Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Beaver Trilogy (Trent Harris)
For a 1979 local news segment, Trent Harris filmed an affable young man’s drag performance as Olivia Newton-John at a talent show in Beaver, Utah. A few years later, Harris retold the story of the “Beaver Kid” in two fictional shorts, the first starring a then-unknown Sean Penn, the second starring a then-unknown Crispin Glover. The feature-length sum of all three parts, Beaver Trilogy is a captivating portrait of an outsider, a meta odyssey into reenactment and exploitation, and a true cult masterpiece.
New to Streaming: Le Cinéma Club
The Card Counter (Paul Schrader)
Whatever new could be said about Paul Schrader as an artist—curving around the extra-textual value in Kickstarter campaigns, Facebook posts, and tragic losses...
Beaver Trilogy (Trent Harris)
For a 1979 local news segment, Trent Harris filmed an affable young man’s drag performance as Olivia Newton-John at a talent show in Beaver, Utah. A few years later, Harris retold the story of the “Beaver Kid” in two fictional shorts, the first starring a then-unknown Sean Penn, the second starring a then-unknown Crispin Glover. The feature-length sum of all three parts, Beaver Trilogy is a captivating portrait of an outsider, a meta odyssey into reenactment and exploitation, and a true cult masterpiece.
New to Streaming: Le Cinéma Club
The Card Counter (Paul Schrader)
Whatever new could be said about Paul Schrader as an artist—curving around the extra-textual value in Kickstarter campaigns, Facebook posts, and tragic losses...
- 6/10/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Watch: Crispin Glover Auditions in Exclusive Clip From Sundance Documentary ‘Beaver Trilogy Part IV’
In 1979, Trent Harris, a television producer in Salt Lake City began a project that would eventually become The Beaver Trilogy, a documentary which ultimately didn’t premiere until 2001 at the Sundance Film Festival. Featuring a performer who was then depicted by Sean Penn and Crispin Glover in later enactments, it’s a strange, reality-blurring tale, and the perfect story to capture in its very own documentary.
Director Brad Besser has done just that with Beaver Trilogy Part IV, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year — nearly 15 years after the original film debuted there — and is now arriving on VOD this week. Narrated by Bill Hader as it explores the making of the cult classic, we’re pleased to debut an exclusive clip which shows of Glover’s participation in the original film. Check it out below, along with the trailer.
Trent Harris is the director of offbeat comedies such...
Director Brad Besser has done just that with Beaver Trilogy Part IV, which premiered at Sundance Film Festival last year — nearly 15 years after the original film debuted there — and is now arriving on VOD this week. Narrated by Bill Hader as it explores the making of the cult classic, we’re pleased to debut an exclusive clip which shows of Glover’s participation in the original film. Check it out below, along with the trailer.
Trent Harris is the director of offbeat comedies such...
- 4/6/2016
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Director Trent Harris’ The Beaver Trilogy screens at The St. Louis International Film Festival Saturday, November 14h at 7:30pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium. Harris will be in attendance and will receive a Contemporary Cinema Award. Ticket information can be found Here. It will be on a double bill with director Brad Besser’s The Beaver Trilogy Part 4. Trent Harris will also attend a screening of his 1995 science fiction comedy/musical Plan 10 From Outer Space on Sunday November 15th at 6:30pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium. Ticket information for that can be found Here.
The long, odd tale of director Trent Harris’ The Beaver Trilogy begins in 1979 with the chance meeting between Harris and an earnest small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah. Charmed and amused, Harris soon accepts the stranger’s invitation to come to the small town of Beaver to film a talent show, where...
The long, odd tale of director Trent Harris’ The Beaver Trilogy begins in 1979 with the chance meeting between Harris and an earnest small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah. Charmed and amused, Harris soon accepts the stranger’s invitation to come to the small town of Beaver to film a talent show, where...
- 11/12/2015
- by Tom Stockman
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
The 2015 St. Louis International Film Festival, also known as Sliff, has begun. Even though Alex Winter couldn’t bring Freaked in town, he did bring his two great tech documentaries, Downloaded and Deep Web – in addition to being awesome to us and presenting Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure. Sliff has a robust schedule full of independent and foreign cinema along with some mainstream affair like Legend starring Tom Hardy and some possible future Oscar contenders like Carol. However, since we are a horror website, we are going to highlight some films that should definitely be on your radar!
Feature Films
The Nameless
Filmed in “The Exorcist House” here in St. Louis, which most of you might have seen last weekend during Discovery Channel’s laughable Exorcism: Live!, this thriller borrows from the premise that The Exorcist was based out of by having a main character, Amy, return to the house...
Feature Films
The Nameless
Filmed in “The Exorcist House” here in St. Louis, which most of you might have seen last weekend during Discovery Channel’s laughable Exorcism: Live!, this thriller borrows from the premise that The Exorcist was based out of by having a main character, Amy, return to the house...
