Kyle Kallgren is the host of Brows Held High on That Guy With the Glasses (TGWTG). His show focuses on obscure, art-house films. I recently got to speak with him about his series, TGWTG in general, Blip’s recently changed policy, his film Election Cycle, and more.
CultureMass (CM): You said you have a cold. Are you feeling better?
Kyle Kallgren (KK): Just sniffly today.
CM: That thing must be nationwide. People in South Carolina have it too.
KK: Yeah, it’s pretty nasty.
CM: Where are you based?
KK: Washington D.C.
CM: Well let’s get started. How did you get involved with Internet media?
KK: I started from the ground up. I was a fan of Doug Walker, had seen his stuff on Youtube and Blip, and there was a point where I realized, “Hey, I could do this too.” So I started shooting episodes of Brows Held High on my own. I posted them in various forums and, after working on them for a while, I was eventually invited on to the site. [TGWTG]
CM: Did you find that there was a steep learning curve? I talked to several TGWTG producers and they all seem to have horror stories of their first few videos.
KK: Oh yeah. There’s always a learning curve because you’re basically a one-man-band. It’s true of a lot of filmmakers: you have to learn at least a little bit about everything. Sound, lighting, editing, writing, and, you know, performance. There’s a lot of different aspects to it, and it’s tough to be good at all of them.
CM: There’s also the issue of fans leaving immediate feedback. Do you find the comments to be pretty fair, or are they strangely negative?
KK: Well I’ve never really had any problems with the negative comments. Sometimes they’re unfair, but that’s just the Internet. There will always be people who don’t like your work. Just don’t focus on them. Take constructive criticism, but you have to know the difference between constructive and destructive criticism.
CM: Do you ever see that line in criticism in your own work? Have you ever stopped yourself from being too mean to a film?
KK: I’ve never stopped myself from filming, but I may have cut a line or two. There’s a balance because I’m entertaining as well as critiquing. Sometimes I’ve leaned harder on a joke than I maybe should have.
CM: What’s your backgroung? Do you have a graduate degree in film criticism?
KK: I’m working on a graduate degree in film right now. My background is actually in theater. My B.A. is from the University of Maryland for theater. I didn’t really stay in that world because I realized it wasn’t really my passion. Mostly, when I started doing the show, I was interested in the history and the theory of it. And I actually started Brows Held High before I had any formal film training.
CM: I only ask because the films you cover are, obviously, much more high-brow than what I would assume the majority of people are familiar with.
KK: At first, it was more filling a need. I realized nobody else was doing this kind of show on the site. I just wanted to see what would happen if I started doing art films, because nobody else was doing it. It started as more of a riff-style than the in-depth criticism that it has become. Mostly because the nature of the work demands a closer reading. You can see in the earlier episodes that they’re much more focused on comedy than actual critique. Over time I’ve taken it to a more intellectual place.
CM: That’s something I love about your videos. You and Lindsay Ellis (Nostalgia Chick) both have a more analytical, video-lecture style of review instead of a film overview, where you just sort of watch the movie alongside your audience. I especially liked your Angels in America review, which really just felt like a great film lecture. Are there any episodes you’ve done that you’re especially proud of?
KK: Well, honestly, I feel I got a bit sappy at the end of Angels in America. One of my personal favorites was A Serbian Film. I feel like that’s one of the best balances I’ve done between critique and actual comedy.
CM: Conversely, have you ever done an episode where you thought, “Man, that did not hit the mark?”
KK: Well, I’ve always been iffy about my review of Primer. I feel like it deserved a lot more respect than what I was giving it. Because it was so low-budget. Because it was an interesting idea. Because it was a first-time filmmaker. It’s incredible how polished it looks considering what was going against them during production.
CM: How do you pick the films you’ll be reviewing?
KK: Usually I just know it when I see it. Oftentimes I’ll pick a film because I know what angle I want to take with it beforehand. If there’s something I have to say about it. I always try to do something that is worth talking about it.
