by H.P. Daniels
“Remain calm and share your bananas!” That is Bright Blue Gorilla’s motto, who will on November 1 have a test screening of their new, third film, “Karate Film Cafe.”
Bright Blue Gorilla is the married couple Robyn Rosenkrantz and Michael Glover who have, for a couple of months, been living in Berlin, near Hackescher Markt. They are staying in a townhouse that a pair of artists has rented to them while they are on tour. In the house there is a dance floor, stepping stool, high ceiling and trapeze.
Here Bright Blue Gorilla shares with their guests excellent cake: banana bread, of course! And Michael makes coffee with an adventurous looking, silver espresso machine, whose handling had to be demonstrated first by the homeowner who said, “otherwise it could explode!”
Bright Blue Gorilla always stay calm - even for the daring photographs that were taken with Michael hanging upside down from the trapeze, guitar in hand.
Since 1990, when they quit their jobs in Los Angeles, sold everything they had, except their guitars, and bought one way tickets to Amsterdam, they have been constantly on the move. Across and through Europe, back in America, again in Europe - a “Never Ending Tour,” something like Bob Dylan. 150 Concerts per year in Holland, Denmark, England, Italy, Czech, Slovenia, and always more, always more. Then to India they venture. Always new songs - folk and pop - with a dazzling duet of harmonious voices and an abundance of handy, acoustic instruments: guitars, tin whistles, rattles and shakers, bass and rhythmical feet. They have released 11 CDs and written and released three movies. They have also been involved in Hollywood films with well known actors. Bright Blue Gorilla suddenly appears: first just as extras, then something bigger. They always have great luck. Maybe, because they always stay calm, they never allow themselves to be nervous about much and they never let themselves get frightened.
“Always breathe calmly!” says Michael. “The breath has control over the mind!” He has practiced yoga for many years. Once he had a thought, “We can also make films!” With the money they had saved from their musical act, they bought a camera and other things they needed to make a film. With friends, they shot “Sister Sarah’s Sky,” everything done themselves by hand, learning in the process, and once again set out on a musical tour. Always going here and there on the train with backpacks, instruments, and two rolling suitcases. And during the journey, Michael writes new stories and jots down new ideas.
In Los Angeles, they shot, “The Mind of Henry Lime,” a fast-paced Screwball Comedy, with a certain similarity to films from the 30s and 40s and a recognition, especially to the work of Ernst Lubitsch and Billy Wilder.
“I believe, we have a lot in common with these older films,” says Michael, “which in their time were also not mainstream. They were underground how later, maybe, New Wave and Punk was.”
Bright Blue Gorilla is definitely not punk - their smorgasbord appearance and meditative serenity reminds rather of the early Hippies - mainstream with no certainty. Robyn Rosenkrantz laughed: “In our films there is no sex, no extreme action and no stars!” With Bright Blue Gorilla everything is very different than the usual Hollywood-commodities of today. They use all of their own music in their films which come especially with a personal charm and a refreshing, intelligent, lightness to them.
Worldwide they are likely singled out, with such a tour program underway: first a concert with amusing songs and stories from the daily grind of music and movies. And following the music, a brilliant comedy film.
Meanwhile, in Berlin, Bright Blue Gorilla has a very specific connection. They have gotten to know an unforeseen amount of countless new friends. Last year they were the winners of McKinley Black’s Singer/Songwriter competition, Troubadour, and in April 2007 they showed the premier of their comedy film, “The Mind of Henry Lime” to a capacity audience in the Babylon Theater. Michael Glover, here in Berlin, has spent the last many weeks editing Bright Blue Gorilla’s new film, Karate Film Cafe. In April 2009, they will officially release it in Berlin.