Father Geek here with a great big smile across my face...For it seems like an eternity since AICN's African editor and Nobel-nominee vanished into the uncharted vastness of what is the very heart of the "Dark Continent". We contacted consuls in several countries, we sent in crack UN troops, we even asked for help from Jesse Jackson, buuuuuut we heard nothing... nothing from the infamous "voice of South African film." Months went by, then a year without a single word from a man from whom words had once flowed on AICN's pages as fluidly as the Nile from Lake Victoria. With the passage of still more time Father Geek had just about given up ever posting another of his reports when word reached Geek Headquarters in central Texas... a tattered shadow of a man was spotted living with a family of Gorillas deep in the rain forests of the once Congo... "Doctor Sotha I presume" echoed across the Atlantic... Yes, it was true, he had survived, annnnnd he had THE story, more than that he had interviews too... he was back... it is time to mark...
THE RETURN OF DR. SOTHA
Two years have passed me by in the remote Congolese jungle like a blink of an eye searching for a unique strain of tree bark as the final ingredient to an antidote for agoraphobia. I, DR. SOTHA, have yet to find this fucking strain of tree bark because some fucking people have since realized that this unique strain can only be found in Peru (Nurse Hollis your research is not so much research as it is a complete waste of my fucking time…I have sacrificed Africa-AICN to rescue people with agoraphobic tendencies but all to no fucking avail). Those poor bastards will have to wait. Be that as it may, consider this the return of AFRICA-AICN. No more Congolese jungle, no more antidotes, no more "way off the radar" research just pure unadulterated African film news (okay maybe the odd Ivory Coast excursion for terracotta beetles).
If Fathergeek and Harry Son are as forgiving as those peasant farmers in Kenya (apparently there isn’t a shortage of tea plantations), then I would like to begin the return of Africa-AICN with South Africa’s next big cinematic thing…i.e. "Crazy Monkey".
Now if you watch MTV around the world then I need not give you any introductions. On the other hand if you don’t watch MTV, well then, errr, well then fine I’ll give you a little background info. Crazy Monkey started out as four guys having fun with a video camera, making fun of extreme culture (sending up Jackass), and has turned into an international phenomenon. They made a series of spots for MTV as idents to go between music videos. The team behind Crazy Monkey first made them in the hope of MTV just flighting them at least once, and thus staking the South African flag on the airwaves of the world’s music channel.
MTV loved them. They were soon picked up by all the MTV regions in Europe, Canada, South America, Australia and Asia. They even dubbed the spots into German. It wasn’t long before they commissioned more spots, and even flew the guys to London to shoot some ‘Crazy Monkey in the UK’.
There have been entire weekends on MTV in the UK, Canada and Scandanavia that have been devoted to Crazy Monkey. A Canadian wrestler is such a fan, that he even changed his name to Trevor Clarence, after one of the shows creators!! Now the Crazy Monkey guys, made up of Trevor Clarence, Brendan Jack, Gavin Williams and Brett Goldin are embarking on an even bigger journey - their first feature film.
Brendan Jack was lucky enough to get me in-between lizard incisions for a chat about the film titled "Straight Outta Benoni". (On an entirely different point Nurse Hollis has a secret fetish for real Crazy Monkeys that I promised not to divulge – her secret is safe with me).
Welcome back Africa-AICN:
DR. SOTHA: Why the name "Crazy Monkey" and not "Silly Chickens" for instance?
BRENDAN JACK: Research showed that monkeys are far more fascinating than chickens. And anyway, we've already made business cards, so we can't change the name now.
Where did the initial idea for the MTV skits come from, did it have anything to do with monkeys, crazy monkeys?
The idea can be attributed to the cabin fever in our office whilst working in advertising, dealing with banking clients and such. So no monkeys were really involved. Well, there was this one guy who worked in the client service department.
Apparently Johnny Knoxville watched some of your skits? Can you confirm or deny this rumour. If you confirm, can you once again confirm a reaction?
I can confirm this as many times as you like - I have a VHS copy of the incident. Johnny was on an MTV show in Sweden, and described us as the 'gay version of Jackass'. A bittersweet compliment.
Describe foot skating. And what pair of shoes are preferable? Is it viable barefoot?
