||| ? and The Mysterians |||

"Are You For Real?

96 Years"

a film by

Terry Murphy

Trailer and Film Clips are now hosted on the

ARE YOU FOR REAL? YouTube Channel

In the vast wasteland of suburban Detroit way back in the 1970s, I had a job, and it was a good one.

I worked in my friend’s greeting cards store, and boy, we sure had fun in that place.

We goofed off, ate pizza and submarine sandwiches, and we slept off our Saturday hangovers on the warehouse shelves.

The blaring oldies radio station was always there, spittin’ out the hits.

At least once a day Question Mark and The Mysterians’ “96 Tears” would shatter the airwaves, and get us dancing and singing along. It was positively our favorite.

? and The Mysterians-W/Dick-1966

I found the band’s first album at a garage sale and I wore out the grooves. I discovered they were from Michigan. They looked like bad-asses, and I liked that. The music was unique and fun -- the definition of rock and roll.

But life went on, and on.

In 1997, I heard from my cousin that the original band had reformed and was playing around the state. He and his son had gone to one of their shows and snuck backstage to meet them.

He said the Mysterians were cool guys and that Question Mark was "out of this world."

I asked him to pass along my phone number to Question Mark, figuring I'd make a little ten minute documentary film about the band.

Little did I know that my first ten minutes with Question Mark would, like the Twilight Zone, carry me off into another dimension that blurred the lines between space and time.

Q'-Austin,TX-1998

The man claims he is from Mars, and that he came to this planet when the Dinosaurs tromped the earth. Obviously, something of this enormity would not be covered in my "10 minute film".

(myself with "THE ENIGMA"-December 31,2000)

It soon became very clear to me that I would be documenting the mythical Question Mark for the remainder of my life, and the enormity of the thought left me franticly searching for another filmmaker since I‘ll have to depart from this planet before this monster‘s completed.

(Q' and THE GHOUL-March,2003)

Hopefully, I’ll find someone youthful enough carry the project through to Q's 96th birthday celebration, because the people on this here planet need to see it! So do the extraterrestrials, who Question Mark assures me do indeed exist.

Little Frank and Bobby -1998

Rest assured, though, this documentary in its short form will soon come to life. I hope you enjoy what I‘ve put together so far.

Joy and Precious 1998

Presently the film is entitled "Are You For Real?"-but I'm thinking of changing the title to "96 Years"

Thanks so much for checking it out !

Terry Murphy