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Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (1994)A documentary about the inventor of the first electronic synthesiser instrument and his subsequent life after he was abducted by the KGB as well as a history of his instrument. Director:Steven M. MartinWriter:Steven M. Martin |
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Title: Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey (1994)
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Cast
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Leon Theremin | ... |
Himself - Inventor of the Theremin
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Clara Rockmore | ... |
Herself - Theremin Virtuoso
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Robert Moog | ... |
Himself - Inventor of the Moog Synthesizer
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Nicolas Slonimsky | ... |
Himself - Composer and Historian
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Paul Shure | ... |
Himself - Musician
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Henry Solomonoff | ... |
Himself - Theremin Studio Member
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Suki Bader | ... |
Herself - Theremin Dancer
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Beryl Campbell | ... |
Herself - Theremin Dancer
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Lydia Kavina | ... |
Herself - Theremin's Great Niece
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| Brian Wilson | ... |
Himself - Founder of The Beach Boys
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Todd Rundgren | ... |
Himself - Musician and Producer
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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V.I. Lenin | ... |
Himself
(archive footage) (as Lenin)
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Plot Summary
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Storyline
A documentary about the amazing life of Leon Theremin, inventor of the theremin, the electronic musical instrument so beloved of 50s sci-fi movie music. Theremin amazed America with his instrument until his kidnapping by Soviet agents in the mid-30s. Upon his release from a labor camp, he worked on surveillance devices for the KGB. Almost 60 years later , he is brought back to America for a touching reunion with his friends and colleagues. Written by Erik Gregersen <erik@astro.as.utexas.edu>
Taglines:
The Music He Created Was Strange. His Life Was Even Stranger.Parents Guide:
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Details
Release Date:
24 August 1995 (USA) See more »Box Office
Gross:
$187,923 (USA)Company Credits
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Technical Specs
Runtime:
| (cut)Sound Mix:
Dolby SRAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Written by Les Baxter
Courtesy of Capitol/EMI Records and Bax Music
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Did You Know?
Trivia
The Theremin is played without being touched; it was the first and is still the only "non-contact" instrument. See more »Goofs
In the credits, the song "Someday My Prince Will Come", by Larry Morey and Frank Churchill, is listed as "Someday My Price Will Come". See more »Quotes
Himself - Founder of The Beach Boys: It sounded like one of those scary movies where - OOOH - a weird trip, you know. Weird facial expressions. Weird, you know. It's almost sexual.See more »
Soundtracks
"Moon Moods"Written by Les Baxter
Courtesy of Capitol/EMI Records and Bax Music
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I owe my watching this documentary to my strange daughter. Now I do not mean this in a bad way--I come from a family of strange people and the fact that she KNEW what a theremin was surprised me, as I sure didn't. Apparently a theremin is a magnificent electronic musical instrument created in the early part of the 20th century by Dr. Theremin--a genius who had immigrated to the US around the time of the Russian Revolution. This film, then, is about the instrument and its inventor--and it makes for a slow but very interesting story worth seeing even if you are not a musician. I am certainly not one, but I found myself marveling at the beautiful and other-worldly sound of this machine. In fact, we have all heard the theremin before--most often in sci-fi movies but even in other places such as the Beach Boys' song "Good Vibrations". And, speaking of this, seeing Brian Wilson interviewed was pretty bizarre, as he looked pretty good but the more he talked the more you realized that he still is quite mentally ill.
Anyway, there is MUCH more to the story in regards to Dr. Theremin--much more, but I don't want to say more because it would spoil this wonderful film. His life, put simply, is MUCH stranger than fiction! I give the documentary very high marks for all the effort it took to construct--with trips to Moscow, locating the Doctor, arranging for interviews, etc.. Clearly this was a labor of love and I appreciate this. The only reason i don't rate this even higher is that it is a bit dry in places and although it kept my interest, I have a much larger capacity than normal for this sort of thing...and the average person might just find their mind wandering. Still, it's fascinating and I strongly recommend you try it.