The movie opens with a jab at the THX tag that pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the film. It's a fun look at how the band started out. One day JB and KG got on stage at an old bar in downtown L.A. and did one song.
JB comments, “We weren't doing it to try and see if it was funny to everyone else. The songs just made us laugh and we didn't really care what anyone thought.” And with that single performance and a very responsive crowd, the D was formed.
For hardcore D fans, this movie will keep you happy all the way through – even after the credits. The Sasquatch is back and so are a lot of inside jokes from the HBO days along with a few cameos. KG firmly states, “We didn't want to forget about what made us who we are, and some of that stuff is our best material.”
Most of you know by now that Meatloaf is playing JB's father and Tim Robbins pops in as well, but the real treat is Ben Stiller portraying the classic Guitar Center Rep and Dave Grohl making his big screen debut as … Sorry, we're not going to give that one away!
Director Liam Lynch comments on making the movie with JB and KG, “It's not like work. We are making a movie, but laughing the whole time. It was tough to stay focused because the guys are really funny. … I really hope that our fun comes through in the movie. I hope the audience can have as much fun as we did.”
When asked about the script he starts to laugh, “What script? We had one, but it was more of a guideline than anything; they kind of made it up as they went.”
Lynch also shares that he's almost more excited about the DVD that will be released after the film makes its run. “There will be about 90 minutes of footage that I had to cut from the movie. Complete scenes that had to be cut because of time. The DVD will even have a musical number in a gun store that we had to cut.”
The music in the film is very important. The songs are done in traditional Tenacious D form. The opening number is a duet with young JB and Meatloaf that will stick in your head.
“Even before we were shooting the movie I knew I had to have some of my favorites in the film,” comments JB. “I had to have Dio in the movie. He is one of the rockerest rockers out there and when we came to him about it, he was stoked to come play with us.”
JB and KG bounce from scene to scene throughout the movie, telling their story through song and taking bong rips. Oh yeah, this movie is nothing like family-friendly School of Rock or Nacho Libre . “We wanted to just have fun with our story and not try too hard to make something for everyone,” says KG.
KG says the film is “for our fans. It's for those that want to rock and for those that want to learn to rock and become our fans. We wanted to make a movie about the D and do it the way we wanted.”
For those of you that aren't fans of the band or even know what it is, you will still love this simple, hilarious tale about two guys that want to start a rock band and their journey to making it a reality.
The actual screenplay had come a long way. “When we first started this two years ago it was us doing a mockumentary about our career and birth of the band. That didn't set right with us. People came in and wanted to go really big, but that is not the way of the D,” says JB.
There are random moments in it, but that's part of the charm. It's a comedy in its most pure form. Viewers can actually sit back, turn off the outside world and laugh their asses off for 90 minutes.
On a side note, after you see the movie, try and catch the live show. The D is taking off on a worldwide tour to support the movie.
“This tour is nothing like anything we've ever done before. There's a full stage production, light show and even fog machines. It's going to be huge!” says JB with a childlike grin. “I can't wait to get out there and rock !”
Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny releases in theaters Nov. 22.
Comment
