This August, Spectacle presents four rarely-screened feature (or at least near feature-length) films from underground legend George Kuchar, all presented in 16mm.
From his first 16mm effort (Corruption of the Damned) to one of the most ambitious of the many films he made with his San Francisco Art Institute classes (Symphony for a Sinner), these four programs provide a neat (if not necessarily concise) survey of Kuchar’s work before his eventual transition into working with video in the 80s. So big in scope… so massive in emotional impact… join us and thrill to every buttock-numbing hour.
16mm prints courtesy of Anthology Film Archives
PROGRAM 1: CORRUPTION OF THE DAMNED
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 – 5 PM
CORRUPTION OF THE DAMNED
Dir. George Kuchar, 1965
In English, 55 min.
The film is a cross between The Silence, L’Aventura, and Terrytoons… In it there can be found beauty, glamour, sophistication and smut. An enormous amount of people were rounded up to participate in cameo-roles. For some it was the first time in front of a movie camera but that did not stop them from behaving just as wantonly as they would under normal circumstances. One thing of interest is that Donna Kerness meets Gina Zuckerman at the climax of the film. The motion picture screen’s greatest sexpots are together for the first time in the same scene! If you don’t know what the word sexpot means, wait until you see Donna Kerness’s frying pans! And, if you think they’re great, stay awake and you’ll get a peek at Gina Zuckerman’s noodle-strainer! – GK
Plus:
COLOR ME SHAMELESS
dir. George Kuchar, 1967
In English, 30 min.
This movie was made when I was a bit depressed which is nothing new, but also the main actor, Bob Cowan, happened to be depressed also and so we had a wonderful time working together. One of the actresses was also separated from her husband at this time and the movie solidifies into concrete the repressed desires of everyone who works with me, or more realistically, instead of concrete, the production becomes a frozen, brittle enema bag that slowly thaws and can only be appreciated along channels previously blocked by organic reality. – GK
PROGRAM 2: UNSTRAP ME
SATURDAY, AUGUST 15 – 7:30 PM
UNSTRAP ME
dir. George Kuchar, 1968
In English, 77 min.
Starring Walter Gutman and a lot of women with a few elephants. This film is my longest movie in color because someone else produced it. It has a lot of scenery and the soundtrack has a lot of sound. I went to Cape Cod, New Jersey and Florida and got drunk in most of those places because Walter drinks a lot and I had nothing else to do between shooting. The drunkenness did not affect my shooting but many people think that it did. – GK
PROGRAM 3: THE DEVIL’S CLEAVAGE
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 – 5 PM
THE DEVIL’S CLEAVAGE
dir. George Kuchar, 1973
In English, 107 min.
This is my latest picture and it was pretty late in getting out because I’ve been sort of busy lately working in and out of the classroom and in and out of the gutter. It’s a black and white film and I wanted to make a really big picture… a mammoth drama of people in a jam. It took two years to make and got kind of constipated at times but I finally squeezed it out when I realized I had a feature film on my hands. The longest film I had previously made was 70 minutes… (Unstrap Me). It was rightfully labeled as flabby which is a word that wouldn’t fit The Devil’s Cleavage. Bloated would be a more suitable adjective for this film. To create a bloated fresco of people in emotional trouble sort of excited me but of course it was very exhausting since I wound up bloated and exhausted after the thing was finished. – GK
PROGRAM 4: SYMPHONY FOR A SINNER
SUNDAY, AUGUST 16 – 7:30 PM
SYMPHONY FOR A SINNER
dir. George Kuchar, 1979
In English, 56 min.
The tuneful, tacky and lavish saga of an exotic dancer and her passionate relationship with her parole officer. Sprinkled throughout this colorful tale are cameo appearances, choreography, songs, and something for everyone. – GK
Plus:
BACK TO NATURE
dir. George Kuchar, 1976
In English, 10 min.
Scenes for this film were shot in Death Valley and Kings Canyon, Sequoia National Park. It’s a love story of betrayal, a search for happiness, fulfillment and misery among nature’s grandeur. – GK
AQUEERIUS
dir. George Kuchar, 1980
In English, 8 min.
Young men and women awash in the vital forces that gush forth from flaccid hoses or dribble relentlessly from nozzles. – GK