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Alice's Nightmare Filmed Live

Alice Cooper's Welcome To My Nightmare show was filmed in London recently for conversion to a movie and soundtrack LP. The producers hope to have the film premier in 17 Canadian cinemas on November 28.

The film is being directed and co-produced by David Winter, who also choreographed the show. A total of 60,000 feet of film was shot from ten cameras placed around the arena, with finishing touches put on at Shepperton Studios. The soundtrack, which will be released later, was recorded with a 24-track mobile unit. Alice reportedly expects to receive £125,000 from the film.

Alice is back in the States now after a successful European tour marred only by a harrowing experience in West Germany which resulted in the cancellation of his last two scheduled concerts there, in Hamburg and Dortmund. Alice claims his entourage was falsely accused of looting a hotel in Munich after a concert there. Cooper's version of the story is that the hotel charged his party of 40 for two nights when it actually only stayed one, and when he refused to pay the bill he found himself accused of stealing things like towels and television sets. "This was absolute rubbish," he told reporters.

Then, Cooper says, customs officials in Munich failed to properly investigate the hotel's accusations and confiscated passports, delaying the entire company three-and-a-half hours after their original departure item. German officials also failed to provide adequate security during concerts and were "extremely negative and uncooperative," according to a spokesperson for Cooper.

In London, Alice ended the affair by declaring that he would "exile" himself from the Continent (Britain excluded). However, a spokesperson said later that "the exile bit was just Alice being a bit flamboyant." Cooper may, however, avoid Germany in the future.

'I'm Not Lewd,' Swears Alice

"There's nothing lewd in this show," Alice Cooper told a reporter before one of the warm-up dates on his 68 show "Welcome To My Nightmare" tour. "I believe in suggestion. I don't do it. I suggest it." But Alice's reputation for the violently bizarre preceded him in Erie, Pa., where the local Humane Society called the concert promoter to check out rumors that evil Alice was skinning cats on stage. While Erie's animal lovers were quickly assured that nothing of the kind took place in Alice's new all-singing, all-dancing revue, the Australian immigration authorities were not so easily convinced. When the semi-documentary feature film "Good To See You Again, Alice Cooper" was screened Down Under, a number of upset mothers complained to the cultural minister who in turn passed the buck to the man in charge of granting work permits and visas. Without seeing an Alice Cooper show for himself, the immigration chief resolved not to allow Alice into Australia, although Cooper cannot legally be refused entry into the country before he asks for it.

With reviews of the "Nightmare" show taking a decidedly positive turn, Alice's $800,000 production is expected to gross between $5 and 6 million. Adding to his list of fans who are celebrities in their own right, Alice accomodated musical comedy star Carol Channing's request for five barkstage passes for the Atlanta show, while writer/model/actress/photographer Candice Bergen toured with the Coop for several days in order to put together a lengthy feature for a major men's magazine.

Meanwhile, Michael Bruce, Dennis Dunaway, and Neil Smith met with Alice in Detroit, squelching rumours that the "old" Alice Cooper band aren't talking. No specific plans were made for the group to get back together in the immediate future, however, as Alice has plans to take the "Nightmare" show around the world before he considers any future recordings.