BTL Radio Show - 09/22/2025 with guests JOHNNY DANKS talking SHAKEY GROUNDS and VINCENT GRASHAW talking BANG BANG

An interesting show this week on BEHIND THE LENS as we take a look at two very different films and filmmakers, thanks to producer/actor Johnny Danks talking about his new film, SHAKEY GROUNDS, the first one produced under the banner of his company Dank Productions, and director/editor VINCENT GRASHAW discussing the emotionally powerful character study BANG BANG.

First up, Johnny Danks and SHAKEY GROUNDS. What began as a short film about coffee and a coffee shop, after 15 years, morphed into the feature film we have today, SHAKEY GROUNDS, which is not about coffee, but a film that features grunge music and captures Seattle's 1990s vibe.

SHAKEY GROUNDS is the story of a troubled musician and his band as they navigate personal demons and a shot at redemption with a disgraced record executive. After multiple obstacles, they rise together, finding purpose in their music and each other.

Directed by Michael Garcia with script by Trace Slobotkin, in addition to producing SHAKEY GROUNDS, Johnny Danks also co-stars as the disgraced record executive Nick. Joining Johnny on screen are Eric Roberts as his boss Lou Bernstein, Eric Nelson as Travis, the leader of The Cuticles band, Ella Cannon as the band manager and coffee shop manager Mel, and “General Hospital” fave Kelly Thiebaud, who is on board as Travis’ sister Carrie.

As you’ll hear in this conversation, Johnny goes in-depth discussing the 15 year writing process and his involvement in every aspect of the production from casting to location and shooting in Arkansas, to the decision to use original music, to logistics and particulars including two concert scenes in the film (and you haven’t really experienced a lo budget/micro budget film until you’ve had to schedule and wrangle 100+ non-actors in a concert sequence), to production design (which includes a build-out of a video store), to his own performance, and more.

 

Switching gears, we then move into the world of boxing with BANG BANG, an exquisite character study courtesy of director and editor VINCENT GRASHAW. I love this film and every element of the storytelling.

In BANG BANG, retired boxer Bernard “Bang Bang” Rozyski finds a renewed sense of purpose when he reconnects with his estranged grandson and begins training him in the very sport that destroyed his life. As the bond between them grows, questions arise about Bang Bang’s true motivations - including from an old flame who witnessed his explosive rise in the 1980s and his bitter rivalry with her cousin, now a formidable political figure and Detroit mayoral candidate, Darnell Washington. Is Bang Bang simply passing down his anger, or is there real redemption in his mentorship?

Directed by Vincent Grashaw with script by Will Janowitz, BANG BANG stars Tim Blake Nelson in a tour de force performance as Bang Bang. Nelson is brilliant in this role. Joining him are Glenn Plummer, Kevin Corrigan, Nina Arianda, Andrew Liner, Daniella Pineda, and Erica Gimpel.

BANG BANG is such a beautiful character study that is far from superficial, as Vincent really digs into the underbelly of what makes Bang Bang tick.  He pulls no punches in telling this story.  An amazing introspective performance by Tim Blake Nelson as Bang Bang.  Vincent and writer Will Janowitz have done an outstanding look into this man who can't quite get out of the past, but knows he's not there and isn't able to move on into the future.   There are solid structural elements from beginning to end.  A standout sequence involves Bang Bang returning to the house he lived in during his glory days, where he now finds three people who are living there, and he gets to regale them with tales of glory that they haven't heard before.   They are new to the legend of Bang Bang.  You see Bang Bang spark and come alive, and you see color come into play on every level.   Every production and storytelling element come together with this sequence, proving it to be a pivotal point in Bang Bang's story.

As Vincent and I dig into BANG BANG, he discusses the film's introspective portrayal of personal and professional demons, substance abuse, and the grit of a man who was once a champion. Explaining the casting process, particularly the selection of Tim Blake Nelson for the lead role, and the film's use of Detroit as a setting to reflect the city's decline, is a testament to the thought Vincent gave to this production and his vision for this story. He also highlights the importance of visual storytelling, including the use of color and space, and the collaborative effort with his cinematographer Pat Aldinger (who does his own camera work), as well as production designer Ben Miller. Editing the film himself, filmmakers and editors will appreciate Vincent’s detailed process, from the first cut to a “suicide cut,” and the sound design and editing that accompany it, including the music. One of the interesting things about BANG BANG is the surreptitious co