Footskating is the 'art' of skateboarding without the hassle and convenience of using a skateboard. Any shoes work, although slip-ons add an extra element of danger and misunderstood style. Barefooting isn't something we'll even talk about anymore.
I heard there were entire weekends dedicated to "Crazy Monkey" on MTV? True or False or Perhaps?
MTV London flew us up to their nice country and let us present a couple of 'Men Hurting Themselves Weekends'. We got to be extreme in London town and did interviews next to a discarded piece of gum from Blur's Damon Albarn. Totally rock 'n Roll.
Where did the idea for a "Crazy Monkey" feature film come from - did it have anything to do with monkeys, crazy monkeys?
The idea came from a bunch of like-minded people who wanted to do something cool, and then we fed keywords into a special computer and it came up with the actual idea for the movie. Monkeys may have been involved towards the end of the process.
The film is titled "Straight Outta Benoni" - it makes you think that Benoni is somehow involved. Can you confirm or deny this? If you confirm, can you once again confirm why?
Benoni is certainly involved. It's the definition of smalltown South Africa.
*absent mindedly* Charlize Theron is from Benoni? True or False or Perhaps?
Charlize was born and raised in Benoni. If anyone doesn't know where it is, then ask Charlize. And then ask her to please return our calls.
How would you describe the film? Does it feature monkeys, crazy monkeys?
In ancient African culture, this film would be referred to as 'a comedy'. I'd also describe it as magnificent. Yes there are crazy monkeys featured, are you happy now?
Which films or directors do you cite as influences personally and for the film itself? Did you have anything to do with David O Russell's "Spanking The Monkey'?
No, nor with Sofia Coppola in 'Inside Monkey Zetterland'. We're all fans of Richard Linklater, and watched 'Dazed And Confused' many times. We also spent time with 'Fast Times At Ridgemont High', Australia's 'The Castle' and 'Y Tu Mama Tambien'. We're also fans of Wes Anderson, Woody Allen and Alexander Payne - amongst many others.
Does "Crazy Monkey" do for punk cool what "The Sound of Music" did for hills?
No doubt about the punky hills thing. We also do what 'Dr Zhivago' did for Siberian train trips, what 'Hurlyburly' did for swearing and what 'Chronicles of Riddick' did for, uh...
There's a thin line between stupid and clever...agree? How thin?
Yes. This thin.
In Benoni there are many famous landmarks (I am a local so I should know). Did you use any in the film? Like for instance the bunny park? Or perhaps the mine dumps?
In 'Taxi Driver', New York City became a character. Similarly, we wanted Benoni to be a character, but we couldn't find a big enough trailer. Instead we used the many beautiful lakes, office parks, mine dumps and strip malls.
How do you get on with your "Crazy Monkey" crew? How do you delegate tasks?
We all live in different parts of the country now, so we're always stoked to see each other. We delegate tasks with grace and wisdom.
Are you this generations answer to Evil Knievel, just like the A-Team were the 80's answer to Macgyver?
That's a total trick question. Macgyver only came a few years after the A-Team.
Who else is in the film? I heard Brackpan and Springs got a nod?
Brackpan and Springs got respectful nods because they're tough places. We've got everyone in our film from FHM swimsuit models to rugby legends.
When does the film get a release internationally? Like in Pretoria?
The film gets released across South Africa in August. Then we take a plane trip to the rest of the world.
Are there semi-autobiographical elements in the story and your characters? I mean I couldn't help but notice that you share your character's name, which seems a freaky sort of coincidence?
Now that you mention it, I/we do share the same name with myself. Weird. Our characters are a kind of gentler, more lobotomized version of ourselves.
Apparently Christian Slater digged your style after he saw your Gleaming the Cube insert. Is this a good thing?
I'm sure it's a good thing to be Christian Slater. Man he gleamed that cube didn't he?
To take a leaf out of Quint's cap, whats your favourite dirty joke?
That one where... the one that Quint likes so much, where the man with the swollen... Quint tells it so much better.
Check out the latest on the Crazy Monkey movie at www.crazymonkeythemoview.com
Good to be back. Look forward to sending through the regular Africa-AICN report.
If you have any African film related news or "packages" for Nurse Hollis please send it on to africaaicn@aintitcoolmail.com
DR. SOTHA REVO & OUT FOR NOW.
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