Of all the outspoken rock musicians out there in the world Henry Rollins probably ranks in the top five. There are even fewer that are so outspoken that they need to do hundreds of spoken word shows all over the world in order to get everything they want to say out. In fact Rollins has so much to say that in addition to his weekly radio show on Indie 103.1 he now has a movie review show, called Henrys Film Corner, on the Independent Film Channel once a month. In addition to some amazing interviews, the first show has David Fincher; Rollins will review movies in a true punk fashion. He absolutely rips apart the movies he hates and praises the ones he loves to no end.
New episodes of Henrys Film Corner air once a month on IFC.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Do you like the movie review shows that are on TV?
Henry Rollins: Yeah when I have time for them. If the reviewers are articulate and I can learn something or if they have an interesting guest. I would like to see a film review show like mine where they ask questions that are of substance and are not just vanity questions where the guest can talk about how great they are. But actually talk about technique and explain something to the viewer that is a big fan of their work.
DRE: Obviously Siskel and Ebert have championed certain films and even turned Hoop Dreams into a phenomenon ten years ago. Do you hope to something like that?
HR: If there is a small film that I think is really great I would definitely like to say nice things about it so people will go see a good movie. If it helps that film then great. Ive done that for some bands on purpose and inadvertently in the past and it always feels good.
DRE: I was surprised to see that you arent the creator of Henrys Film Corner.
HR: No not at all. The producers from [the production company] Swift River pitched my manager on the idea. I guess they saw me on something like VH1 where I go off. They know I will voice my contempt at any given opportunity for the stuff I dont like. My manager called me and said that I should take a meeting with them. I agreed to do the show and they went and pitched but of course no one was interested. We did a 12 minute version of the show and that made IFC and a few other places interested. But IFC was interested in having me talk about more obscure films and talking to directors more than cute & hunky which is what VH1 wanted. I got nothing against movies like that but those people are always on the talk shows. I wanted to talk with smaller people, directors and crew people.
In fact we just got to talk to David Fincher. Im sure he gets asked about working with Brad Pitt. Brad is sure good looking but when I see Finchers films I want to know why he used so much fluorescent light in Fight Club or using actors physicality in Panic Room. He was on the show and was very articulate. He seemed to dig it because Im sure no one asks him stuff like that and I think thats what IFCs audience would be interested in. There are a lot of young director types watching this station who are dialed into whats eclectic and thats far more interesting to me than what Jennifer Lopez is up to. David was really brilliant.
DRE: Did he talk to you about what new movie he might be doing?
HR: When I asked him what he was doing he said he was currently unemployed. I said Come on but he said he is looking for a job. I guess he is waiting for the next script that interests him because when you direct a movie its a year of your life so it better be worth it. I think a couple of days after he shot with us he went and did some massive commercial. But as far as film he said he didnt have anything planned at the moment. I always look forward to his films because its always a crazy trip he puts you through.
DRE: Fight Club is one of my favorites.
HR: Its a great film.
DRE: If you were to interview Michael Mann would you ask him how Al Pacino was able to throw you around in Heat?
HR: We were all laughing about that at the time. Al and I were having lunch and he said I have to beat him up? He was a blast to hang out with.
DRE: Could you review a Michael Bay movie having been in Bad Boys 2?
HR: Sure, Im not afraid of offending Michael Bay. Its not like he has any friends. Ask Michael hell tell you.
DRE: What people do you want on the show?
HR: Werner Herzog, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, PT Anderson, Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Billy Bob Thornton.
DRE: No science fiction guys?
HR: Science fiction was never a genre I read. Im a buddy of Bill Gibsons but I never read any of his books. Ive always been a fan of classic literature. Im a F. Scott Fitzgerald fanatic.
DRE: You are very political, will the show reflect that?
