25,454
and the time you had,
892
00:43:25,478 --> 00:43:27,563
because you can't get that back.
893
00:43:29,899 --> 00:43:34,129
-The Viper Room gave me a home
at a time when I needed one,
894
00:43:34,153 --> 00:43:39,176
and it gave me a place
to be an artist again,
895
00:43:39,200 --> 00:43:42,262
{\an8}Um, I will treasure Johnny Depp
896
00:43:42,286 --> 00:43:45,098
{\an8}for the rest of my life
because of that.
897
00:43:45,122 --> 00:43:46,642
{\an8}It changed my life,
898
00:43:46,666 --> 00:43:50,062
{\an8}and, uh, it was
the making of me in some ways,
899
00:43:50,086 --> 00:43:53,649
{\an8}the remaking of me, uh,
put it that way.
900
00:43:53,673 --> 00:43:56,985
{\an8}[ Cheers and applause ]
901
00:43:57,009 --> 00:43:59,905
{\an8}♪♪
902
00:43:59,929 --> 00:44:02,431
{\an8}[ Cheers and applause continue ]