Alan G. Parker - Kiss Army Argentina Interview - October 2013

7/27/2019 Alan G. Parker - Kiss Army Argentina Interview - October 2013

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The Director of "You wanted the best, you got the best" Kissdocumentary.

Kiss Army Argentina interview with Alan G.

Parker:"We are here to celebrate KISSnot to start World War 3"

Bill Baker and Kiss Army Argentina.

KISS Army Argentina: Alan, thanks a lot for your time for this interview with KISS ArmyArgentina. It is a pleasure for us.



Alan Parker: No problem, thank you for asking me...

KISS Army Argentina: KISS fans all over the planet are eager to watch the new official film of theBand in which you are working. Can you please tell us about the current state of production andfilming of “You wanted the best, you got the best”?

Alan Parker: Well, we knew we were doing this as our next movie just before Christmas 2012... We

started pre-Production in London (UK) in May this year and began filming in the USA (NYC/LA) inJune... At this point in time (October) we have most of the interviews in the can, although we will bedoing a little more filming in Miami around the time of KISS Kruise III... It will be cool to meet the fansout there too... Edit will begin in London (UK) on the second week of November...

KISS Army Argentina: How did the idea of making the movie happen? How was that first contactwith Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley?

Alan Parker: We knew Gene had seen my movie 'Monty Python: Almost The Truth' (EagleEntertainment/IFC) and we had just finished another one since then called 'Hello Quo: The OfficialStatus Quo Story' (Anchor Bay Pictures) so we were looking for something new to do... I was on KISSKruise II last year when the first steps towards this project began... Although we had been speaking to

the KISS office since the previous summer... Once Danny Francis returned to London last year webegan to organise a plan... I knew then that Paul wanted to do something... The offer was made justbefore Christmas from both sides, and in the early new year we began to make it all real...

KISS Army Argentina: Can you please tell us more about what we will see in “You wanted thebest, you got the best”? Will it be a documentary on the history of the Band with interviews totheir members, former members and related people? Will there be any dramatized fragments?

Alan Parker: It is very much a documentary of the groups full 40 year history... Expect a running time of about 2 hours + and a story that begins with Paul & Gene, their meeting and Wicked Lester, up to andincluding both 'The Tour' with Motley Crüe and the Spider Stage... We will be including some greatarchive, animation and stills, along with a number of interviews both new and old... We have a fewsurprises in there too... I have been a KISS Army member since I was 14 years old, so I know what youhave seen...

KISS Army Argentina: How did Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley get involved in the movie? Howmuch freedom did they give you to give shape to the movie?

Alan Parker: We have 100% freedom, which is a great position to be in with a group as big as KISS...They have seen my previous work and they know how we do things, so they know they are in safehands...

KISS Army Argentina: We also know that neither Ace Frehley nor Peter Criss have accepted toparticipate, and that is unfortunate, since “You wanted the best, you got the best” tells the storyof the band that they themselves helped to create together with Gene and Paul. Who contacted

Ace and Peter and why did the different parties involved not reach an agreement?

Alan Parker: Both Ace & Peter were contacted on a number of occasions... They were both made thesame incredibly good offer by our team... For reasons that were never fully explained to us they bothdecided not to take part... The great thing about a rock n' roll band that has existed for 40 years is thateverybody has already been interviewed a large number of times, archive alone tells me that they willnot be 'missing' from our movie... I just think at this stage that too much water has gone under thebridge for it to be possible that Ace & Peter would take part in this movie... But let it be known that wetried our very best to make that possible...

KISS Army Argentina: Given this regrettable situation, Tommy Thayer, current “Spaceman” inKISS, came to save the day and contributed with interview material of Ace and Peter that he

himself had helped to carry out for a KISS documentary that was never finished. Is this so?Please give us more details on this issue.