HR: Oh yeah! There is a section of the show where I just get to mouth off. If you are a BS artist like I am then you can turn anything into anything. I learned that from watching David Lee Roth interviews. Luckily last time we shot I talked about the 40th anniversary DVD of Dr. Strangelove which everyone should watch for their mental health. Since Ive been to Iraq people have been asking me what its like and I say Its spring break meets Dr. Strangelove. Im 43 so soldiers are like kids to me. On paper I could be their father. Many people are like 9/11 = Saddam Hussein! I cant believe it.
DRE: When did the USO ask you to go to Iraq?
HR: Last year the USO asked me if I wanted to go meet the troops. I said Ive got a mouth on me, are you sure you want me to go? They said they had seen me perform and it was ok. I said I would get killed by my own countrymen but I would go. But the troops dont dictate policy. I have a beef with the Bush administration on a lot of things. You can disagree with me but Im right and youre wrong. Since I came back from visiting Afghanistan, Qatar, and Kyrgyzstan I told them I want to go again but this time to Iraq. They told me I was nuts but I went. I was in a mortar attack in Baghdad which is all the adrenaline youll ever need. When I came back, I asked to go again so they sent me to Honduras because they get no USO up there whatsoever.
DRE: How is it talking with soldiers who dont share your views?
HR: My political attitude doesnt fall into the mix. They are young and pumped up. They ask for autographs and things like that. We dont have to talk about Dick Cheney unless they bring it up first. I dont want to be a Tokyo Rose because they are getting shot at everyday. If I only had a dime for every time I heard Getting shot at everyday sir. You hear gunfire all night every night. They get mortars lobbed at them so there is stuff getting blown up all the time. Then today on CNN they got rid of me fast. They asked me what I thought of Iraq so I said Stop comparing this to the Vietnam War and start comparing it to the Russian-Afghan War. If you substitute America for the Russians in that war you will see that they had to rearrange the tactics, the gear and all the warfare.
DRE: The set and the graphics on Henrys Film Corner are very minimalist.
HR: Yeah we have no money.
DRE: So its not reflecting anything you want to do?
HR: No but also what do you really need. We have a cool flat screen, me with my hacked face and a cool guest.
DRE: Will your mailman be on another episode?
HR: Definitely. Next we have an electrician and we review The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Im a Wes Anderson freak and its wonderful. My electrician friend didnt like it and we had a great discussion where he brought up a lot of valid points.
DRE: Do you get to pick the movies?
HR: Yes and no. Luckily this time around Dr. Strangelove was coming out on DVD so they sent one via carrier pigeon and a Fassbinder film just hit DVD called Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? I think hes just amazing. Its mostly just screenings I can get into like the Sean Penn film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon. David Fincher and I reviewed that. Next time around I hope I get the same luck again. If they are two god awful films then they will hate that I got into them.
DRE: Why is the show monthly?
HR: Its what they wanted.
DRE: Whats your opinion on sex in movies because American films tend to exploit women?
HR: Well there are a lot of reasons we dont have more full frontal nudity with men. Men are more visually oriented and a woman sees a naked man and asks them to move so they could get to the vegetable aisle. Im not saying a heterosexual woman cant enjoy looking at a naked man but if you show a heterosexual man a naked woman they go, yeah. But if you have Brad Pitt, Jean Claude Van Damme and the entire cast of Oceans 12 nude you cant expect heterosexual men to show up. I am really uninterested in looking at a naked man.
DRE: Whats the sexiest movie youve ever seen?
HR: I really like Nastassja Kinski in Cat People just because of that one time she turns around. I was a teenager and I was chewing on the seat in front of me.
DRE: Any music coming up?
HR: I will be working on some next year. This year was 90 speaking dates, two movies, a TV show, a radio show, three USO tours and some sleep.
DRE: Will it be Rollins Band?
HR: Yeah or something.
DRE: Do you have a lineup?
HR: Im going to talk to an old Rollins Band alumni, Chris Haskett, to see whats shaking. He and I have been going back and forth via email for a couple of months to maybe get together to do some songs. He lives here in New York City so Im going to get together with Im and well hang out. Weve known each other since we were kids in Washington DC so were going to have some fun. Id like to work with my friend again. Hes a good guy. Hopefully tonight we will talk about the possibility of some new music.