- 11/8/2015
- by Andy Triefenbach
- Destroy the Brain
The Loft Film Fest is the first American festival member of the International Confederation of Art Cinemas (Cicae), which brings together more than 3,000 screens and approximately 16 festivals across Europe and around the world to promote the production and exhibition of quality independent films from all countries in all countries.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
The Cicae award is designed to bring attention to excellent films in order for them to be seen in art houses around the world. The Cicae award is given out at festivals including the Berlinale Forum and Panorama, the Sarajevo International Film Festival, the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
The Loft Film Fest jury for documentary features includes Peter Belsito, film biz consultant, fest panelist and guest blogger for SydneysBuzz on Indiewire, actress/writer/producer Yareli Arizmendi ("Like Water for Chocolate," "A Day Without a Mexican") and Beverly Seckinger, director of University of Arizona Center for Documentary and Docscapes.
The short film jury includes Francesco Clerici, director of "Hand Gestures," Max Cannon, creator of the alternative comic strip "Red Meat", and Lupita Murillo of Kvoa News 4 Tucson.
The documentaries in competition are:
"Florence, Arizona"
Florence, Arizona is a cowboy town with a prison problem. Founded in 1866, this bastion of the Wild West is home to 8,500 civilians and 17,000 inmates spread over nine prisons. Through an unconventional lens, the documentary film "Florence, Arizona" weaves together the stories of four key residents of Florence, whose lives have all been shadowed in some way by the surrounding prison industrial complex. The result is an intricately crafted cinematic tapestry, threaded through with deep strands of Americana, humor, intimacy, and pathos, revealing as much about ourselves as it does about our modern carceral state. (Dir. by Andrea B. Scott, 2014, USA, 78 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Doc NYC
"Chuck Norris vs. Communism"
In the 1980s, under the Nicolae Ceaușescu regime, Romanians suffered from little access to foreign goods as well as an information blackout the Communist bureaucrats used to ensure ideological purity. But in clandestine screenings at neighbors’ homes of smuggled VHS tapes dubbed by a one-man distribution network, people got a glimpse of the Western world and a culture of muscular individuality with heroes like Jean-Claude Van Damme, Sylvester Stallone, and, of course, Chuck Norris.
In "Chuck Norris vs Communism," one sees the power of film to change individuals and whole societies. Through the stories of the hardworking female dubber (the most famous voice of Romania), the memories of everyday citizens, evocative re-creations of the time, and an enormous selection of clips from ’80s movies, first-time director Ilinca Calugareanu presents a film about the unexpected consequences of mass entertainment, leading to the conclusion that the greatest threat to Ceaușescu’s dictatorship might just have been the Vcr. (Dir. by Ilinca Calugareanu, 2014, UK/Romania/Germany, in Romanian with subtitles, 83 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
"Bounce"
From Brazilian favelas to dusty Congolese villages, from Neolithic Scottish isles to modern soccer pitches, "Bounce" explores the little-known origins of our favorite sports.
The film crosses time, languages and continents to discover how the ball has staked its claim on our lives and fueled our passion to compete. Equal parts science, history and cultural essay, "Bounce" removes us from the scandals and commercialism of today’s sports world to uncover the true reasons we play ball, helping us reclaim our universal connection to the games we love. (Dir. by Jerome Thelia, 2015, USA / Brazil / Congo / India / Ireland / Italy / Mexico / UK, in English with subtitles, 71 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: SXSW
"Double Digits: The Story of a Neighborhood Movie Star"
Deep in the recesses of YouTube there is an ingenious artist who cannot be stopped. He consistently churns out 3-4 original feature-length films a year. He’s made action movies, horror movies, westerns and more. He’s not rich, he has no crew, no formal training and aside from his action figures, plays virtually every part. Welcome to the inspiring, imaginative, and often handmade world of Ultra-diy filmmaker Richard ‘R.G.’ Miller, a 50 year-old man who creates impossible blockbusters from his tiny studio apartment in Wichita, Kansas. His dream audience? More than 9 people. (Dir. by Justin Johnson, 2015, USA, 76 mins., Not Rated)
"Right Footed"
Born without arms as the result of a severe birth defect, Jessica Cox never allowed herself to believe that she couldn’t accomplish her dreams. An expert martial artist, college graduate and motivational speaker, Jessica is also the world’s only armless airplane pilot, a mentor, and an advocate for people with disability. Directed by Emmy Award winning filmmaker Nick Spark, "Right Footed" chronicles Jessica’s amazing story of overcoming adversity and follows her over a period of two years as she becomes a mentor for children with disabilities and their families, and a disability rights advocate working in the U.S.A. and abroad. (Dir. by Nick Spark, 2015, USA, in English with subtitles, 82 mins., Not Rated)
"Hand Gestures"
"Hand Gestures" follows the process of creating one of Velasco Vitali’s famous dog sculptures, from wax to glazed bronze, at the Battaglia Artistic Foundry in Milan. The film observes the work of a group of skilled artisans in this 100-year old foundry and reveals the ancient traditions of bronze sculpture making, unchanged since the sixth century B.C. This method is not taught in school, but is passed on in the ancient oral tradition and through apprenticeships from artisans. This documentary observes and feels the work of the Battaglia Artistic Foundry: a place where the past and present share the same gestures and where each gesture is a sculpture itself.
