Tweet
Street Performer’s - The Movie
Street Performers - The Movie
Just returned from the initial screening of Chad Taylor’s film … 5 years (on and off) in the making, it’s soon to be submitted to the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. I don’t know much about moviemaking, but I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t win some kind of award. It certainly is the best thing I’ve ever seen on the subject so far.
Excellently crafted and edited (currently 59 minutes and 30 seconds), the comedic docu-drama definitely brings elements of the street performer’s lifestyle into the mix that have never been addressed before (e.g. growing old). It comprehensibly captures the essence of why we do what we do (deftly touching on who, where and how along the way). It, of course, also has the mandatory “money” thing, (which I, personally, hate to discuss) but I understand why it was included (to satisfy the typically gauche layperson’s curiosity). BTW Bill Ferguson will scream bloody murder when he sees his bit if they don’t take it out like I suggested!
Filmed partly in Oslo, Sweden, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Wellington, NZ as well as assorted other street venues in the US and Canada, it mixes personal commentary from maybe half a dozen to a dozen performers (Robert Shields, Jim Rose, Hotch, Wheeler Cole, Dexter Tripp, Jean Michele and yes, (shudder) even Gazzo with titillating tidbits from a plethora of acts (mostly from the aforementioned cities).
It would be almost impossible for me to list everyone in the film so don’t take this as the definitive cast but (besides those already mentioned) those featured include Will Soto, Tic n’Tac, Mike Davis, Master Lee, Skate Naked, Lucky Rich, A. Whitney Brown, Frankie Olivier, Flyin' Bob, Tom Comet, Karl Saliter, Alex Elixir, Calypso Tumblers, I Bashi I, Spring Action, Lurk, Fungus, Dave Sheridan, Michael Moschen, Nick Nickolas (you look so cute in that tutu Ozzy), Tony Vera (the Fireman), Johnny Fox, Brian Hulse, Alakazam, Dirty Fred and our illustrious administrator, Jim McComb. There are many others in the film as well that are included in sound bites and/or montages, so don’t anybody feel left out (until the final edit anyway).
Currently not for sale, I have a feeling Chad wants to find a big time buyer (network?) who will probably PC it down (there is swearing and dangerous shit being done). Let’s hope it doesn’t get watered down in the process … I mean everyone enjoys watching sparklers being stuck up a naked bum, don’t they?
If I have any criticism, it’s that the true masters of our craft (like KeanO, Pep, Chris Lynam, Jango, Livingspace, Leo Bassi et al.) were not showcased … that and the fact that some parts of the world (like Australia, Italy, South America, Belgium, India) were short changed. Also, it seemed to focus primarily on circle shows and left out the muso’s, crate slugs and chalk art (sorry Peter)… and not a single mention of those beloved Andean bands. Well, I guess he did a pretty good job anyway, despite that fact that he didn’t include everybody who’s anybody (Dom, Artis, Checkerhead) and that every (major) pitch wasn’t represented either (no Covent Garden, no Ghent, no Circular Quay).
Still, I gotta hand it to the Chad … a damn fine job … it might not change the world’s perception of street performers (especially in the goddamn US) but it just might give all those punters out there at least a peek into the romantic, yet gritty, reality we gloriously live and breathe every day. I give it 2 thumbs (and one finger for including Gazzo) up.
Just returned from the initial screening of Chad Taylor’s film … 5 years (on and off) in the making, it’s soon to be submitted to the upcoming Sundance Film Festival. I don’t know much about moviemaking, but I’d be very surprised if it doesn’t win some kind of award. It certainly is the best thing I’ve ever seen on the subject so far.
Excellently crafted and edited (currently 59 minutes and 30 seconds), the comedic docu-drama definitely brings elements of the street performer’s lifestyle into the mix that have never been addressed before (e.g. growing old). It comprehensibly captures the essence of why we do what we do (deftly touching on who, where and how along the way). It, of course, also has the mandatory “money” thing, (which I, personally, hate to discuss) but I understand why it was included (to satisfy the typically gauche layperson’s curiosity). BTW Bill Ferguson will scream bloody murder when he sees his bit if they don’t take it out like I suggested!
Filmed partly in Oslo, Sweden, St. Petersburg, Tokyo, Paris, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Wellington, NZ as well as assorted other street venues in the US and Canada, it mixes personal commentary from maybe half a dozen to a dozen performers (Robert Shields, Jim Rose, Hotch, Wheeler Cole, Dexter Tripp, Jean Michele and yes, (shudder) even Gazzo with titillating tidbits from a plethora of acts (mostly from the aforementioned cities).
It would be almost impossible for me to list everyone in the film so don’t take this as the definitive cast but (besides those already mentioned) those featured include Will Soto, Tic n’Tac, Mike Davis, Master Lee, Skate Naked, Lucky Rich, A. Whitney Brown, Frankie Olivier, Flyin' Bob, Tom Comet, Karl Saliter, Alex Elixir, Calypso Tumblers, I Bashi I, Spring Action, Lurk, Fungus, Dave Sheridan, Michael Moschen, Nick Nickolas (you look so cute in that tutu Ozzy), Tony Vera (the Fireman), Johnny Fox, Brian Hulse, Alakazam, Dirty Fred and our illustrious administrator, Jim McComb. There are many others in the film as well that are included in sound bites and/or montages, so don’t anybody feel left out (until the final edit anyway).
Currently not for sale, I have a feeling Chad wants to find a big time buyer (network?) who will probably PC it down (there is swearing and dangerous shit being done). Let’s hope it doesn’t get watered down in the process … I mean everyone enjoys watching sparklers being stuck up a naked bum, don’t they?
If I have any criticism, it’s that the true masters of our craft (like KeanO, Pep, Chris Lynam, Jango, Livingspace, Leo Bassi et al.) were not showcased … that and the fact that some parts of the world (like Australia, Italy, South America, Belgium, India) were short changed. Also, it seemed to focus primarily on circle shows and left out the muso’s, crate slugs and chalk art (sorry Peter)… and not a single mention of those beloved Andean bands. Well, I guess he did a pretty good job anyway, despite that fact that he didn’t include everybody who’s anybody (Dom, Artis, Checkerhead) and that every (major) pitch wasn’t represented either (no Covent Garden, no Ghent, no Circular Quay).
Still, I gotta hand it to the Chad … a damn fine job … it might not change the world’s perception of street performers (especially in the goddamn US) but it just might give all those punters out there at least a peek into the romantic, yet gritty, reality we gloriously live and breathe every day. I give it 2 thumbs (and one finger for including Gazzo) up.
Comment