August 18, 2008
CRISPIN GLOVER!
It's not every day that I get a chance to trade e-mails with CRISPIN GLOVER, so I'm choosing to bold his NAME early on here. To show my EXCITEMENT. Seriously. How cool is life some days?
This weekend, CRISPIN GLOVER will be appearing at Webster University's Film Series for a three-night engagement, featuring a couple of different films and his slide show, along with Q-and-A sessions. Here's a link to the WUFS page. At that site, you can specific info about showtimes and the run of works this weekend.
Giving an overview of his weekend below, CRISPIN GLOVER discusses his provocative films, his upcoming projects and some misecellany. Enjoy.
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For your last visit to Webster, you had an overflow crowd. I know you have a second program to screen, but I take it that the popularity of the last event spurred your three-night run this time out?
The last visit to Webster was something that was added in after I had already scheduled another event that I had right after it. They had contacted me and wanted to know if I would be willing to come in that day before so I thought I would. I usually do not play for less than at least two days in a row for precisely the reason of what happened last time which was a sell out and many people had to be turned away. We really needed a two night event last time. We knew that the next time I came back would do the show at least two nights. So now this time people will have the opportunity to see the two entirely different shows and films. My original one hour live dramatic narration of eight different books I will perform before part one of the IT trilogy "What is it?" on Friday August 22. On Saturday and Sunday I will perform four completely different books in a new performance and show part two of the IT trilogy titled "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE."
Here is a more detailed description of the show and films:
I definitely have been aware of the element of utilizing the fact that I am known from work in the corporate media I have done in the last 25 years or so. This is something I rely on for when I go on tour with my films. It lets me go to various places and have the local media cover the fact that I will be performing a one hour live dramatic narration of eight different books which are profusely illustrated and projected as I go through them, then show the film either What is it? Being 72 minutes or "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." being 74 minutes. Then having a Q-and-A and then a book signing. As I funded the films I knew that this is how I would recoup my investment even if it a slow process.
The books are taken from old books from the 1800's that have been changed in to different books from what they originally were. They are heavily illustrated with original drawings and reworked images and photographs. When I first started publishing the books in 1987 people said I should have book readings. But the book are so heavily illustrated and they way the illustrations are used within the books they help to tell the story so the only way for the books to make sense was to have visually representations of the images. This is why I knew a slide show was necessary. It took a while but in 1992 I started performing what I used to call "Crispin Hellion Glover's Big Side Show." People get confused as to what that is so now I always let it be known that it is a one hour dramatic narration of eight different books that I have made over the years.
Also after I show the film I have a Q-and-A session with the audience. This has become an extremely important part of the show particularly after showing "What is it?" "What is it?" Deals with many taboo elements and audiences can have very strong questioning after the film and it is important to not explain the film to people in terms of symbols and meaning, but it is important to put the film in context of what it it reacting to and let people know that this is not just an exercise in something random, but there are specific reason why what is being reacted to with these films is important.
I make it quite clear that What is it? is not a film about Down's Syndrome but my psychological reaction to the corporate restraints that have happened in the last 20 to 30 years in film making. Specifically anything that can possibly make an audience uncomfortable is necessarily excised or the film will not be corporately funded or distributed. This is damaging to the culture because it is the very moment when an audience member sits back in their chair looks up at the screen and thinks to their self "Is this right what I am watching? Is this wrong what I am watching? Should I be here? Should the filmmaker have made this? What is it?" - and that is the title of the film. What is it that is taboo in the culture? What does it mean that taboo has been ubiquitously excised in this culture's media? What does it mean to the culture when it does not properly process taboo in it's media? It is a bad thing because when questions are not being asked because these kinds of questions are when people are having a truly educational experience. For the culture to not be able to ask questions leads towards a non educational experience and that is what is happening in this culture. This stupefies this culture and that is of course a bad thing. So "What is it?" Is a direct reaction to the contents this culture's media. I would like for people to think for themselves.
