May on the Criterion Channel will be good to the auteurs. In fact they’re giving Richard Linklater better treatment than the distributor of his last film, with a 13-title retrospective mixing usual suspects—the Before trilogy, Boyhood, Slacker—with some truly off the beaten track. There’s a few shorts I haven’t seen but most intriguing is Heads I Win/Tails You Lose, the only available description of which calls it a four-hour (!) piece “edited together by Richard Linklater in 1991 from film countdowns and tail leaders from films submitted to the Austin Film Society in Austin, Texas from 1987 to 1990. It is Linklater’s tribute to the film countdown, used by many projectionists over the years to cue one reel of film after another when switching to another reel on another projector during projection.” Pair that with 2008’s Inning by Inning: A Portrait of a Coach and your completionism will be on-track.
- 4/21/2022
- by Leonard Pearce
- The Film Stage
Big things are coming up for this San Diego this summer, according to the Pacific Art Movement. This month, we’re waiting on a Q&a with Kelly Marie Tran; the upcoming San Diego Filipino Film Festival; and an ongoing fellowship application for Aapi filmmakers. Read on for more details.
July 16: San Diego Filipino Film Festival (Sdfff) 2021: Final deadline for submissions
Submit your film to Pacific Arts Movement partner San Diego Filipino Cinema‘s San Diego Filipino Film Festival 2021! The Final Deadline for submissions is on July 16 on FilmFreeway. Sdfff will bring together compelling film gems made by global Filipinx filmmakers and film lovers from our amazing diverse communities in San Diego. Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of San Diego Filipino Cinema’s inaugural San Diego Filipino Film Festival this October!
Submit your film here.
July 17: “Summertime” Q&a with Kelly Marie...
July 16: San Diego Filipino Film Festival (Sdfff) 2021: Final deadline for submissions
Submit your film to Pacific Arts Movement partner San Diego Filipino Cinema‘s San Diego Filipino Film Festival 2021! The Final Deadline for submissions is on July 16 on FilmFreeway. Sdfff will bring together compelling film gems made by global Filipinx filmmakers and film lovers from our amazing diverse communities in San Diego. Don’t miss out on your chance to be part of San Diego Filipino Cinema’s inaugural San Diego Filipino Film Festival this October!
Submit your film here.
July 17: “Summertime” Q&a with Kelly Marie...
- 7/15/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
In the latest installment of his ongoing interview series, host Stuart Wright talks with author Jack Sargeant about his 5 Great British Horror Films, which include:
The Devils (1971) Theatre of Blood! (1973) The Wicker Man (1973) Under The Skin (2013) Aaaaaaaah! (2015)
As an author Jack Sargeant’s work has been described as “dangerously inspirational” by Six Degrees magazine, his numerous books include Deathtripping: The Extreme Underground, Naked Lens: Beat Cinema (like Deathtripping now in its third English language edition), Cinema Contra Cinema and Suture. His most recent book Against Control focuses on the work of William S. Burroughs. He also edited a special film edition of the journal Abraxas for publication in 2014. He has contributed essays on film and culture to numerous books, anthologies and journals, most recently on the underground films of Jon Moritsugu and the representation of Melbourne suburbs in crime movies. He contributes a regular column to FilmInk, and has written articles for The Wire,...
The Devils (1971) Theatre of Blood! (1973) The Wicker Man (1973) Under The Skin (2013) Aaaaaaaah! (2015)
As an author Jack Sargeant’s work has been described as “dangerously inspirational” by Six Degrees magazine, his numerous books include Deathtripping: The Extreme Underground, Naked Lens: Beat Cinema (like Deathtripping now in its third English language edition), Cinema Contra Cinema and Suture. His most recent book Against Control focuses on the work of William S. Burroughs. He also edited a special film edition of the journal Abraxas for publication in 2014. He has contributed essays on film and culture to numerous books, anthologies and journals, most recently on the underground films of Jon Moritsugu and the representation of Melbourne suburbs in crime movies. He contributes a regular column to FilmInk, and has written articles for The Wire,...
