DEANER ‘89
Where: The Vic Theatre, 808 Douglas St., Victoria
When: Friday, Aug. 30, 7 p.m.
Tickets: $13.33 from victoriafilmfestival.com
If the concerted efforts of actor/riot-starter Paul Spence come about as planned, it will be a weekend of debauchery in Victoria — with ’80s heavy metal as the soundtrack to the party.
Spence is known to audiences as the mullet-sporting, Pilsner-pounding Deaner, a character first introduced in the hit 2002 mockumentary, FUBAR. Spence will visit Victoria for the rollout of DEANER ’89, his ode to the likable character and maligned strain of hair metal that is the focus of the new feature film based on his screenplay. His itinerary for what is being branded the DEANER ’89 Roadshow will include a screening of the film at The Vic Theatre on Friday, followed by an after-party at Wheelies Motorcylces in Rock Bay.
Fittingly, the Calgary-born Spence — in character as Deaner — will also take part in a tailgate party Saturday at Touchdown Pacific, the CFL game being staged at Royal Athletic Park.
“We weren’t supposed to come to Victoria,” Spence said, during an interview with the Times Colonist. “But I told the people putting this together, Victoria has always been so good to me.”
The success of the Spinal Tap-ian FUBAR — which Spence co-wrote and co-produced — begat an onslaught of related ephemera featuring Spence and original castmate Dave Lawrence, including a star-studded soundtrack, self-help book (Just Give’r: A Handguide), sequel (FUBAR 2: Balls to the Wall), and television series (FUBAR: Age of Computer).
The hype train continued to roll years after the arrival of the original film, thanks to the outsized personalities of Spence and Lawrence, whose beer-swilling, heavy metal-obsessed characters became enduring cult favourites, thanks to film-dialogue catchphrases such as “Turn up the good, turn down the suck.”
An off-the-rails FUBAR event at Lucky Bar in 2014, and 2013 performance at the former Club 9one9 by Nightseeker, a metal band fronted by Spence in character as Deaner, remain some of the most talked-about events in recent memory. And Spence was at the centre of both. “My god, that was wild,” he said, laughing at memories of the Lucky Bar appearance. “People were getting thrown out before the show even started.”
A second TV series, TNT FUBAR, and mobile video game, FUBAR: Just Give’r, were the creations of Lawrence alone, after Spence sold off his share of the rights to the film and FUBAR-related endeavours. Lawrence came through Victoria in April with FUBAR Live, featuring heavy metal karaoke. But the character of the Deaner — of which Spence has complete ownership — was always the more likeable of the two, which made a film based solely on his character somewhat inevitable.
The film, which opens nationally in Canada on Sept. 6, catches up with Spence’s character as he lives the high life as a millionaire musician, having abandoned a promising minor hockey career for heavy metal servitude. It could be labelled as the origin story of Deaner, as he is portrayed as a teenager growing up in suburban Manitoba. But DEANER ‘89 is more of a standalone film, albeit with FUBAR-ish accoutrements like shotgunning beer.
“There’s an everyman part of the character that people really identify with,” Spence said. “He has a cross-generational thing where you can see him in yourself sometimes, in your best and worst moments. That’s what really resonates with people.”
DEANER ‘89 is not officially part of the FUBAR universe, but the same spirit is evident. Spence is joined in the Winnipeg-shot film by Will Sasso (MadTV), Mary Walsh (This Hour Has 22 Minutes), and The Kids in the Hall’s Kevin McDonald, who give DEANER ‘89 some star power.
But the beating heart of the film is the combination of Spence and his genuine love of ’80s heavy metal music. He explores the gulf that existed in the 1980s between the sports and metal worlds, which played a big role in bringing his career as fledgling hockey player to a close.
“The closer you got to the top the pyramid in sports, the less like-minded individuals there were if you were into metal or the arts,” he said of the culture at the time.
DEANER ‘89 was his chance to flip the script by making heavy metal more integral to life in Canada than hockey. “The appeal of inhabiting his skin, so to speak, is that he gets along with everybody. Ultimately, that’s what people like about him. If people don’t listen to metal, they don’t feel like they are outsiders with Dean. That’s just part of his personality. he’s the good-time fun guy that you want to invite to your barbeque because you know he’s going to do something ridiculous. Everyone needs that friend.”
