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Calgary International Film Festival 2015 - Review: The Glamour & The Squalor + Director Interview
Posted on Thursday, October 01, 2015 at 12:00 AM
Review Type: Festival
CIFF 2015 Review: The Glamour & The Squalor + Director Interview
Film Review & Interview by CalgaryMovies.com
The night started out with me not knowing which film to catch at CIFF 2015, I was debating between DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD or THE GLAMOUR & THE SQUALOR. So I did what anyone else would do in this situation, I asked Twitter. Within minutes @calgaryfilm told me that the director will be present at the screening. One of joys of attending a screening at a film festival is to be able to meet the talent behind their work. It just makes the experience more powerful and personal so without hesitation, I chose this film.
At the Globe Cinema, I started walking up the stairs and I see this tall dude in a shiny red jacket. That of course was the director Marq Evans. So I went and introduced myself right away and congratulated him on his Canadian Premiere. And off we went into the theatre.
This documentary was about a man who literally rocked the nation and single handedly changed the music industry. Marco Collins brought bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Garbage, Weezer, Crystal Method and much more from the unknown to rock god stardom status. We see his struggles growing up as a gay man in a small town, his rise and fall in his career and his current work and commitment to the music industry and music fans all around the world.
Watching this film was like taking a journey back in memory lane. The music, the interviews, the music video clips were all part of my life growing up. Those were the simpler days when music was good and it mattered. We would listen to the same track over and over again. Of course back in those days it took more effort as we would have to press rewind in our Sony Sport Walkmans. Maybe that made it that much more rewarding.
I was extremely impressed with the quality of the film. Definitely did not expect it from a first-time filmmaker. I kept asking myself how did he score all of these interviews with these HUGE names. It’s not like this was an action film but he managed to keep us interested throughout the entire film with music video clips and animated vignettes. Sadly, I came out of the film feeling a bit sorry for Marco and not knowing if he’ll ever be as big as he once was but at the same time I was hopeful. Marco’s attitude is all about the now and not dwelling in the past. One of my favourite quotes from Marco was “trust your intention and don’t get f*d up”.
My final thought after watching the film, actually isn't really about the film at all, but that I was reminded of how horrible radio is in Calgary. I really hope these radio execs come out and watch this film. Maybe it will give them a bit of inspiration and to have the balls to do something different. Focus on good music and fans will come.
Q+A following the screening:
Q: How long was the process in the making of this film?
Marq: It began in December 2011 at the radio station’s 20 year anniversary. Marco’s name came up multiple times and I started my research about him. In March 2012 is when it all began. It took 6 months to convince Marco to work with me on the film. January 2013 is when we raised the first real money that kicked us into gear (private investor before the kickstarter campaign).
Q: What took Marco so long to agree to do this film?
Marq: He is a private person and was afraid to tell the story to a first time filmmaker. He knew if he was going to do it that he wasn't going to hold back, so wanted to trust the right person was making it.
Q: What did you find surprising in this filmmaking experience?
Marq: To this day he is championing brand new music. That comment was a surprising thing about Marco, not necessarily the filmmaking experience.
Q: Is he doing anything else?
Marq: He’s still doing live shows, radio shows, he started a podcast and anything related to the music industries in a national way.
Q: Did he have a partner now?
Marq: Well he hasn’t settled down yet. I think he’s into the bad boys and the younger ones.
Q: Did he eventually find the gold record?
Marq: Haven’t found it yet. In the beginning of the film I thought that it would be quite poetic to find the record and that’s how we would end of the film but it didn’t happen. I hope I can find it for him eventually.
Q: I thought it was interesting that you added animation in the film. What made you decide to add that to the film?
Marq: Animation was by Mack Williams & Britt Sanders of Theme Park. I knew in the beginning I wanted this film to be hybrid archive mix of styles.
Q: How difficult was it to get the musicians involved in the film?
Marq: The community is pretty small and Marco had a lot of contact who was willing to help. There were some that were more difficult than others. It took Shirley Manson (Garbage) 67 emails to finally make it happen. And then some were just timing.
Q: What’s next?
Marq: I’m currently working on a film with Will Vinton (California Raisins). Early next year we’ll have a Facebook page up in the next month or so to start following along, but the film won’t be finished until probably the end of next year at the earliest, out in 2017.
