(all films are super-8 color sound unless otherwise indicated)
Back of Truck
aka. “He Didn’t Wear Back of Truck’
(circa 1972, 90 min. )
Portrait of the childish enthusiasm of being for what everybody else is against. An entrepreneur seeks funds for a pro-persperant (vs. an anti-persperants), sure that it will be the next big thing.
Old Sneakers in the New World
(circa 1973, 85 min. )
A romantic comedy structured along the lines of an educational film. A “scientist” is trying to invent a sneaker that never wears out in an attempt to bring about world peace. The sneaker cartel (the police) won’t allow such an unprofitable venture. In a world without peace, the scientist falls in love.
Anarchy and Chaos Prelude, DC to Bad Brains
aka. The Bad Brains Movie
(1979, 30 min. )
co-created by John Hagerhorst
A road movie, friends of The Bad Brains rented a van and went with the group to their first show in NY (at the legendary Max’s Kansas City). A few live songs and HR talking over the trip up about their beginnings. “The fans going up to see the band were with the band, and there is an equal footing that I’m not sure still exists.”(PB)
Tourists and Natives
( 1977, 80 min. )
This is a two part movie: a man (Tourist) from another dimension tries to figure out how to live in this one. His boss in the other dimension is a light bulb smoking a pipe. While the Tourist is of a charged electrical nature, the natives have trouble connecting, listless and always missing connections.
Investigations of a Dog
(1979, 90 min.)
Dream movie. In this film, it is as if everybody was crossing over into everybody else’s dream except for the one main character who is working for the people who are attempting tap into his dreams. He dreams of panhandling. (snippets of The Bad Brains, Trenchmouth, the Chumps)
Wet Streets at Night
(1980, 90 min. )
(“Lowe” Trilogy # 1)
The trials and tribulations of Mik Lowe (played by Mitch Blakely in the 3 films) and the Contradictions, a fictional band who winds up being backed by Mo ‘Money’ Sussman. A sometimes masked HR (Bad Brains) plays drums for the band. Mo Sussman wound up financing The Bad Brains by the time this film was finished. Includes a fair amount of Bad Brains footage such as “Living in the Movies” used in Don Letts BBC documentary “Punk Attitude”. Also includes snippets of Untouchables, Tru-Fax, and The Enzymes playing at the legendary Madams Organ (closed in 1982).
Suckcess
(1980, 11 min.)
It is difficult to define Suckcess, but for a moment maybe this is it, the Bad Brains headlining at the 9:30 club their hometown. The Cancer Girls open up ( w/Danny Frankel who went on to play with Lou Reed). People mill about, impressions of the old 9:30 club on F St.
Muta Libre
(1982, 85 min.)
Post-apocalyptic sci-fi flick where historical consciousness is in tatters and pieces are missing. Forgetfulness is rampant and giant feet become the new gods, stomping clumsily about. A dog drives a Volkswagon across the Atlantic to France.
The Iameye Trilogy
Coffee Interviews
(1982, 29 min.)
(directed by Paul Bishow)
Paul reads Roland Barthes to warm special effects accompanied by a soundtrack of “Dischord recording artists” The Faith as well as JS Bach’s Coffee Cantada. Coffee was the inspiration and a trade agreement which Paul came across fueled the film’s trajectory about coffee’s social and political effects.
Radioactive Heroin
(1982, 30 min.)
(directed by Pierre DeVaux)
A “what if” film adapting “The Poppy is also a Flower” (by Terence Young with Omar Sharif and EG Marshall), an absurd film where the CIA has radiated heroin in order to be able to trace it. In Radioactive Heroin, the drug actually makes it to the streets and is injected. It makes the users glow, and the main characters are observing, not participating in the phenomenon.
Avoid Dance
(1982, 27 min.)
(directed by Pam Kray)
Travel movie, on the road to Chicago. A goose left the film for some optical printing and is still finding his place again.
Cinema of Revenge
(1984, 27 min.)
Is living well the best revenge? “Revenge” cookies are sweet and cinema is the revenge for those for whom cookies are enough. Includes the ‘how to’ removal of a Denver boot.
Back to Goodhead
(1989, 38 min.)
(“Lowe” Trilogy # 2)
The singer from Mik Lowe (now “Rhee Li Lo”) and the Contradictions trying to obtain money without working, this time posing as a new-age guru. Also a film about rupture, implicitely.
It Happens Every Day
(1983, 28 min.)
The week of labor leading up to Travis, Paul’s and Pam Kray’s son being born. The film covers the week after the birth as well, while Travis’ grandparents waited until he had a name.
Missing Persons
(1982, 30 min.)
Two projector film.
God is a character in this variation on a detective story. A man finds a letter in an alley addressed to himself and he attempts to find the author while people are going missing and being made into hamburgers at Mcdonalds.
The House that Dripped Blood
(1991, 11 min.)
The legendary anti-war Marx Brothers film “Duck Soup” (1933) is re-mobilised with this response to the 1st Gulf War. Includes some footage of DC’s percussion protests.
Roll Over Hollis
(1984, 6 min.)
(made with Pam Kray and Bill Jordan)
Homage to Hollis Frampton, and specifically his film Nostalgia. Filmed the day that Frampton passed away (March 30th, 1984).
It’s a Wonderful Horrible Life
(mini dv, 2001, 72 min.)
(“Lowe” Trilogy # 3)
One of the most straightforward narratives of the Trilogy, a remake of Frank Capra’s ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’(1946, starring Frostian poet James Stewart). Includes a performance and soundtrack by DC’s Flinch.