April 17, 2006
Crispin Hellion Glover
Author, musician and actor Crispin Hellion Glover will be appearing at Webster University's Film Series on Thursday, May 4, at 9 p.m.
Merely typing these words is causing me both cardio and vascular agitation. Once inside the stately Winifred Moore Auditorium, I shall certainly be in a distressed state. At any rate...
Here's the info from WUFS:
Crispin Hellion Glover’s Big Slide Show & What Is It?
May 4 at 9:00 pm
One Night Only!
SPECIAL ADMISSION $10
Iconic actor Crispin Glover presents his weird and wonderful slide show presentation and a screening of his experimental film What Is It?, a controversial labor of love that took nearly nine years to complete.
What Is It? Crispin Glover, 2005, USA, 82 min.
In his directorial debut, Glover offers up a provocative assault on art and culture: a Dadaist deconstruction of the hero’s journey. A film that is by some accounts a masterpiece of experimental cinema (winning the prestigious Best Narrative Film Award at Ann Arbor) and, in Glover’s own words “…about the adventures of a young man whose principal interests are snails, salt, a pipe and how to get home. He's tormented by a hubristic, racist inner psyche…" What Is It? features a cast composed primarily of actors with Down syndrome, Fairuza Balk as the voice of the snail and Glover in a co-starring role. Leaving no taboo untouched in a battering of wild and weird images, as shocking as Bunuel's L'Age D'or or Jodorowsky's Holy Mountain, Glover has created a film that is sure to baffle as often as it provokes.
Q & A with the director will follow the screening. Mr. Glover will also sell and sign books and musical items at the end of the evening.
Due to the provocative nature of the film, no one under 18 will be admitted to the theater.
Advance tickets available now from the box office or the film series office (Webster Hall 223A).
I would love a full review of this event from ANYONE who attends. Sounds too self-indulgent and gruesome to me, but I’m nosey enough to want details from someone else. Do share.
Posted by Andrea on Mon., Apr 17, 2006 at 2:08 PMWill David Letterman be there?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JpZWaXFc48
Posted by Brian Marston on Mon., Apr 17, 2006 at 3:03 PMhttp://www.twitchfilm.net/pics/whatisit.jpg
best poster ever.
I am so jealous.
Please bootleg the CHG O&A!
Posted by jenny on Mon., Apr 17, 2006 at 3:53 PMUm, wow. I am interviewing said subject on Wednesday morning. Zounds!
Posted by thomas on Mon., Apr 17, 2006 at 4:32 PMBeing a person who enjoys experiences that are supposed to be "different", I was thrilled when the The Slide Show and What Is It? would be presented in my area.
The slide show is a variety of old books (written by other authors over a hundred years ago) that have been manipulated by Crispin. He accomplishes this by playing with the text and adding artwork or photographs that fit the new story line. He stood on stage as pages of books flashed on the screen. He read these pages while using hand motions and voice inflections to keep the interest of the audience.
After The Slide Show, WHat Is It? was shown. The movie can't be explained and Glover wants it that way. It appears as if his whole purpose to creating this movie was to break away from the restrictions of commercialized cimematography and to present the audience with scenarios that are considered forbidden by most. He doesn't want to feed you a movie that will give the same experience as the person sitting next to you. He wants to present to you a movie that makes you reflect and wonder about it for some time. I don't believe he cares about which emotion the movie brings out in you, but that it provokes thought.
It works. Two people from our group left during the movie. I myself had to look away a few times as the movie was playing to regroup and get control of my thoughts. I tend to start giggling at inappropriate times when feeling uneasy. Admittedly, I was uncomfortable with some of the content. Another person claimed indifference to the whole experience, but couldn't stop discussing it.
Glover was gracious enough to do a Q&A after the show and sign autographs. His answers to various questions from the audience made me want to know more about this person. Is he mentally disturbed or one of the few highly intelligent people on this planet that most people don't get? Does it matter?
Go if you get the chance.
Posted by jetlmt on Sun., May 14, 2006 at 7:30 AM