“Anvil! The Story of Anvil”, was awarded the “Best Documentary” category at this year’s Independent Spirit Awards, which was held last night (Friday, March 5) at LA Live’s panoramic event deck in downtown Los Angeles. ANVIL also performed twice during the ceremony, which aired live and uncut on IFC. Below is a review of the film by Chris Gore. It’s good to see the Canadians having such a bang on year…first the olympics and now this! Rock on dear readers……rock on!

Rush is an epic band for the ages.  Rush is also Canada’s pride and their best-known musical act.  Rush has had hit albums for decades.  Rush can fill stadiums on tour.  Rush has universal appeal having been referenced in recent films such as Adventures of Power, Fanboys and I Love You, Man.  Unfortunately, Anvil is not Rush.

Anvil is also from Canada and has been around for decades, but they are not widely known outside their small fan-base and they certainly can’t fill stadiums. Heck, they can barely fill a living room.  Despite the fact that you’ve probably never heard of the metal sensation from the Great White North, Anvil is well-respected by members of other metal bands.  In fact, when Lars Ulrich of Metallica is asked about bands that have been together the longest there are only two that come to mind, The Rolling Stones and Anvil.

The harrowing and inspiring story of the amazing music doc, Anvil! The Story of Anvil will enlighten members of new bands about the long road ahead.  Longtime members and friends Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Robb Reiner (yes, his real name) work horrible jobs just so they can take months off to tour in Europe where they have a modest number of fans.  While juggling catering gigs and a simple home life, touring takes its toll in weak venues where unscrupulous owners often refuse to pay.  One such deal-gone-wrong results in an owner offering goulash as payment since the band showed up late.  The boys did not take too kindly to this insult and he ended up getting his throat throttled.

One has to wonder why they keep playing with all the depressing realities of touring, y’know, never getting paid, empty venues from poorly promoted gigs, awful food, bad hotels or no hotels.  The answer comes in the form of the band’s meeting with their biggest fan from Japan who has traveled far to see them play.  The looks on the faces of Lips and Robb as they speak to that lone fan provides everything you need to know about why they’ve never quit doing what they do.

Anvil’s never-say-die attitude is a lesson for anyone with a dream they won’t let die.

By Chris Gore

Seeing a movie in a theater can be miserable these days.

Texting.

Talking.

Smoking.

It’s nearly impossible to freely smoke or send a text message to a friend during a movie without being bothered. Some get upset over this and even tell you to stop smoking or to put your phone away. The nerve! That’s when I tell them exactly WHERE they can GO!

And then an usher usually escorts me out.

In any case, there is a place you can go, long forgotten by most moviegoers, in which you can do all of these things and more. Heck, you can bring a pizza, adult beverages and your own smoke of choice. Here you can watch a movie in a comfortable setting and enjoy the freedom to do whatever the hell you want.

It’s called… the Drive-In.

At their height in the 1960s, there were nearly 5,000 Drive-In theater screens. Now, they number less than 500 in the United States with most having been converted into weekend swap meets or used car lots. This radical 90% drop in screens since the 1960s almost killed the industry. Somehow the habit of taking the family to the Drive-In was weaned out of most of the culture. The joy of seeing a film outdoors while sitting comfortably in a car may be lost on a generation of moviegoers. Teenagers who once dry humped for the first time at a Drive-In, are now relegated to sending dirty pics and texts without the luxury of private time. Today’s young teens are missing out on a critical life experience and must resort to “technology” to get their first sexual thrills rather than actual touching.

Luckily, ambitious film festivals in New York, Austin, Dallas and Las Vegas, among others, have supported alternative screenings at makeshift Drive-Ins. Their mission is to reintroduce the wonderful experience associated with seeing a film under the stars in a car. And now, Drive-Ins all over the country are enjoying a rebirth.

One of the most useful web sites dedicated to information about these lost treasures is Drive-In Movie which lists addresses and information by state for each screen. Interestingly, there are more screens in the southern U.S. than any other part of the country where many Drive-Ins never really left.

