The Sparks Brothers will premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on Jan. 30.
Now the director has turned rockumentarian withThe Sparks Brothers.
“The idea of sitting down talking to Sparks fansandSparks themselves endlessly was just catnip to me.
Credit: Courtesy Sparks
I was absolutely loving it.
I think if we didn’t have to finish the film, I’d still be doing it!”
Below, Wright and the Mael brothers talk more about the documentary and the duo’s famous fans.
Richie Starzec
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I have to say I loved the film.
It made me feel bad I didn’t know more about Sparks before.
RON MAEL:That’s the right kind of bad feeling to have!
Edgar, what’s your history with Sparks, and why did you decide to make the film?
I think making the documentary was an attempt to finally solve the riddle.
[Laughs] It was in stark contrast to Abba, for example.
Abba were all smiles when they performed, whereas Ron Mael is staring down the camera at you!
So I was completely beguiled by that.
It’s the same voice, but it’s a completely different sound.
I just felt, this is just amazing.
So this is it!
Ron and Russell, were you familiar with Edgar’s films when he approached you?
RUSSELLMAEL:Oh yeah, and that made everything amazing right from the start.
But when Edgar brought us the idea of doing this, we said yes in a minute.
We were completely aware of all of his films.
We were were really happy that it turned out that way in the end.
RON MAEL:I don’t know.
Maybe we’re just so naive about it.
Maybe we should have had more trepidation, but we didn’t.
Those were things that we went into knowing this was going to happen and then it just didn’t.
But for some reason, this time it was going to happen and it did.
Edgar, you interview an extraordinary array of Sparks fans.
How did you know who was a Sparks fan?
Or do they just all gather together at mad Sparks cult weekends?
Dave Weigel had replied to something I’d said about Sparks.
It was interesting, the people who came out of the woodwork.
And then there are other people who you assume are a Sparks fan.
I probably made that assumption with Beck or Patton Oswalt.
I just approached them and went, “You like Sparks, right?”
And they said, “I love Sparks!”
So putting Sparks at the epicenter of all this amazing culture.
And not just music.
It was interesting to me to show how many people out there are obsessed.
Hopefully the documentary will create a lot more fervent fans.
You’re absolutely right.
Interviewing people is an incredible talent that only the very brightest of people should even attempt.
What was it like watching this retelling of your lives?
Because the theme is perseverance.
I think to show the perseverance you have to show the less up sides.
Hopefully you’re left with, the band marches on!
Will we see a new Sparks album soon?
RUSSELL MAEL:We’re always working.
Maybe you’re able to gather that from the documentary too.
That’s what we enjoy doing.
We actually have some material.
The next step is vaccines permitting we’re going to start recording new stuff.
Do you know when the film will be released?
We’re really pleased that it’s at Sundance.
I’ve never had a thing at Sundance.
Hopefully everybody will be able to see it later in the year.
Has it whetted your appetite to make more documentaries?
WRIGHT:I have to wait another 50 years to do the second Sparks documentary.
RUSSELL MAEL:It’s contractual.
