'Game of Thrones' stars Peter Dinklage. (Helen Sloan/HBO)

'Game of Thrones' premiere recap: Did the season 3 debut live up to the hype?

By Kevin Yeoman, Screen Rant / 04.01.13

Each time Game of Thrones returns, it’s worth noting how the ever-expanding animated map of Westeros illustrates the series’ excursive story – a tale that shows no sign of restricting the number of borders it is willing to cross, or the seas it will traverse in order to regale viewers with the most unrestrained yarn possible.

As season 3 begins, the intro’s eye-in-the-sky zooms in on King’s Landing; does a flyby on the scorched stones of Harrenhal; buzzes a smoking Winterfell; and bounds effortlessly over the sea (offering a glimpse of Astapor, the home of the Unsullied). Through this journey one thing becomes clear: No matter how many Starks wind up with their head on a pike, no matter how many countless warriors become engulfed in wildfire and spend the rest of eternity in the depths of Blackwater, Westeros, the most vital element in Game of Thrones, will carry on. 

But that satellite – watching as the world seemingly builds itself up from nothing – is more than a celestial voyeur; it is the omniscient eye of showrunners D.B. Weiss and David Benioff. Thanks to the work of George R.R. Martin, its vision hints at a course along a pre-established storyline, alluding to the fates of characters too small to be seen from its lofty vantage point, but exceedingly integral to this world’s future. The landscape that is shown before every episode reminds the viewer that across the myriad plotlines, this is the tale of Westeros; it is detailing where the story has been, but along with having the best seat in the house, it is blessed with the knowledge of what’s to come.

Perhaps that’s what affords Weiss and Benioff the opportunity to tell this tale so patiently and, as we’ve seen over the course of two full seasons, in single-serving portions that the audience gobbles up with all the enthusiasm of a direwolf chomping fingers off burly men with a penchant for furry footwear and winter swordplay.

In 10 hours, season 2 broadened a world where men like Ned Stark lost their lives to the whims of sneering boy-kings into a place where Daenerys Targaryen’s dragon-aided aspiration of laying claim to the Iron Throne was nearly derailed by blue-lipped warlocks, and Tyrion Lannister nearly lost his life in a battle so epic its account was granted full-use of the season’s penultimate episode.

The build-up to ‘Blackwater‘ paid off in more ways than one. It brought several of the season’s key storylines together and it showed how increasing the scale of the series could be feasibly and convincingly done. And now, season 3 is following that large-scale effort by making things even bigger and grander (if the sight of a giant driving wooden stakes into the frozen ground with his fists is any indication). In fact, season 3 is so big it will reportedly only constitute one-half of the book from which its storyline is derived.

And as the games commence, the effects of that mighty battle are still being felt. Blackwater has left two men on opposite sides of the conflict broken. In defeat, Stephen Dillane’s Stannis Baratheon appears to have given himself over wholly to the instructions of Melisandre, who imprisons a sun-baked, but still devoted Davos. In King’s Landing, however, victory proves to be just as empty for Tyrion, who receives a one-two punch from sister Cersei and father Tywin, knocking him back to the lowest rung on the Lannister family ladder.

Elsewhere, Robb looks for a suitable cell for his mother amongst the ruins of Harrenhal, while Jon Snow is still trudging along beyond the wall, waiting to make the acquaintance of Ciarán Hinds’ Mance Rayder, while his fellow (former?) men of the Night’s Watch prepare to do battle with the elements, White Walkers and Samwell’s inability to do the one job he had to do.

But despite the addition of even more effects-driven magic, e.g., dragons, giants and beautiful, sprawling vistas, it doesn’t feel like a jarring leap from season 2 to season 3. In their staging of the series’ progress, Weiss and Benioff have ushered in a more gradual and therefore seamless transition between seasons that belies the excruciating wait between them and hints at the grand, long-term plans HBO has for Game of Thrones.

And so, even when presented with an exceptional episode like ‘Valar Dohaeris’ (that is, for all intents and purposes, an hour of table-setting), what transpires feels like something more along the lines of true episodic carry-over, rather than the brusque beginning of a new season; a notion that (with the possible exception of diva-in-training Daenerys) thankfully leaves little time for characters to constantly remind one another of their situation. Instead, they are tasked with keeping the story moving forward.