I will also show "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." It is important to show "What is it?" first because it sets up going in to taboo subject matter to the extent so that when people view "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." The taboo element is not what becomes important but the emotional content of the film. The two films have thematic similarities but are very different kinds of film. "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." very much deals with the emotional catharsis of the main character is played by the author of the screenplay Steven C. Stewart who was born with a severe case of cerebral palsy. I put Steven C. Stewart in to "What is it?" When I turned "What is it?" in to a feature from what was originally going to be a short film. Steve had written his screenplay in in the late 1970's. I read it in 1986 and as soon as I had read it I knew I had to produce the film. Steve had been locked in a nursing home for about ten years when his mother died. As previously stated he had been born with a severe case of cerebral palsy and was very difficult to understand. People that were caring for him in the nursing home would derisively call him an "M.R." short for "Mental Retard." This is not a nice thing to say to anyone, but Steve was of normal intelligence. When he did get out he wrote his screenplay. Although it is written in the genre of a murder detective thriller truths of his own existence come through much more clearly than if he had written it as a standard autobiography. We shot "It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." while I was still completing "What is it?" And this is partly why What is it? took a long time to complete. I am very proud of the film as I am of "What is it?" "I feel It is fine! EVERYTHING IS FINE." will probably be the best film I will have anything to do with in my entire career. People who are interested in when I will be back should join up on the e mail list at CrispinGlover.com as it e mail them when I will be where with whatever film I tour with. It is by far the best way to know how to see the films.
Seeing your audience at that show, I was struck by the youth of it. It was much younger audience than I might have expected. What's the range of your fanbase? Do you see certain patterns emerge from city-to-city, in terms of who is at the gig?
I get a very wide range of people that come to the shows. I get young people older people families and individuals all kinds of backgrounds and physical types. There is not a specific type of person physically but I do notice that as I speak with the people during the Q-and-A and when I am doing the book signings that people are curious about a lot of things and seem to enjoy things that are more unusual and thought provoking. That is why it is a varied amount of people because people in general come to the show because true human curiosity and thoughtfulness has no physical boundary!
Are there other performers who've taken on this type of touring roadshow? It's hard to believe there's another artist showing movies, playing a slideshow and signing autographs until after midnight, but perhaps you know of some contemporaries to your style or approach?
Most live performance right now is music, so this is quite different from that kind of live performance. I would say the largest difference in what I do is the part that was not mentioned in the question. It is the live dramatic narration I perform before I show the film that is the most unusual portion of the show in terms of how films are usually presented. I would classify what I am doing as vaudeville. By mixing live performance and with a feature film and audience interaction it is harkening back to what was happening one hundred years ago in the entertainment field.
I also seem to recall that you were ill during that show. What's the challenge of working a live show when not feeling your best, and with knowing that your audience may've traveled some way to catch the gig?
You are right in that I was losing my voice when I performed last time at Webster. This is also a vaudeville sentiment - "The show must go on!"
One of my most-enduring images of you is in the Michael Almereyda film "Twister." Is that a reference point for many folks? What are the films and projects that people wish to discuss on a frequent basis?
Now after having acted in over 40 films it really is never about a single film when people come to the shows. People have usually seen a variety of the films I have acted in. I have had I believe two people who came up to me during the book signings that had not ever seen me in anything and their first experience was seeing me in my own film "What is it?" That was very interesting to me and I was quite satisfied that both of those people enjoyed the live show and the film. I liked that because it meant the works stood on their own without a preconceived notion. But in any case what combination people have seen me in what things is incalculable for me. I sign a lot of different DVD covers for films I have been and Twister is definitely one of them!
Are you working on any projects/possible projects of, let's say, a mainstream nature? Any cable, network or film roles, outside of your own works?
Upcoming in release are "The Wizard of Gore," "9," "Freezer Burn," and "The Forlorn." "The Forlorn" is about the Donner Party incident that happened when people got stuck on their journey to California in the 1840's and it resulted in cannibalism.
Also, are there any book projects that you're undertaking at present?
I made most of the books in the 1980's and very early 90's. The new slide show has some books that are more recently reworked and some older ones. I will continue publishing my books but right now my money is tied up in the film and I need to recoup me investments in the films before I publish more books. I will do this though and people can find out more about this and where and when I will be touring by signing up for the e mail list on CrispinGlover.com.
Did you have any impressions of St. Louis, based on your quick visit to town last time? And what are your feeling about the Winifred Moore Auditorium as a venue?
I liked St. Louis but I did not get out much. I know it sounds very touristy but this time I will definitely go to the big arch and probably to some museums. The Winifred Moore Auditorium is one of the finest I have been to in the country and the sounds and projection systems are to notch. The community has a great venue in its midst with excellent programming and definitely deserves to be visited. I look forward to coming back with the my two different films and shows and look forward to meeting people there!
Thank you for the excellent questions. I appreciate it!
Crispin