The eccentric sons of the Scanlan family return home when they learn of their father’s death. But the subtle Irish formality with which they have planned the funeral will lead to misunderstandings and stir up old rivalries between the brothers.
Month: February 2022
Documentary about the legendary musician and infamous wild man Hasil Adkins. Filming takes place in Adkins’ own yard, his shack, and at various concerts. Adkins is notable for helping create an entirely new form of rock/rockabilly/country fusion, which he plays entirely by himself (with a guitar and drums simultaneously).
Seize the Time was shot in the United States following the activities of the Black Panther Party. Antonello Branca’s film blends fiction and documentary. One only professional actor, Norman Jacobs, goes through simbolic pop visions of american imperialism set against real images like police combings, students marches, drills, interviews. it is an America where black people and above all Pathers are killed and repressed according to a precise plan. The film should have been screened at the Venice Film Festival but Branca prefered to withdraw it due to the unacceptable conditions set by the festival direction.
The ‘imperfections’ of filmmaking, which are normally suppressed, are at the core of a work that uses a brief loop made from a Kodak colour test. “The dirtiest film ever made,” is one of the earliest examples of the film material dictating the film content. It may seem minimal, but keep looking – there’s so much going on.
Landow rejects the dream imagery of the historical trance film for the self-referential present, using macrobiotics, the language of advertising, and a speed-reading test on the definition of hokum. The alienated filmmaker appears, running uphill to distance himself from the lyrical cinema, but remember, “This is a film about you, not about its maker.”