After all, this isn’t just the start of another thrilling season of HBO’s preeminent series; it’s the continuation of an epic television saga that shows no signs of slowing down.

Kevin Yeoman blogs at Screen Rant.

'Room 237' will explore the lasting impact of and fans' theories about 'The Shining'

By Daniel Johnson, Screen Rant / 03.29.13

Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining may have received polarized reactions upon its 1980 release, but the film is widely considered a horror classic today thanks to a terrifyingly manic performance from Jack Nicholson, an immensely haunting setting and disturbing surrealistic imagery. The film has undoubtedly left a lasting nightmarish impact on viewers, as evidenced by the tagline for the upcoming documentary on the making of the film: “Some movies stay with you forever…and ever…and ever.”

The documentary, titled Room 237, takes fans of Kubrick’s adaptation of the famous Stephen King bestseller behind the scenes, exploring how the film was crafted while examining its subtext. This week, we are getting a look at the debut trailer for Room 237, which you can check out above. 

Unfortunately, the trailer doesn’t give us a peek at never-before seen footage from behind the scenes of The Shining, but it does create a similar tone and mood that the film did. The very simple trailer builds excitement for the niche audience by scrolling quotes about the film’s cultural significance and its ambiguous nature, while re-creating one of the most memorable images from the film.

The trailer promises the documentary will tackle some of the symbolism and hidden meanings of the film that are still heavily debated today, including literary allusions to fairy tales and the argument that the film is a larger metaphor for the genocide of Native Americans.

Here’s the official synopsis for Room 237:

After the box office failure of ‘Barry Lyndon,’ Stanley Kubrick decided to embark on a project that might have more commercial appeal. ‘The Shining,’ Stephen King’s biggest critical and commercial success yet, seemed like a perfect vehicle. After an arduous production, Kubrick’s film received a wide release in the summer of 1980; the reviews were mixed, but the box office, after a slow start, eventually picked up. End of story? Hardly. In the 30 years since the film’s release, a considerable cult of ‘Shining’ devotees has emerged, fans who claim to have decoded the film’s secret messages addressing everything from the genocide of Native Americans to a range of government conspiracies. Rodney Ascher’s wry and provocative ‘Room 237′ fuses fact and fiction through interviews with cultists and scholars, creating a kaleidoscopic deconstruction of Kubrick’s still-controversial classic.

Like many of Kubrick’s films, The Shining was not immediately embraced by audiences or critics. Rather, the film slowly built a cult following that helped transform it into an accepted classic years later. Many members of its following became obsessed with what they perceived to be underlying themes in the film, creating intriguing discussion and informative essays – many of which contained what some may call radical, outside-thinking perspectives.

It’ll be interesting to see how the documentary unravels and explores many fans’ interpretations of The Shining and why it still resonates with horror aficionados more than 30 years after its theatrical release. It may not touch on much of Kubrick’s intensity as visionary auteur or the relationships between cast and crew, but its ambitious approach to the subject and the layers beneath one of our favorite horror movies definitely has us intrigued.

Daniel Johnson blogs at Screen Rant.

Dorothy Hamill announced that she would be leaving the show, causing the two bottom contestants on 'Dancing with the Stars' to remain in the competition. (Evan Agostini/Invision/AP)

Dorothy Hamill: What she says about her 'Dancing with the Stars' departure

By Molly Driscoll, Staff Writer / 03.28.13

“Dancing with the Stars” contestant Dorothy Hamill announced that she was leaving the competition after suffering an injury.

Hamill said she would be leaving the competition as the two contestants who were candidates for elimination, reality actress Lisa Vanderpump and boxer Victor Ortiz, waited to find out who was going to be sent home.

The former ice skater said she had injured her back.

“It could cause irreparable nerve damage," Hamill said of continuing on the show. "And it would be completely unfair of me to stay in this and have any of these people go home.” 

If she had been uninjured, Hamill had scored well enough that she would have remained in the competition.