DRE: When you started your talk show rounds and movie auditions, were people surprised that a muscular guy covered in tattoos was so intelligent and articulate?
HR: Yeah I think sometimes the perception would be that I was some laconic Neanderthal. Sometimes would interviewers would make fun of me and I would make short work of them. They never did it twice.
DRE: Does it ever happen to you today?
HR: No Im 43, with gray hair and Ive done the rounds. I dont think anyone thinks I am a rocket scientist but also they know Im not stupid.
DRE: What do you think of new breed of punk music?
HR: My attitude is anyone thats 19 years old and holding a guitar is Rumble young man, rumble. Young people should not have to hear some old man like me saying Now The Clash back in my day If a guy wants to go out and see Good Charlotte then let him, its his time. When I listen to a band like Good Charlotte I think they are a bunch of pussies but then I remember that Im at that age so I should just shut up and get out of the way.
DRE: How many episodes of Henrys Film Corner are you signed to do?
HR: Ten. Its a hell of a commitment but Im looking forward to meeting the challenge and turning in good work every week.
DRE: What guests do you have upcoming?
HR: Well weve been in touch with William Shatner who is a buddy of mine. I called him and asked if he wanted to be on our show. He said yes but hes really busy with his TV show so were just waiting to see what his schedule for December is going to be like. Well know pretty soon and hopefully get him on. Hes a wonderful guy and hed be an interesting interview.
DRE: In the past youve said you would never direct a movie but would you write a screenplay?
HR: No I just dont think I have the talent. I think you really need to have better observational qualities than I possess. To be able to write something that smacks of reality you have to spend time with people and I dont do enough of that. I realize that so Ive written fake scenes just to play around with dialogue to see what happens. When I do that it kinds of clunks.
DRE: Who do you hang out with?
HR: If I am in my hometown I will see people from the old neighborhood. But most of the time I hang out with the people I work with. The ones I see the most are the ones at my office and my road manager Mike who I spend months and months with. Its not like I call someone on Tuesday and say Lets go do something. I just dont do that.
DRE: Has anyone floated the idea of doing a biopic about you or about Black Flag?
HR: I really dont think it would be that interesting. Maybe 30 years from now. I like to think that I am still writing it as I go and its not time to sum it up.
DRE: How about one based on one of your books?
HR: A few people have said something like that. One person did want to develop a screenplay but I told them I wasnt that interested. Since then no one has hit me with the concept.
DRE: Even though Im sure you wouldnt want to do a reality show, has anyone pitched you one?
HR: Yeah I got pitched to be on The Surreal Life. It made me think that I was washed up. I asked my manager if I was washed up and he said that since the show is on VH1 they wanted me to walk around and call everyone pathetic. I passed on it because its just not my thing.
DRE: Do you see reupping after the initial ten shows of Henrys Film Corner?
HR: I dont know if it would be up to me. It would probably be up to them. Lets do five or six and well see how we feel. Then we could also see how well it does because the most important part of TV is the audience. If they like it then they want more and if they dont they want you out of the audience forever.
DRE: I saw your spoken word show in London in the summer of 2001 and Ive also seen you in America as well. The show seemed to differ in both countries. How much time do you put into the shows?
HR: This year I did 90 dates and next year it will be like 60 shows in Australia and Europe. I want to do good so I put a lot of work into them. You dont want to talk about certain things with a European audience that you would with an American one such as FOX News Channel. Some of them will know what you are talking about but you will lose some of them. You have to find different themes and stories to impart.
DRE: Have you ever heard of SuicideGirls?
HR: Yes you have all the photos of the barely legal girls in provocative poses.
DRE: Its more of punk and Goth type girls. Are those the types of girls you are still into?
HR: Im 43 so there is nothing I can be doing with an 18 year old that I wouldnt hate myself in the morning for. I think any of those chicks Ive seen on that website would laugh at a silly gray haired man walking up and lying on the bed.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
New episodes of Henrys Film Corner air once a month on IFC.
