HollywoodJunket.com had a chance to attend the official press conference for Not Fade Away this past weekend. It’s true the film was released at the NY Film Festival in October, but now, as part of Paramount Vantage films, the movie will start appearing in select theaters starting December 21, 2012.

On the panel, were a total of 8 talented persons including: John Magaro (leading star, Douglas), Jack Huston (Eugene), James Gandolfini (Pat), Molly Price (Antoinette), Bella Heathcote, (Grace), David Chase (Writer/Director), and Steven Van Zandt (Executive Producer and Music Supervisor) and Mark Johnson (Producer).

The film depicts a coming of age story of a musician and his band mates, set in all the wonder of the 1960s. It truly does grasp the feel of the times with great new faces portraying such real life emotions and of course, the unforgettable music of the times.

For Executive Producer Steven Van Zandt, the movie was all too real to his own experiences growing up as a teenager in the 60s. “The 60’s had such a unique generation gap (between parents and kids) completely at odds,” he said. As a musician he has gone on to play, arrange and record music, including a period of time as a founding member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. He speaks of certain scenes in the film that resonated with him so precisely such as the moment when the characters in the film see The Rolling Stones first appear on The Hollywood Palace. “I watched that episode of The Hollywood Palace and saw my past and future as one of the first or second most important moments in my life,” Van Zandt stated.

For Chase, (Creator and E.P., The Sopranos), he was able to bring a sense of his love for music of that era into film as a long-time goal of his. “I always wanted to be in films, but ended up in T.V.” Chase explained that he and accomplished film producer Johnson (Rain Man, The Notebook), struck a nice balance of bringing Johnson’s experience in film making with his vision, helping see it come to life.

“It was a great privilege to work on it,” Johnson said.

For famed actor Gandolfini, it was a chance to work with Chase again since his time on The Sopranos. He also couldn’t help but remember his own up bringing with his own dad. “The script was very specific to the way I grew up too, so I identified with it,” said Gandolfini.

For the younger cast, it was a really fun ride to take a trip back in time to one of the greatest eras of American culture. They all grew up on the same music their parents originally heard all those years ago. It is natural when the 60’s indeed penned such timeless music. “I listened to a lot of 60’s music (growing up),” Magaro states. “I love that music. The good rock and roll today is influenced by it.” Huston agreed, stating: “It must have been so exciting to hear it for the first time.”

In fact the casting itself of these young stars took quite some time, trying to find the perfect blend of actors who could also play musical instruments to make it as real as possible. As Johnson explains, “We were literally and figuratively putting a band together.” Indeed, in three months time, all the young men cast in the band studied with Van Zandt for hours at a time to truly learn the art of perfecting their voices, playing drums, guitar and bass! “We could have faked it,” Van Zandt explained. But, they didn’t.

Not Fade Away captures a moment in time unlike any other in U.S. history. For the cast and crew it was a chance for some to relive, for some to appreciate and learn, but for all to have a blast from the past of a groovy time.

Written and reported by: By Stephanie Andolino