Hamill was competing with partner Tristan MacManus and had participated in the first two weeks of competition, performing a jive and contemporary routine, respectively.

After announcing on Tuesday’s show that she would be leaving, the former Olympian told USA Today that she was still sad over having to depart the show.

“My injury is still bothersome with the pain and numbness that go with it," Hamill said in an e-mail. "But I'm really feeling a huge loss and sadness… My next big project is to get my back and spine better… I don't know what that is going to entail. But I have the best team of doctors to advise me. So it isn't a glamorous project. But it will be a full-time commitment. With any luck, I will be able to skate again. And maybe even dance.”

Hamill said she would return to “Stars” “in a heartbeat” if the show would let her back in.

She told Entertainment Weekly she’ll be attending future shows even if she won’t be participating.

“Whether I’ll be dancing or not, I will be here,” Hamill said. 

Hamill won a gold medal at the Olympics in 1976 for women’s singles figure skating.

Kanye West performs at the BET Awards. One report said the artist was considering titling his next album 'I Am God,' but others say that's not true. (Matt Sayles/Invision/AP)

Kanye West: Is 'I Am God' his next album title?

By Molly Driscoll, Staff writer / 03.27.13

Is rapper Kanye West considering the name “I Am God” for his next album?

No, he is not, according to an anonymous source that spoke to E! News. In addition, someone that the Huffington Post cited as “a reliable source in West's camp” said that the phrase is actually the name of one of West’s songs on his upcoming album, not the title, which is where the misunderstanding may have arisen. The title, added the source, is “I Am A God,” not “I Am God.”

“We would never be so presumptuous or sacrilegious to call ourselves the supreme being,” the source said, according to the Huffington Post. (Your guess is as good as ours as to what that “we” indicates.) The source said the album title hasn’t been decided on yet.

The impression that West was titling his album “I Am God” may have come from a BBC News article which was discussing the possibility that West and Kim Kardashian are considering the name North for their child.

“Mixed emotions greet reports that Kanye West is considering calling his first child North,” the article by Charles Nevin read. “It's a good joke, from a slightly unexpected source (neither the rapper nor his possibly even more famous partner, Kim Kardashian, are best known for their self-deprecating sallies, although the title Kanye is supposed to be contemplating for his new album, I Am God, is said to be ‘half tongue-in-cheek’).”

West first worked as a producer in the music industry and was a member of the rap group the Go-Getters, which released one album, before he crafted his first album, “The College Dropout,” and released it in 2004. “College” was followed by his albums “Graduation,” “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy,” and his collaboration with artist Jay-Z titled “Watch the Throne,” among other works. He has won 21 Grammy Awards throughout his career.

Kellie Pickler is currently competing on 'DWTS' with partner Derek Hough. (Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)

Kellie Pickler: 'DWTS' jazz routine performance well received (+video)

By Molly Driscoll, Staff Writer / 03.26.13

On the newest “Dancing with the Stars” episode, contestant Kellie Pickler and her partner Derek Hough performed a jazz routine that seemed to win over the judges and put Pickler and Hough in second place among the contestants.

The dance was set to the song “Lights” by Ellie Goulding and the set included thin green lights that glowed behind the couple as they performed the routine.

Because there wasn’t an elimination round during the first week of competition, contestants currently hold a score out of 60 rather than the usual 30, combining the scores of the first two weeks. Pickler and Hough currently stand at 47 out of 60, behind Disney Channel star Zendaya and her partner Valentin Chmerkovskiy, who hold a score of 50 out of 60. However, the two couples earned the same score for the second night with 26 out of 30. 

“For week two, last week was a spark,” judge Len Goodman said to Pickler and Hough. “This is a fire. Well done.”

Reviewers of the TV show seemed impressed with Pickler’s performance as well.

“Former 'American Idol' contender-turned-country star Kellie Pickler wowed with a thrilling, futuristic jazz number,” Access Hollywood wrote in its recap of the show.

Pickler said in an interview that she’s feeling more comfortable on the show after initially expressing trepidation.

“People are expecting me to be good, and I don’t know if I am or not,” she had said in an interview, according to Wetpaint. “I hope people don’t have too high of expectations for me, because I’m not a dancer.”

