On the surface, the life of a successful musician would seem to be one filled with endless pleasures, creative and emotional fulfillment, and “backstage changing tents” stocked with eager-to-please fans (Van Halen only). But scratch that surface and, like so many other things in life, you’ll find loneliness, self-loathing, and fickle fans who may not be amenable to hurried backstage hook-ups while Eddie does “Eruption.” Two Milwaukee filmmakers intend to explore that seedy and depressing rock and roll reality with Christopher Darling, a dark comedy that follows a successful indie-rock frontman “over the course of a national tour while he descends into boredom-fueled hedonism.” Oh, and they need your help.
Christopher Darling is being co-written and directed by recent UW-Milwaukee film grads Martin Kaszubowski and Scott Cary (frontman of his own indie-rock outfits, including Dinny Bulca), and the first-time filmmakers are hoping to raise $6,000 by November 14 to cover production costs. Their Kickstarter campaign delves into some of the inspiration behind the film:
“As music fans we both grew up idolizing our favorite musicians. As adults we wanted to make a commentary on the concept of ‘rockstar-dom’ and how it has been portrayed in the past. The film should serve as a look at the moments you don’t see in a successful musician’s life. Through the film’s meditative pacing and stark take on its subject matter we hope to show someone who has reached the top and is still unfulfilled. We drew inspiration from the lives of many famous musicians (such as Jay Reatard, Pete Doherty, Julian Casablancas, Kurt Cobain and others) as well as from the works of Charles Bukowski. We intend to create a realistic interpretation of this lifestyle.”
The Kickstarter also has plenty of goodies for potential backers, including a digital download of the film ($20 or more) and a “specially made breakfast cooked by directors Scott and Marty” ($100 or more). We’d suggest asking for brown M&Ms with that breakfast for the full rock-star experience.