Last Thursday evening myself and the organisers of the upcoming N21 Film Festival were nervously sipping drinks in the upstairs function room of The Kings Head pub in Winchmore Hill, North London. Staring eagerly at a blank Skype window, we waited, almost breathlessly, for a video call from Joe Dante. Most people know Dante for his film Gremlins or maybe even 1987′s Innerspace , but to me he would always be the director of some of the best Eerie Indiana episodes ever made; a TV show I was obsessed with as a child.
The festival organisers had asked me to webchat with the master of suburban satire so that the interview could be broadcast at their Eerie Indiana screening on the 22nd of June . In addition to this they’d asked me to do an introduction to their screening of The Burbs , so we had plenty to chat about. Perhaps one of the most exciting revelations for Eerie fans was that the acclaimed director is completely up for doing Eerie Indiana: The Movie, so if you happen to have a big wad of cash sitting under your mattress I can recommend investing it all in the hands of Dante. Ressurecting the offbeat, detective antics of Marshall Teller for the next generation is a foolproof idea. And you know it.
A big reason that I agreed to be involved with the N21 Film Festival is that it’s a charitable event. All proceeds from their screenings go to The Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice , The National Autistic Society and the Alzheimer’s Society . Furthermore, the festival will be showcasing a range of archive footage from the North London area and incorporating Q and A sessions, art exhibitions, documentaries and live music into their programme, making it a promisingly eclectic event.
My full interrogation of Mr Dante will be aired, as previously mentioined, on the 22nd June and includes insights into Joe’s work on The Explorers, the rumoured Gremlins 3D, The Burbs and his long-running relationship with actor Dick Miller.
Full details of the N21 Film Festival can be found here.