But in an interview with On the Red Carpet, a website produced by ABC News, Pickler said she now felt more at ease.

“I mean, last week was the first show – so overwhelming,” she said. “But I don’t know, I'm still running on adrenaline. I'm very happy… I'm very thankful… We gotta bring it next week, big time.”

Hough spoke positively of his partner in an interview with the website.

“I want her to be sensational because she has the capacity to be fantastic,” he said of Pickler.

One of the pairs will be eliminated tonight in the newest “Dancing with the Stars” episode.

Will Smith on 'Django Unchained': He explains why he turned down Jamie Foxx's role

By Molly Driscoll, Staff Writer / 03.26.13

Actor Will Smith recently revealed in an interview why he decided against appearing in the Oscar-winning Quentin Tarantino film “Django Unchained.” 

“Django wasn’t the lead,” Smith said of the character in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, telling the magazine that he believed actor Christoph Waltz’s character, the bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz, was the protagonist. “So it was like, I need to be the lead. The other character was the lead!”

Smith said he asked Tarantino to make the character of Django more involved.

“I was like, ‘No, Quentin, please, I need to kill the bad guy!’” the actor said.

But he was a huge fan of the movie, Smith said.

“I thought it was brilliant,” he said. “Just not for me.”

Smith was originally rumored to be considering playing the character of Django, a slave who embarks with Schultz on a mission to free Django's wife, who is working as a slave in the house of sadistic plantation owner Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio). Actor Jamie Foxx eventually took on the role.

“Django” won an Oscar for Waltz for his portrayal of bounty hunter King Schultz and for Tarantino for Best Original Screenplay and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar as well as the Oscars' Cinematography and Sound Editing prizes. Waltz also won a Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe for his role and Tarantino won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, while the film was also nominated for Best Motion Picture – Drama, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor for DiCaprio at the Globes.

Smith is starring with his son Jaden in the sci-fi drama “After Earth,” which will be released this June. “Earth” follows a father and son who are trapped on Earth a thousand years after most of humanity has fled the planet. 

The actor also recently starred in “Men in Black 3,” in which he reprised his role of Agent J.

'Revolution' follows a group of survivors after America's electricity is mysteriously taken away. (Brownie Harris/NBC/AP)

'Revolution' recap: What will that character's death mean for the show?

By Kevin Yeoman, Screen Rant / 03.26.13

After a four-month hiatus and several assurances by both series creator Eric Kripke and J.J. Abrams that the second half of would be superior to the first, Revolution has returned, leaving many to wonder if the time off allowed the writers the chance to fine-tune various elements of the show that needed some attention and excise the parts that were simply not working.

The first thing that comes to mind when watching ‘The Stand’ is the fact that the show seems to have done away with the rather unnecessary introduction that attempted to sum up the series in just a few sentences and then ended with “we’re hoping someone will come along and light the way.” Perhaps it was absent only because this was the big return from hiatus, but with any luck that segment won’t find its way back.

With the intro out of the way, Revolution picks up right where it left off at the end of ‘Nobody’s Fault But Mine,’ canceling any thought that there might have been some kind of jump to usher in some significant structural changes to the series. But in keeping with some of Kripke’s comments at PaleyFest, the episode manages to deliver an explosive moment early on as the helicopter that was facing down Miles and the rest of the core group chases them into an abandoned diner and promptly blows it up.

While that one instance doesn’t immediately signal positive change, there are some subtle examples of the creative team successfully shifting priorities by delivering more action and diverting some of the focus away from the teen characters like Charlie, Jason and Danny. It still feels as though Revolution has a way to go before the allocation of screen time is at a more appropriate level (Jason has been kicked out of the Neville family and that can only mean more of him and Charlie), but as indicated by the early scene with Miles and Rachel, there’s a nice chemistry between the two that was rarely present between any of the primary characters during the season’s first 10 episodes, and hints at an interesting dynamic yet to come.