CM: Tell us a little bit about Election Cycle, that you recently Kickstarted in a very short amount of time.
KK: We’re shooting that this week. The cast is together, we’re getting a crew together, the schedule is still being finalized. It’s going to be my thesis film, and it’s going to help me graduate. Once it’s finished I’m not sure what I’ll do with it. I might just put it on the festival circuit. As for putting it online, I’m not sure. Right now I’m just focusing on getting the thing finished.
CM: Well congratulations on getting the Kickstarter funded. I initially wrote these questions a little while ago, and I was going to try to boost your numbers, but it seems like you immediately reached the goal.
KK: The time keeps shrinking every time I talk about it. I think it was really thirty-six hours when we made budget, but that number keeps shrinking. “You made it in twenty-four hours!” “You made it in twelve hours!”
CM: Yeah, in ten minutes it was all clear.
KK: [laughs] Yeah…
CM: How do you feel about the overwhelming support?
KK: It’s great. I wasn’t expecting that kind of support, and it gives me a lot of confidence. But also a lot of pressure. Mostly pressure, because I know a lot of people are riding on this.
CM: Well I’m excited to see it. Seems like a really interesting idea. Is narrative filmmaking the direction you find yourself wanting to go?
KK: I don’t know. I might prefer what I’m doing on the Internet. I like that direct relationship I have with viewers. I think when I graduate I’m going to focus on reviewing. Basically work on improving my game.
CM: The recent news about Blip concerning auditions. Does that scare you at all? What’s your perspective on that?
KK: Well, I don’t think they explained it very well. I’ve had sources close to me say that anybody with a show page is going to be fine. A lot of people on That Guy with the Glasses have already been reviewed and cleared by the site, so they’re fine. The other side of that is that it will now be much harder for people to get on Blip. And we’ll see Youtube channels as more of a training route.
CM: Do you think that was a necessary action for them to take?
KK: I honestly don’t know. I don’t know how many shows are on Blip. But of course you are getting a lot of people who are just uploading videos of their cats. On the whole I think it’s a pretty smart business move. Because they are trying to cultivate equality, and they’re trying to cultivate talent. It’s not as scary an idea as some people are saying. People who are bringing in viewers will stay. But it will be a problem for those starting out. That’s where it might be difficult.
CM: I interviewed Alison Pregler, who actually did a guest article for me as well. We’ve found her to be an infinitely genuine and giving person. From the tweets you were posting to her Tumblr blog, I’m pretty confused by some people’s bullying.
KK: I wasn’t that close to the incident last year between her and Spoony, and so I can’t fully comment, but I do know that some people are blaming her for Spoony’s departure, because she did call him out on some pretty despicable things that he said to a coworker. And somehow that snowballed into “Hey, it’s fun to attack this person, because she deserves it.” And she doesn’t! She’s been nothing but a dear friend to me. She’s fun, supportive, and one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met. I can’t really speak for her, but I really hope she has the strength to go on, because I don’t want to see her quit. She’s tough, very tough, and I doubt she’ll quit anytime soon. I don’t want to see her bullied off the Internet entirely.
CM: The absurdity of people threatening the host of an Internet review show is completely baffling to me.
KK: I don’t understand either. People are building something up until it’s bigger than they think it is and attacking.
CM: Is that the risk you take when you make yourself available on the Internet? When you have a direct line to fans? Have you ever felt the looming threat that people could just turn against you without much warning?
KK: Sometimes, but rarely.
CM: How’s the show? Are you excited about what’s coming up?
KK: Yeah, I’m sitting on two episodes right now which are in various stages of post-production. I’m going to get them out as soon as I finish shooting Election Cycle. One’s a new Between the Lines on Honey Boo Boo. The other is a Brows Held High on a Peter Greenaway film.
CM: Man, he’s awesome. He needs some press. Sometimes I look at the titles of your reviews and I’m just glad you’re telling people about these movies. Thank you so much for your time. I know you’re not feeling well.
KK: My pleasure.
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