Daniel Robert Epstein: Do you like the movie review shows that are on TV?
Henry Rollins: Yeah when I have time for them. If the reviewers are articulate and I can learn something or if they have an interesting guest. I would like to see a film review show like mine where they ask questions that are of substance and are not just vanity questions where the guest can talk about how great they are. But actually talk about technique and explain something to the viewer that is a big fan of their work.
DRE: Obviously Siskel and Ebert have championed certain films and even turned Hoop Dreams into a phenomenon ten years ago. Do you hope to something like that?
HR: If there is a small film that I think is really great I would definitely like to say nice things about it so people will go see a good movie. If it helps that film then great. Ive done that for some bands on purpose and inadvertently in the past and it always feels good.
DRE: I was surprised to see that you arent the creator of Henrys Film Corner.
HR: No not at all. The producers from [the production company] Swift River pitched my manager on the idea. I guess they saw me on something like VH1 where I go off. They know I will voice my contempt at any given opportunity for the stuff I dont like. My manager called me and said that I should take a meeting with them. I agreed to do the show and they went and pitched but of course no one was interested. We did a 12 minute version of the show and that made IFC and a few other places interested. But IFC was interested in having me talk about more obscure films and talking to directors more than cute & hunky which is what VH1 wanted. I got nothing against movies like that but those people are always on the talk shows. I wanted to talk with smaller people, directors and crew people.
In fact we just got to talk to David Fincher. Im sure he gets asked about working with Brad Pitt. Brad is sure good looking but when I see Finchers films I want to know why he used so much fluorescent light in Fight Club or using actors physicality in Panic Room. He was on the show and was very articulate. He seemed to dig it because Im sure no one asks him stuff like that and I think thats what IFCs audience would be interested in. There are a lot of young director types watching this station who are dialed into whats eclectic and thats far more interesting to me than what Jennifer Lopez is up to. David was really brilliant.
DRE: Did he talk to you about what new movie he might be doing?
HR: When I asked him what he was doing he said he was currently unemployed. I said Come on but he said he is looking for a job. I guess he is waiting for the next script that interests him because when you direct a movie its a year of your life so it better be worth it. I think a couple of days after he shot with us he went and did some massive commercial. But as far as film he said he didnt have anything planned at the moment. I always look forward to his films because its always a crazy trip he puts you through.
DRE: Fight Club is one of my favorites.
HR: Its a great film.
DRE: If you were to interview Michael Mann would you ask him how Al Pacino was able to throw you around in Heat?
HR: We were all laughing about that at the time. Al and I were having lunch and he said I have to beat him up? He was a blast to hang out with.
DRE: Could you review a Michael Bay movie having been in Bad Boys 2?
HR: Sure, Im not afraid of offending Michael Bay. Its not like he has any friends. Ask Michael hell tell you.
DRE: What people do you want on the show?
HR: Werner Herzog, David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Wim Wenders, PT Anderson, Wes Anderson, Jim Jarmusch, Billy Bob Thornton.
DRE: No science fiction guys?
HR: Science fiction was never a genre I read. Im a buddy of Bill Gibsons but I never read any of his books. Ive always been a fan of classic literature. Im a F. Scott Fitzgerald fanatic.
DRE: You are very political, will the show reflect that?
HR: Oh yeah! There is a section of the show where I just get to mouth off. If you are a BS artist like I am then you can turn anything into anything. I learned that from watching David Lee Roth interviews. Luckily last time we shot I talked about the 40th anniversary DVD of Dr. Strangelove which everyone should watch for their mental health. Since Ive been to Iraq people have been asking me what its like and I say Its spring break meets Dr. Strangelove. Im 43 so soldiers are like kids to me. On paper I could be their father. Many people are like 9/11 = Saddam Hussein! I cant believe it.
DRE: When did the USO ask you to go to Iraq?
