Hold Me While I'm Naked
September 7, 2011 11:55 AM   Subscribe

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 Bunny Ultramod (12 comments total) 11 users marked this as a favorite
 
Late last week I was working with a man who was providing voice talent for an online training I am developing. He mentioned that he wouldn't be available this week for doing any pick-ups. I asked why and he said he was going to SF to see a dying friend. Turns out he was going to see his old friend George. I hope he got to spend some time with him before he died.
posted by perhapses at 12:03 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


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posted by shakespeherian at 12:04 PM on September 7, 2011


Sorry to hear this.

If you've never seen Thundercrack!, keep in mind the link here is heavily cut for YouTube. A great film to watch drunk with a friend or two on a dark and stormy night.
posted by stinkycheese at 12:31 PM on September 7, 2011


One of my heroes. Godspeed georgie I hope your ma is washing your giant underpants in heaven.
posted by Divine_Wino at 12:39 PM on September 7, 2011 [1 favorite]


Early Kuchars / Jack Smith / Ira Cohen ... like having a deep, glitter and trash-encrusted part of my id pried out and filmed through a sheet of dirty mylar. I've never entirely recovered ... "Sins of the Fleshapoids" still makes me a little uncomfortable. Goodbye and thanks, George.
posted by ryanshepard at 12:44 PM on September 7, 2011


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posted by Splunge at 12:52 PM on September 7, 2011


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posted by sonascope at 2:51 PM on September 7, 2011


Oh, man, this is sad news. What an inspirational artist and teacher. The man was a force of nature.

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posted by treepour at 3:11 PM on September 7, 2011


FIN

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posted by Kinbote at 4:19 PM on September 7, 2011


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posted by Renoroc at 5:08 PM on September 7, 2011


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posted by lapolla at 8:26 PM on September 7, 2011


My friend Haluk was a Kuchar student or maybe aficionado in the 90's in San Francisco. "Who's George Kuchar?" I asked, and got a veeeeeeeeery long description of one or several of his movies.

Am very happy to finally see them. Thanks for the post, and

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posted by goofyfoot at 6:01 AM on September 8, 2011


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