- 6/4/2019
- by Stuart Wright
- Nerdly
In 1997, the Chicago Underground Film Festival held its fourth annual edition on August 13-17 at the Theatre Building at 1225 W. Belmont Avenue. One way the festival promoted itself that year was it published a four-page pull-out section in the Chicago-based political magazine Lumpen, vol. 6 no. 4.
These pages included the entire festival schedule, which the Underground Film Journal has re-created below. In addition, scans of the original Lumpen pages appear at the bottom of this article. This program schedule did not include director names for the most part, but the Journal has included names that we could find through research.
In the Theatre Building, Cuff screened on two screens simultaneously. One theater screened films shot exclusively on film; while the other theater screened films shot exclusively on video. In addition, a Closing Night event of director John Waters‘ live performance piece “Shock Value” took place in the film theater and was simulcast into the video theater.
These pages included the entire festival schedule, which the Underground Film Journal has re-created below. In addition, scans of the original Lumpen pages appear at the bottom of this article. This program schedule did not include director names for the most part, but the Journal has included names that we could find through research.
In the Theatre Building, Cuff screened on two screens simultaneously. One theater screened films shot exclusively on film; while the other theater screened films shot exclusively on video. In addition, a Closing Night event of director John Waters‘ live performance piece “Shock Value” took place in the film theater and was simulcast into the video theater.
- 12/10/2018
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This is Part Two in a series about Chicago’s Experimental Film Coalition; and covers their screening series. You can read Part One here.
Formed in 1983, the Experimental Film Coalition started holding regular monthly screenings starting in 1984. The screenings brought to Chicago the work of independent, experimental filmmakers across the country, as well as screening local work.
Screenings were held at the Randolph Street Gallery, an alternative performance and exhibition space located at 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. The Gallery eventually closed down in 1998 and donated their archives to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; which exhibits some of the Coalition’s flyers on their website.
Below is a sample of screening information culled from those archives, listed in chronological order:
1984
March 23
2 Razor Blades, dir. Paul Sharits
Make Me Psychic, dir. Sally Cruikshank
Unsere Afrikareise, dir. Peter Kubelka
Roslyn Romance, dir. Bruce Baillie
Musical Poster #1, dir. Len Lye
April 27
Rainbow Dance,...
Formed in 1983, the Experimental Film Coalition started holding regular monthly screenings starting in 1984. The screenings brought to Chicago the work of independent, experimental filmmakers across the country, as well as screening local work.
Screenings were held at the Randolph Street Gallery, an alternative performance and exhibition space located at 756 N. Milwaukee Ave. The Gallery eventually closed down in 1998 and donated their archives to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago; which exhibits some of the Coalition’s flyers on their website.
Below is a sample of screening information culled from those archives, listed in chronological order:
1984
March 23
2 Razor Blades, dir. Paul Sharits
Make Me Psychic, dir. Sally Cruikshank
Unsere Afrikareise, dir. Peter Kubelka
Roslyn Romance, dir. Bruce Baillie
Musical Poster #1, dir. Len Lye
April 27
Rainbow Dance,...
- 12/17/2017
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Interview has posted Bruce Chatwin's 1988 profile of Werner Herzog, who, the year before, had adapted Chatwin's novel The Viceroy of Ouidah as Cobra Verde. Also in today's roundup of news and views: Color in the earliest days of cinema, Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty) on Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s Sundance-winner Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Grady Hendrix on Kim Jee-Woon, interviews with Joe Dante and Patrick Brice, a Jon Moritsugu retrospective, and forthcoming films from Jane Campion, Hana Makhmalbaf, Mark Cousins and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/18/2015
- Fandor: Keyframe
Interview has posted Bruce Chatwin's 1988 profile of Werner Herzog, who, the year before, had adapted Chatwin's novel The Viceroy of Ouidah as Cobra Verde. Also in today's roundup of news and views: Color in the earliest days of cinema, Terence Nance (An Oversimplification of Her Beauty) on Alfonso Gomez-Rejon’s Sundance-winner Me and Earl and the Dying Girl, Grady Hendrix on Kim Jee-Woon, interviews with Joe Dante and Patrick Brice, a Jon Moritsugu retrospective, and forthcoming films from Jane Campion, Hana Makhmalbaf, Mark Cousins and more. » - David Hudson...
