THE CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS: THE SANDY K. BOONE INTERVIEW

2019 MELBOURNE DOCUMENTARY FILM FESTIVAL: Conjure, if you can, a faux-theological underground movement, borne of the maddening heat and finest marijuana that 1970s Texas can offer, whose purpose is to ridicule the establishment and provide raucous sessions of laughter to all those that follow its doctrine. Such is The Church of The SubGenius, a ridiculously wonderful (or is that wonderfully ridiculous?) institution that enters its sixth decade facing an existential crisis – is there still a place in modern America for hard-edged social cage-rattling when society seems bent on destroying itself anyway?

In her hugely enjoyable documentary J.R. ‘Bob’ Dobbs and The Church of The SubGenius, director Sandy K. Boone recounts half-a-century of SubGenius gospel, inspired lunacy and the occasional fall from grace, at a time when a resurgent Church is more important than ever before. “The absurdity of our current political situation is far more absurd than the Church of the SubGenius was or ever has been!”, says the director (pictured, below), speaking to SCREEN-SPACE ahead of the Australian Premiere of her film at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival in July…

SCREEN-SPACE: What drew you to The Church of The SubGenius as the subject for your debut feature?

BOONE: The film is an homage to my late husband and early member of the Church of the SubGenius, David Boone, a.k.a. "Roperto de la Rosa," and to his film style. We made Invasion of the Aluminum People in the early 80’s, which was presented by the late Jonathan Demme in New York at a ‘Made In Texas’ festival. The documentary is also a venue for the founders of the ‘Church', Doug Smith, a.k.a. "Rev. Ivan Stang," and Steve Wilcox, a.k.a. "Philo Drummond," to tell the true and unabridged story of the Church of the SubGenius for the first time. It was important to them so that after their passing, (or as Doug Smith would say, “upon boarding the pleasure saucers”), the world would not turn the tongue-in-cheek, con job, and joke of the Church of the SubGenius, into a real cult or possible Scientology. The film also examines a humorous but effective mode to speak out, especially now, in the age of Trump, fake news, and cult practices being used in our politics and government today.

SCREEN-SPACE: Their earliest incarnation struck me as a kind of counter-culture/punk version of the mentality that spawned National Lampoon or Monty Python. As rebellious as those institutions appeared, they were still college boys on an inside track; The Subgenius were true outsiders…

BOONE: Yes, I believe that’s true. In its earliest days the Church of the SubGenius was a ‘boys club’, so to speak, and was initially about members devising ways to crack each other up. Many who had considered themselves outsiders had finally found a place to belong. They prided themselves on being collectors of anything outside the norm. They would say or do anything to be heard, just as in the punk movement in Texas. This nonconformity in punk music and the tongue-in-cheek humor of the ‘Church’ was a form of inventiveness and spontaneity that drew in fellow disgruntled folk. Many of the early members of the SubGenius entered the workforce during the Reagan era. Despite being young and well educated, many even holding Masters degrees, they found themselves with no choice but to work assembly lines or do construction. It was very much like the line in the Sidney Lumet's 1976 film, Network, …”I'm as mad as hell, and I'm not going to take this anymore!”  The Church of the SubGenius became their outlet for expression. (Pictured, above; from left, Church founders Steve Wilcox, a.k.a. "Philo Drummond" and Doug Smith, a.k.a. "Rev. Ivan Stang.")

SCREEN-SPACE: Is the inherent nature of The Church of The Subgenius and it's disciples a 'Texas thing'? Help Australian audiences understand what qualities of the 'Lone Star State' are part of the Church's D.N.A.

BOONE: The Church may have originated from the minds of two good ol' boys living in Texas, but other than that it is more of a ‘universal thang' than a ‘Texas thang’. Granted, much of the Church’s satirical dogma is derived from conspiracy theories. There is no ‘sacred’ or highly ‘secret’ material that is not integrated into the 'joke'. The JFK assassination in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963 and Area 51, the highly classified U.S. Air Force base known for its UFO folklore are both hotbeds for Church material. As for universal symbolism, I believe any person that, for whatever reason, feels like they do not fit in, or that has a sense of humor that is a bit offbeat from the norm, or anyone desiring a platform to be heard on most any subject will appreciate the undiscerning approach of the Church of the SubGenius. (Pictured, above; Doug Smith, a.k.a. "Rev. Ivan Stang.")

SCREEN-SPACE: Is the heyday of The Church of The Subgenius behind us? What can they bring to the America of the future?

BOONE: The ‘Church’ originated in the United States, but it has subgroups, known as clenches, throughout Europe and other parts of the world.  There are also radio stations that broadcast "The Hour of Slack" across the United States and Canada, as they have been doing for nearly four decades. I believe the ‘Church’, and this film specifically, can be used as a vehicle to approach serious topics but in a humorous way. My hope would be that through the “Church” we all might find creative ways to make civility, truth, thoughtfulness, and empathy popular again. A conversation about our different political views does not always have to be hostile. The SubGenius are such an example of how you can be on opposite sides of an issue, engage in some good-natured debate, but at the end of the day remain friends based on the things you have in common.  My hope is that by deconstructing the way SubGenius have used cult tactics and an ‘us vs. them’ mentality (though often in jest), viewers of the film will be more aware of how others in power harness these same tactics to encourage isolation and devastation across humanity. I would love to see a resurgence in Church membership and its "think for yourself" mentality as this film makes its way around the world. The best days of the "Church" may still be ahead of us!

J.R. ’BOB’ DOBBS AND THE CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS will have its Australian Premiere at the Melbourne Documentary Film Festival, July 19-29. Full venue and session information can be found at the official website.