An artist who sculpts, who works the waxes, is treated in the same way as a craftsman who turns that wax into bronze, building and destroying other ephemeral sculptures: they have been making the same gestures for centuries, and by showing this to the camera they reveal historical “jumps” in time. Director Francesco Clerici has made a fine-tuned, carefully-observed study of a glorious thing to watch: artisans practicing their craft on film. Winner of the Fipresci award at Berlinale Forum 2015. (Dir. by Francesco Clerici, 2015, Italy, in Italian with subtitles, 77 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Berlin International Film Festival, BFI London Film Festival
"Beaver Trilogy Part IV" (USA, dir. Brad Besser)
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City acquired a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s offbeat show Extra, ventured out into the parking lot to test the new equipment and happened upon a young man taking pictures of the station’s news helicopter.
The kid, calling himself “Groovin’ Gary,” was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His infectious personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow piqued Harris’s interest enough so he gave him a business card and asked that he alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next would become the foundation for "Beaver Trilogy," a unique collection of films that documented Harris’s multiple attempts at re-creating the original magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser dives deep into the mystique of this cult classic, unraveling the mystery of Harris’s original inspiration. "Beaver Trilogy Part IV" explores the line between the quest for fame and the exploitation of those who pursue it. (Dir. by Brad Besser, 2015, USA, 84 mins., Not Rated) Official Selection: Sundance Film Festival, Hot Docs
The short films in competition are in two programs:
Program 1
Program 2
The awards will be presented on Sunday October 25 before the final screenings of the festival: "Mia Madre" at 7:15Pm and "Eisenstein in Guanajuato" at 7:45Pm.
Tickets and passes on sale now at www.loftfilmfest.org.
- 10/13/2015
- by Sydney Levine
- Sydney's Buzz
The schedule for the 24th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (Sliff) has been announced and once again film goers will be offered the best in cutting edge features and shorts from around the globe.
The festival takes place November 5-15, 2015.
Sliff kicks off on November 5 with the opening-night selection, Deep Web, with director Alex Winter, who’s honored with the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award. (Trailer)
Highlights from this year’s festival include:
The 33 Anomalisa The Assassin Brooklyn Carol I Saw the Light Krisha The Lady in the Van Legend Love the Coopers Remember Son of Saul Touched with Fire Youth
The 33
According to Sliff, the festival will feature more than 125 filmmaking guests, including honorees: actor/director Alex Winter, winner of the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award; director Trent Harris, winner of the Contemporary Cinema Award; and director Rosemary Rodriguez, winner of the Women in Film Award.
The festival takes place November 5-15, 2015.
Sliff kicks off on November 5 with the opening-night selection, Deep Web, with director Alex Winter, who’s honored with the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award. (Trailer)
Highlights from this year’s festival include:
The 33 Anomalisa The Assassin Brooklyn Carol I Saw the Light Krisha The Lady in the Van Legend Love the Coopers Remember Son of Saul Touched with Fire Youth
The 33
According to Sliff, the festival will feature more than 125 filmmaking guests, including honorees: actor/director Alex Winter, winner of the Charles Guggenheim Cinema St. Louis Award; director Trent Harris, winner of the Contemporary Cinema Award; and director Rosemary Rodriguez, winner of the Women in Film Award.
- 10/3/2015
- by Michelle McCue
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
At first glance, Brad Besser's Beaver Trilogy Part IV might appear to be a run-of-the-mill feature documentary about cult film director Trent Harris, but the film quickly succumbs to its surrealistic tendencies and just...well...goes with the flow of things. The freewheeling nature of Besser's film seamlessly transforms Beaver Trilogy Part IV from a film about a filmmaker to a film about one of that filmmaker's subjects to the representation of Truth in the documentary process to the exploitative consequences of non-fiction filmmaking -- gargle, rinse, shuffle and repeat. All the while, the audience grows acutely aware of Besser's ever-present directorial hand as he oh-so-purposefully re-directs the film's narrative structure time and time again. Every edit is precisely timed, just as the narration (graced by the cleverly unrecognizable vocal stylings of Bill Hader) and images are so minutely sculpted to the point that Beaver Trilogy Part IV evolves...
- 2/4/2015
- by Don Simpson
- SmellsLikeScreenSpirit
In 1979, Kutv in Salt Lake City got a new video camera. Trent Harris, a producer for the station’s unconventional show "Extra," went to the parking lot to test the new equipment and bumped into a kid taking photos of the station’s news helicopter. The young man, who called himself "Groovin' Gary," was the self-proclaimed Rich Little of Beaver, Utah. His vibrant personality and small-town impressions of John Wayne, Sylvester Stallone, and Barry Manilow interested Harris enough that he gave him a business card and asked that Gary alert him if anything newsworthy happened in his hometown. What happened next spurred the Beaver Trilogy, an inventive collection of films documenting Harris's numerous attempts at re-creating the strange magic of the Beaver Kid. Director Brad Besser explores the appeal of this cult classic, delving into the mystery of Harris’s initial inspiration. Steeped in Sundance Film Festival history (the original Beaver Trilogy premiered at the.
- 1/30/2015
- by Anya Jaremko-Greenwold
- Indiewire
Last year, we called director Trent Harris the "best underground filmmaker you don't know, but should." The director of offbeat comedies, Harris has directed such films as "Rubin & Ed," "Plan 10 from Outer Space" and his epic "Beaver Trilogy," all of which have earned a cult following. Now, Indiewire has an exclusive clip from his Sundance entry, "Beaver Trilogy Part IV," which is premiering in the U.S. Documentary section at this year's festival. The synopsis reads: "In a parking lot in 1979, then amateur filmmaker Trent Harris would meet an energetic young performer from Beaver, Utah; the chance meeting would change their lives forever. Over the subsequent decades the encounter would be retold in a series of fictional remakes that would culminate in the 2001 Sundance Film Festival entry ‘Beaver Trilogy' — but the film itself is only part of the story. 'Beaver Trilogy Part IV' explores Trent Harris' eclectic...
