ArtHash: Interview with Joseph F. Alexandre: Warriors of the Discotheque The Starck Club Documentary

Monday, August 23, 2010

Interview with Joseph F. Alexandre: Warriors of the Discotheque The Starck Club Documentary

Click to Purchase Warriors of the Discotheque The Starck Club Documentary

I came across The Starck Club Documentary while online, I think it was on Facebook, but it actually may have been on Myspace a few years ago. At that time there was just talk of putting a movie together. Anyway, since the first time I saw the hintings of a movie, I was ready to watch. Then fast forward to a couple of days ago, and I saw it again. This time I watched the trailer and was trying to figure out if I wanted to rent or buy the movie. If any of you out there have been in the club scene, then your interest should be piqued.

The intro reads: The Starck Club opened in 1984 when it was actually legal to buy MDMA aka Ecstasy there, people would put it on credit cards. The DEA stepped in and made it a category 1drug on July 1, 1985...

I was beyond intrigued, so I invited the producer, Joseph F. Alexandre, for an interview.

The Interview

SIVY221: I am here with Joseph F. Alexandre who has made the documentary: Warriors of the Discotheque The Starck Club Documentary

Joseph, what made you want to make a film about the Starck Club

Jfa42: I think just having been to the club as a kid, it was an experience that stuck with me a long, long time. I was originally from NY and spent some time in Europe so Id been around but here was this club in Dallas like nothing I had ever seen

Jfa42: And having been too many many clubs since that still holds true

SIVY221: It seemed like it had that kind of vibe that you just don't see everyday, and if you were there you share that experience with others

Jfa42: Indeed, people get caught up in making more of things than they were sometimes but you can;t overplay the other worldliness of this club...

Jfa42: Before Starck you had Studio 54 like warehouse dressed up a bit or some flashing disco lights, but nothig kike the design of Starck

SIVY221: I read in some articles that the club had a huge rise then kind of died down

Jfa42: Big time, 85' 86 was peak then after it was almost like a diferent scene

Jfa42: It became very sort of normal and suburbia and the gay mafia kind of lost its grip. they had a stranglehold on the scene in its heyday

SIVY221: What angle does your documentary explore of the Starck scene

Jfa42: We explore the design, music, the drugs (X or E and coke) and the fashion and people... the kind of time it was--a kind of the lead up to this crazy upswing weve had that just came crashing to an end

Jfa42: the seeds of the current recession were planted in the go go 80s of Reagan

SIVY221: They were selling X legally at the club, then the laws changed. Do you think that added to the downfall...

Jfa42: it was prefigured the whole anti depressant thing... That sort of lead to it, but really it's when Joe blow started coming from the outer suburbs that kind of lost the magic... it had good 2-3 run so..

SIVY221: Ya-- when things hit mainstreme they tend to loose the edge

Jfa42: It did, I also think some of it had to do w/ ownership losing their edge, getting caught up in the scene so to speak... sniff, sniff if you get my drift.

SIVY221: totally

SIVY221: Where are you at with the film right now, are you still looking for funding

Jfa42: We have a little more thats come thru but honestly Blake Woodall the former owner and Michael Cain who said theyre doing a film that has yet to materialize have cock blocked us from getting more funds in Dallas but we still have a few avenues and are resuming shooting shoot

SIVY221: So is the film not done-- I watched a trailer on Amazon?

Jfa42: we have a 20 min. short version that's done well on the fest circuit and are looking to do a sort of cable hour 54 min. sort of thing... we have enough to do a longer version now packed all sorts of extras deleted scenes and other goodies but want to fill it out even more as their is so much there....Jfa42: on DVD I mean

Jfa42: Also in the works is a feature script I've been shopping to some big producers in town (LA) so we'll see...

SIVY221: How can we help

From what I have seen so far, I think it looks great

Jfa42: Well we had a couple of crowd funding campaigns that fizzled but if people could rent it on VOD on Amazon for 2 bucks thatd help us alot:) no doubt!

SIVY221: Yes They should rent it! I will include the links to rent it at the end of this interview.

Jfa42: Also join our facebook page would be a huge help!

SIVY221: So join facebook and Rent Rent Rent!

Jfa42: chat it up amongst friends and so forth, tweet and all that as well...

SIVY221: Thank you for interviewing with ArtHash
We wish you tons of success and cant wait to see more

Jfa42: word of mouth just trumps everything else... thank you appreciate greatly!!!!