Instead of just throwing out what didn’t work before and pretending it never happened (which probably would have been okay with many viewers), ‘The Stand’ acknowledges that the show had finally taken care of one of its biggest storytelling problems when the hunt for Danny concluded in the midseason finale. With Miles and Co. free from their seemingly endless pursuit of the hapless Matheson child, and Monroe flying his attack helicopters around, wiping out factions of the resistance, Revolution felt like it was finally headed in a more promising direction.

But the writers went a step further in that direction by taking Danny out of the show altogether. Moments after Danny asserts himself to Charlie and takes part in the defense of the resistance’s headquarters, he destroys the helicopter carrying the pendant and amplifier onboard with the rocket launcher Miles lifted from one of Rachel’s friends. The victory is short-lived, however, as he’s cut down by a hail of gunfire haphazardly sent by the other helicopter as it crashes.

Danny’s death will likely serve as motivation for Charlie and Miles to continue their fight against Monroe, but it also allows for a bizarre scene where his mother removes a mysterious electronic device from his corpse that will hopefully provide some answers to Rachel’s involvement in the blackout.

Speaking of answers, there is still an annoying tendency for characters (i.e. Rachel) to keep valuable information away from the rest of the group for no other reason than a supposed lack of time. Purposely derailing the momentum like this was one of the primary problems with the first half of the season, and its certainly not doing any good here. ‘The Stand’ was heavy on action sequences, so it’s understandable why the answers weren’t immediately forthcoming, but here’s hoping the sense of forward momentum that carried over from the midseason finale leads to some much-needed clarity in the weeks to come.

On the other end, it’s encouraging to see the writers have paired Colm Feore’s Randall character with Monroe. Even if it’s just for the time being, putting another character with knowledge of the central mystery into the thick of things should help progress the action even further.

This is only the first episode back, so there’s no telling if any of the positive changes (aside from the removal of Danny) will stick, but now there’s at least some hope that things are capable of moving in the right direction.

Kevin Yeoman blogs at Screen Rant.

James Franco is currently starring in the movie 'Spring Breakers.' (Michael Muller/A24 Films/AP)

James Franco: What hasn't he done?

By Saba Hamedy / 03.25.13

Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that actor James Franco has gotten involved with ... well, pretty much everything. As Joshua Mohr wrote in a New York Times article in 2010, Franco’s “ambition over the past few years has manifested almost as performance art.”

This past weekend, the movie "Spring Breakers," starring Franco and Disney stars like Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, made its debut in theaters nationwide. The movie, along with the Disney film "Oz the Great and Powerful," which was released earlier this month, has thrust Franco back into the limelight again, as Hollywood’s Renaissance man. Check out this rendition of what might be on Franco’s bucket list if he created one – and how much he's already completed.

– Get a degree

For Franco, this actually means get multiple degrees from multiple universities all at the same time, from Yale University to Columbia University. In 2012, a former professor of his alleged that he was fired from New York University because he gave the actor a D grade, according to Time magazine. In 2009, Franco was caught on camera sleeping in a Columbia class. His response? According to Gawker, he said, “It was this extra thing, it was 10 at night, it wasn’t a class.”  

– Use degree(s) to teach college-level courses

Perhaps Franco really believes in the saying “knowledge is power” because he decided to not only obtain these degrees but also use the degrees to teach. A University of California, Los Angeles, student who recently took Franco’s screenplay/creative writing workshop told LA Weekly that Franco “definitely cares a lot about teaching and it’s not just something he’s just doing.” The student also said Franco holds office hours and “gives five or 10 minutes of feedback every week” to each student.

– Guest-star in a soap opera

On “General Hospital,” Franco plays a character named Franco, an artist who also happens to be a serial killer. In 2010, the actor told “Good Morning America” he decided to play in the soap opera because “it’s a different form of entertainment that I have ever worked in.”

– Write a book

“Many of the stories end in nihilistic violences and gratuitous gore, which, let’s admit, can be entertaining... yet many of these tales have no emotional payoffs,” wrote Mohr in his New York Times review of Franco’s book “Palo Alto” in 2010.

– Stay awake as long as possible

“I don’t get much sleep,” Franco told “Good Morning America” in 2010. “I am very busy.” This is obvious because it seems as if no human being with a normal sleep cycle could cram all the activities Franco does into his or her schedule.