- 1/26/2015
- by Casey Cipriani
- Indiewire
Exclusive: Deadline can exclusively reveal that Bill Hader is narrating the feature documentary Beaver Trilogy Part IV, a meta-movie centered on cult director Trent Harris that’s set to come full circle when it premieres Friday night at the Sundance Film Festival.
Director Brad Besser’s new docu explores Utah filmmaker Harris’ years-long obsession with the story of Groovin’ Gary, an enigmatic performer from Beaver, Utah. The two met by chance in a parking lot in 1979 and Harris started filming, resulting in the cult documentary The Beaver Kid, a study in hopes and dreams highlighted by Gary’s performance in drag singing Olivia Newton-John’s “Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting.” A distraught Gary shot himself soon after the first film, but survived.
The film went on to earn cult status on the underground circuit, where fans traded VHS tapes of Harris’ once-in-a-lifetime film and the subsequent shorts he made re-creating it,...
Director Brad Besser’s new docu explores Utah filmmaker Harris’ years-long obsession with the story of Groovin’ Gary, an enigmatic performer from Beaver, Utah. The two met by chance in a parking lot in 1979 and Harris started filming, resulting in the cult documentary The Beaver Kid, a study in hopes and dreams highlighted by Gary’s performance in drag singing Olivia Newton-John’s “Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting.” A distraught Gary shot himself soon after the first film, but survived.
The film went on to earn cult status on the underground circuit, where fans traded VHS tapes of Harris’ once-in-a-lifetime film and the subsequent shorts he made re-creating it,...
- 1/20/2015
- by Jen Yamato
- Deadline
Chicago – This Thursday marks the beginning of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, and yours truly will be in attendance to cover the fest for HollywoodChicago.com. Last year, the Park City, Utah event introduced the world to its 2014-defining sensations like “Whiplash” and “Boyhood”.
Those titles followed in the paths of indie landmarks such as “sex, lies and videotape,” “Clerks,” “Hoop Dreams,” “American Movie,” “Memento,” “Frozen River,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fruitvale Station,” among many others.
In pursuit of new favorite films for a new year, I’ve composed a relatively solid schedule so that I can devour as much diverse Sundance goodness as possible. Narratives, documentaries, white supremacists, nasty babies, Neil Hamburger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, stolen cop cars, and much, much more are all in play. But with hopes that everything I witness is the next “Boyhood”-like zeitgeist, I’ll be sure to report back here on what’s worth,...
Those titles followed in the paths of indie landmarks such as “sex, lies and videotape,” “Clerks,” “Hoop Dreams,” “American Movie,” “Memento,” “Frozen River,” “Winter’s Bone,” and “Fruitvale Station,” among many others.
In pursuit of new favorite films for a new year, I’ve composed a relatively solid schedule so that I can devour as much diverse Sundance goodness as possible. Narratives, documentaries, white supremacists, nasty babies, Neil Hamburger, Chiwetel Ejiofor, stolen cop cars, and much, much more are all in play. But with hopes that everything I witness is the next “Boyhood”-like zeitgeist, I’ll be sure to report back here on what’s worth,...
- 1/19/2015
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The 2015 Sundance Film Festival has been slowly unveiling the films that will screen in Park City, Ut from January 22-February 1. We’ve already listed the midnight line up as well as the list of films in competition. Now, the Premieres have been revealed and the event is looking more and more promising. The entire slate include films directed by Noah Baumbach, James Ponsoldt, Paul Weitz, Jared Hess, Joe Swanberg, Charles Stone III and others. Here is the full list.
Premieres
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
Brooklyn / United Kingdom (Director: John Crowley, Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, based on the book by Colm Tóibín) — 1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.
Digging for Fire / U.
Premieres
A showcase of world premieres of some of the most highly anticipated narrative films of the coming year.
Brooklyn / United Kingdom (Director: John Crowley, Screenwriter: Nick Hornby, based on the book by Colm Tóibín) — 1950s Ireland: Eilis must confront a terrible dilemma — a heartbreaking choice between two men and two countries, between duty and true love. Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Domhnall Gleeson, Emory Cohen, Julie Walters, Jim Broadbent.
Digging for Fire / U.
- 12/9/2014
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
A section that throws the competitive spirit out the window, but actively becomes part of the year-end docu-talk, last year’s dozen minus one offerings included current Oscar front-runner Steve James’ Life Itself and the controversial Happy Valley from Amir Bar-Lev. 2015 will be a highly flamable one, courting controversy friendly titles from established docu auteurs in Amy Berg (Prophet’s Prey), Kirby Dick (The Hunting Ground) and Alex Gibney (Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief). Here are the docu thirteen docu (world) premieres:
Beaver Trilogy Part IV/ U.S.A. (Director: Brad Besser) — A chance meeting in a parking lot in 1979 between filmmaker Trent Harris and a young man from Beaver, Utah, inspired the creation of an underground film that is now known as Beaver Trilogy. But the film itself is only part of the story.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution/ U.S.A. (Director: Stanley...
