What We Do Is Secret (2007)

Director:

Rodger Grossman

Writers:

Michelle Baer Ghaffari (co-story writer)
Rodger Grossman (co-story writer)
(more)

Release Date:

8 August 2008 (USA)

Genre:

Biography | Drama | Music

Plot:

A biopic of punk legend Darby Crash and his band, the Germs. |

Plot Keywords:

Punk | Suicide | 1970s | Punk Rocker | Punk Rock

Awards:

2 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Shane West	...	Darby Crash
Bijou Phillips	...	Lorna Doom
Rick Gonzalez	...	Pat Smear
Noah Segan	...	Don Bolles
Ashton Holmes	...	Rob Henley
Tina Majorino	...	Michelle
Lauren German	...	Belinda
Keir O'Donnell	...	Chris Ashford
Sebastian Roché	...	Claude Kickboy Bessy
Azura Skye	...	Casey Cola
Katharine Leonard	...	Jena
Rachael Santhon	...	Malissa
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Noah Abrams	...	Audience Member #1
Daniel Alvarado	...	Bar Patron
David Alvarado	...	Bar Patron
Ozzy Benn	...	Captain Sensible
Thom Bishops	...	Tony the Hustler
Christopher Boyd	...	Dave Vanian
Missy Doty	...	Amber
Brian Gleason	...	Regi Mental
Leslie Grossman
Amy Halloran	...	Becky
Michele Hicks	...	Penelope Spheeris
Kylan James	...	Rat Scabies
Chad Liffmann	...	Audience Member
J.P. Manoux	...	Rodney Bingenheimer
Chandra McWhorter	...	Farrah-Fawcett Minor
Greg McWhorter	...	Eddie Subtitle
Lachlan McWhorter	...	John Morris
Howard S. Miller	...	Starwood Manager
Jonathan Milliken	...	Young Darby Crash
Bru Muller	...	Teacher
Randi Newton	...	Gerber
Paul Nygro	...	Bob Biggs
Brian Oerly	...	Bouncer
Ray Park	...	Brendan Mullen
Trevor Parsons	...	Billy Zoom
Chris Pontius	...	Black Randy
Sara Rivas	...	Shannon
Scott L. Schwartz	...	Biker
Anna Waronker	...	Joan Jett
John Westernoff	...	Auditioning Drummer
Richard Wharton	...	Whiskey Manager
Graham Hart	...	Whiskey crowd member (uncredited)
Giddle Partridge	...	Dinah Cancer (uncredited)
Justin Sandler	...	Hippie Drummer (uncredited)
Christian Schmook	...	Bartender (uncredited)

Directed by
Rodger Grossman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Michelle Baer Ghaffari		co-story writer
Rodger Grossman		co-story writer
Rodger Grossman		screenplay

Produced by
John W. Davidson	....	associate producer
Michelle Baer Ghaffari	....	co-producer
Bruce Wayne Gillies	....	line producer
Rodger Grossman	....	producer
Michael LaFetra	....	executive producer
David G. Mack	....	executive producer
Kevin Mann	....	producer
Damon Martin	....	executive producer
Stephen Nemeth	....	producer
Matthew Perniciaro	....	producer
Andre Relis	....	co-executive producer
Lise Romanoff	....	co-executive producer
Todd Traina	....	producer
Andy Wombwell	....	co-producer

Cinematography by
Andrew Huebscher

Film Editing by
Ross Albert
Joel Plotch		(co-editor)

Casting by
Jay Scully

Production Design by
John Mott

Set Decoration by
Julieann Getman

Costume Design by
Julia Caston

Makeup Department
Matthew Kasten	....	assistant hair stylist
Heather Mages	....	makeup department head
Isabelle Murray	....	assistant makeup artist
Deborah Patino	....	makeup designer
Elissa Prager	....	hair stylist
Yoi	....	key hair stylist

Production Management
Christian Bevington	....	unit production manager
Brian Buckland	....	additional production manager
Minor Childers	....	post-production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
David Clair	....	second unit director
Morgan Elam	....	additional first assistant director
David Mendoza	....	first assistant director
Joe Moore	....	additional second assistant director
Sam Nainoa	....	second second assistant director: additional photography
Blake Perkinson	....	second assistant director
Kyle Sherman	....	assistant director: additional photography
Kyle Sherman	....	second second assistant director
Austin Sipes	....	second second assistant director
Matt Tulve	....	second second assistant director

Art Department
Frederick Agnew	....	lead scenic artist
Kalvar Antzon	....	carpenter
Jen Fiedler	....	on-set dresser
McJoel Hamilton	....	assistant property master
Derrick Hinman	....	property master
Lori Lee Korth	....	set dresser
Frank Meroney	....	construction coordinator
Mungai Nguku	....	swing gang
Blake Sherman	....	art department production assistant
Terrance Zdunich	....	storyboard artist

Sound Department
Michael Brown	....	foley artist
John Fairlamb	....	foley mixer
Yagmur Kaplan	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sylvain Loiseau	....	post-production audio manager
Sean O'Malley	....	sound
Sergio Reyes	....	sound re-recording mixer
Stacey A. Washer	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Christopher Dusendschon	....	digital imaging supervisor: iO FILM

