At the beginning of GIMME DANGER, director Jim Jarmusch lays his heart on the line. He claims the Stooges are “the greatest rock and roll band. Ever.” The movie that follows is a loving tribute to the energetic band that made music history with their unique sound and groundbreaking performances.
Though he had a list of musicians and other cultural commentators in mind to interview for the documentary, Jarmusch eventually decided that he did not want to interview anyone outside the Stooges close inner circle. Only family. Jarmusch himself has been on the inside, so to speak, for decades. The director and Stooges lead singer Iggy Pop have been friends for 25 years. About eight years ago, Pop told Jarmusch, “I know you love the Stooges. And I kind of wish, if someone would make a definitive movie about us, it would be you.”
After years of working on the film as he developed other projects (namely the upcoming narrative feature PATERSON) Jarmusch stumbled into a roadblock: He ran out of money for the documentary. He had invested $40,000 of his own money, and couldn’t sustain the project. Eventually, through a stroke of luck, he was able to find someone else with the same love for the band to finance the project.
The origin story for GIMME DANGER mimics the starts, stalls, and eventual successes of the Stooges themselves. The band was a labor of love, fueled by a singular vision, and fronted by a man who contorted his voice and body in new ways, bending and breaking the rules of rock music with every record. GIMME DANGER is a testament to the band’s rebellious ethos, making art happen through any means possible.
— Diana Martinez, Film Streams Education Director
