Deaner ’89 Interview: Paul Spence and Will Sasso throw up their horns for the origin story of a rock ‘n’ roll legend in the making

We interview Deaner ’89 actors Paul Spence and Will Sasso about their hard-rocking comedy depicting the origin of Dean Murdoch.

Capturing the essence of rock ‘n’ roll on film is often difficult. It’s not just about the music; it’s about the attitude, urges, style, and passion to get to the heart of a form of expression that conjures inner demons and lets them out to play. Movies like Airheads, This is Spinal Tap, Detroit Rock City, Metalhead, School of Rock, Heavy Metal, and Rock ‘n’ Roll High School stand tall as some of the best of what cinema has to offer regarding the raw, inspirational power of rock ‘n’ roll. This year, we have Deaner ’89, an exploratory and nostalgia-tinged comedy about Dean Murdoch, a headbanger on the verge of emerging from his heavy metal cocoon in the small town of Haylen, Manitoba, Canada.

We recently had the pleasure of raising our horns alongside actor, musician, and writer Paul Spence (Fubar, I’m Not There) and versatile comedic actor Will Sasso (MAD TV, Young Sheldon, The Three Stooges) during an in-depth discussion about Deaner ’89. During our interview, we discovered the origin of why Spence wanted to re-establish Dean Murdoch for new audiences, the secrets behind some of Dean’s quirks, Sasso’s inspiration for his Canadian hockey coach character, Glen, the important of comfy furniture, which bands the duo would choose to headline a rock ‘n’ roll music festival, and more.

Directed by Sam McGlynn from a screenplay by Spence, who drew inspiration from his own family past, Deaner ’89 has the following official logline: Hard-luck metalhead Dean Murdoch (Paul Spence) reveals how he finally made it, taking us back to the ’80s – when being a hockey jock was a badge of honor, Jazzercise was a national movement, seatbelts were optional, and teachers were as drunk as their students.

Coming from Eagle Vision and PSA Productions, Deaner ’89 is a more-than-worthy addition to Hollywood’s rock ‘n’ roll movie pantheon. While growing up in the ’80s, I knew people like Dean and wanted to become him before bands like Tool, Korn, and Alice in Chains led me down a different path. Deaner ’89 captures the vibes of living life with your fist raised high and a cold beer in your hand. Make sure you check out our full review here for more.

About the Author

Born and raised in New York, then immigrated to Canada, Steve Seigh has been a JoBlo.com editor, columnist, and critic since 2012. He started with Ink & Pixel, a column celebrating the magic and evolution of animation, before launching the companion YouTube series Animation Movies Revisited. He’s also the host of the Talking Comics Podcast, a personality-driven audio show focusing on comic books, film, music, and more. You’ll rarely catch him without headphones on his head and pancakes on his breath.