Anti-Clock (1979)

The Anit-Clock project takes Jospeph Baphs though the shadows of his past to confront that mirror image of the self that condemns us all - a blind automaton whose words are simply the ... See full summary »

Directors:

Jane Arden, Jack Bond

Writer:

Jane Arden

Stars:

Sebastian Saville, Suzan Cameron, Liz Saville

Cast

Credited cast:
Sebastian Saville	...	Joseph Sapha / Professor J.D. Zanof
Suzan Cameron	...	Alanda Clark, Sapha's Mother
Liz Saville	...	Sapha's Sister
Louise Temple	...	Madame Luisa Aranovitch
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Armstrong
Pat Bond
Joe Chappell
Chan Fai
Gia-Fu Feng	...	T'ai Chi Master
Richard Feynman	...	The Physicist
Tom Gerrard	...	Poker Dealer
Jasper Gough
Brian Jones
William K. Lam
Yoshiro Matsuya	...	Parapsychologist

Storyline

The Anit-Clock project takes Jospeph Baphs though the shadows of his past to confront that mirror image of the self that condemns us all - a blind automaton whose words are simply the rationale of the defence attack system caught in the horrors of the past and the anxieties of the future. Does our hero have a chance of alienating the circuit which will suppress his longing for a higher synthesis.

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Plot Keywords:

psychiatry | video surveillance | suicide | female nudity | independent film

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 September 1980 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kendon Films Ltd.

Technical Specs

Runtime:

107 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

A lot of the film is shown in B&W which is supposed to be the surveillance footage of the subject - the quality of this is often purposely degraded with video tracking faults applied to add authenticity.

User Reviews

Dazzling film that stays just on the right side of pretentious

Thought-reader Joseph (Sebastian Saville) is undergoing a new procedure which mixes computer analysis, brain monitoring, and psychotherapy. It takes him deep within into his soul and causes him to reflect on his past, present and future. These thoughts are seen as snippets of footage on grainy surveillance-type video, newsreels that reveal Joseph's inner psyche and memories, and some seemingly normal scenes played out in various scenarios. These are all accompanied by Joseph's poetic voice- over, Jane Arden's score, and the occasional question or reflections noted by the analyst Professor Zanof (also played by Saville).

This film will be hard to review as I just couldn't come to any clear conclusions on the film's point or themes. It is clear to see that Joseph is in fact not a very nice man, peddling drugs when he's not reading people's thoughts at card games. This is pretty much the only thing that made logical sense. It is, however, not a film to be watched and enjoyed, but a film to experience. After a while, I just rested my brain and simply watched what was happening in front of me. The film is dazzling, confusing, eerie, atmospheric, and occasionally actually gripping. Co-director Jane Arden is something of a cult national treasure, who dabbled in theatre and feminism in her somewhat diverse body of work, and she brings intelligence and artistic flair in which what could have been a pretty dull art project. Thankfully the film stays just on the right side of pretentious.

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