CalgaryMovies.com Interview with Marq Evans:
CM: This may have been your first film but it certainly didn’t look like a first timer’s work. You obviously had a pretty big team behind you on this project. How did you find these people and what were their experience in film making?
Marq: First of all, thanks for saying that. You nailed it right on the head about the team. It wasn’t necessarily big, a lot of days just a couple people involved, but it was collaboration that really elevated the film to the level it’s at. I was super lucky to work with the editor Jeff Gilbert. Jeff was fresh off cutting The Overnighters, which I think is one of the best documentaries of all time. He is just a master in story and structure, and really challenged me every day. Working with him was one of the most fulfilling collaborations I’ve ever had and I hope to work with him for the rest of my career.
CM: Was it hard to convince them or did they all jumped in from the beginning?
Marq: I think everybody wants to work on something that the really believe in. So whether it was believing in my vision or believing in the story or, after time, the team we built, people decided to jump on board when they saw that this was a real film project and the team was dedicated to making it the best it could be.
CM: It took 2 months for your film to get backed in Kickstarter. Can you tell us more about your Kickstarter experience in April 2013?
Marq: The kickstarter was for 30 days and it was a full time job for our producing team. Even Marco played a very large role in the success of that campaign. As an independent filmmaker, Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms like Indiegogo and Seed & Spark are not only here to stay, but an integral part of getting a film made. It was so draining that even two years later I was still telling myself I didn’t want to do it again, at least at the start of a project (versus doing one for distribution after a fan base was built). But now as I get ready to launch my next project I’m thinking about what a crowdfunding campaign might look like.
CM: Were your backers getting a bit antsy for the film to come out?
Marq: Yes and I think they’re still antsy about getting their DVD or link to the film. I’m hoping most of the backers had a chance to see it at the premiere in Seattle, but I’m sure many of our backers still haven’t had a chance to see it. As soon as we can possibly send them a DVD or link we will!
CM: Were there any other challenges in the financing of the film? How about distribution?
Marq: Financing is always a challenge. We started off this project raising money at a Christmas party with a couple bands, then we were about to secure some funds from a private investor. From there we did the Kickstarter, borrowed money from family and friends, put our own money in, brought in money from an angel donor, or as she so greatly referred to herself “the non-profit prophet,” borrowed more money, ran another kickstarter, through another party with bands. We’re still raising money! As far as distribution, we’re in some great conversations with some really awesome distributors and hope to have the film released wide by the beginning of the year.
CM: The film took nearly 3 years to make. Did you think it would take this long? How did you feel near the end of the process?
Marq: Many docs take 5 years or longer, so I wouldn’t say it was necessarily a surprise, but it was certainly difficult to stay afloat and I would have wished it didn’t take that long. So much of it really came down to financing. It never really felt like the end of the process because after about a year, it ALWAYS felt like the end, but it never really was. Towards the very end, we added the interviews with Carrie Brownstein and Ben Gibbard and another interview with Marco, then I edited with Jeff for another 2 weeks. After that, the film definitely felt finished.
CM: Do you have similar group of people working on your next film?
Marq: I’m definitely bringing some of the crew from The Glamour & The Squalor to my next film. The hope is over time I’ll have a crew of only people that I’ve worked with before and we’ll be able to really collaborate at a high level.
CM: Will your next film have a similar feel to The Glamour & The Squalor?
Marq: I’m sure there will be some similarities because it’s me, and hopefully some of the other team members from “Glamour,” making it. But I’m not looking to make it Glamour pt. 2. I hope it feels like I’ve evolved as a filmmaker. One difference is I’ll likely be putting myself in the film as a present-day character, working alongside my main subject.
The Glamour & The Squalor will screen again at Globe Cinema on Saturday October 3rd, 2015 at 3:45 PM.
Calgary Local Scene Event Listing: Calgary International Film Festival 2015 >
CalgaryMovies.com's CIFF 2015 Coverage >
NOTE: The showtimes listed on CalgaryMovies.com come directly from the theatres' announced schedules, which are distributed to us on a weekly basis. All showtimes are subject to change without notice or recourse to CalgaryMovies.com.
