Bobcat Goldthwaite Talks to KCRW About Meeting The Kinks’ Ray Davies

When Comedian/director Bobcat Goldthwait appeared on KCRW’s Guest DJ Project earlier this year, he suggested a movie about The Kinks was in the works and now it has been confirmed! According to the Hollywood Reporter, he will direct a musical based on the band’s 1976 album Schoolboys in Disgrace, with Ray Davies on board as executive producer. Songs from the concept album will be re-recorded by the cast for the film’s soundtrack.

Read what he said about it at the time when he selected their track “The Hard Way” as part of his Guest DJ Set below.

DJ Dan Wilcox : Next up, we’ve got The Kinks with “The Hard Way.” Now, how did you discover this song?

Bobcat Goldthwait: As a kid, I discovered The Kinks when I was in my early teens, so I went back and started listening to their music and the music that was coming out at the same time. In the 70’s, they did an album called Schoolboys in Disgrace. I listened to that album a million times and it was always a dream of mine to make it into a movie.

So, I recently met with Ray and it was really a horrible meeting. (laughs) I was sweating and I finally stopped in the middle of the meeting and I said, “Have you ever seen the sketch with Chris Farley where it’s The Chris Farley Show and he would have Paul McCartney on it?” And he knew the sketch. You know, “Remember when you were in The Beatles — yeah, that was cool.” I go, “Well, that’s what this is for me.” You know, because I couldn’t talk. I felt bad for the man I’m meeting — like I could see him just going, “What an odd little man…He has yet to complete a thought.”

So, I gave him a copy of my new movie, World’s Greatest Dad, and his agent was really funny, his agent goes, “Look, Ray’s a really great guy…he’s not gonna watch your movie.” And so, he actually went home and he did watch the movie and the next day I got a call saying, “Yeah, Ray’s in, he likes the idea.” Cause Ray was asking, “Well, who would you make this movie for, if you made a musical of Schoolboys in Disgrace? And I said, “I would make this movie for all the kids who f**king hate High School Musical.”And then I actually say him smile a little bit. So, at least I got his blessing, and I really hope someday I actually make it as a movie.