Max Perlich Takes the Gift Shop Exit

As you may have heard, notoriously secretive British artist Banksy turned a paint-stained hand to film recently, with Exit Through the Gift Shop opening around the US this week.

While everyone was hoping this would be the film to shed some light on the enigma, the artist dodges the spotlight yet again by turning the camera onto the filmmaker trying to document him (coming from the master of subversion, shouldn't we have seen this coming?). As improbable as it sounds, Banksy says the film's new subject is "actually a lot more interesting than I am," and when we caught up with Frank151 fam Max Perlich after the LA premiere, he could confirm from first-hand experience that Banksy wasn't just being modest. Read what Max had to say about the film, then check the flicks of opening night by Willie T after the jump:

I got a call from Frank151 saying, "Hey, come meet me at this screening." Since I was dressed for a social engagement, I said, "OK". I showed up at the Los Angeles Theatre on Broadway and there was a huge scene. Turns out it was for an artist that Steve knows of that I've vaguely heard about, but I'm not current with all the hullabaloo about this cat, this graffiti artist. So I show up and there's this huge crowd, I bumped into Estevan Oriol who's taking photos for the event with his buddy Willie T. There's a huge truck that's been graffitied out the front of this beautiful theatre that's from the 1920s. We get inside and it's like a Roaring '20s kinda theme. There's a pianist in the foyer, there are a couple of bars and it's all set in late '20s jump and jive, swing type of vibe – like there's no bass, it's all treble so it's loud in people's ears. I'm taking pictures because the place is such a cool building, there's old shoe shine booths that are not in use and it's all pretty cool.

[More after the jump...]

So we sit down and start watching the film. Banksy gets on the mic in the beginning. He sits down for an interview where he's talking about the subject of the film, but the subject's not actually him: it's a guy who was gonna make a film about Banksy, but the guy turns out to be a lot more interesting. So they started showing footage of this guy and I'm like, "Holy shit!" This guy, this little fucking French guy that the film was about, he used to come around Hollywood in the '80s with his camera. I mean, there weren't many French nationals in the '80s going to all these underground dance clubs. I remember him. He used to get 86'd from every club I DJed at. Or every time I'd see him, he'd be getting his teeth handed to him by a bouncer because he would not stop filming somebody. He'd be pushing the limit, and they'd be like, "Nah dude, you're out," and he'd be like [mimics French accent], "No, you don't understand!" But he was really a cool character.

So it's unfolding that this guy has this passion for video and has a passion for shooting street art after getting into it through Space Invader, who is his cousin. And I can't believe that it's the same guy and we're watching this film, pretty much about his escapades. He was the guy that I always wondered, "Why is he still getting up and peeling himself off the ground, and for what reason is he torturing himself – carrying around and breaking all these cameras, getting pushed to the ground?" That was his kinda social statement, what he was known for.

In watching Exit Through the Gift Shop, it was so amazing to finally find out why this guy was so passionate about life, about recording it. What he's finally found, what his passion is, is this hybrid artform, this mix of graffiti and contemporary fine art using objects in the city. The film goes on to show examples of street art and the apparatus that graffiti artists are using trying to tell their stories. They're using city or state fixtures, like stop signs or trash cans, all sorts of objects are being used, but essentially, the overall focus is this guy's journey to document it.   

I sat around for a minute afterwards but I didn't see [the French guy] in attendance. The movie was satisfying and very, very entertaining and funny. The subject was just right-on and sincere. I think it was a genuine piece for street art-lovers and people that are fans of Banksy.