In the Los Angeles area, my favorite is the Pacific Vineland Drive-In in the City of Industry probably because it’s one of the few left in town. The Vineland may be a bit rundown, but that only adds character. One thing you must know is that on Fridays and Saturdays, the Vineland is packed with cars winding around the block before the boxoffice opens. The Vineland features four screens and each screen shows two movies – one film plays at dusk, the second film plays, and then the first film plays a second time. If you switch screens, you can potentially see three films in one night. The cost is only $8.00 for adults and kids under 12 are free.

There is no right way to enjoy it, but I do have some tips to ensure you have the ultimate Drive-In experience:

1. Park wisely.

When entering the Drive-In, it helps to keep the lights off so as not to disturb those setting in to watch the flick. If you plan to stay in your vehicle during the show, be sure to park on the slope facing upward for the best view. If you choose to sit outside, get those sports chairs with drink holders – a cooler also makes a great footstool. And don’t forget, parking is always free.

2. Build an outdoor theater.

Modern Drive-Ins transmit sound via FM radio, so you hear the film through your car stereo, so crank it up. If you go with a group, one way to really maximize sound is to get their early enough and get three spots – park two cars on the outer spaces leaving the center space empty. Then set up chairs in that center space like an outdoor theater. With the car windows rolled down on the sides facing the chairs, it’s like experiencing a film in 9.1 sound!

3. BYO… Whatever!

I generally bring my own treats and a cooler filled with beer. I pop my own corn then warm it up in a metal bowl wrapped in aluminum foil placed near the engine for about 10 minutes. The result is warm and buttery popcorn that is much cheaper than the soggy theater-bought stuff. Your engine can also be used to heat up anything from pizza to nacho cheese. (Bring an oven mitt and be careful. Reheat times may vary based on whether you have a 4, 6 or 8-cynlinder vehicle, so test this out.) In addition to warm snacks, you can also smoke outdoors.

4. Bad can be good.

There are movies that we all know are bad, but in this setting, they can become like an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Bad movies and B-movies have always prevailed at the Drive-In where it’s fun to mock the film and loudly express your inner monologue. One of my favorite Drive-In memories is seeing the Fast and the Furious 2, which is a campy movie about car about racing… but I saw it while I was sitting at the wheel of my car which only added to the fun. A bad movie at the Drive-In always equals a great time. And even better, you can text during the show.

Ultimately, a good Drive-In experience is like tailgating with movies – where hanging out with friends is more important than the film itself.

Words by Chris Gore

Pictures by Dustin Downing

Vineland Drive-In

Drive-In Movie Theater Listings by State

It is 1972.  And we can tell this not just from the vibrant colors, the giant polyester collars and the macramé owl décor, but because the narrator Barbi tells us we’re in suburbia in 1972.  We meet the striking brunette Barbi while she lounges fully nude in a bubbly tub reading a pornographic magazine.  On the surface, she seems like a simple housewife living the dream life… a beautiful home, a handsome husband and liquored up neighbors to help pass the time when hubby Rick is away.  But Barbi’s perfect world slowly falls apart when she loses her job and Rick scoffs at her disapproval of his long business trips.  With her best friend Sheila, the two set off on an adventure.  The two hit the town like innocents thrown to the wolves when they meet a nice lady that suggests they have sex with men… for money.  Barbi finds the idea of being a whore romantic and she changes her name to Viva.  Fully liberated and now in control of her own life, Barbi/Viva seeks to find herself in a new world of sexual freedom.

Written, directed and starring newcomer and first-time feature filmmaker Anna Biller, Viva is a more than a tribute to those sexploitation films of the 60s and 70s.  It’s nearly a perfect replica of a film from the era, right down to the simple dialog and stilted acting style.  There’s song and dance numbers, comedic hijinx from gay hairdressers, nudist colony folk songs, race car driving, horribly gorgeous fashion and wigs topped off with an orgy of epic proportions.  Viva has “cult classic” written all over it – it’s the kind of movie that will gain new fans each time anyone sees it.  One can only hope there is a sequel in the works.  It’s more than anyone could want in a sexploitation film and holds up to repeated viewings, getting funnier with each viewing as Biller’s exquisite attention to detail reveals itself.