Alan Parker: Tommy has informed me that a number of interviews were carried out with both Ace &Peter that the group own, but which have never been used, so we will be looking at those nearer Christmas... Can I also add at this stage that both Tommy Thayer & Eric Singer have been nothing buthelpful with regard to this project... Add to that list Bruce Kulick and the family of the late, great EricCarr...

KISS Army Argentina: What other KISS friends and personalities will participate in the film? Will

it focus on the early years of the band only or will it cover their 40-year career? Will BruceKulick, Vinnie Vincent and Eric Carr’s relatives take part in it?

Alan Parker: The fim does cover the full 40 years as I said earlier... Bruce has done a great interview,Eric's family have helped us out with archive and photos rather than be interviewed themselves... Vinniewas not contacted with regard to the movie as I feel we have enough to tell his story from archivealone... Behind the actual group members we have some good interviews too, and we've managed totrack down some great people from pretty near every part of their story...

KISS Army Argentina: Being aware of the different points of view on the history of KISS, weknow that Gene and Paul have one version of the story while Ace and Peter (in spite of nottaking part in the film) have another. How do you manage to reconcile those different positions

while remaining unbiased and not getting complicated?

Alan Parker: From a film makers point of view you have to take an outside stance... The story will betold as it was, regardless of certain opinions... We are here to celebrate KISS not to start World War 3...Lol...

KISS Army Argentina: Will “You wanted the best, you got the best” be the best KISSdocumentary ever? As director of the film, how would you convince us to go to a movie theater when the film is released? Why should we do so?

Alan Parker: What we are working on is the first ever cinematic documentary on one of the biggestgroups on the planet... Do I need to convince you to go to a movie theatre? Hell, if someone else wasmaking this I would be in line already... In the reviews of some of my previous films it's been suggestedthat my films are 'the final word' which is very flattering... What I aim to make, in all cases, is somethingthat will stand the test of time, and this movie will be no different...

KISS Army Argentina: How much material have you watched and selected for the movie? Whichthing surprised you and which moments would you mention as your favorites? What eras couldbe developed more extensively?

Alan Parker: While I have watched a lot of the material over the years as a fan, it's a little early in theday to be looking at what might or might not make the cut for the movie just yet... By Christmas time Iwill have a better idea of the story line and the look of the movie, I will concentrate on archive in theearly new year...

KISS Army Argentina: Are you a KISS fan? And if you are, how did that impact on the work youare doing with the movie?

Alan Parker: As I said earlier I have been a KISS Army member since I was 14 which makes me 34years in, in any language... I do love the group and I still collect memorabilia/records to this day... Asregards the movie I have to look at that with my 'fan' hat off and my 'Director' hat on... It's the only wayto do the job...

KISS Army Argentina: When will the movie be finished? When will it arrive to movie theaters?

Alan Parker: We expect to be in movie theaters worldwide by August/September 2014...

KISS Army Argentina: How do you plan to promote the film? Are there any plans for taking it tofestivals?



Alan Parker: Again, it's a little early really to look at some of these questions... But yes, I'm sure oncewe are ready we will look at festivals too...

KISS Army Argentina: What are your expectations as the director of the movie? What is so far the best part of working on this project?

Alan Parker: What can I say? It's just been a lot of fun thus far... I rarely have expectations for a movie

until I see it shaping up... And we haven't started edit yet... But I know we have some good material towork with...

KISS Army Argentina: What else can you tell us about the movie that has not been said yet?

Alan Parker: Not much really at this time, we are just hard at work getting towards the edit stage... Weshould know a whole lot more nearer February/March 2014...

KISS Army Argentina: Alan, once again, thanks a lot for your time. We wish you all the best withthis movie, and we hope to see you soon in Argentina. It has been an honor. Thanks!

Alan Parker: Thank you guys and enjoy your day...

Interview by: Marcelo García and Diego Ferreyra (October2013)

http://www.kissarmyargentina.com/



Alan G. Parker - Kiss Army Argentina Interview - October 2013

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