Beaver Trilogy Part IV/ U.S.A. (Director: Brad Besser) — A chance meeting in a parking lot in 1979 between filmmaker Trent Harris and a young man from Beaver, Utah, inspired the creation of an underground film that is now known as Beaver Trilogy. But the film itself is only part of the story.
The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution/ U.S.A. (Director: Stanley...
- 12/8/2014
- by Eric Lavallee
- IONCINEMA.com
Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and panel participants including George Lucas.
Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael is likely to become a major talking point and stars James Franco and Zachary Quinto in the true tale of activist and Young Gay America co-founder Michael Glatze, who renounced his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor. The Exchange handles international rights.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour (pictured, photo by Jakob Ihre) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut — Fortitude International is the international sales agent — as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind...
Justin Kelly’s I Am Michael is likely to become a major talking point and stars James Franco and Zachary Quinto in the true tale of activist and Young Gay America co-founder Michael Glatze, who renounced his homosexuality and became a Christian pastor. The Exchange handles international rights.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour (pictured, photo by Jakob Ihre) starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut — Fortitude International is the international sales agent — as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind...
- 12/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
Kurt Cobain, Nina Simone and Tig Notaro are among the big names getting documentary treatment at this January's Sundance Film Festival. On Monday (December 8), Sundance announced 13 documentaries that will be premiering out of competition at the Festival, which runs from January 22 to February 1 in Park City. It's a group of films from some of documentary cinema's biggest names and, unsurprisingly, from some of Sundance's most frequent attendees. Sundance regular Liz Garbus ("The Farm: Angola, USA") is taking the previously vacant Us documentary Day One Film slot with "What Happened, Miss Simone?" The documentary looks singer and activist Nina Simone was recently acquired by Netflix, which had "Mitt" in an out-of-competition slot at last year's Festival. Also coming from a Sundance favorite and also with TV distribution already in place is HBO's "Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck," an authorized biopic of the Nirvana frontman that features Frances Bean Cobain as an...
- 12/8/2014
- by Daniel Fienberg
- Hitfix
Festival top brass have revealed a high-profile roster of out-of-competition Premieres and Documentary Premieres entries featuring many returning heroes, as well as a new Special Events section and participants on two panels including George Lucas.
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut, as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn and Sienna Miller, while Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman introduce the New York Tompkins Square Park Riot drama Ten Thousand Saints starring the in-demand Ethan Hawke and Emily Mortimer.
Joe Swanberg brings Digging For Fire with Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.
Peter Sarsgaard, [link...
James Ponsoldt’s David Foster Wallace film End Of The Tour starring Jesse Eisenberg and Jason Segel makes the cut, as does the latest from the newly prolific Noah Baumbach, whose Mistress America stars his Frances Ha and Greenberg muse Greta Gerwig and arrives three months after the Toronto premiere of While We’re Young.
Sundance regulars Ryan Fleck and Anna Bowden return with Mississippi Grind starring Ryan Reynolds, Ben Mendelsohn and Sienna Miller, while Robert Pulcini and Shari Springer Berman introduce the New York Tompkins Square Park Riot drama Ten Thousand Saints starring the in-demand Ethan Hawke and Emily Mortimer.
Joe Swanberg brings Digging For Fire with Rosemarie Dewitt, Orlando Bloom, Brie Larson, Sam Rockwell and Anna Kendrick.
Peter Sarsgaard, [link...
- 12/8/2014
- by jeremykay67@gmail.com (Jeremy Kay)
- ScreenDaily
This is the 10th post in a series covering the most outrageous moments in underground film history. You can follow the entire series here.
Film: The Beaver Trilogy
Director: Trent Harris
Year: 1979-2000
A chance meeting in the parking lot of a Salt Lake City, Utah, news station resulted in an enormously beloved — and outrageous — underground film.
Filmmaker Trent Harris was working as a news cameraman in 1979 and testing out some new gear when he met an affable young man known only as “Groovin’ Gary.”
After a few minutes of chatting on camera, Groovin’ Gary launches into several celebrity impersonations, such as John Wayne and Sylvester Stallone, and invites Harris to visit Gary’s hometown of Beaver to videotape its allegedly talented residents.
Off-screen, Gary arranges for a talent show at the Beaver high school for Trent to videotape for a possible TV special — with Groovin’ Gary as the special’s main star,...
Film: The Beaver Trilogy
Director: Trent Harris
Year: 1979-2000
A chance meeting in the parking lot of a Salt Lake City, Utah, news station resulted in an enormously beloved — and outrageous — underground film.
Filmmaker Trent Harris was working as a news cameraman in 1979 and testing out some new gear when he met an affable young man known only as “Groovin’ Gary.”
After a few minutes of chatting on camera, Groovin’ Gary launches into several celebrity impersonations, such as John Wayne and Sylvester Stallone, and invites Harris to visit Gary’s hometown of Beaver to videotape its allegedly talented residents.
Off-screen, Gary arranges for a talent show at the Beaver high school for Trent to videotape for a possible TV special — with Groovin’ Gary as the special’s main star,...
