George Kuchar dies. Bronx-born underground filmmaker
George Kuchar, whose was created in semi-collaboration with his twin brother
Mike, has passed away.
Perhaps the most comprehensive introduction to his extraordinary oeuvre can be found in the feature documentary "
It Came from Kuchar," available on instant-view from Netflix. For those unfamiliar with the filmmaker, here's a brief introduction.
George Kuchar was a formally trained commercial artist who, on the side, often with his brother Mike (who has his own bizarre and fascinating career), and later with students in his filmmaking course at the San Francisco Art Institute, began making short, lo-fi films on Super-8 in his Bronx neighborhood, often making use of people in the neighborhood. The films seemed at once to be love letters to and parodies of Hollywood excess, and some of his films are available on YouTube (all, to some degree or another, NSFW), including:
Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965) (Part
1,
2,
3, 4, 5, 6): Directed by Mike, starring George
Hold Me While I'm Naked (1966)
Thundercrack! (part
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
7,
8): Written by and starring George, but directed by Curt McDowell
Wild Night in El Reno (1977)
I, An Actress (1977)
The Mongleroid (1978)
Dynasty of Depravity (2005) (part
1,
2,
3)
posted by perhapses at 12:03 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]