HR: Last year the USO asked me if I wanted to go meet the troops. I said Ive got a mouth on me, are you sure you want me to go? They said they had seen me perform and it was ok. I said I would get killed by my own countrymen but I would go. But the troops dont dictate policy. I have a beef with the Bush administration on a lot of things. You can disagree with me but Im right and youre wrong. Since I came back from visiting Afghanistan, Qatar, and Kyrgyzstan I told them I want to go again but this time to Iraq. They told me I was nuts but I went. I was in a mortar attack in Baghdad which is all the adrenaline youll ever need. When I came back, I asked to go again so they sent me to Honduras because they get no USO up there whatsoever.
DRE: How is it talking with soldiers who dont share your views?
HR: My political attitude doesnt fall into the mix. They are young and pumped up. They ask for autographs and things like that. We dont have to talk about Dick Cheney unless they bring it up first. I dont want to be a Tokyo Rose because they are getting shot at everyday. If I only had a dime for every time I heard Getting shot at everyday sir. You hear gunfire all night every night. They get mortars lobbed at them so there is stuff getting blown up all the time. Then today on CNN they got rid of me fast. They asked me what I thought of Iraq so I said Stop comparing this to the Vietnam War and start comparing it to the Russian-Afghan War. If you substitute America for the Russians in that war you will see that they had to rearrange the tactics, the gear and all the warfare.
DRE: The set and the graphics on Henrys Film Corner are very minimalist.
HR: Yeah we have no money.
DRE: So its not reflecting anything you want to do?
HR: No but also what do you really need. We have a cool flat screen, me with my hacked face and a cool guest.
DRE: Will your mailman be on another episode?
HR: Definitely. Next we have an electrician and we review The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. Im a Wes Anderson freak and its wonderful. My electrician friend didnt like it and we had a great discussion where he brought up a lot of valid points.
DRE: Do you get to pick the movies?
HR: Yes and no. Luckily this time around Dr. Strangelove was coming out on DVD so they sent one via carrier pigeon and a Fassbinder film just hit DVD called Why Does Herr R. Run Amok? I think hes just amazing. Its mostly just screenings I can get into like the Sean Penn film, The Assassination of Richard Nixon. David Fincher and I reviewed that. Next time around I hope I get the same luck again. If they are two god awful films then they will hate that I got into them.
DRE: Why is the show monthly?
HR: Its what they wanted.
DRE: Whats your opinion on sex in movies because American films tend to exploit women?
HR: Well there are a lot of reasons we dont have more full frontal nudity with men. Men are more visually oriented and a woman sees a naked man and asks them to move so they could get to the vegetable aisle. Im not saying a heterosexual woman cant enjoy looking at a naked man but if you show a heterosexual man a naked woman they go, yeah. But if you have Brad Pitt, Jean Claude Van Damme and the entire cast of Oceans 12 nude you cant expect heterosexual men to show up. I am really uninterested in looking at a naked man.
DRE: Whats the sexiest movie youve ever seen?
HR: I really like Nastassja Kinski in Cat People just because of that one time she turns around. I was a teenager and I was chewing on the seat in front of me.
DRE: Any music coming up?
HR: I will be working on some next year. This year was 90 speaking dates, two movies, a TV show, a radio show, three USO tours and some sleep.
DRE: Will it be Rollins Band?
HR: Yeah or something.
DRE: Do you have a lineup?
HR: Im going to talk to an old Rollins Band alumni, Chris Haskett, to see whats shaking. He and I have been going back and forth via email for a couple of months to maybe get together to do some songs. He lives here in New York City so Im going to get together with Im and well hang out. Weve known each other since we were kids in Washington DC so were going to have some fun. Id like to work with my friend again. Hes a good guy. Hopefully tonight we will talk about the possibility of some new music.
DRE: When you started your talk show rounds and movie auditions, were people surprised that a muscular guy covered in tattoos was so intelligent and articulate?
HR: Yeah I think sometimes the perception would be that I was some laconic Neanderthal. Sometimes would interviewers would make fun of me and I would make short work of them. They never did it twice.
