MORE TRIBUTES TO ANDY SIDARIS

R.I.P. Andy Sidaris
by Rod Lott, Hitch Magazine
March 17th, 2007

I received word yesterday that film director Andy Sidaris died last week at the age of 76 from throat cancer. I didn’t even know he was sick. Even if I did, the news still would have saddened me.

I got to know Andy nearly seven years ago, when I approached him about doing an interview for Hitch. He liked the issues I had sent, so he wholeheartedly agreed to a phone interview (it became the cover for Hitch 25, one of most popular issues ever). I think we talked for more than an hour. I’ve interviewed lots of celebs and big shots and famous people, but Andy literally was the nicest of them all. He was funny and genial and a real character, but what I took away most from that was the respect and gratitude he showed me.

And it didn’t end there. Every few months or so, the phone would ring – usually during dinner – and I’d answer and hear “Rod, Andy Sidaris!” in his big, booming voice. Sometimes he’d call to let me know what he was working on and what he needed promoted. Other times he’d just call to thank me for past support and that was all. He was always “up” and a pleasure to talk to. Watch Andy on the special features of his DVDs; that’s exactly the Andy I knew.

Although I never got the chance to meet him personally, I’d still consider him a friend. When his wife Arlene e-mailed me the news yesterday, my heart dropped. It was a crushing start to the weekend.

Andy may be gone, but he’ll never be forgotten. He lives on in memories and, of course, in his movies, none of which are boring. In his memory this week, you should watch one. Better yet, you should admire the female form, blow up a remote-control vehicle and have a champagne toast in a hot tub. That’s what he’d want, don’t you think? –Rod Lott

From Mike J, DVD Movie Central
March 23rd, 2007

This is a little late, but I just learned about it... we were deeply saddened to learn of the recent death of Andy Sidaris.

Andy was one of the true nice guys in the business. He made a name for himself as a revolutionary director and producer at ABC sports, and later parlayed that into making fun, sexy, lowbrow films filled with beautiful ladies, action and comedy. I had the opportunity to review his box set The Andy Sidaris Collection some time back, and had a great time both watching the movies and penning the review.

Andy actually read my piece online and enjoyed it. He sent me a nice handwritten letter, and even a copy of his book Bullets, Bombs and Babes, which he was kind enough to sign for me. It's my most treasured artifact from the website. He wrote "To Mike J - you're a genius!" I've never forgotten that, and I still have his book and his letter to this day.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife Arlene, their children, and all of Andy's family. He will be greatly missed.

My Memories of Andy
by Dan Cziraky, VideoScope
March 19th, 2007

In 1991, I was on the staff of a new magazine from Cinefantastique publisher Fred Clarke, titled Femme Fatales. The magazine was literally just starting up, and I was soon promoted to Associate Editor by Editor-in-Chief Bill George. One of my earliest assignments was to interview Andy Sidaris, a director whose earlier films, Malibu Express, Hard Ticket to Hawaii, and Savage Beach, I had seen in theaters on the East Coast. I telephoned Andy at his Beverly Hills home, and ... it was like I was an old friend!

The interview was looong, and laden with such salty language as I'd only ever heard one other person use before: my father! Well, I also ended up interviewing Dona Speir for a sidebar in the same issue. I tried to convince Bill George to give Andy the cover--we had that great poster image for Hard Hunted of Dona and Roberta Vasquez in gold lamee gowns, with the gyrocopter and fireball behind them! Unfortunately, I think they ended up going with some painting of Traci Lords as the cover. But, still, between the Andy and Dona interviews, I think they got 22 pages devoted to them!

Well, when the issue came out, Andy was flabbergasted. He called me up and said it was the best piece ever written about him. He was going to have a premiere screening of Hard Hunted in NYC, and invited me to it. It was at Planet Hollywood in New York, and it was a hoot. Regis Filbin was there, and Andy introduced me to him by saying, "Regis, this guy wrote the best article on my movies that has ever been written! He gets it!"

And, that was the truth. I got it. I got Andy, I got his movies and what he was trying to do with them. I got what he was saying with them. And Andy appreciated that, and the fact that I took him seriously.

I would later walk away from Femme Fatales, but kept in touch with Andy. When the folks that run the biennial Chiller Theatre Model, Toy & Film Expo decided to branch out in August 1993 with Spy-Fi Fest, we invited Andy and Arlene, as well as Dona Speir. Well, it coincided with Andy's NYC premiere of Fit to Kill, but he had to pass in order to make the rounds promoting the film. But, Dona came, and had a blast. Then, we all met up again at Planet Hollywood for the FTK premiere.

I was able to chronicle the next phase of his career, and interview Drew Sidaris and Julie Strain, too, for an article on Skyhawks Films and Enemy Gold for Scream Queens Illustrated.

Over the years since then, I've been fortunate enough to continue covering Andy's films in the pages of The Phantom of the Movies' VideoScope magazine. And, I was fortunate enough to remain Andy's friend. We'd talk, and exchange letters (Andy was definitely NOT an e-mail kinda guy). In fact, I had just spoken to him back in October, and also got a letter from him. I hadn't heard from him in awhile, though, and had made the decision on March 7 to give him a call over the weekend. Then, I got Arlene's e-mail on March 8.

Sadly, I didn't learn about this Yahoo! Group devoted to Andy & his films until just this weekend. But, Andy knew I loved him. I might have loved his films first, but his films were responsible for forging a great friendship. I'm going to miss him, but I can always pop in a DVD and see him and Julie Strain kibbutzing for the cameras, or listen to him and Arlene telling how they made their films. And besides, I've got my memories of our fun times at Planet Hollywood and the Stage Door Deli, too. As long as we all remember him, he's not really gone.