Jim Jarmusch and Iggy Pop Get Dangerous
Iggy Pop in Gimme Danger
Photo by Byron Newman, courtesy of Amazon Studios / Magnolia Pictures.
By Pat Mullen
Jim Jarmusch made a bold claim in his new documentary Gimme Danger by dubbing The Stooges the best band of all time. The arthouse director defended his statement—and proudly so—with Stooges frontman Iggy Pop (aka James Osterberg) at his side at this year’s Toronto International Film Festival. “That’s my opinion,” he said confidently. “It’s a love letter and a fan film.” (Read the POV review of Gimme Danger here.)
Director Jim Jarmusch
Photo by Sara Driver, courtesy Films We Like
Iggy Pop, who was naturally fun and energetic behind the microphone, added that the film isn’t a eulogy or a good-bye note in light of all the young bands rising to fame every fifteen minutes. “I don’t see the use of leaving,” he said, noting that music is frequently about hope and identification. The rocker explained that much of his influence as an artist came from Black Americans like Bo Diddley and John Coltrane.
The pair delved into Pop’s rock roots and Jarmusch explained that the wealth of material spoke to influence of the band, while the interviews several Stooges illuminated their formative years. These insights, plus wild footage from the band’s concerts, added to the unique “blues based psychedelic rockabilly” that Pop characterised as part of The Stooges’ offbeat sound.
The reunion of The Stooges proved “very emotional” for Iggy Pop and the rocker seemed unexpectedly moved when members of the press broached the subject of his late collaborators. Before the doc, the rocker noted an “unprecedented aggressive rejection of the group” in popular culture, so the reunion proved an inspiration. Jarmusch had the fortune to interview two additional Stooges members, Ron Asheton and Scott Asheton, before their deaths in 2009 and 2014, respectively. Although Iggy Pop is the surviving Stooge, Jarmusch and Pop agreed that Gimme Danger needed to focuses on the band as a whole, rather than use Iggy Pop’s availability to shift the focus to him, and honour the legacy of the band. “Those other guys are not here,” Jarmusch stated matter-of-factly, but the director and Pop were of the same mind that the group succeeded as a whole and the film should therefore reflect that sentiment.
Iggy Pop in Gimme Danger
Photo by Mike Barich, courtesy of Amazon Studios / Magnolia Pictures
When asked about the formal sophistication of the animated sequences in Gimme Danger, which added an alternative vibe to the doc, Jarmusch credited Montreal artist James Kerr for contributing the funky designs. Iggy Pop laughed about the insane “molecular reconfiguration” behind Kerr’s animation as the faces of The Stooges fuse with images inspired by Italian Renaissance painter Vittore Carpaccio. The mix of high art and low art, intentional or not, gave weight to Jarmusch’s stance on the band’s significance in popular culture.
Gimme Danger opens Nov. 4 in select cities. Please follow the POV blog for updates.
Read the POV review of Gimme Danger here.