16 Aug, 2006 SM to appear in major new documentary
Simple Minds to appear in major new documentary
Stay the Course Productions www.dontyouforgetaboutmethemovie.com today announced the making of a feature documentary that follows a sociological and psychological tribute to director John Hughes’ coming-of-age teen movies, including 1985’s The Breakfast Club.
The 90-minute feature film documentary, named after Simple Minds’ best selling single Don’t You (Forget About Me) which topped the US Billboard Singles Chart.
During the eighties John Hughes was Hollywood’s quintessential teen movie director and scored a successive number of “Brat-Pack” hit movies aimed at the teen market – The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink!, Ferris Buller’s Day Off, Weird Science and Sixteen Candles.
Out of all of Hughes’s films, The Breakfast Club continues to represent a timeless voice to a new generation of teenagers as well as the original teens who were touched by the message of the movie 20 years ago.
“The films have been handed down to a new generation of inspired teenagers,” says director Matt Austin.
“People who went on their first date or discovered their first kiss, experienced it all when they first saw the movie when it originally came out in cinemas across North America. It was also one of the first movies to score a hit album soundtrack, and like Dirty Dancing and Grease, was also one of the first movies aimed at a teen audience that scored a No.1 best selling single in America.”
“When we were asked to participate in the documentary, at first I was surprised the Breakfast Club had became such a cult since it was originally released twenty years ago,” says Jim Kerr, lead vocalist with Simple Minds. “The song has become our biggest hit in America, and when we heard the rest of the original cast from the movie agreed to be interviewed for the documentary, we felt it was only fitting to participate.”
Simple Minds will be filmed for the documentary when they play their final concert on their current world tour in at the T on the Fringe festival in Edinburgh, Scotland on August 28th. The band’s current studio album, “Black & White 050505”, is planned for North American release next year to coincide with the band’s 30th Anniversary.
Directed by Matt Austin, Produced by Kari Hollend, Michael Facciolo and Lenny Panzer, “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” will also include appearances by actors, directors, and others who had their hand in making these films or were touched by them.
Already interviewed is Ally Sheedy, Judd Nelson, film critic Roger Ebert, Kelly Le Brock (Weird Science), Mia Sara and Alan Ruck (Ferris Buller’s Day Off) along with many more.
Says director Matt Austin, “One of the reasons why we felt compelled to make this documentary 20years after the Breakfast Club was originally released was because we suddenly came to the realization that the majority of today’s teenagers have enough trouble relating to the world than recognizing themselves on screen. A film from 20 years ago portrayed them more accurately then anything made for them today.”
Continues Austin, “Somewhere, somehow along the way, Hollywood forgot what ‘being a teenager’ is. What a teenager looks like, talks like and feels. This film is for them. Teenagers have a lot to say – this documentary gives them their voice. They need a ‘Hughes’. He hasn’t directed a film in more than a decade. Where did he go? Why? Without him, or someone like him, who is their hero?”
The Breakfast Club was no ordinary “popcorn” teen movie; it had many focal points that reached beyond traditional Hollywood scripts, actors and storyline. Music for example, was an integral part of John Hugh’s films. It was always understated but present enough to almost become a character in itself. Songs like the Simple Minds “Don’t You Forget About Me” symbolized the quintessential anthem of teen angst and rebellion. The “Don’t You Forget About Me” documentary looks at the inter-relationship of character building and music, and asks if it is symbiotic to Hugh’s films, or was it simply down to the era and the songs themselves?
Adds Austin,” Making films about teenagers has interestingly enough become its own genre. The film hopes to explore what that means through our discussions with the people attached to it and most importantly teenagers today. The Don’t You Forget About Me feature website has already had over 1,500 hits on it with comments from people all over the world – http://www.dontyouforgetaboutmethemovie.com/ .”