What a show BEHIND THE LENS has for you this week! A little bit wild, a little bit wacky, and touched with a big splash of doo-wop, all thanks to our very special guests actor CHAD ANTHONY MILLER and director BRENT WILSON.
CHAD ANTHONY MILLER was a co-host on the very first episode of #BTLRadioShow over six years ago. He is a wonderful comedic actor who celebrates and thrives on small independent films and it’s a guarantee that whenever Chad is in a film, you know hilarity will ensue. And ensue it does on BTL as Chad joins us live to talk about his two latest projects – OPHELIA FALLS which you can watch right now on Amazon Prime, and the upcoming BATS**T BRIDE which releases on May 8. Listen as Chad talks about the common thread of family and friends both in front of and behind the lens which has become a hallmark of the projects he takes on, his process as an actor, as well as some fun behind-the-scenes anecdotes on these indie gems. In both, OPHELIA FALLS – a quirky, slice of life in the world of Ophelia who returns home for a family “crisis” after years of avoidance and absence, finding herself in the midst of not only familial insanity but also facing her own past – and BATS**T BRIDE – the tale of uber-event planner Heather who plays an April Fool’s joke on her fiance announcing she is calling off their wedding, only to have the tables turned on her when her fiance leaves her, forcing her to go to extreme comedic lengths in an effort to win him back, Chad is the priest/pastor/officiant doing all the marrying in both films, roles which allow him to showcase the ease with which he infuses comedy into a scene or situation, not to mention garnering mountains of laughter in the process.
And then director BRENT WILSON joins talking about his latest documentary STREETLIGHT HARMONIES celebrating the history of Doo-Wop! Taking us on a musical journey back to the street corners of Philly and NY of the 50’s with groups of kids gathering and singing under the streetlights, thanks to music historians and many of the musicians themselves, we learn about the freedom and joy of harmonization, the hallmark of Doo-Wop, and how that has not only progressed over the decades but came to influence the harmonies and sound of groups like The Beach Boys and more current boy bands of today like NSYNC and more. Listen as Brent and I talk about the “making of” STREETLIGHT HARMONIES, from concept to extensive research into the music as well as locating archival film of performances, developing the through-line of the film and timeline of Doo-Wop, and then finding the artists themselves many of whom are now in their 70’s and 80’s and earning their trust to engage them in interviews. Most appreciative is Brent’s interview style with the artists as he talks about letting them tell their individual stories for hours on end, giving them the respect each deserves, and then pulling excerpts for the film (but no worries – we’ll be able to see and hear everything with DVD and Blu-ray extras on that release!). And when we talk about music licensing, it’s easy to believe Brent when he talks about 50% of the budget going for music licensing fees as this film boasts 31 of the greatest hits ever – “Stand By Me”, “Why Do Fools Fall In Love”, “Tears on my Pillow”, “I Only Have Eyes For You” and so many more. And for all the fans from Philly and the tri-state area out there, you’ll love hearing us talk about The Geator with the Heater, Jerry Blavat, who provides historical context within the film, not to mention a classic wrap to the film as a whole.
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