- 11/4/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
It’s lucky 13 — as in 13th annual edition — for Switzerland’s Lausanne Underground Film Festival, an epic celebration of cinematic weirdness, violence, filth and everything else that makes life worth living. The wild debauchery runs October 15-19.
The fest opens on Oct. 15 with the feature film debut by Leah Meyerhoff, I Believe in Unicorns, which tells the story of a troubled teenage girl who runs away with an aggressive older boy.
Other new films include the misanthropic comedy Buzzard by Joel Potrykus; the deep woods psychological thriller Mother Nature by Johan Liedgren; the complex Japanese drama Kept by Maki Mizui; and more.
Luff this year is really stuffed with great retrospectives beginning with a tribute to Beth B, who has been churning out controversial, thought-provoking flicks since the New York No Wave era to know. There will be screenings of her classic films, such as The Offenders and Salvation!, and her latest documentary,...
The fest opens on Oct. 15 with the feature film debut by Leah Meyerhoff, I Believe in Unicorns, which tells the story of a troubled teenage girl who runs away with an aggressive older boy.
Other new films include the misanthropic comedy Buzzard by Joel Potrykus; the deep woods psychological thriller Mother Nature by Johan Liedgren; the complex Japanese drama Kept by Maki Mizui; and more.
Luff this year is really stuffed with great retrospectives beginning with a tribute to Beth B, who has been churning out controversial, thought-provoking flicks since the New York No Wave era to know. There will be screenings of her classic films, such as The Offenders and Salvation!, and her latest documentary,...
- 10/10/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
When I heard that Trent Harris, one of America's premier cult directors, of such films as Rubin and Ed, Plan 10 from Outer Space and The Beaver Trilogy would be in New York for his traveling mini-retro, I couldn't help but feeling giddy like a little kid on his first day of school. I was an awkward kid, both growing up in Korea and later here in the Us. So the outsiders, heroic misfits, if you will, in Harris's films, however over the top and ridiculous they are, always have a special place in my heart.In person, I found Harris easygoing, guileless and incredibly open. The following interview is an excerpt from our hour-long lunch conversation: we talked about everything from his tumultuous career ("career...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
[Read the whole post on twitchfilm.com...]...
- 5/12/2013
- Screen Anarchy
Trent Harris has paid his dues. The Salt Lake City-based filmmaker has made more films than he can count, mostly shorts, documentaries, and experimental films. But his narrative feature films are among the best examples of underground cult films, including three that will show tonight, tomorrow, and Friday at the 92 Street Y’s Tribeca location. Harris will be in attendance for a post-screening discussion every night. The Beaver Trilogy (Wednesday), his best-known work, is broken into three parts, each filmed years apart. The first is a documentary about Groovin’ Gary (Richard Lavon Griffith), a young man from the small town …...
- 5/1/2013
- by Randy Astle
- Filmmaker Magazine-Director Interviews
Years ago, Trent Harris moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of becoming a famous director. Instead, he garnered cult appeal. But maybe it's better that way. "Y'know, you can kill somebody in Hollywood and they'll forgive you," he told me in a recent phone conversation, "but if you don't make money, that's the worst sin of all." Harris may finally receive his due: He's the subject of a traveling mini-retrospective that begins today at New York City's 92Y Tribeca. The series runs May 1 - 3 and will later travel to Los Angeles and Austin, among other places -- although when I spoke to him he was still in Salt Lake City, where he lives and works. It's also the place where he went to lick his wounds after committing Hollywood's cardinal sin with his feature debut, 1991's "Rubin & Ed," which opened to punishing reviews in the midst of the L.
- 5/1/2013
- by Nick Pinkerton
- Indiewire
So, I was on vacation last week and ill this week, so our links are kinda spotty…
This week’s Must Read: Jaimz Asmundson goes into great detail on the making of his amazing film The Magus, which he made in collaboration with his father, artist C. Graham Asmundson. Even if you haven’t seen the film — and you can here — the making of article is a fantastic insight into artistic process and choices one must make as a filmmaker.Electric Sheep reports on the Trent Harris retrospective at the 20th annual Raindance Film Festival, describing how his films “all easily engage the audience.”Jon Jost continues to up the ante in his efforts to get Ray Carney to return the films of Mark Rappaport to the filmmaker, saying he’ll start an online petition if Carney doesn’t step up.Donna k., like us, has been under the weather,...
This week’s Must Read: Jaimz Asmundson goes into great detail on the making of his amazing film The Magus, which he made in collaboration with his father, artist C. Graham Asmundson. Even if you haven’t seen the film — and you can here — the making of article is a fantastic insight into artistic process and choices one must make as a filmmaker.Electric Sheep reports on the Trent Harris retrospective at the 20th annual Raindance Film Festival, describing how his films “all easily engage the audience.”Jon Jost continues to up the ante in his efforts to get Ray Carney to return the films of Mark Rappaport to the filmmaker, saying he’ll start an online petition if Carney doesn’t step up.Donna k., like us, has been under the weather,...
- 10/14/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Raindance Film Festival recently announced its 20th festival programme lineup which includes an unprecedented 105 features, 138 shorts and 64 UK Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, 19 World Premieres and 24 Directorial Debuts from 38 countries, proof of another exceptional year of internationally acclaimed films, special live events, exclusive Q&As and masterclasses. The festival will take place from 26th September to 7thOctober at its home of the Apollo Cinema Piccadilly Circus SW1Y 4Lr.T
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil – a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. The kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be and that something terrifying has changed them. The Opening Night afterparty will feature band The Real Tuesday Weld which The Sunday Times calls: “beautiful…...
