Filmmaker G.J. Echternkamp and his parents make pastrami sandwiches in Xeni’s kitchen, and talk with Mark about the new feature film FRANK AND CINDY, which documents their lives. Snip from the film description:
When Cindy married a rock star, Frank, in 1983 she imagined a life of glamour and GRAMMYS. But the song that propelled Frank to fame, Whirly Girl, would be the only chart-topper from his short-lived group, OXO. Years later, out of shape and nearly bankrupt after spending his money on “gas, food, dry cleaning and drugs.” Frank is not the vision Cindy married.
Desperate to resuscitate her dream, Cindy furnishes a new studio for Frank in hopes he’ll record another hit. Instead, he’d rather drink. Upset by his lack of ambition, Cindy berates him incessantly (“I hate every fat bone in your body!”). And now, twenty-three years after appearing on American Bandstand, Frank lives sequestered to the basement where he uses coffee cans as his improvised bathroom.
Both appalled and amused by his parents’ behavior, Cindy’s filmmaker son, G.J., picks up his video camera and aims it at them. After a year of filming, what began as an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, instead becomes a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness.
I had the pleasure of seeing a number of clips from the film a while ago on This American Life (the Showtime TV show version). A whole episode of the show was dedicated to G.J.’s film, so if you cant manage to see a screening (none listed for Portland yet) the TAL episode is well worth it.
That was one of my favorite episodes of TAL on Showtime. Hope the film comes to Philadelphia.
Y’all must have recorded a good hour or two and edited it down to a few minutes. I think we need an uncut version with explicit sandwich-making.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” — H.D. Thoreau
“Have some more pastrami. . .I forgive you.”
–G.J. Echternkamp
Hmmm. My studio’s in the basement. NOTE TO SELF: Start saving coffee cans.