Viva is a one of a kind film experience and a must-see now and well into the 2070s.

Viva website

Words by Chris Gore

Long months after the San Diego Comic Con is over, shockwaves are felt throughout fandom. Buzz will continue to spread for projects that fans are excited about. The negative feedback from fans will require creators to go back to the drawing board and rethink their projects. And new discoveries will enjoy a wider audience. So it goes every year at Comic Con.

The ones lucky enough to attend have earned their bragging rights for the next year as they correct their less-than-informed friends about what upcoming comics, TV shows and movies are really cool. And they will be doing it wearing a t-shirt you’ll never get to buy. It’s sometimes like a geek Easter egg hunt in search of what’s next in the world of fandom.

While the panels for major movie projects got most of the mainstream buzz (within minutes of occurring) that news tends to fade quickly. The real human stories from the con will endure, such as the struggles of artists such as Tommy Wiseau, Drew Pearce, Spike, R. Black, DJ Sucklord and painter Ray Sumser who came to show off his amazingly detailed canvas of a Comic Con vista to passersby.

There was so much to see beyond the looming displays from Sony, Hasbro and ABC. If you could pry yourself away from those enormous booths, you might have found the lines for stars from a distant past or encounter a friendly female face and you might have even found geek love . And there’s always those costumed fans that make fans and non-fans smile… or cower in fear.

There were the big events and the presence of a new breed of fan… the young geek girl. Twilight dominated the con and had girls waiting 24 hours just to get close to the stars of the Twilight Saga . I don’t think that Twilight fans ruined Comic Con, but many geeks were forced to learn how a girl might feel at a pantie raid… a little violated. These younger female fans figured out how to get into the clubhouse door… and they are not going away anytime soon, so get used to it. There were also events that almost went unnoticed like monster wrestling and the annual fetish party known as Sanguin . What everyone in downtown San Diego had no choice to experience was the zombie walk through the gaslamp . The number of undead fans who participated proves that zombies walking through downtown will become an annual tradition.

And while prepping  for Comic Con can be a chore , there is always the joy in returning home not only filled with stories of geek glory, but treasures discovered at the con.

Those who attended Comic Con may have complained at the time about the smell of greasy convention food and body odor. But now it just smells like… “Victory!”

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing

Kings have signed proclamations onto parchment changing history… authors have signed letters to lovers and moved the world… and Adam West, Batman from the 1960s television series, will sign anything for $30 at Comic Con and may change one fan’s life. The autograph is perhaps the oldest collectible in history. And some strokes of the pen are the most highly sought after at the San Diego Comic Con.

The autograph area might seem hidden away at the Convention Center’s second floor where you’ll discover a sea of nostalgic, sometimes weathered faces – Margot Kidder from Superman, Kevin Sorbo from TVs Hercules, Gil Gerard from TVs Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century, and many more. Producer David X. Cohen and the voice actors from Futurama were the biggest draw and in a more spacious corner were… two women who were on TVs Amazing Race as well as being Hot Topic models, though their names escape me.

They were all here to promote, spend time with fans and sell their signatures on anything for anywhere between $15 (Amazing Race duo) to the highest going price of $60 (Leonard Nimoy). Many seeking a signature on either an 8X10 glossy or a prized possession such as an old Laser-Disc, also came hoping to share a real moment with one of their heroes from pop culture. Michael Papajohn is a face you may recognize as the killer of Uncle Ben from Sam Raimi’s series of Spider-Man movies. He has also appeared in memorable bit parts too numerous to list here. Michael was one of the more generous folks signing who took the time to talk to fans. “Being here, you really get to understand fandom… connecting with other fans, they’re like family.”

