Event Guide
Walker Jackson

August 1999

Legendary rock film finally sees light of day

Every so often, an album comes along that is so intensely pure, personal and inventive that it alters the way we perceive music entirely, and so in that very tradition came Kalle Ryan's "Was?" a dark, gripping symphony of reflections on memory, love, mortality, redemption and hope. And curiously, amidst the decidedly bleak subject matter lay a profoundly uplifting ode to the joy of being human. On the back of this groundbreaking album, Kalle set out on a mammoth world tour that proved also to be a benchmark in the arena of live performance. Wildly overblown sets, pompous theatrics, audience participation poetry and post-show carnivals, made Kalle's shows an absolute must see. Naturally enough, a film crew followed Kalle and chronicled his bizarre musical (and recreational) exploits.

This Friday at selected theaters the infamous tour film So this is what it looks like outside... will be shown publicly for the first time. Until now, this classic rockumentary has remained under lock and key due to a legal dispute revolving around the now notorious shaving scene. By today's cinematic standards this now seems tame and one wonders how such a fuss could occur at all, yet ironically, it proves to be the most unevenly edited sequence overall and the film would perhaps have been better served without it after all.

Nevertheless, the anarchic performance footage coupled with the pseudo-philosophical rambling by Kalle himself on his first tour is a truly engaging account of what it means to be mad and doing what you love. Witness Kalle's almost naive obsession with Americana and his ongoing discussion of minutiae. "Fragments are far more interesting than the bigger picture. I don't want a large slice of American Pie, I'm far happier studying the crumbs."

In addition, through a series of humorous interviews with his parents, bandmates and assorted celebrities, we learn, among other things, of his humble beginnings in the suburbs of Stockholm, his numerous idiosyncrasies, and his subsequent rise to fame/infamy. All of which provides us with a unique insight into this happy unhinged mind.

The film itself is gloriously shot in 70mm thus lending an almost surreal beauty to the crazy rockstar shenanigans depicted onscreen. It is also worth noting that the orchestral score that accompanies certain sequences was composed by the director Jake Connors, whose subsequent directorial outings include the underwater documentary "Aqua" and its companion piece "Terra." Keep an eye out also for a rather amusing final credits sequence that pays tribute to no less than fifteen classic Hollywood movies.

So this is what it looks like outside... has already achieved an underground cult status, so don't miss this rare opportunity to catch an official presentation of this curious snapshot of music history in the making. A film's title has rarely been more apt.

Opens Friday September 1st. See local listings for showtimes.