KISS and Its Diverse Army of Devotees is Focus
In First of Eight Weekly Editions of New
Cinema Verite-Style Series, Executive-Produced by Joe Berlinger
NEW YORK, Dec. 12 /PRNewswire/ -- For three decades, KISS has blazed an
electrifying path through rock, taking larger-than-life fantasy characters to
even greater heights as global megastars, selling millions of records and
splitting twice as many ears in their outrageous concerts.
But whatever the band does, wherever the band goes, says KISSer Gene
Simmons, "Without the fans, we're nothing."
The new VH1 series "FanClub" seeks out those diehard devotees whose lives
are defined by the music they love -- and finds that it could be the dentist
who's about to begin a root canal job on you -- when "FanClub: KISS" premieres
Friday, December 22 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). "FanClub: KISS" is the first of
eight weekly editions in the new series, executive produced by acclaimed
filmmaker Joe Berlinger ("Paradise Lost," "Brother's Keeper," "Book of
Shadows: Blair Witch 2") and featuring some of today's hottest documentary
directors.
Sometimes bizarre, sometimes funny, sometimes touching, the cinema
verite-style series "FanClub" is about real-life people who really love music,
and whose unusual stories will compel even the non-fan to listen. Scouring
concert lines, surfing the web and spending time with music fans around the
country who go beyond normal limits to form deep connections to their favorite
rock star, "FanClub" also explores the bands that inspire this intense
devotion, talking to the stars themselves in extensive interviews and
spotlighting exclusive concert footage.
Among the highlights from "FanClub: KISS":
* Stacy: "If it weren't for KISS, I wouldn't have been able to follow my
own dreams in life and find what really makes me happy in my career." A
woman of outsize dimensions, Stacy is making a career as a "fantasy
model," posing for photographers and illustrators, her stylized image
(a la Frazetta) gracing numerous posters, fantasy magazine covers and
convention programs. She has also posed for KISS themselves, and is
doubly glad for their inspiration. "I just was starting to feel so
completely lost, and started looking to the things that really made me
happy," she says. "I'd always run back to KISS, because that was the
ultimate escape from reality."
* "The Demon": Dale Torborg's unusual devotion to KISS dovetailed with a
considerable athletic ability to create his own starring role: He is
the WCW's KISS-based character "The Demon." He originally followed his
dad's footsteps into professional baseball, but a vicious fastball
caught him in the face, ending his career in the Cleveland Indians'
farm system. At the suggestion of other players, he became a pro
wrestler instead. "I was always a huge KISS fan, especially Gene -- I
was drawn right to him because he just had that monster character,
larger than life," Gene returned the compliment by choosing Dale to
play "The Demon." "It's actually better than playing baseball," Dale
adds. "I get to be an athlete and be an entertainer, and represent
KISS, which is the greatest band in the world. You can't get any better
than that."
* Ron Ivanjack: In today's culture, even the world's most brain-twisted
rock crazies are sometimes forced to wear suits during the day. Ron
Ivanjack is one of them. A payroll and retirement benefits
administrator, he is a conscientious man much praised by his
colleagues. But his quiet, mild-mannered daytime demeanor masks a
raging fanatic with a house full of KISS memorabilia (including a
valuable KISS pinball machine) as well as a bent for performing KISS
karaoke in costume. "I wanted to be a rock star, I didn't want to be a
corporate suit," he says. "Wearing a KISS shirt is almost like putting
on a shield of armor -- I feel more powerful, that no one can hurt me."
* Leigh: Perhaps it's a good thing that for many people, KISS mania is
partially an emotional reaction to their "normal" lives. It's
definitely a good thing for Leigh, because she is a dentist by trade.
"My job is very stressful," she explains. "I'm so into reality all day,
all week, I want something just far out in the after-hours, some sort
of release." Her house is also an out-and-out shrine to Gene, Ace, Paul
and Peter, which has had mixed results for her personal life. "When my
last boyfriend came to visit me, my KISS collection freaked him out a
little bit, and he didn't think we were meant for each other," she
says. "I know it's a weird thing. I've been collecting for 25 years,
and it's gotten out of control."
"FanClub: KISS" features extensive footage from the band's current
farewell tour, shot in Detroit, as well as a recent official auction of KISS
memorabilia held in Hollywood, plus an interview with Bill Starkey, original
KISS Army co-founder, who talks about the club's early struggles to get the
band's records played on the radio.
And reflections by KISS themselves in new interviews illustrate the band's
heartfelt loyalty to their followers: "When I get up on stage, I'm trying to
give our fans what they deserve, because they've stood by us through thick and
thin," notes Paul Stanley. "And after 30 years of nay-sayers saying that this
would never last, it's gone on for this amount of time and really what we're
doing on this farewell tour is celebrating the victory not only of the band,
but of the fans. It's something we all believed in, and something that we made
flourish and thrive, like a virus that you couldn't kill."
"FanClub: KISS" is directed by Christine Fugate ("The Girl Next Door,"
"Tobacco Blues"). Directors of upcoming editions of "FanClub" include Kip and
Kern Konwiser ("On Hallowed Ground," Emmy Award-winning "Miss Evers' Boys")
for Red Hot Chili Peppers; Steve Jones for AC/DC and Kid Rock; 1999 Academy
Award winner James Moll ("The Last Days") for Ricky Martin; Jeff Blitz
("Spellbound") for No Doubt; Paul Huddad ("Looking for Miami Beach") for
Motley Crue; and Scott Lew ("The Velvet Hammer") for Bon Jovi.
"FanClub: KISS" is a production of VH1. Lauren Zalaznick, VHl's Senior
Vice President of Original Programming and Development, Jane Lipsitz, VHl's
Vice President of Development and Production, and Joe Berlinger/Creative
Thinking are executive producers.
VH1 produces and programs a wide variety of music-based series, specials,
live events and acquisition-based programming that keep viewers in touch with
the music they love. VH1 is a registered trademark of MTV Networks, a unit of
Viacom Inc. MTV Networks owns and operates the cable television programming
services MTV: Music Television, MTV 2: Music Television, Nickelodeon/Nick at
Nite, TV Land and VH1 as, well as The Suite from MTV Networks, a package of
ten digital services, all of which are trademarks of MTV Networks. MTV
Networks also has joint ventures, licensing agreements and syndication deals
whereby its programming can be seen worldwide.
SOURCE VH1
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