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Since the dawn of time, many have pondered an important question: What is the most ska film? There are many contenders, but one that is certainly near the top of any list is Bandslam, the 2009 cult-comedy about a group of high school students who compete in a battle of the bands competition. This week on In Defense of Ska, Bandslam director Todd Graff and Charlie Saxton, who played Bug, talk about the movie’s ska references, their appreciation for the genre, and more. Listen above, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Graff and Saxton talk about the trials and tribulations they experienced while working on Bandslam. From the casting to plotting to selecting music, the two bring us behind the scenes of the moviemaking process. The explanation also includes details about rebuilding the famous punk club CBGB, as well as the film’s memorable David Bowie cameo, which marked the music icon’s last movie appearance before his passing in 2016.
The two then talk about their respective ska roots, touching on why the genre is so important to them. That discussion includes Graff’s reasoning as to why he wanted to make ska such an important part of his film, explaining all of the various references. With a ska cover of “Everything I Own” and “Free Time” by the Aggrolites, ska music pops up throughout this picture.
Plus, Saxton previews his newest movie, Art of a Hit, which includes an embarrassing story featuring Rick Johnson.
Listen to Todd Graff and Charlie Saxton’s conversation about Bandslam and more above, and make sure to like, review, and follow the series wherever you get your podcast. Don’t forget to check out all the Consequence Podcast Network series here.
Additionally, you can support the In Defense host Aaron Carnes by purchasing a copy of his book, In Defense of Ska. The 2nd, expanded edition is available now. Co-host Adam Davis also has a band called Omnigone, whose latest record, Feral, was released earlier this year.