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil – a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. The kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be and that something terrifying has changed them. The Opening Night afterparty will feature band The Real Tuesday Weld which The Sunday Times calls: “beautiful…...
- 9/4/2012
- by John
- SoundOnSight
Raindance have just announced their line-up for their 20th annual film festival. The 2012 festival will, like every year showcase some of the best independent movies that we can expect in the coming year and beyond. Raindance 2012 will take place 26th September to 7th October at the Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Circus in London. This year we can expect to see 105 features, more than 138 shorts, 64 UK Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, 19 World Premieres and 24 Directorial Debuts from 38 countries.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
Scroll down to see the full press release as well as all the feature films that will be showing at the festival. To find out more, click here to visit their official site.
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana.
- 9/4/2012
- by David Sztypuljak
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
The Raindance Film Festival has announced its 20th festival programme today. This year?s lineup includes 105 features and over 138 shorts and 64 UK Premieres, 13 International Premieres, 5 European Premieres, 19 World Premieres and 24 Directorial Debuts from 38 countries. The festival will take place from 26th September to 7th October at the Apollo Cinema, Piccadilly Circus.
Here’s the low-down:
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. The kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be and that something terrifying has changed them.
Closing the festival on Sunday 7th October is the UK Premiere of 7 Crates from Paraguay and fresh from its screening in Toronto Film Festival’ s vanguard section. The film focusses on Victor,...
Here’s the low-down:
Opening the festival on Wednesday 26th September is the International Premiere of Here Comes The Devil a powerful fantasy horror from Mexico. Shot in Tijuana, a married couple lose their children while on a family trip near some caves in Tijuana. The kids eventually reappear without explanation, but it becomes clear that they are not who they used to be and that something terrifying has changed them.
Closing the festival on Sunday 7th October is the UK Premiere of 7 Crates from Paraguay and fresh from its screening in Toronto Film Festival’ s vanguard section. The film focusses on Victor,...
- 9/4/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Obsessive fans of Crispin Glover likely need no introduction to Trent Harris, a director responsible for some of Glover's most notoriously odd moments. Rubin And Ed, a film in which Glover and Howard Hesseman wander the desert trying to bury a frozen cat? That was Harris. Glover's bit as Groovin' Gary - a part also played by Sean Penn - in The Beaver Trilogy? Also Harris. And now Harris is back with a new feature: Luna Mesa.Luna, a young beauty has a fling with and older man then she finds him dead in a hotel room in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. She also discovers his notebook filled with cryptic messages. The book leads her to Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Mexico, and beyond as she tries to...
- 2/21/2012
- Screen Anarchy
The fine folks at Disturbia have been inspired by Taxi Driver’s Travis Bickle for their latest art print. The piece simply titled “Travis Bickle” is an 18″ x 24″ screenprint, has an edition of 50, and costs £17. Visit DisturbiaClothing.co.uk.
The fictional character from the 1976 film directed by Martin Scorsese, was played by Robert De Niro. He is widely considered one of the most iconic characters in film history, and De Niro earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of him. He is greatly inspired by Arthur Bremer, who attempted to assassinate presidential candidate George Wallace on May 15, 1972.
Lleju Productions has released the poster for their upcoming feature Cat Run starring Paz Vega. The film is directed by John Stockwell and hits theaters on April 1st.
Here is the official plot synopsis:
Anthony always dreamed of being a famous chef. Julian only thought about women. With neither really working out, the...
The fictional character from the 1976 film directed by Martin Scorsese, was played by Robert De Niro. He is widely considered one of the most iconic characters in film history, and De Niro earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of him. He is greatly inspired by Arthur Bremer, who attempted to assassinate presidential candidate George Wallace on May 15, 1972.
Lleju Productions has released the poster for their upcoming feature Cat Run starring Paz Vega. The film is directed by John Stockwell and hits theaters on April 1st.
Here is the official plot synopsis:
Anthony always dreamed of being a famous chef. Julian only thought about women. With neither really working out, the...
- 2/23/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
Promotional websites for films — no matter what budget the film is — pretty much blow. Yeah, all of ‘em. Well, not all, but most. Even the big, fancy Flash animation websites with dancing graphics blow.
I’m not saying they blow from a design viewpoint. Yes, lots of these sites look great. Fantastic, even. I’m talking about from a practical standpoint. They’re useless. And, here’s the best piece of advice I can give to underground and low-budget filmmakers: Don’t let your website emulate the websites of big Hollywood movies. In addition: Flash animation is not your friend. Indeed, it is your enemy.
There’s a lot of chatter online these days about the need for filmmakers to promote their films on the Internet. This chatter typically translates into the need to send out massive amounts of stupid Tweets and irritating Facebook updates. If you do those things,...
I’m not saying they blow from a design viewpoint. Yes, lots of these sites look great. Fantastic, even. I’m talking about from a practical standpoint. They’re useless. And, here’s the best piece of advice I can give to underground and low-budget filmmakers: Don’t let your website emulate the websites of big Hollywood movies. In addition: Flash animation is not your friend. Indeed, it is your enemy.