After making this heartfelt statement, Michael looked at a young boy in line and asked, “Are you here to get an autograph and get your picture taken?” The boy nodded and Michael immediately changed into over-the-top thug mode grabbing the kid by the shirt and putting a gun in his face. The kid stood horrified as Michael smiled for the camera.

Be careful what you ask for at Comic Con, you might get a gun in your face.

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing

Punches will be thrown.  Kicks will connect. Backs will be smacked. It’s tense before the bout. And stepping into the ring wearing a rubber monster suit does not make it any easier.  At Kaiju Big Battel (SIC)… there will be blood.  It’s more than wrestling in monster costumes since the smackdown doesn’t just destroy the opponent, this match decimates a tiny model city built for destruction.

Kaiju Big Battel, an unofficial Comic Con event (open to the public of all ages), attracted crowds ready to witness live creature throwdowns inspired by old Japanese monster movies and TV shows.  What might surprise you most about Tokyo-flavored wrestling match is that it is not a Japanese invention at all, in fact, it came from Boston, Massachussets.  The ringmaster and creator of the live events and video series is the Boston-bred Randy Borden.  He created the original event as performance art as a student.  Randy describes its Japanese influence as, “…the cultural feedback loop. Japan takes American things and turns them into Japanese and we take them and turn them back.  We go back and forth with things.” In a way, it’s like pop culture eating itself, vomiting and then… well, you get it.

“I loved Japanese monster TV shows when I was a kid like Ultraman, Johnny Socko, Godzilla movies.” says Randy. “And I originally wanted to shoot a short film, like an Ultraman episode, so I started making costumes.  I tried to figure out how to do this by reading Japanese magazines and looking at the pictures.  They turned out really bad.”

A lucky trip overseas for research, turned up monster gold. “I went to Japan and happened to be staying across the street from the old studio where they shot Ultraman,” Randy proclaims. “I started taking pictures and the security guard invited me in. They were fixing costumes in the back and I basically stole all their techniques.  I learned a lot from that.”

Sure, monsters like to destroy things, but why combine that with wrestling? “The monsters need a reason to fight, so I can’t just have a stage show, this is a live show.  So, wrestling, that’s the American half and it just kept growing from there.”

The very first show took place in 1996 in which Randy’s early creations layed waste to cheap cardboard buildings in a three-minute performance art piece at a gallery in Boston.  An announcer proclaimed this “Monster Battle,” but to add a Tokyo-pop feel, Randy later added the Japanese word “Kaiju.”  The literal translation means “mysterious beast,”  but the common American translation of the word “Kaiju” is “monster” because of Godzilla.  For a few years, Randy and his monster-obsessed cohorts just taped the performances, but they then began to put on live wrestling with men in rubber suits and renaming the show “Kaiju Monster Battel.” This attracted a following of both sports fans and geek enthusiasts.  Randy then put the merchandising machine in motion with DVDs, stickers, and t-shirts based on crowd favorites.

The San Diego bout during Comic Con turned out a crowd hungry for monster-on-monster action.  While there were no injuries during this particular show, past events have resulted in horrific results. “One time someone threw up in the suit.” Randy reveals, “That was pretty gross.”

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing

“I’m an anti-social outcast character. I’m also an anti-family values guy and I was tired of all the kiddie cartoons,” says the legendary Spike of Spike & Mike’s Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation. “My hero is Lenny Bruce and I’m put off by the hypocrisy of our society such as getting upset about nipples.  Babies suck on those.”

The secret origin of Spike and his mini animation empire is not quite as dramatic as, say, being bitten by a radioactive Bugs Bunny, the beginnings of the fest grew out of boredom. “We put on the festival since there really wasn’t anything to do in Riverside,” Spike says. “The difference between yogurt and Riverside is that yogurt has an active culture.  So we did these shows at the schools and it grew from there.”