- 6/18/2015
- Keyframe
The 4th annual Brisbane Underground Film Festival will take place on three nights — and one afternoon screening — on Nov. 21-23 at the Brisbane Powerhouse arts center.
The fest opens on the 21st with two documentaries about two iconic performers. First up is Jeffrey Schwarz’s hit I Am Divine, about the legendary actress and drag queen; followed by the performance film Peaches Does Herself.
Screenings at the rest of the fest include Drew Tobia’s outrageous debut feature See You Next Tuesday, which has been tearing up the underground circuit; Zach Clark’s holiday dark comedy White Reindeer; transgressive filmmaker Jon Moritsugu’s return to the cinema, Pig Death Machine; the graffiti art documentary Vigilante Vigilante by Max Good and more. Each feature film is preceded by a short film, as well.
The full film lineup for the 2013 Brisbane Underground Film Festival is below. But, please visit the fest’s...
The fest opens on the 21st with two documentaries about two iconic performers. First up is Jeffrey Schwarz’s hit I Am Divine, about the legendary actress and drag queen; followed by the performance film Peaches Does Herself.
Screenings at the rest of the fest include Drew Tobia’s outrageous debut feature See You Next Tuesday, which has been tearing up the underground circuit; Zach Clark’s holiday dark comedy White Reindeer; transgressive filmmaker Jon Moritsugu’s return to the cinema, Pig Death Machine; the graffiti art documentary Vigilante Vigilante by Max Good and more. Each feature film is preceded by a short film, as well.
The full film lineup for the 2013 Brisbane Underground Film Festival is below. But, please visit the fest’s...
- 11/4/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Tiff’s Midnight Madness program turned 25 this year, and for two and half decades, the hardworking programers have gathered some of the strangest, most terrifying, wild, intriguing and downright entertaining films from around the world. From dark comedies to Japanese gore-fests and indie horror gems, the Midnight Madness program hasn’t lost its edge as one the leading showcases of genre cinema. In its 25-year history, Midnight Madness has introduced adventurous late-night moviegoers to such cult faves as Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused and Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs. But what separates Midnight Madness from, say, Montreal’s three and half week long genre festival Fantasia, is that Tiff selects only ten films to make the cut. In other words, these programmers don’t mess around. Last week I decided that I would post reviews of my personal favourite films that screened in past years. And just like the Tiff programmers,...
- 9/18/2013
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
This year will see the 9th annual edition of the Portland Underground Film Festival, which also marks it as the second edition run by filmmaker Bob Moricz and the first edition that will run for six nights at two different theaters. The fun begins at Puff’s traditional home of the Clinton Street Theater on August 21-23, then will conclude on August 24-26 at the Hollywood Theater.
Festival director Moricz, a maverick filmmaker himself, makes some bold moves with this year’s Puff with a real idiosyncratic lineup of films. For example, the opening night program — when most fests like to show the best film they can — Puff is hosting, along with Grand Detour, a special event looking for the worst films they can find in the “open mic style” showcase called War of the Worst. This will then be followed by a special program of the best Spanish underground...
Festival director Moricz, a maverick filmmaker himself, makes some bold moves with this year’s Puff with a real idiosyncratic lineup of films. For example, the opening night program — when most fests like to show the best film they can — Puff is hosting, along with Grand Detour, a special event looking for the worst films they can find in the “open mic style” showcase called War of the Worst. This will then be followed by a special program of the best Spanish underground...
- 8/5/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Whether you were aware of it or not, there was a major upheaval in the Internet last week that — among other things — seriously affects Bad Lit’s links posts.