– Get nominated for an Oscar

Franco got the nod from the Academy after his portrayal of outdoorsman Aron Ralston in Danny Boyle’s film "127 Hours," in 2010. The film, based on a true story, follows Aron, a solo hiker, after he falls into a ravine in Utah and is trapped for five days, out of human view and with limited supplies. USA Today’s review called Franco “thoroughly captivating.”

– Host the Oscars

Franco co-hosted the 2011 ceremony with Anne Hathaway, but many critics responded negatively to the ceremony. The Hollywood Reporter wrote in its review that Franco “seemed distant, uninterested and content to keep his Cheshire-cat-meets-smug smile on display throughout.”

– Star in a Disney movie

In "Oz the Great and Powerful," Franco plays the wizard who falls into the land of Oz and must help save it from destruction. Franco received mixed reviews – most, like The Boston Globe, called him out for a poor performance, with the Globe writing that Franco was “too callow, too feckless, too much the dude for this role.” However, some like IndieWire argued, “Franco makes it his own, and again proves his can be an underestimated leading man.” Whether his portrayal of the great wizard was good or bad, it is still an interesting move for Franco to go Disney, especially considering the film was released around the same time as the racy, polar-opposite "Spring Breakers."

– Star in a movie with Disney stars

In "Spring Breakers," directed by Harmony Korine, Franco is almost unrecognizable in his role as Alien, a rapper/gangster who sports beaded cornrows and tattoos. He plays the not-so-great influence on already-rebellious college students (played by Hudgens, Gomez, Ashley Benson, and Rachel Korine) who venture to Florida for their spring break.

The 34-year-old has already done so much that you have to wonder, what could possibly be next?

Saba Hamedy is a Monitor contributor.

Attendees of the South by Southwest Conferences & Festivals, where 'The Punk Syndrome' won the SXGlobal Audience Award, wait in line for events. (Jay Janner/Austin American-Statesman/AP)

'The Punk Syndrome' co-director and cast discuss their SXSW-winning documentary

By Erin Scherer, The Film Panel Notetaker / 03.25.13

One-on-Three interview with J-P Passi, Sami Helle, and Toni Välitalo: The Punk Syndrome – Winner, SXGlobal Audience Award

With:
J-P Passi, co-director, The Punk Syndrome
Sami Helle, bassist, Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day
Toni Välitalo, drummer, Pertti Kurikka’s Name Day

Erin: My first question is for J-P. What compelled you to make a movie about this band?

J-P Passi: The anarchy of the guys. We have two directors, and the other one saw them on TV on a news program. It was a news flash on the band, who were still in the very early stages of their career.

Sami Helle: Four years ago.

J-P Passi: He told me about the band and asked if I would be interested.

Erin (to Sami): How did you guys get together, and what made you want to form a band?

Sami: It was Pertti, our guitar player. He has been a punk rock freak for 30 years. Of course, we just do the music. He said, “Okay, let’s just put a band together,” then we did that. Three guys, me, Toni, Kari, then Pertti started this band, and in 2010, there was a movie called A Little Respect, a Finnish movie. That movie needed a song. So the song was in that movie, and the rest is history.

Erin: It sounds like you guys ascended very quickly.

Sami: It was quick. It came really quickly.

J-P: They have a really long history together. They were already working in that direction.

Sami: We’d known each other for a long time, and so far, so good to be together.

Erin: How do you guys come up with ideas to write songs?

Sami: It’s the other guys who write the songs.

Erin: You just play them.

Sami: Yeah, basically I have no say about the songs! (Laughs.) It’s Pertti who makes the songs. The message is [usually] what’s wrong with the world today, and about their lives.

Erin: So the music comes from the lives you lead, and your frustrations.

Sami: Yes. Pertti’s frustration, mainly. [His ideas] are about sticking it to the government, and everyday things.

Erin: Your band is made up of people who are developmentally disabled–

Sami: Mentally handicapped.