Fed up with watered down cartoons permeating culture in the 1970s, Spike and his college cohorts put on the very first Sick & Twisted Festival of Animation at Riverside City College in 1977.  After that, the festival toured other colleges and alternative screening venues.  The reaction was immediate.  Audiences were offended… and they loved it.  Playing to sold out audiences who recoiled and laughed their asses off.  Soon, with the success of the tours, the films started coming to Spike. “I started collecting all these cartoons that were… sick and twisted…” Spike says, “…films like Lupo the Butcher and Bambi Meets Godzilla.  It was a way of showing that animation wasn’t just for kids.”

But what constitutes a sick and twisted animated film?  “The criteria for a film started as just pure shock value,” Spike reveals. “It’s evolved now where the films have to be very clever and humorous.”

The audience that comes to the shows should know what they get since the words “Sick and Twisted” are in the title, but that doesn’t stop audiences from averting their eyes, puking or leaving. “We have a film called Horned Grandma, it’s one of the few films I’ve had where I’ve seen people leave the theater because they couldn’t take it anymore.”

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing

“No one inspired me, I inspired myself.”  This is the proud proclamation of one Tommy Wiseau, the writer, director and star, really the entire brains behind The Room.  Maybe you’ve heard about this cult film and the crazy things people do when they see it.  Maybe you’ve heard someone quote the movie casually saying, “Oh. Hi, Mark.”  Or perhaps you remember the billboard of The Room featuring only Tommy’s pensive and pained expression looking down upon the traffic on Highland Avenue just south of Hollywood.  It was in Los Angeles, that this phenomenon was born when midnight screenings of the movie erupted in chaos… much of it planned.

If you haven’t heard, The Room is on the surface a simple tale… a melodrama filled with love, loss and pain… and it’s absolute hilarious.  The best way to describe the tone is to imagine if someone remade Sophie’s Choice with the same script, but as a comedy.  The film was originally released years ago, but is still playing in theaters to sold out crowds every weekend who participate in tossing spoons and footballs and shouting at the screen in audience participation the likes of which have not been seen since The Rocky Horror Picture Show.  On first viewing, one might dismiss The Room as just a bad romance with laughable performances… but what is often overlooked is that bad films are usually not entertaining or even fun to watch.  On the entertaining scale, The Room may be the greatest movie ever made since… Citizen Kane.

Through his thick accent, Tommy explains the universal appeal, “It relates to relationships, drug issues, it relates to the real world, that’s why it connects with people.”  People are not just seeing the movie, they are going to see it more than 25 times… and as someone who has seen it a mere 10 times, it gets better with each viewing.  “It’s a process of discovery, so each time you see it, you discover something else.  It’s fun,” says Tommy.

The appeal of The Room comes with its dediction to being completely sincere.  It’s real and affecting and funny all at once. There’s a scene in which Tommy’s character loses it and utters a now legendary line, “You’re tearing me apart Lisa!”  Audiences howl or cry during this scene, but what was actually going through Tommy’s mind when he said this? “We all go through relationship issues… etcetera, etcetera.”  At this, Tommy tends to clam up.  There’s real pain there, which can only explain his mindblowing, over-the-top performance.

While the people may love the experience, some critics have been downright vicious.  “A lot of people maybe they don’t want to give credit to The Room maybe because maybe they have some other agenda,” Tommy says defending the merits of his film, “but if you are honest with yourself maybe you would give it some credit.”

Tommy is clearly sensitive to his critics, whose merciless bashing seem to have left real scars on this creative visionary. “If you are bashing The Room, be honest.  You may not like it, fine.”  But in spite of his critics, Tommy Wiseau has many fans in Hollywood.  He was recently featured in an entire episode of Adult Swim’s show Tim & Eric Awesome Show Great Job which he guest directed.

Tommy Wiseau is at Comic Con not only to promote the limited theatrical screenings of The Room and the latest DVD release.  And at Comic Con he is mobbed… Tommy is a mega star to those in the know.  The Room is one of those movies that acts as a litmus test, you either get it or you don’t.  And those that don’t, can suck it.