Once again proving the old adage “The Internet doesn’t owe you anything,” Google decided to shut down their Reader app for the reason, it is assumed, that it wasn’t making them any money. (They publicly claimed not that many people were using it anymore.)
For those who didn’t use Google Reader, it was a free RSS feed app that compiled and saved in a very organized, neat and helpful way the posts from the websites that one subscribed to. Plus, Reader had the ability to scan the Internet for keywords — like, lets pick two at random, “underground” and “film” — that would display articles from other websites that contain those keywords. Over the past few years, Bad Lit has...
Once again proving the old adage “The Internet doesn’t owe you anything,” Google decided to shut down their Reader app for the reason, it is assumed, that it wasn’t making them any money. (They publicly claimed not that many people were using it anymore.)
For those who didn’t use Google Reader, it was a free RSS feed app that compiled and saved in a very organized, neat and helpful way the posts from the websites that one subscribed to. Plus, Reader had the ability to scan the Internet for keywords — like, lets pick two at random, “underground” and “film” — that would display articles from other websites that contain those keywords. Over the past few years, Bad Lit has...
- 3/17/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The massive 20th Chicago Underground Film Festival has come and gone and, surprisingly, the city is still standing!
But, in the epic event’s wake is left the exhausted bodies of several award winners, chosen by a three-panel jury composed of Mimi Brody, Frederic Moffet and Jack Sargeant; as well as a special award chosen by the audience.
Actually, the audience was so enamored of all the films screening at Cuff this year, they couldn’t make a decision of what they enjoyed the most. So, the Audience Award resulted in a tie between the feature film debut of Drew Tobia, See You Next Tuesday, and the anti-war documentary Hit & Stay by co-directors Joe Tropea and Skizz Cyzyk.
The jury gave the Most Visionary Award to the very personal documentary A Body Without Organs by Stephen Graves. And they bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award on underground filmmaking legend Jon Moritsugu,...
But, in the epic event’s wake is left the exhausted bodies of several award winners, chosen by a three-panel jury composed of Mimi Brody, Frederic Moffet and Jack Sargeant; as well as a special award chosen by the audience.
Actually, the audience was so enamored of all the films screening at Cuff this year, they couldn’t make a decision of what they enjoyed the most. So, the Audience Award resulted in a tie between the feature film debut of Drew Tobia, See You Next Tuesday, and the anti-war documentary Hit & Stay by co-directors Joe Tropea and Skizz Cyzyk.
The jury gave the Most Visionary Award to the very personal documentary A Body Without Organs by Stephen Graves. And they bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award on underground filmmaking legend Jon Moritsugu,...
- 3/12/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The mighty and all-powerful Chicago Underground Film Festival has done the absolute unthinkable: Reached their 20th year of operation! How many underground festivals have accomplished that feat? None, until now! Well, “now” being March 6-10 at the fest’s new location: The Logan Theatre.
Obviously, there are a lot of people who have worked with the fest over the years to help make it last for exactly two fantastic decades, but, truly, there is one special person who has to be specially lauded for his tireless dedication to the advancement of underground film and its makers. Especially because Cuff hasn’t just been around for 20 years: It’s been fucking awesome for 20 years.
That person, of course, is Artistic Director Bryan Wendorf, who has been with the fest for the very first edition to it’s most recent, mind-blowing one. Year after year, Wendorf has guided Cuff into defining, challenging,...
Obviously, there are a lot of people who have worked with the fest over the years to help make it last for exactly two fantastic decades, but, truly, there is one special person who has to be specially lauded for his tireless dedication to the advancement of underground film and its makers. Especially because Cuff hasn’t just been around for 20 years: It’s been fucking awesome for 20 years.
That person, of course, is Artistic Director Bryan Wendorf, who has been with the fest for the very first edition to it’s most recent, mind-blowing one. Year after year, Wendorf has guided Cuff into defining, challenging,...