There’s a lot of chatter online these days about the need for filmmakers to promote their films on the Internet. This chatter typically translates into the need to send out massive amounts of stupid Tweets and irritating Facebook updates. If you do those things,...
- 3/24/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Prism index is a new multi-media publication, combining the printed word, audio CD and video DVD into one super snazzy package. The first issue, which contains the work of a multitude of artists, is on sale now in a limited edition of 500 made with handmade paper and with the hand-stamped CD and DVD sewn into the middle of the issue. You can order the first issue here.
The DVD portion of Prism index #1 contains films from 15 indie and underground filmmakers, including the man behind the entire project, Jeffrey Bowers, who contributes a short film consisting of scratches and drawings made onto a strip of 16mm film. Other highlights on the DVD include a 1997 short by underground film legend Mike Kuchar, a new experimental film by Azazel Jacobs and a 2002 video piece by artist Daniel Martinico. The rest of the DVD lineup is:
DVD menu by Steve Emmons
Attack of the Robots from Nebula – 5, dir.
The DVD portion of Prism index #1 contains films from 15 indie and underground filmmakers, including the man behind the entire project, Jeffrey Bowers, who contributes a short film consisting of scratches and drawings made onto a strip of 16mm film. Other highlights on the DVD include a 1997 short by underground film legend Mike Kuchar, a new experimental film by Azazel Jacobs and a 2002 video piece by artist Daniel Martinico. The rest of the DVD lineup is:
DVD menu by Steve Emmons
Attack of the Robots from Nebula – 5, dir.
- 3/17/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Finally, filmmaker Trent Harris has made available his complete underground cult classic The Beaver Kid, the first part of his mind-blowing Beaver Trilogy. It’s been uploaded to YouTube in 3 parts, which you can just let the above run through all three. Witness the amazement and wonder that is the late, the great, the beloved Groovin’ Gary who loves his little town of Beaver, Utah so much that he’s willing to bare his soul and dress up like Olivia Newton John in a local talent show he’s organized.
It was kismet the day Harris, a Salt Lake City news cameraman at the time, ran into the man known only as Groovin’ Gary, who was so bursting with small-town pride that he invited his new friend to record a local talent show at which he would be the big star. (But who can also forget the Kessler sisters, Kristy...
It was kismet the day Harris, a Salt Lake City news cameraman at the time, ran into the man known only as Groovin’ Gary, who was so bursting with small-town pride that he invited his new friend to record a local talent show at which he would be the big star. (But who can also forget the Kessler sisters, Kristy...
- 3/3/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Stop The Presses! (Or the internet, as it may be.) Trent Harris himself has officially uploaded the first part of his Beaver Trilogy — the initial meeting with the one, the only, Groovin’ Gary. Whatever it is you are doing, stop and watch one of the most beautiful seven minutes of video ever.
A chance encounter became a beloved underground masterpiece. Back in 1979, Trent Harris was a TV news cameraman testing out a new camera outside the station when he met a young man taking pictures of the news helicopter. Identifying himself as just “Groovin’ Gary,” the young man quickly launched into his repertoire of impersonations, including Sylvester Stallone and Barry Manilow. He also makes an off-hand comment about imitating Olivia Newton-John, but doesn’t actually impersonate her.
A complete unknown living in the middle of nowhere — aka Beaver, Utah — Groovin’ Gary is truly a superstar at heart with big dreams of making it onto TV.
A chance encounter became a beloved underground masterpiece. Back in 1979, Trent Harris was a TV news cameraman testing out a new camera outside the station when he met a young man taking pictures of the news helicopter. Identifying himself as just “Groovin’ Gary,” the young man quickly launched into his repertoire of impersonations, including Sylvester Stallone and Barry Manilow. He also makes an off-hand comment about imitating Olivia Newton-John, but doesn’t actually impersonate her.
A complete unknown living in the middle of nowhere — aka Beaver, Utah — Groovin’ Gary is truly a superstar at heart with big dreams of making it onto TV.
- 1/25/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Animator Nina Paley has placed her entire feature film Sita Sings the Blues online for viewing. That’s it embedded above in really good quality on YouTube, which sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not. It’s extremely crisp looking so that the incredibly eye-catching animation really grabs you.
Paley’s situation with her film has been a big story in 2009, particularly in the past month or so. Here’s the deal: Paley crafted the film — which combines her own personal story of her painful divorce with the ancient Indian story of Sita and Rama, two gods who try to exist as human beings — around songs sung by Annette Hanshaw, a jazz singer who was popular in the ’20s.
However, in trying to clear the copyrights to the composition of those songs, Paley ran into a big problem: Namely that the copyright holders wanted Paley to pay $50,000 to include them in the film.
Paley’s situation with her film has been a big story in 2009, particularly in the past month or so. Here’s the deal: Paley crafted the film — which combines her own personal story of her painful divorce with the ancient Indian story of Sita and Rama, two gods who try to exist as human beings — around songs sung by Annette Hanshaw, a jazz singer who was popular in the ’20s.
However, in trying to clear the copyrights to the composition of those songs, Paley ran into a big problem: Namely that the copyright holders wanted Paley to pay $50,000 to include them in the film.
- 1/3/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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