Stunts
Ron Althoff	....	stunt performer
Shawn Crowder	....	stunts
Christopher Doyle	....	stunt coordinator
Zack Duhame	....	stunts
T. Ryan Mooney	....	stunts
Sam Situmorang	....	stunts
Bryan Thompson	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Darrick Akey	....	assistant camera
Alexander Brown	....	electrician
Brannon D. Brown	....	second assistant camera (as Brannon Brown)
Jonathon Carmichael	....	grip
Eddie San Chan	....	additional gaffer
Michael Chateauneuf	....	best boy electric: additional photography
Jason Cochard	....	camera loader
Christian Grosselfinger	....	gaffer
Matthew Heckerling	....	director of photography: second unit
Bryan Hong	....	grip: additional photography
Erwin Landau	....	Steadicam operator
Mareo-Ahmir Lawson	....	grip
Kevin Mucha	....	lighting console programmer
Michael O'Connor	....	still photographer
John Orphan	....	first assistant camera
Cass Rasmussen	....	electrician
Nickolas Dylan Rossi	....	assistant camera
Sonoko Shimoyama	....	additional best boy electric
Andy Steinman	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Sam Stewart	....	electrician
Sam Stewart	....	grip
Dwight Elliott Stone	....	key grip
Reza Tabrizi	....	additional second assistant camera
Raul Vasquez	....	grip
Somsy Vejsiri	....	best boy electric
Chris Vinopal	....	rigging best boy electric
Michael Witczak	....	electrician
Bobby Woo	....	lighting network technician

Casting Department
Carol Grant	....	extras casting
Jennifer Rudolph	....	casting: New York

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Amelia Buhrman	....	assistant costume designer
Rebecca Fenton	....	set costumer
Moksha McPherrin	....	additional costume designer

Editorial Department
Gary Friedman	....	first assistant editor
Robb Porter	....	post-production Coordinator: Modern VideoFilm
Eric Putz	....	telecine dailies colorist
Kathy Thomson	....	digital intermediate colorist

Music Department
Dean Menta	....	music editor
Howard Paar	....	music supervisor

Transportation Department
Matthew Ballard	....	transportation coordinator
Shay Morgan Brook	....	driver

Other crew
Noor Ahmed	....	production legal
Jill Becker	....	pre-production coordinator
Cameron Carlson	....	production assistant
Jen Dougherty	....	assistant to director: pre-production
Michael Goss	....	assistant production coordinator
Rena Hanover	....	production assistant
Kimberley A. Helms	....	assistant production coordinator
Klara Jolesz	....	assistant to director
Megan Kristen Lane	....	production assistant (as Megan Lane)
Jenny Lens	....	photography: original source
Sheila Louie	....	set medic
Ian Menzies	....	unit location manager
Mark Schaefer	....	misc crew
Tracy Scott	....	script supervisor
Mary Shellogg	....	additional script supervisor
Rob Spence	....	additional production coordinator
Sam Vlahovich	....	technical advisor
Brandon Zinn	....	location assistant
Jessica Hong	....	production assistant (uncredited)

Thanks
Tamara Garfield	....	special thanks
Lukas Haas	....	special thanks
Joan Jett	....	special thanks
Michael Le Blanc	....	special thanks
Wendy Marmo	....	thanks: Music Clearance
Penelope Spheeris	....	special thanks
Mike Watt	....	special thanks
Jeremy Weinstein	....	special thanks

Production Companies

• Coalition Film
• Foundation Films
• Picture Machine
• Red Rover Films
• Rhino Films

Distributors

• King Record Co. (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Vitagraph Films (2008) (USA) (theatrical)
• Peace Arch Entertainment Group

Other Companies

• Valerie Ann Nemeth  legal services
• Central Casting  extras casting
• Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment  dollies
• Departure Studios  post-production
• NovaStar Digital  sound post-production
• NovaStar Digital  sound re-recording
• Reder & Feig  production counsel

MPAA:

Rated R for drug use, language and brief sexuality.

Runtime:

USA:92 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Coalition Film

Trivia:

Because he was so good as Darby Crash, Shane West was hired as the new vocalist and The Germs reunited for a tour.

Goofs:

Continuity: At the last scene at Okie-Dog, the lid on Casey's orange juice disappears between shots.

Quotes:

Darby Crash: I love those who do not know how to live, except in perishing, for they are those that go beyond. I love the great despiser's, because they are the great adorers. They are arrows longing for the other shore. I love those who do not seek beyond the stars for a reason to parish and be sacrifice; but who sacrifice themselves to earth in order that earth may some day become...

Germs you feel healthier from

What director Rodger Grossman has finally achieved after some fifteen years of trying to bring this story to the big screen is worth the time of those interested in how the alternative music world was before MTV came along and changed things forever. I met Grossman after a screening of this in July 2008 at the Fantasia festival and the good man indulged the other questions I had about his creation after the Q & A session finished. Meeting a filmmaker after first seeing their work is not always the smoothest introduction, but Grossman's passion for his subject is infectious and made me want to learn a lot more about the Germs.

Shane West proves he's really the only man for this assignment, with what I think is the best portrayal of a music legend since Gary Busey in "The Buddy Holly Story". Darby Crash was probably a mystery to even those who knew him the longest. His approach to performing is kind of like those football players running through a paper image. He came along and the rest of the picture was left in tatters. The Germs were not well liked, to put it politely, by most club owners in LA. Darby's antics thrilled and annoyed audiences, depending on who one asks the opinion of. He died way too young and the passing was overshadowed by the biggest celebrity death of the post-Elvis era, John Lennon's murder.

The wonderful actors in the bandmate roles, Bijou Phillips, Rick Gonzalez and Noah Segan, did as great a job as only people in the shadow of an exhibitionist can (Lorna, Pat and Don must have wondered what the hell Darby had up his sleeve at any given time, if he'd end up getting the band banned or just yelled at and attacked). Their taking the time to learn how each musician played and then playing themselves is quite impressive in a lip sync era. West's anguished vocals conjure up the spirit of his role's model, like Busey did over thirty years earlier.