- 2/13/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Electric Sheep has an excellent profile of experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, who is having a major retrospective of her work at the Tate Modern this month.For artforum, Ed Halter writes a touching obituary of George Kuchar, and reminds us of how neglected he and his brother were from the critical space early in their careers.In a strange twist of events, underground filmmaker Jon Moritsugu is up for a Grammy Award next week with his wife Amy Davis, who perform in the band Low on High together. Except, their Grammy is for directing a music video for the band TV on the Radio.The Caulfield Glen Eira Leader profiles local filmmaker Donna McRae, who won the Best Editing Award at the 2011 Minneapolis Underground Film Festival for her debut horror feature film Johnny Ghost. It’s always nice to get a little local love.Cineflyer profiles its own local filmmaker Scott Fitzpatrick,...
- 2/5/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
"Alexander Korda's production of The Four Feathers, the most popular film version of a 1902 British adventure novel set during the Sudanese Mahdist revolt in the late 19th century, retains on its surface pro-Empire bravado and a streak of colonialist supremacy," writes Bill Weber in Slant. "But as vintage 1939 English-regiment actioners go, it has the edge on Hollywood's Gunga Din in authentic, epically framed locations, a lush Technicolor palette, and a lesser racist taint." Criterion's release is a "landmark physical production is handsomely remastered and preserved, even if the bloom has gone off the rose of its imperial England." Speaking of which. As you've likely heard, perhaps on Start the Week (see Mon, Oct 11), Richard Gott's Britain's Empire: Resistance, Rebellion and Repression has kicked up a bit of dust recently. Verso has a quick primer.
Identification of a Woman is Michelangelo Antonioni's "foolishly underrated 1982 film about men and women,...
Identification of a Woman is Michelangelo Antonioni's "foolishly underrated 1982 film about men and women,...
- 10/25/2011
- MUBI
Constellation.tv send us over information that they're hosting four films from underground filmmaker Jon Moritsugu. It starts on July 10 at 9Pm with "Fame Whore", then on July 11th with "Mod Fs%! Explosion" at 9Pm, On July 12th, it's "My Degeneration" at 9Pm. Finally on July 13th "Scumrock" at 9Pm. Jon Motrisugu will be on hand to introduce each film via webcam and host a Q&A for each screening.
- 7/7/2011
- by Anthony T
Coinciding with the release today of TV on the Radio’s new album, Nine Types of Light, is a near-feature consisting of a video for each song, all sequenced with an eye towards a longer-form narrative. From the band’s site:
Nine Types of Light is as much an album as it is a movie by TV on the Radio.
The movie is meant to be a visual re-imagining of the record, and includes a music video for every song on the album.
The band personally asked their friends and the filmmakers they admired to help direct the music videos.
Tunde Adebimpe, the director for the full Nine Types of Light movie, storybooked the music videos together with interviews from local New Yorkers on various topics, including dreams, love, fame and the future. Tunde also directed the music video for “Forgotten.”
The various directors involved are: Tim Nackashi, Michael Please,...
Nine Types of Light is as much an album as it is a movie by TV on the Radio.
The movie is meant to be a visual re-imagining of the record, and includes a music video for every song on the album.
The band personally asked their friends and the filmmakers they admired to help direct the music videos.
Tunde Adebimpe, the director for the full Nine Types of Light movie, storybooked the music videos together with interviews from local New Yorkers on various topics, including dreams, love, fame and the future. Tunde also directed the music video for “Forgotten.”
The various directors involved are: Tim Nackashi, Michael Please,...
- 4/12/2011
- by Scott Macaulay
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Embedded above is a five-minute clip from Craig Smith‘s underground movie classic, Psychedelic Glue Sniffin’ Hillbillies, which screened way back at the first ever Chicago Underground Film Festival in 1994. This clip truly has everything you could want: Cheap, junky Jesus art held as proudly as if it were the Mona Lisa; drunken basement ramblings with karate chops; beer-drinkin’, Martian mask-wearin’ good ol’ boys, roadkill, dancing old folks and more. Whew!
