Fan of the Quarter!
Interviewed by Kayt
Our Fan of the Quarter is a longtime loyal fan who lives in beautiful mountainous Colorado, after beginning life in exciting Arkansas. Douglass is quite the creative guy and has written a screenplay he hopes to have made into a major motion picture starring various present and past members of Red Elvises! Douglass also whipped up some cool special effects for his photos for this interview. So without further ado, join me in welcoming Douglass to Fan of the Month/Quarterdom, and thanking him for volunteering to start out the new decade by being the Igor and Red Elvises Fan of the Quarter!
For the record, what is your name?
Douglass Parker
Where were you born, and where did you grow up?
Born and raised in Arkansas. One interesting bit of trivia: I went to high school with Billy Bob Thornton.
What were your main interests, entertainment and otherwise, growing up? Any obsessions you don’t mind people knowing about?
I was a nerdy, intellectual kid who loved science and math. I was on the debate team and was a thespian.
Tell us about your musical endeavors and any musical instruments you play…
I have always loved music, but I never learned to play an instrument.
What accomplishments are you most proud of at this point in your life?
1) Having the good sense to marry my wife Emilie.
2) Earning a master's degree in computer science from Johns Hopkins.
3) Writing a screenplay about the Red Elvises. I am currently trying to market it. There will be some more information on redelvises.com “any day now” about the project.
(Editor's Note: Check out the blog about the movie on the Red Elvises Myspace page: Red Elvises - The Movie. If this link doesn't work for you, sign up with myspace.com, then "friend" Red Elvises, then click on their myspace blog page to read about Douglass' screenplay.)
What are your favorite movies?
2001: A Space Odyssey, 1900, Forest Gump, Pulp Fiction, Blazing Saddles, Dr. Strangeglove, Beavis and Butthead Do America, Unforgiven, Fahrenheit 9/11, The Last of the Mohicans
Do you have any favorite books?
War and Peace, A Tale of Two Cities, Mad's Snappy Answers to Stupid Questions
What music are you into, in addition to Red Elvises?
Limpopo, of course. Flaming Lips. Also like prog rock bands like Yes, Genesis, Pink Floyd, Renaissance.
When, where, how, etc. did you first hear and experience Red Elvises?
In 1999, I was living in Washington DC. I visited Pasadena with my girlfriend Emilie, now my wife. Emilie's daughter, Arella, invited us to go to Rusty's on the Santa Monica pier to see the band. It was the old lineup: Igor, Oleg, Zhenya, and Avi. They were the freshest, most fun, band I had ever seen. A couple of months later we saw them at the Virginia State fair. In those days, the band did not tour in the Eastern United States very much. So it was several years before I saw them again. They came to Arlington, Virginia. By that time, Schramm was on keyboards. Now we live in Colorado, so we get to see them more often.
How many times have you seen them?
I've lost count. Thirteen or fourteen.
What is it about Red Elvises that draws you to them, that you like the most?
They are talented musicians, but also have a great sense of humor.
What is the farthest distance you've traveled to them?
When the new Igor and Red Elvises band was formed, they did a mini-tour of four shows. I wasn't sure how long that line-up would last, but I had always wanted to see the band play with a horn section. So Emilie and I took a road trip to see the band in Tucson and Phoenix. It was a fabulous vacation. We stayed in a beautiful bed and breakfast in Tucson, saw the band twice and also visited Sedona, Mesa Verde, and the Grand Canyon.
Which show is your favorite of their shows you've seen?
They are all so great, it would be impossible to choose.
Any other standout, all time great memories of shows you’ve seen so far?
Perhaps the nicest memories for me was when Igor and Elena told me they had read my screenplay and really liked it.
What are your favorite Red Elvises songs?
Million Miles, Ticket to Japan, Odessa, City of Angels, El Nino, Stewardess in Red
What would you like to see them do in the future? Any ideas? Anything you’d like to say to the band?
How about make another movie? (I'm working on that one.) More than anything else, I want to thank all the Red Elvises, present and past, for bringing us so much fun and great music.
Okay, last question… Do you have anything you’d especially like to say to all the fans?
I want to enlist the help of the Red Army in getting the word out about the screenplay. If any of the fans are, or have contacts with, agents, producers, or others in the movie industry, please contact me at DoulassParker@me.com. It would be a great boost to the band to have this film made, so help me out!
Douglass with some special effects.
Thanks very much, Douglass, you did a great job on your interview! Best of luck to you with your screenplay!
Wondering how YOU can become a future Fan of the Quarter? It's very easy!
Just write to: redelvisesfotm@yahoo.com
to nominate yourself or a friend. Or if you see me at a show just come over and say hi, introduce yourself and tell me you'd like to be a Fan of the Month. And when you see the band perform live please remember The Red
Pages -- send in your photos and write ups of the shows so other fans can enjoy your experiences
too!
|