Movies on a Big Screen…the blog!

Wed May 26, 2010. The Crest. 1013 K St, Sacto. Intro at 6:30 PM by CSUS prof and MOBS friend, Jenny Stark. John Waters live in “conversation” with Sac Bee’s Edward Ortiz at 7:30 PM. Tix: Only 23 bux! Brought to “you” by California Lectures!

For his first feature, Jody Lambert turned the camera on his father, Dennis Lambert, a successful pop songwriter and producer who has since turned to a career in real estate in Boca Raton, Florida. Through the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s, Dennis had 75 songs in Billboard’s top 100, including “Don’t Pull Your Love,” “Ain’t No Woman Like the One I Got,” “Rhinestone Cowboy,” and “Nightshift,” though only recorded one album of his own, Bags and Things, in 1972. While virtually forgotten in the United States, the album is to this day adored in the Philippines, and its song “Of All the Things” serves as a sort of Valentines anthem for countless couples. Jody’s film of the same name concerns his father’s journey to the Philippines in 2007 for a two-week concert tour – his first live performance in years. Instead of resorting to predictable narration, Jody lets Dennis and his music tell the story of a man rediscovering his passion in the least likely of places.

Galen Howard: Of All the Things is your first feature. Had you attempted any other projects in any capacity previously?

Jody Lambert: I went to NYU film school and then studied acting. I was doing plays in NYC, writing scripts, trying to get a few movies off the ground. But when the Philippines tour happened, it felt like the right time to stop making excuses and make it happen.

GH: How did you raise your funds? Where did the money go primarily?

JL: Our producer Taylor Williams raised the money. We shot in Boca Raton and the Philippines and did post-production in LA and NYC. Every dime we spent is up there on the screen.

GH: Looking back, is there any aspect of the filmmaking process you wish you had done differently?

JL: I’m sure every filmmaker wishes he/she had more time and money. But we jumped in and never looked back, and I think the movie has an energy and vitality because we wanted to get it in front of audiences as quickly as possible.

GH: Was the experience making the film any different from your initial expectations?

JL: It was more challenging than I thought it would be — but also much more rewarding. To make a movie about your dad, about your family, and then screen it all over the world, it’s been a life-changing experience for all of us.

GH: How so?

JL: My dad and I have gotten so much closer throughout the process of making the film. The Philippines tour was a career highlight for him, and the movie was the same for me. To go through those experiences together has been really special, something I’ll never forget.

GH: What were the primary challenges you faced during the production?

JL: Making a documentary is tough — I think the primary challenge was trying to stay creative and spontaneous when the stakes are high and your back is against the wall, time and money-wise. I was very lucky that everyone who worked on the film believed it was a terrific story, and they were excited to be a part of it. It’s a lot easier to soldier on when the people around you are so inspiring.

GH: Did your father have any input into the film’s approach during production and/or post?

JL: We showed him the cuts of the film as we were editing. He gave us notes and suggestions here and there, which were always very helpful. His generosity and wisdom and humor helped us find the tone and the direction of the movie. But I think he trusted that we were gonna come up with something special and he was very generous about letting us make the movie we wanted to make.

GH: How has your father responded to the film?

JL: He loves it. I think he sees it not just as a movie about him, but as an inspirational portrait of an artist getting one more chance to his mojo back.

GH: I could imagine there was an abundance of memorable footage of Dennis (both onstage and off) that didn’t make it into the final cut.

JL: My dad is hilarious and he has an endless amount of stories and jokes and schtick, so there will definitely be some really good stuff on the Special Features of the dvd.

GH: Was it ever difficult to maintain an objective perspective as a filmmaker and storyteller, given your close ties to the subject?

JL: It was easy to maintain objectivity because we always wanted the movie to be more about Dennis’s journey than about our relationship. We didn’t want the movie to be one of those “let me tell you about my father” documentaries because we felt the story of his career and the trip to the Philippines were more interesting than that. So we were comfortable letting our relationship be a part of the movie, but not the whole thing. Having said that, there’s no doubt that being his son made him comfortable talking about things that he might have shied away from with another documentary crew.

GH: Do you think you came away from the film with a new appreciation for or view of your father’s music (in general or particular)?

JL: Absolutely. My dad is from the generation of songwriters who knew how to write smart, catchy hits in all genres. Digging into his body of work made me realize how hard that is, and how few people can do that today. But more than that, it made me see his courage and his willingness to lay it all on the line. He embarked on this amazing adventure at an age when most people choose to play it safe.