Back when I first discovered and posted up the lineup for the 1994 Cuff last month, I went in search of whatever happened to many of the films that screened, primarily looking to see if any were released on DVD. Not many, but some have been.
Psychedelic Glue Sniffin’ Hillbillies is being self-released by director Smith and you can buy a copy at the film’s official website. The DVD comes with director commentary, out-takes, other short films and more.
Back when I first discovered and posted up the lineup for the 1994 Cuff last month, I went in search of whatever happened to many of the films that screened, primarily looking to see if any were released on DVD. Not many, but some have been.
Psychedelic Glue Sniffin’ Hillbillies is being self-released by director Smith and you can buy a copy at the film’s official website. The DVD comes with director commentary, out-takes, other short films and more.
- 1/6/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Underground film history is a living, breathing creature. That’s why I keep hard pimping my Underground Film Timeline project. While the actual Timeline right now is a somewhat dry recitation of facts and film titles, if one delves into the history deeper, it’s really clear to see how the medium has evolved from the 1920s to the 2010s.
Actually, to give an example of what I mean, I’m going to show a reverse chain of inspirations from a modern day film all the way back to the ’20s.
The modern film I picked is one I write about all the time and recently came out on DVD: Joshua von Brown’s Altamont Now, a raucous film about a pseudo-punk rock star with delusions of grandeur who threatens to start a nuclear Rockalypse. The film was a huge hit on the ’09 festival circuit and was just released by Factory 25. (Rent or Buy.
Actually, to give an example of what I mean, I’m going to show a reverse chain of inspirations from a modern day film all the way back to the ’20s.
The modern film I picked is one I write about all the time and recently came out on DVD: Joshua von Brown’s Altamont Now, a raucous film about a pseudo-punk rock star with delusions of grandeur who threatens to start a nuclear Rockalypse. The film was a huge hit on the ’09 festival circuit and was just released by Factory 25. (Rent or Buy.
- 8/13/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Once again, the beautiful country of Switzerland prepares to get down and dirty – you could even say downright filthy — with the Lausanne Underground Film Festival now looking for entries for their 9th annual edition that will run Oct. 20-24.
The deadline for this year is coming up quick:
Final deadline:
June 30
But the good news is that there are no entry fees, so rush your film in now!
Now, you might be asking, “What kinds of films is Luff looking for anyway?” Good question. Luff is a pretty wild festival and screens some really far-out avant-garde and experimental films. Their mission statement says:
We think that underground films do not make any compromise to be made or to be seen. Underground films accept no limits, no censorships and always present an innovative point of view. The Luff has been created after the New York Underground Film Festival, then its purpose...
The deadline for this year is coming up quick:
Final deadline:
June 30
But the good news is that there are no entry fees, so rush your film in now!
Now, you might be asking, “What kinds of films is Luff looking for anyway?” Good question. Luff is a pretty wild festival and screens some really far-out avant-garde and experimental films. Their mission statement says:
We think that underground films do not make any compromise to be made or to be seen. Underground films accept no limits, no censorships and always present an innovative point of view. The Luff has been created after the New York Underground Film Festival, then its purpose...
- 5/26/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Making its New York premiere Sunday june30at the Asian-American International Film Festival, ''Hippy Porn'' relies heavily on its amateurish production qualities and acting to heighten the already obvious sense of immaturity that is the film's central theme.
Its funky, self-consciously ultra-hip attitudes might appeal to those time-warped individuals still trapped in the 1960s, but it's doubtful that its quirky humor and esoteric references will have much impact on anyone who has evolved since that time.
In the innocuous opening shot of the film we see a decayed dead cat lying in the street, covered with flies. Its message possibly being that in the end, this is all we really have to look forward to. This theory is supported by the series of non-events that follow.
We then meet M (Elizabeth Canning), a bizarrely dressed co-ed walking the campus and wishing that her parents had bought her clothes and cars instead of wasting the money on college.
