Emory University and Frequent Small Meals present
The Worlds of George Kuchar
featuring GEORGE KUCHAR in person!
along with an appearance by GENE YOUNGBLOOD

March 18 - 21, 2008
at Emory University and Eyedrum

co-sponsored by the following Emory University organizations: the Hightower Fund; the Race & Difference Initiative of the Strategic Plan; the Studies in Sexualities Initiative; the Office of LGBT Life; the Heilbrun Music and Media Library; the Institute of Liberal Arts; and the departments of Film Studies, Art History, and American Studies.

"[Kuchar’s films] were my first inspiration…the pivotal films of my youth, bigger influences than Warhol, Kenneth Anger, even THE WIZARD OF OZ." – John Waters

"one of the great artists in the history of the moving image" - Gene Youngblood

George Kuchar in Hold Me While I'm Naked (1965)

The American film director George Kuchar is one of the legends of independent filmmaking. Beginning as a teenager in the 1950s with his twin brother Mike, Kuchar directed movies which upended Hollywood melodramas into small-scale epics, noted for their creative low-budget effects, over-the-top plots, eye-poppingly lusty performances by their cast of friends, and titles like “Sins of the Fleshapoids,” “Pagan Rhapsody” and “Corruption of the Damned.” Kuchar’s classic film “Hold Me While I’m Naked” is beloved by several generations of fans and filmmakers, and was voted one of the 100 best films of the 20th century by the critics of the Village Voice.

In the mid-1980s, Kuchar turned to videomaking, and created what is possibly the largest single collection of video diaries. This ongoing chronicle of the artist’s life is called "unique in film history" by the scholar Gene Youngblood. In Kuchar's video universe, nothing is safe from the camera – George’s friendships, lusts, anxieties, fears, and bodily functions are all addressed onscreen, often accompanied by his outrageously funny commentary. And yet below the witty surface lie profound and moving meditations on human existence.

Emory University and Frequent Small Meals are proud to welcome George Kuchar to Atlanta to host two evenings of his classic film works and video diaries. A third event, hosted by film scholar Gene Youngblood, will look in depth at Kuchar’s video diaries.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008
8:00 PM
206 White Hall, Emory University
The Video Diaries of George Kuchar: a presentation by Gene Youngblood

Gene Youngblood has extensively studied and written on Kuchar’s video diaries, having viewed all of the 160 selections. He is currently preparing a book and website on the diaries and has been awarded the first Creative Capital/Andy Warhol Foundation Arts Writing Grant for his work on them. His lecture will give an overview of the themes and the importance of Kuchar’s diary works, using clips from Youngblood’s own collection.

Thursday, March 20, 2008
8:00 PM
101 White Hall, Emory University
Stormy Weather: George Kuchar in the elements
George Kuchar in person
map (pdf)    directions for parking

Throughout Kuchar’s storied career, the elements have loomed large. Tornados interrupt steamy affairs, and intimate nature hikes reveal torrid urges. In the Weather Diaries, the midwestern storms which fascinate and terrify George are matched only by his romantic turmoil and epic bouts of gastric distress.
 

Friday, March 21, 2008
8:00 PM at Eyedrum
A Zest for Life: Classic early films by the Kuchars
George Kuchar in person

The stuff of legend, George and Mike Kuchar’s early films influenced generations of filmmakers, starting with Andy Warhol and John Waters. This screening showcases pristine new restorations of the Kuchar’s earliest 8mm films, along with the classic "Hold Me While I’m Naked" and gems from the later film works. And the evening starts with a vintage directing lesson from George.

I, An Actress (1977, 9 minutes, 16mm, black & white, sound) George gives a frenetic, gender-bending acting lesson to his class. "This film...was to be a screen-test for a girl in the class...By the time all the heavy equipment was set up the class was just about over; all we had was ten minutes...I had to get into the act to speed things up so, in a way, this film gives an insight into my directing techniques while under pressure." - G.K.
Anita Needs Me (1963, 16 minutes, 8mm to 16mm, 18 fps, sound on CD) "All the horrors and guilt of the human mind exposed! It reaches deep into the workings of a woman’s cravings. Your emotions will be squeezed." ­ G.K.
	I Was a Teenage Rumpot (1960, 10 minutes, 8mm to 16mm, 18fps, sound on CD) "With the birth of I WAS A TEENAGE RUMPOT, George and Mike Kuchar stumbled upon something big: their names were Arline, Edie, and Harry. Sensing the tremendous physical potential embedded in this trio’s glands, plans were immediately drawn up to star them in two new films: THE FLESH IS PLENTIFUL and BUTTERBALL 8. Arline and Harry’s divorce shattered all future films and Arline went on a drunken binge which ended with her head being shaved by a French woman on grounds of 'husband-stealing.' A documentary about people like you and me, people with a zest for life." - G.K.
Sylvia's Promise (circa 1962, 9 minutes, 8mm to 16mm, color, sound) "Love comes in all sizes. But the bonds of love extract a terrible price to be paid in flesh. A vow weighs heavily on the heart. Sylvia makes a promise but can she keep it?" - G.K.
	Hold Me While I’m Naked (1965, 15 minutes, 16mm, color, sound) One of the 100 Best Films of the 20th Century - Village Voice Critics' Poll Often referred to as Kuchar's masterpiece, Hold Me While I'm Naked is one of the all-time classics of DIY cinema. George plays the lead role, as a director with a penchant for casting beautiful actresses in nude scenes that require multiple takes. When his latest star walks out, panic, sexual frustration and hilarity ensue.
Eclipse of the Sun Virgin (1967, 15 minutes, 16mm, color, sound) Knocturne (1968, 9 minutes, 16mm, color, sound) Few directors were ever this hysterically funny while also being so psychologically complex. Both Eclipse and Knocturne show all of Kuchar's many gifts as writer and director: not only the lurid melodrama, camp, and outrageous transgressions (from torrid sex to doggie-doo), but also his visual sense, completely unique style of music soundtrack, and - especially apparent in these beautiful 16mm prints - gorgeous use of color.   The Mongreloid (1978, 10 minutes, 16mm, color, sound) George at home with his dog Bocko. "A man, his dog, and the regions they inhabited, each leaving his own distinctive mark on the landscape. Not even time can wash the residue of what they left behind." - G.K.

all programs subject to change

Special thanks to Andrew Lampert and Anthology Film Archives


White Hall
208 Dowman Drive
Emory University
Atlanta, GA
www.emory.edu

Eyedrum
290 Martin Luther King Jr Dr, Suite 8
Atlanta, GA
404.522.0655
www.eyedrum.org

The Worlds of George Kuchar is a Film Love event. The Film Love series provides access to rare but important films, and promotes awareness of the rich history of experimental and avant-garde film. The series is curated and hosted by Andy Ditzler for Frequent Small Meals. Film Love was voted Best Film Series in Atlanta by the critics of Creative Loafing in 2006.

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