GH: Do you think you’ve gained a different perspective on pop music from Dennis over the years? Might you listen to or judge a song differently because of his influence?

JL: There’s no question that his taste in music and approach to writing/producing has influenced me. He really believes in the idea that a song can be catchy and entertaining, but also clever and intelligent. His best songs — “Nightshift” for example — are like that and I think he strived for that in all of his music. Regardless of genre, I respond to those qualities in music. And in films too.

GH: Are there any particular musicians today you feel would be well-matched with your father’s songwriting style, or any you’d like to see cover his previous songs?

JL: I’d love to see my dad and Beck work together — two white guys laying down some funky R&B.

GH: Has seeing the path of your father’s music career affected your perspective or approach in regards to your own artistic career?

JL: Of course. I’ve watched his career have its ups-and-downs, and certainly this tour and the film prove that you can always get a second chance. Mostly though, I’ve realized that all you can do is continue to put pen to paper and produce good work and hope it gets seen (or heard) by audiences.

GH: Has the film been screened in the Philippines?

JL: We haven’t screened in the Philippines yet. But we’re hoping to finally get there this year.

GH: How has it been trying to market and distribute the film?

JL: It’s tough out there for all independent films right now. But we’ve gotten really lucky — over the last two years we’ve screened at amazing festivals all over the world; traveled to China with AFI Project: 20/20; my dad has played concerts at the Viper Room (LA), Joe’s Pub (NYC) and the Bluebird Cafe (Nashville). So we’ve been able to show the movie and share my dad’s story and music with a lot of people. It’s been a great ride. And I think in some ways, we’re just getting started.

GH: What are you working on currently?

JL: Feature scripts. I’d like the next film I direct to be a narrative film, not another documentary. My dad was able to bounce from genre to genre, so I’m hoping to do that too.

Here’s the second installment of filmmaker interviews by Galen Howard! If you went to the MOBS screening of The Man Who Would Be Polka King, you’ll be able to see it again via Netflix later this summer. And if you missed it, then make sure to check it out!

One would not likely expect the relentlessly optimistic world of polka music to be the setting for a sordid crime drama, but that is exactly the case with the documentary The Man Who Would Be Polka King from directors John Mikulak and Joshua von Brown. The film’s subject, Grammy-nominated polka bandleader Jan Lewan, immigrated from Poland in the 1970’s and ultimately settled in Pennsylvania where he would build his prominent “polka empire.” Offering fans guided European tours and a high-end gift store to compliment his regular concert schedule, Lewan funded his enterprise through a long and elaborate investment scam that resulted in losses nearing $10,000,000. Mikulak and von Brown show Lewan as a consummate performer and perpetual opportunist whose pursuit of his own wide-scope version of the American dream ultimately destroyed the lives of he and his family along with his many investors. The film toured festivals in 2009, around the end of Lewan’s five-year prison sentence.

Galen Howard: How did you initially become aware of Jan Lewan and ultimately decide to make a film of his story?

John Mikulak: Well, to make a long story short…I had been in Manhattan for about ten years. I got my MFA in filmmaking at NYU and then found myself drifting into the world of advertising. So I decided to make a drastic break. I quit my job at the ad agency and moved out of the city to the mountains of Pennsylvania where I had relatives. The plan was to live a kind of bohemian lifestyle, working on scripts and doing some spec commercial spots for my reel.

It was while I was out in that region of Pennsylvania that I heard about Jan Lewan. He was this flamboyant and charismatic individual; very well known in his region. He actually approached me about doing a book about his life story because he heard that I was a writer/director from New York. At the time, however, it seemed to be just a story of an immigrant who came here and found success. It was fun and interesting…but I wasn’t compelled. About a year later, Lewan approached me again. This time he told me that he was probably going to jail. Wow! Now THERE was a hook: A beloved polka king who defected to this country, built up a polka empire, and then had it all crumble – with lives ruined and jail time, etc. It seemed like an amazing tragedy. So I asked if he’d be interested in participating in a documentary. To his credit he agreed – even when I told him it would tell the good, the bad and the ugly side of his life story.

GH: Did you have any difficulties gaining or maintaining the involvement of your interview subjects?

JM: Yes, it was a constant struggle to get victims to come forward and tell their story. Many were furious that I even contacted them because the memory of Lewan’s betrayal was so painful to them. Also, others were just plain embarrassed and didn’t want to appear on camera. And others were actually scared. They feared that Lewan would come after them after he left prison, which was a paranoid fear but real to them nonetheless.

