Crispin Glover

While he’s never been a typical leading man, Crispin Glover has distinguished himself as one of the most intriguing personalities in the movie business. His unusual characters and avant-garde books and recordings have inspired a cult-like following that has dubbed him both a madman and a genius.

Glover is well known for his film roles, including the familiar character of George McFly in Back to the Future, a starring turn as a high-strung murder witness in the independent film River’s Edge and recent roles as the evil Thin Man in Charlie’s Angels and Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle and the titular Willard.

In addition to other artistic pursuits, he has recreated old books by meticulously reworking the fabric of the narrative, incorporating reworked photos, inserting his own phrases, replacing entire sections and filling every page with twisted pen and ink drawings. He started Volcanic Eruptions Publishing Company in 1987 to publish these books. Four of the books are fine hard-bound editions.

In What is it ?, Glover’s nine-years in the making feature film project and the first of a trilogy, most of the actors have Down’s Syndrome. But, Glover explains, the movie is not about Down’s Syndrome. He describes the plot as, “Being the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are snails, salt, a pipe and how to get home, as tormented by an hubristic racist inner psyche.” The surreal film, called “brilliant in its sensitivity and humanity” by Spin, marks Glover’s directorial debut. The second part of the trilogy It is fine. EVERYTHING IS FINE! has been filmed, and is currently being edited.

In his presentation, Glover discusses the art of filmmaking, from the conceptual ideas of counterculture to specific film techniques. Along with an exclusive screening of What is it?, he narrates with slides ten of his lavishly illustrated and satisfyingly offbeat books. He also leads an in-depth, intellectual question and answer session with the audience.

The son of actor Bruce Glover, Crispin Hellion Glover was born in New York City and raised in Los Angeles. He picked up his father’s trade while still in elementary school; by age 13, he already had an agent. A lead in a stage production of The Sound of Music led to guest spots on the TV shows Happy Days, Hill Street Blues and Family Ties, which in turn led to roles in made-for-TV movies and offers for television sitcoms to be developed around him. The adolescent Glover felt confined by TV work, however, so he opted to stick to movie parts. He made his big-screen debut in My Tutor, then followed up with a supporting role in Friday the 13th: The Final Chapter the title role in AFI’s The Orkley Kid and MGM’s Teachers.

After becoming famous in the mainstream for playing George McFly in Back to the Future, he was offered to reprise McFly in Back to the Future Part II, but no agreement was settled on. The producers brought the character back to life by splicing together archived footage and new scenes using an actor in prosthetic makeup. Glover, who hadn’t given permission for his image to be used, sued producer Steven Spielberg. The results prompted the Screen Actors Guild to devise new regulations about the use of actors’ images.

Glover can also be seen in Wild at Heart, Dead Man, The Orkly Kid, River’s Edge, The Doors, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, People vs.. Larry Flynt, Bartleby, Nurse Betty, Charlie’s Angels and Charlie’s Angels 2: Full Throttle and Willard. He currently resides in the Los Angeles area and the Czech Republic near Prague.