She hooks up with L (Victor E. of Aquitaine), her questionably gay roommate, and they head over to their depressingly disgusting room. There they argue over non-filtered vs. menthol cigarettes, until emaciated Mick (Marek Waldorf) shows up and makes this mod squad complete.
The remainder of the film is filled with disjointed, unrelated segments involving long, tedious discussions on masturbation, the history of punk and, appropriately, the boredom of life.
Some of the scenes are surprisingly funny and memorable. For some excitement L and M go into a store and L shoplifts while M blatantly rubs her breasts in front of the female store manager as a distraction. Later these two perform a strange, but fascinating rendition of ''Accentuate the Positive'' at the equally strange Cafe Camus.
In one very long shot, we witness Mick dancing wildly in his room to the accompaniment of some heavy heavy metal, while wearing women's panties and simultaneously brushing his teeth. It doesn't have a whole lot to do with the rest of the film but it's an image that's difficult to forget.
Some things in the film work, but most of them don't. Only Aquitaine demonstrates a natural flair for acting, and is undeniably the only colorful performer in the film. The over-the-edge techniques used by directors Jon Moritsugu and Jacques Boyreau are more showy than effective.
Ultimately, ''Hippy Porn'' is an offbeat, off-center film. It tries hard to be different, but succeeds only in being self-indulgent.
HIPPY PORN
Directors-producers Jon Moritsugu,
Jacques Boyreau
Writer-editor Jon Moritsugu
Cinematographer Jacques Boyreau
Black and white
Cast:
M Elizabeth Canning
LVictor E. of Aquitaine
Mick Marek Waldorf
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
Its funky, self-consciously ultra-hip attitudes might appeal to those time-warped individuals still trapped in the 1960s, but it's doubtful that its quirky humor and esoteric references will have much impact on anyone who has evolved since that time.
In the innocuous opening shot of the film we see a decayed dead cat lying in the street, covered with flies. Its message possibly being that in the end, this is all we really have to look forward to. This theory is supported by the series of non-events that follow.
We then meet M (Elizabeth Canning), a bizarrely dressed co-ed walking the campus and wishing that her parents had bought her clothes and cars instead of wasting the money on college.
She hooks up with L (Victor E. of Aquitaine), her questionably gay roommate, and they head over to their depressingly disgusting room. There they argue over non-filtered vs. menthol cigarettes, until emaciated Mick (Marek Waldorf) shows up and makes this mod squad complete.
The remainder of the film is filled with disjointed, unrelated segments involving long, tedious discussions on masturbation, the history of punk and, appropriately, the boredom of life.
Some of the scenes are surprisingly funny and memorable. For some excitement L and M go into a store and L shoplifts while M blatantly rubs her breasts in front of the female store manager as a distraction. Later these two perform a strange, but fascinating rendition of ''Accentuate the Positive'' at the equally strange Cafe Camus.
In one very long shot, we witness Mick dancing wildly in his room to the accompaniment of some heavy heavy metal, while wearing women's panties and simultaneously brushing his teeth. It doesn't have a whole lot to do with the rest of the film but it's an image that's difficult to forget.
Some things in the film work, but most of them don't. Only Aquitaine demonstrates a natural flair for acting, and is undeniably the only colorful performer in the film. The over-the-edge techniques used by directors Jon Moritsugu and Jacques Boyreau are more showy than effective.
Ultimately, ''Hippy Porn'' is an offbeat, off-center film. It tries hard to be different, but succeeds only in being self-indulgent.
HIPPY PORN
Directors-producers Jon Moritsugu,
Jacques Boyreau
Writer-editor Jon Moritsugu
Cinematographer Jacques Boyreau
Black and white
Cast:
M Elizabeth Canning
LVictor E. of Aquitaine
Mick Marek Waldorf
Running time -- 95 minutes
No MPAA rating
(c) The Hollywood Reporter...
- 6/26/1991
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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