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing

One of the greatest two minutes in cinema history from The Room, the infamous, “Oh, hi Mark” scene.

The next underground sensation is often discovered at Comic Con and plenty of candidates can be found in Artist’s Alley, or what is referred to at the con as “the ghetto.”  Perhaps this name comes from the fact that these simple tables display the wares of hopefuls selling their paintings, drawings or toys in the shadow of the looming booths from major film studios hawking the next Twilight. But it’s in this creative shanty town that you’ll find the not-so-humble Morgan Phillips aka DJ SuperGenius aka the Sucklord, his preferred name.  And he is the mogul and the mastermind behind all things Suckadelic.  A New York-based artist who is mult-faceted.  He makes music.  He makes films.  He makes toys based on his films.  He rolls through Comic Con wearing a badass Boba Fett custom costume wooing the ladies… he is a ghetto George Lucas.

His Star Wars breakbeats CDs have sold over 1 billion copies… okay, not in reality, but in some imaginary universe.  What is not imaginary is his love of fandom which inspired his music. These tunes could only have been made by a true nerd with a wealth of geek knowledge — someone who knows music as well as the origins of the Sandpeople.  But how can breakbeat music that samples from the Star Wars films get noticed by fans, but go completely unnoticed by Lucas’ lawyers? “I’ve been pimping the Star Wars breakbeats for 10 years now and contrary to popular mythology, I’ve never received any cease and desist orders,” says the Sucklord, “I kind of sail under the radar.  I honestly think that it’s so small and niche that it doesn’t matter.”

Everything the Sucklord does ties in: the music, the short films, even the toys which he makes himself.  The spray-painted and moded action figures are kind of cheap-looking, but that does not mean they are not cool.  “After  trying to navigate the designer toy industry, I couldn’t crack in, so I decided to hand manufacture the stuff myself.”

Crimson Suicide is the lady in the Sucklord’s life as well as a character in his short films, which he produces when he can.  These lo-fi films highlight the adventures of the Sucklord in a world where the most prized commodity are action figures.  The shorts are meant to promote the music, the toys and the ever-expanding brand.

But what’s with the name?  What’s with all the suck? “I called my company Suckadelic because I make all my stuff by hand, unauthorized, without money and under duress so by the very nature of it, they have flaws.  And I allow those flaws and that’s why I call it Suckadelic and some people appreciate those flaws because they get it.”  Keep on sucking Sucklord, that’s why the people love you.

Young, old, tall, small, fat, fit and some were pregnant, but what they all had in common was a love of zombies.  A love so deep for films and fiction featuring the undead, they had no fear getting slathered in blood and make up. Nearly 500 Comic Con attendees gathered in the heart of San Diego for Zombie Walk 2009.  The 8 block hike through the downtown gaslamp district near the convention center was put together as a way to promote the Woody Harrelson zomedy Zombieland coming to theaters in the fall.  But this fact may have been lost during the walk, or stumble, through downtown.

Zombie walks are new in fandom, but like the scourge seen in films like the original George Romero classics like Night/Dawn/Day of the Living Dead, this thing is spreading faster than a day old zombie bite.  Events have taken place in Seattle, San Francisco, Toronto, New York, wherever there’s enough fans to assemble.

The criteria for joining the horde seemed to be a loose one, but all walked in unison, they just may not have had the same philosophy when doing that special zombie walk. Some moved like little baby deer.  Others strolled as if they’d had a few.  Still others stumbled forth as if they had to make a run for the bathroom.  No matter the walk, these zombiemaniacs helped bring to life a dream shared by many… to live in a world taken over by zombies.  Now, if we could only see some real zombies instead of these fans.  C’mon Obama, you’re telling me we can put a man on the moon, but we can’t create zombies?!  Get on this!

Words by Chris Gore, photos by Dustin Downing