Lisa Kudrow talks Bandslam

Lisa Kudrow plays Will’s mother in the film Bandslam which is out this weekend, and she took part in an interview, which I’m going to only include some of the questions here. You can find a link to the rest of the interview at the end.

What was your take on working with so many young people in Bandslam?

Most of my stuff was with Gaelan and Aly. Aly has done a fair amount of [movies] as well, but just like Gaelan, they’re both eager to do the work and do it well. They’re both more confident than I ever was at their age. They’re not just interested in pleasing; they also want to do it well and right. They’re willing to ask questions of the director. I was so impressed. Everyone is so much smarter than I was at their age.

How did you get involved in Bandslam?

I was sent the script to read, and I thought it was great. I really respond to stories that are told well, characters that are layered. I just really liked it. I thought it would be a fun thing to do.

How much of the music in Bandslam were you familiar with before you did the movie?

I knew about Velvet Underground and David Bowie. I didn’t get to meet him. Isn’t that tragic? Cheap Trick, I knew. And the Bread song [“Everything I Own”] …

How was it filming the scene at the end of the movie where the band performs the rocked-out cover version of “Everything I Own”?

I wasn’t there for the four days [it took to film the scene], because that would’ve been mean to me.

It looked like people were having fun, even though most of them were paid extras.

[She says jokingly] No one is paid that much! They were really great, especially Scott Porter. He performed as one of the [rival band] Glory Gods, and he would get up there, and he would talk to [the crowd] and perform for them and do beat-box stuff. He is unbelievable! I saw him do a little, but I heard every day, he was trying to get their energy up. That guy is like a superhero in person.

What do you think people will take away from seeing Bandslam?

It’s possible to see a movie that’s just good again. It’s not for any one age group. That was the big surprise when I saw it. I was like, “Oh, this is probably for the Disney crowd.” No, not at all. There were jaded people in the audience — you know, critics, agents, publicists — who were up on their feet at the end of the movie. It’s just a good time. It’s just a really great movie. It’s just really well-done.

Read the rest of the interview at Examiner.com

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