I also had to walk a tightrope between the two Lewan camps – between those who were still devoted to him and those who despised him. It was difficult to convince everyone that I didn’t have an ulterior motive, that I was just interested in hearing both sides of the story.

Another problem was arranging a jailhouse interview. I had spent months getting that approved by the state of Delaware, only to have Lewan’s lawyers cancel it a few days before we were scheduled to shoot. I was devastated at the time, but now feel it worked out fine.

GH: How did you come to collaborate on the film with your co-director Joshua von Brown?

JM: Josh is an old NYU buddy of mine. I had spent years shooting (the film) on my own. Josh was aware of the project and even helped early on in cutting a promo for it. Over the years he approached me a couple times about potentially doing it as a doc for Court TV. I turned the idea down until they made an offer that would allow us to do both a TV and feature version. At that point, Josh came aboard to head up the post-production and edit the project. He basically became so instrumental in creatively helping to craft the structure that I felt he deserved equal credit as co-director.

GH: Beyond practical narrative purposes, what was the idea behind the fictional narrator character Stan Tadrowski?

JM: Well, we had already done the version of the documentary for Court TV/TruTV. Joshua and I realized that we had to have a voice-over to tie certain elements of the narrative together (for the expanded feature), but we wanted to do something different, something other than the traditional TV VO narration. So we came up with the idea of creating this polka “everyman” who narrates the story from a small American Legion hall in Northeastern PA. We felt if fit the setting and mood and introduced a little flavor to the narration. The actor Greg Korin did a really nice job of nailing the Northeastern PA accent. We actually held auditions in New York and no actor came as close to capturing that feel.

GH: How much does the feature differ from the Court TV version?

JM: The main difference would be the inclusion of additional footage – a few more story points – and the tone, which is much more “indie.” It has more a more casual and folksy flavor because of the actor portraying Stan Tadrowski. Also, the writing of the narration isn’t as “signposted” as the TV version (which is something the networks want you to do to lead the audience through the story).

GH: The incidents in Jan’s story range from absurdly comic to deeply tragic. How did you balance these extremes throughout the documentary?

JM: That was a major concern of ours throughout the edit. And it was difficult because the documentary does have elements that are hilarious and absurd (as you say) while also detailing very tragic events. Honestly, we just tried to keep an overall perspective that the tone pretty much needs to echo the tone that Jan’s life story took. I mean, he’s a guy whose life encompassed great highs and lows. You can’t tell his story without reveling in the colorful aspects of the polka world or Jan’s over-the-top showmanship. And this is what makes the dark, self-destructive undercurrents that lead to his ruin and the financial destruction of his victims so much more poignant and fascinating. I’ve always said that this is more than a polka documentary, that it’s a classic tragedy. I guess the polka backdrop and Lewan’s larger-than-life persona made it necessarily a tragicomedy.

GH: What has the response to the film been like, both within and outside the polka community? How has Jan and his family responded to the film?

JM: I think the response has been largely positive. There’s definitely a range of opinions on whether Lewan was malicious or just foolish. The family – in general – believes I did a fair job. I always told them that I wasn’t going to pull punches. So I think they respected my honesty with them throughout the process. And I do have to thank them for cooperating in terms of supplying tons of archival photos and allowing me to use Lewan’s music, etc.

I know that Lewan, himself, feels that I left out parts of his side of the story. But he has to understand that what is important to him isn’t always objectively important to the overall narrative. You can’t get bogged down in minutiae or you will lose your audience.

All in all, Jan Lewan knows that the documentary has kept his name alive and provided publicity. So deep down, I think his ego likes the fact that a documentary was made on his life…and that it has played in festivals around the world and on national TV. He’s working on a book, so I think he figures it can help him get that published.

I know that some people within the polka community felt that the documentary shed a negative light on polka. I think a lot of people outside the polka community are just blown away by the whole Jan Lewan phenomenon and how he was able to create such a wild reality. He pretty much created his empire by force of will…and the help of his Ponzi scheme, of course.

GH: I read that upon Jan’s release last year, he said that his heavy exposure in prison to rap music has inspired him to fuse it with polka. Does this seem to you in keeping with his overall character?

JM: Oh yeah. And I’ve heard him perform one of the rap songs. It’s hilarious. He’s going to include a few on his next album. It’s totally in keeping with Jan to look at a situation and see how he can turn it into an advantage. He is, for better or worse, an incurable optimist. And he’s not one to stand still and bemoan his fate. He just moves on. I’m sure he has tons of projects in mind at this moment. I know he has been performing whenever he can.

The Man Who Would Be Polka King will be available from Netflix later this summer.