'Sopranos' creator David Chase chats about his new film 'Not Fade Away'
You probably know best as the creative genius behind The Sopranos.听 The show听may have听ended, but Chase鈥檚 career not only lives on, he can now add feature film director to his list of credits.听 His new film, ,听screened at the Paramount Theater in听Thursday.
The film, a听love letter听to rock n鈥� roll 鈥撎齧usic that Chase says 鈥渟aved my life鈥� 鈥撎齠ollows a group of friends in 1964 surburban听New Jersey whose lives are transformed after seeing the Rolling Stones perform live on television. They form a band and go through the motions of making it big.听 Thanks to the omniscent narrator 鈥� the lead character鈥檚 little sister 鈥� we know right off the bat they鈥檙e not going to make it, but that doesn鈥檛 do anything to dampen the journey. The angst, the passion, the tension between bandmembers, the inevitable love story听鈥� and yes the music 鈥� drive a sweet and compelling narrative that pays homage to both coming of age in the 60鈥檚听and to Chase鈥檚 own听teenage years as a wannabe听rock star growing up in New Jersey.听听 Oh, and it also has James Gandolfini.
David Chase was on hand to introduce the film and take questions after the screening.听 The following are some of the highlights:
Q: What was the inspiration for the film?
A. The inspiration was the music. I was an English major. I learned more from 鈥� I probably shouldn鈥檛 admit this 鈥� but I learned more from rock n鈥� roll than I ever learned from Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Music turned me around at ages of 17-21. It changed my life. It was an amazing time to be alive.听 Everytime the Rolling Stones or the Beatles or Bob Dylan put out a new album- which was every听six months 鈥� it was like quantum leap forward.听 Between Rubber Soul and Revolver it was like a miracle. It made you feel so good.I thought听if听that鈥檚 what art was, I could do that. You know you see art as a little kid in museums and it鈥檚 beautiful but it feels so remote. This was alive.
听Q:听I听saw that Steven听Van Zandt听 was the executive producer. How did he contribute? Did he share his own stories?
A: No,听he didn鈥檛 share stories, in fact he was was opposed to me doing听this.听 He said 鈥淲hy don鈥檛 you do a crime story? This is going to be hard to sell, hard to market.鈥� He doesn鈥檛 understand why these guys [in the film]听are scared to play and scared to make it, but he鈥檚 one of the ones who made it.
Q: When you introduced the film you said it was semi-autobiographical. The kids in听band听spend a lot of time听spouting quasi-intellectual riffs. Were you and your friends like that?
A:听 Yeah,听 kind of. I mean we were so pretentious that we never played for anyone because听we were 鈥榯oo good鈥�. The guys in the movie, they at least played a couple of dates. We just stayed in the basement and practiced. We only played for ourselves.
Q: Can you talk about the budget? You use a lot period stuff 鈥撎齝ostumes, music, cars鈥�
A: People say it鈥檚 a small movie and I guess it is small听but it wasn鈥檛 cheap.听 I couldn鈥檛 have gotten an independent production company to make it.听 The music rights alone鈥aramount did, they screamed bloody murder but they did it. Steven [Van Zandt] was听helpful because he had relationships with labels, so we got a good deal, but it still cost a fortune.
Q: You got the period dead on. How hard was it听to get the 60鈥檚 artifacts?
A: The cars were a big part- that guy I鈥檇 like to kill, the car guy. It was hard to get stuff and then it never seemed like things worked 鈥� the trunk didn鈥檛 open when you needed it to or the car wouldn鈥檛 start.
听We spent a lot of time 鈥� a lot of time -听getting the right instruments, the guitars and the drums. Sometimes I think it鈥檚 easier to make a film set in 1863 than 1963.听 In 1863 you don鈥檛 have the real streets, you have to recreate a set. Here you can use the real streets and dress them, but reality always intrudes somehow.听 You know, all of a sudden,听a Fed Ex truck drives by. I always say I won鈥檛 make another period piece but I don鈥檛 know of that鈥檚 true.
Q: Can you talk听 about the music 鈥� I saw in the credits you wrote song with Steven Van Zandt 鈥� how was the experience听of choosing music for the film?
A: Stevie and I wrote the medical听jingle (audience laughs here 鈥� see the film and you鈥檒l get it) Steve wrote the song that they use when they master the audition. At one point I was frustrated and wanted to quit writing and Steve sent me a demo with that song and it kept me going.
听听Q:听It was an interesting choice using the听sister as a narrative device. Can you talk about why you did that and what point in听the process you decided to use her?
A: I decided to do it听in post production. I had shown the film to some people and they didn鈥檛 get that the band never went anywhere. They spent the whole film trying to figure out who they were. some people thought they were supposed to be the Rolling听Stones.听I also got the Byrds. I听realized that I听needed to state up front that they never became anybody, so that the audience could just relax into it and be with the story.
Q: I noticed you use the holidays to anchor the story鈥hy?
A: That鈥檚 how I remember it going when I was that age, coming home at holidays and life revolving around those times. I was frustrated with the process at one point and ready to听give up听Stevie Van Zandt听sent a听demoof one of the main songs听and the progression of the听lyrics went听from holiday to holiday 鈥� I thought it was a sign.
Chase introduced the film by invoking Buddy Holly:
鈥淚 found out earlier that today is Buddy Holly鈥檚 birthday. As you know he wrote the song 鈥楧on鈥檛 Fade Away鈥� that the film is named for. I can鈥檛 even wrap my mind around the fact that this film is having is screening here听on his birthday. So Buddy this is for you, I hope you enjoy the movie.鈥�
Erin Essenmacher blogs at .