DRE: Does it ever happen to you today?
HR: No Im 43, with gray hair and Ive done the rounds. I dont think anyone thinks I am a rocket scientist but also they know Im not stupid.
DRE: What do you think of new breed of punk music?
HR: My attitude is anyone thats 19 years old and holding a guitar is Rumble young man, rumble. Young people should not have to hear some old man like me saying Now The Clash back in my day If a guy wants to go out and see Good Charlotte then let him, its his time. When I listen to a band like Good Charlotte I think they are a bunch of pussies but then I remember that Im at that age so I should just shut up and get out of the way.
DRE: How many episodes of Henrys Film Corner are you signed to do?
HR: Ten. Its a hell of a commitment but Im looking forward to meeting the challenge and turning in good work every week.
DRE: What guests do you have upcoming?
HR: Well weve been in touch with William Shatner who is a buddy of mine. I called him and asked if he wanted to be on our show. He said yes but hes really busy with his TV show so were just waiting to see what his schedule for December is going to be like. Well know pretty soon and hopefully get him on. Hes a wonderful guy and hed be an interesting interview.
DRE: In the past youve said you would never direct a movie but would you write a screenplay?
HR: No I just dont think I have the talent. I think you really need to have better observational qualities than I possess. To be able to write something that smacks of reality you have to spend time with people and I dont do enough of that. I realize that so Ive written fake scenes just to play around with dialogue to see what happens. When I do that it kinds of clunks.
DRE: Who do you hang out with?
HR: If I am in my hometown I will see people from the old neighborhood. But most of the time I hang out with the people I work with. The ones I see the most are the ones at my office and my road manager Mike who I spend months and months with. Its not like I call someone on Tuesday and say Lets go do something. I just dont do that.
DRE: Has anyone floated the idea of doing a biopic about you or about Black Flag?
HR: I really dont think it would be that interesting. Maybe 30 years from now. I like to think that I am still writing it as I go and its not time to sum it up.
DRE: How about one based on one of your books?
HR: A few people have said something like that. One person did want to develop a screenplay but I told them I wasnt that interested. Since then no one has hit me with the concept.
DRE: Even though Im sure you wouldnt want to do a reality show, has anyone pitched you one?
HR: Yeah I got pitched to be on The Surreal Life. It made me think that I was washed up. I asked my manager if I was washed up and he said that since the show is on VH1 they wanted me to walk around and call everyone pathetic. I passed on it because its just not my thing.
DRE: Do you see reupping after the initial ten shows of Henrys Film Corner?
HR: I dont know if it would be up to me. It would probably be up to them. Lets do five or six and well see how we feel. Then we could also see how well it does because the most important part of TV is the audience. If they like it then they want more and if they dont they want you out of the audience forever.
DRE: I saw your spoken word show in London in the summer of 2001 and Ive also seen you in America as well. The show seemed to differ in both countries. How much time do you put into the shows?
HR: This year I did 90 dates and next year it will be like 60 shows in Australia and Europe. I want to do good so I put a lot of work into them. You dont want to talk about certain things with a European audience that you would with an American one such as FOX News Channel. Some of them will know what you are talking about but you will lose some of them. You have to find different themes and stories to impart.
DRE: Have you ever heard of SuicideGirls?
HR: Yes you have all the photos of the barely legal girls in provocative poses.
DRE: Its more of punk and Goth type girls. Are those the types of girls you are still into?
HR: Im 43 so there is nothing I can be doing with an 18 year old that I wouldnt hate myself in the morning for. I think any of those chicks Ive seen on that website would laugh at a silly gray haired man walking up and lying on the bed.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
VIEW 25 of 75 COMMENTS
thejuanupsman:
I've been watching Henry's show a lot lately. I really enjoy it. Good interview.
reject_jeff:
I'll be the first to say im not a fan of his music yet as an intellectual he is a working mans intellectual. He says what he thinks and makes no apologies, its nice to see that in a world were everyone walks on eggshells