Exactly ten years ago, the short horror film The Cut appeared online, the first Russian staged film with a psychobilly soundtrack. The main role, designated in the credits as Man with scar, was played by Kirill Ermichev, the leader of the Scary B.O.O.M. group, a popularizer of psychobilly, and a professional director. Today his documentary The Big Psychobilly Movie is preparing for its foreign premieres, and we’re talking about what led him to direct.
– Tell me about when you started doing the production?
Strangely enough, this happened much earlier than the fascination with the Leningrad rock club and the creation of the band. In high school, I wrote scripts for two plays. One is based on a comic Georgian fairy tale, the other is nothing less than “Tristan and Isolde”. Back then, my favorite films were the works of Sergei Tarasov: “Black Arrow”, “The Ballad of the Valiant Knight Ivanhoe”, “Robin Hood’s Arrows”. I wanted something medieval.
– And you decided to apply for directing?
No, I’ve been painting all my life and I’ve been preparing to move in that direction. But at some point I realized that I just couldn’t stand at the easel anymore. I couldn’t enter music faculties because I didn’t have an elementary musical education. And I joined the new department of directing theatrical forms of mass leisure. It looked very promising. The head of the department said that we would organize events for foreigners. Also, I thought it would leave enough time for music. I didn’t worry about exams at all – poetry, productions, acting, because I felt like a fish in water in it.
– How difficult was the study?
She was very interesting, especially in the first year. The freedom of creativity was almost limitless, we did what we wanted. At that time, we were somewhat worried that our teaching staff was not the same as in Moscow universities, and there were no media personalities. But then it became clear that we were in the hands of real Leningrad professionals, each of whom was a legend.
– And who took up your professional development?
Daniil Natanovich Al is a playwright and a theorist of drama. Boris Iosifovich Gersht is the patriarch of Leningrad television. He had an absolutely clear directorial vision. Kirill Nikolaevich Chernozemov is a master of fencing and stage movement. He was a heavy, big man, but when he went on stage, his movements became light and fast, like a young man. Boris Samsonovich Penkhasovich was the one who passionately loved cinema and instilled this love in us. And these were people of the old school, with high demands on professional ethics.
– Then you decided to change your profession and turned to cinema?
It happened later. My classmates began, as they should, to organize events and city celebrations. I started preparing video content for them – movies, screensavers, animations, interviews. So I began to study the technical side of the process. Gradually, a circle of customers, private and corporate, has developed.
– What was your very first video?
It happened earlier, at the institute. And it wasn’t a video, we shot it on film. This was Scary B.O.O.M.’s first music video for the song I Like To Scream. It was a very nervous process. Technically, it was terrible, but the clip turned out to be hilarious.
– How did “Big Psychobilly Movie” come about?
After the publication of my book “Russian Psycho-Attack”, I immediately had the idea to make a simple documentary from improvised materials. I started work, but something was slowing me down. It may be understood that the available format, DV, is too far from cinema. And then the situation began to change quickly. Digital cameras with good optics have appeared. And Ivan Bortnikov’s film “Tam-tam: Music of the Time of Troubles” appeared. He probably inspired me, as well as the support and help of Ivan and his comrades. All of them worked with me at the first stage.
– How was the relationship with the participants of the film on the set?
Sometimes it’s not easy. We all know that musicians are ambitious people who understand their exclusivity and require special treatment. So sometimes the interviews were in the genre of “enter the dark labyrinth of consciousness and come out alive.” The most difficult situations were on Reverend Horton Heat, when Rev suspected me of piracy, and on Mad Sin, when Kefte was enraged and almost strangled the sound engineer. In general, “extinguishing fires” happened.
– What was the main thing about working on the film?
The main thing was to get out what I’m doing all this for. Let’s put ourselves in the shoes of an unprepared spectator.
Psychobilly is a very strange direction. Unusual in sound, appearance, and lifestyle. And it was important for me to show that this is the same battlefield as any other life. And the characters are idealists, selfless, passionate. Real creators. The audience writes, “It’s a whole world, it’s so interesting! Why didn’t we know anything about this before?” And I understand that the goal has been achieved.
– How can I host the premiere of a film in my city?
You can contact one of the organizers or me. Full support from our side.
– What do you recommend to watch?
I recently reviewed Proshkin’s “Cold Summer of Fifty-three” and Mel Gibson’s “Apocalypto.” Powerful films, clear drama. I treat them like textbooks.
– Is there anything subcultural?
This is more difficult. But nobody has surpassed the Romper Stomper yet.
– What are you doing now?
“The Last Subculture” has already been translated into six languages. Two more are in the process. We are preparing foreign premieres. A full-length documentary is in the works, but according to the contract with the customer, I will not tell you anything about it yet. But the new Scary B.O.O.M. album is coming soon, that’s for sure.
– Who has had the greatest influence on you as a musician, songwriter and guitarist?
My inner tuning fork is the Batmobile, in the manner of Yron Hamers. Even when I compose completely different parts, I still try to be as collected and rhythmic. On the other hand, John Frusciante, who attracts me with his lyrics.
I think my lyrics combine the rock-club tradition when it comes to poetic themes, and early psycho when you want to give something frivolous. My ideal album has always been a Pulp Fiction soundtrack that combines completely different things. That’s how I try to write my songs, to keep them as far apart as possible.
I’m inspired by a lot of different music, and you can find everything on a USB stick in my car, from peyote chants and Mascagni to Utesov and Fat Boy Slim. This is my way of expanding my horizons and set of techniques.
– What would you recommend to aspiring filmmakers?
Don’t be afraid of the bad times. Bad times become good stories.
P.S. A dozen favorite films of Kirill Ermichev
12 Angry Men — 1957, dir. Sydney Lumet
The Apocalypse (2006, dir. Mel Gibson
The White Tiger — 2012, dir. Karen Shakhnazarov
Pulp Fiction — 1994, dir. Quentin Tarantino
Cloud-paradise — 1990, dir. Nikolai Dostal
Once upon a Time in Ireland (The Guard) — 2011, dir. John Michael McDonagh
The Outskirts — 1998, dir. Peter Lutsik
Checking on the roads — 1971, dir. Alexey German
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975, dir. Milos Forman
Skins (Romper Stomper) — 1992, dir. Jeffrey Wright
The Modest charm of the bourgeoisie (Le Charme discreet de la bourgeoisie) — 1972, dir. Luis Bunuel
The cold summer of the fifty—third… – 1987, dir. Alexander Proshkin
