A BLAST FROM THE PAST

Ah! The 1980s! A decade where big hair and bigger shoulder pads were . . . well, big. Fabio, Charlie’s Angels and CHiPS, chiseled action heroes and talking cars, it all wasn’t just mindless kitsch to multi-faceted actor, comedian, producer and rapper Jamie Kennedy – it was an era he remembers with a great deal of fondness.

“What stood out the most for me was probably the music,” says Kennedy, waxing nostalgic about the heart-pounding, ever-present break dancing beat that boomed out of just about every high school gym. “It was an innocent time – a huge pop culture era – that was mixed with a lot of cool tunes and funky dance moves. I’m always reminiscing about that time, and I’ve always said I wish I could live the rest of my life in a time capsule from the era, so this movie is my hard-fought time capsule, my homage to the ’80s.”

An artist with wide-ranging interests and legions of fans for his work in film, television, comedy and music, Kennedy, who is best known for creating the role of geeky Randy Meeks in Scream I, II & III, would not take no for an answer until Kickin’ It Old Skool hit the big screen.

“I tried to say no but the script was just too funny,” recalls producer John Hermansen (Poolhall Junkies; Gray Matters) “Plus, Jamie was able to persuade a lot of actors from the’80s to do cameos, which really makes the film a lot of fun to watch.”

It was Kennedy’s passion for the project, the clever script and especially the element of break dancing in the film that drew award-winning video director Harvey Glazer (Luv Me, Luv Me by Shaggy) to make his foray into feature film directing. One of North America’s most prominent music video directors, Glazer met Kennedy in 2005 at the MuchMusic video awards through executive producer Stu Stone, who was a composer and co-producer for the popular stand-up comedy video Jamie Kennedy: Unwashed.

“Jamie and I hit it off really well and we instantly started talking about shooting a music video,” recalls Glazer. “Then this fantastic script came along and it was the perfect film for us to collaborate on. In fact, both Jamie and I grew up through the period we are replicating, so we had a lot of memories that we threw in front of the camera. Besides all the nostalgic references, I really think audiences are going to respond to the dance sequences, and of course, the comedy. We had such a vibe on set, everybody throwing things into the mix – it was just a lot of spontaneous great stuff that really comes through in the final product.”

Kennedy couldn’t agree more. “Harv is very collaborative and creative. I think Video directors sometimes have a stigma of being ‘all sizzle, no steak’, but he had a lot of really meaty ideas and new exactly how to ‘beef up’ every scene. All puns aside, there was no better guy to direct this film.”

A whole lot of comedy, a bit of slapstick, a pinch of grossness, just enough romance and a little poignancy thrown in, definitely makes Kickin’ It Old Skool a unique film. Add the elements of dance and music, along with a winning cast of young talent and ageless TV icons, and you’ve got a film that has an edgy present touched with a big blast from the past.

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OLD SKOOL CAMEOS & A KICKIN’-ASS CAST
For director Harvey Glazer, working with a mix of young actors and familiar faces from the’80s offered some unique opportunities for comic inspiration.