Erin: I am also developmentally disabled. Nobody really knows exactly what I have. When I was three, they thought I was autistic, but the thing was, I could read, whereas normally–

Sami: I am mildly handicapped. Mentally handicapped. And I too didn’t know for a long time what I was. They said I was mildly handicapped when I was 14. For 14 years, I didn’t know what I was. That’s the truth. When they put a label on me, “You are mentally handicapped, that’s that. That’s what you are.” But sometimes they don’t go through specifically who you are.

Erin: Growing up, I experienced a lot of frustration from my peers because at some point during the day, I would have to leave, and go to another room–

Sami: I know what you’re saying. I was taunted when I was a youngster because there was [a big group of kids who would taunt me]. I had girls who came to me and started to bully me. I went down to the principal’s office. They were like, “What’s wrong with this? I [reported] the students to the teachers and the principal. But when their parents stepped in, they were like, “Oh, our girls don’t do that!”

Erin: Even though you don’t necessarily write the songs, how much of your frustration goes into your music?

Sami: When I’m onstage, I [channel] the frustration from the girls who bullied me into the music, and all that stuff comes out. I don’t write the lyrics, but 30, 40 percent of the time, I feel the same. Toni feels the same, we all feel the same. This is our way for us to say, “Screw it!”

Erin: With the kind of music you play, do you think that being disabled puts you at an advantage? As disabled persons, you’re marginalized to begin with.

Sami: Yes.

Erin: When I was watching The Punk Syndrome, I was reminded of a musician, and I don’t know if you’ve heard of him, named Wesley Willis.

Sami: No.

Erin: He was also mentally handicapped, and he had schizophrenia. He would write songs about having schizophrenia, and stuff around Chicago, where he lived. He passed away ten years ago. There was some fear of him being exploited due to his disability. Do you guys fear being exploited because of your disability, or that people might take advantage of you?

Sami: No. Because we’re out there. First of all, we went out there. At first we thought that people would shoot us because we are mentally handicapped. [Instead], everyone was so supportive. We were like, “What’s going on?”

When I was a youngster, there was a lot more negativity. We’ve had fans that have come to different parts of Finland to see us, people who would travel 200km just see us. People have been really, really supportive. It’s easy for us to do punk rock, because it’s already a family. Everybody saw us and said, “You’re pretty good!” They don’t look at us as mentally handicapped, they just look at us as us. And that part has been really good.

Erin: Do you think you’ve found some acceptance, now that you have cultivated a niche for yourselves?

Sami: Yeah. When we are musicians, everybody accepts us, but when we are on our own in society, it’s a little difficult. When we are musicians, it’s like, “Okay, we’re on our own!” It’s harder when we’re not musicians.

Erin: So it’s like when you’re out performing, you’re accepted, and then when you’re in the real world–

Sami: It seems like we have to do a lot more in the real world to be accepted.

Erin: And then you write songs about the “real world”, and then you play them–

Sami: It’s Pertti that writes the songs. Sometimes, I’m not agreeing with the views of the songs. But I still have to play the songs!
 Co-Director J-P Passi

Erin (to J-P): How long did you follow the band?

J-P: About eighteen months or so.

Erin: And during that time, they gained a huge following.

J-P: Yes.

Erin (to Sami): When you formed the band, did you think it would get as big as it did?

Sami (laughing): No.

J-P: It was kind of a project.

Sami: It started because our manager put one of our songs on YouTube. After that, it was like, WHHHHOOOOOOAAAA!!!! A lot of people watched it. After that, it got so big, we got gigs, and the rest is history. The movie came, and everything got big.

At this juncture, the publicist asked Toni to say a few words. His thoughts were translated from Finnish by J-P Passi.

Toni via J-P: He really likes the film. But in the film, he was visiting a group home. It was busy there. He wants to stay with his parents, and he will stay with his parents. He will not leave home.

Erin: I totally understand that. What are your hopes for the film, and what are your hopes for the future?

Sami: Especially today, I am looking forward to seeing how Americans react to this. It’s always a little nerve wracking, because people are different. For some of them, it’s a big success. But you never know when you go to a different place. We’ve been to Canada, and that was that. And now we’re in America, one of my favorite countries. Because I lived here for four years, and I haven’t been in America in 21 years. It’s good to be back.

Erin Scherer blogs at The Film Panel Notetaker.