Sound Unseen, the music documentary festival held in Minneapolis, is returning with a slew of rock docs including Alison Ellwood’s Cyndi Lauper film Let the Canary Sing and the North American premiere of Peter Doherty: Stranger In My Own Skin about the Libertines co-founder.
The 24th iteration of the festival runs between November 8-12.
Let The Canary Sing will open the festival on Wednesday November 8 and Katia de Vidas’s Doherty film closes the festival on Sunday November 12.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing some of the best and most buzzed about music documentaries and fiction films of the year to Minneapolis”, said Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell. “The entire team has done an incredible job and after the success of last year’s festival, we hope the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota audiences will bring the same energy and excitement to Sound Unseen more than ever.”
Federation...
The 24th iteration of the festival runs between November 8-12.
Let The Canary Sing will open the festival on Wednesday November 8 and Katia de Vidas’s Doherty film closes the festival on Sunday November 12.
“We’re thrilled to be bringing some of the best and most buzzed about music documentaries and fiction films of the year to Minneapolis”, said Sound Unseen Festival Director Jim Brunzell. “The entire team has done an incredible job and after the success of last year’s festival, we hope the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota audiences will bring the same energy and excitement to Sound Unseen more than ever.”
Federation...
- 10/4/2023
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Arthouse distro Circle Collective has acquired worldwide rights to Luca Balser’s (Uncut Gems) NYC anthology film What Doesn’t Float, starring and produced by Pauline Chalamet (Sex Lives of College Girls), and shot by DPs Sean Price Williams (Good Time) and Hunter Zimny (Good Time).
The film is set to make its world premiere at the Lighthouse Film Festival this month and will be released theatrically in the U.S. from September with an international fest tour planned in the fall/winter.
What Doesn’t Float stars Chalamet, genre filmmaker and actor Larry Fessenden (Depraved), and Keith Poulson (Pvt Chat) as New Yorkers at their wit’s end. Script comes from Shauna Fitzgerald and Rachel Walden (Funny Pages) also produces.
The project is the first from NYC-based production company Gummy Films, headed by Chalamet, Balser and Walden who last month attended the Cannes Film Festival with their short film Lemon Tree...
The film is set to make its world premiere at the Lighthouse Film Festival this month and will be released theatrically in the U.S. from September with an international fest tour planned in the fall/winter.
What Doesn’t Float stars Chalamet, genre filmmaker and actor Larry Fessenden (Depraved), and Keith Poulson (Pvt Chat) as New Yorkers at their wit’s end. Script comes from Shauna Fitzgerald and Rachel Walden (Funny Pages) also produces.
The project is the first from NYC-based production company Gummy Films, headed by Chalamet, Balser and Walden who last month attended the Cannes Film Festival with their short film Lemon Tree...
- 6/6/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
A 90-minute movie comprising rare, crowd-sourced live footage of Fugazi will screen in Washington D.C. next month to mark the 20th anniversary of the band’s final show.
We Are Fugazi From Washington, DC will screen one night only on Feb. 11 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in D.C. As part of the tribute to the post-hardcore legends, tickets will only be 5 — the same amount Fugazi always tried to charge for their shows.
Per a description of the film on the AFI website, We Are Fugazi...
We Are Fugazi From Washington, DC will screen one night only on Feb. 11 at the AFI Silver Theatre and Cultural Center in D.C. As part of the tribute to the post-hardcore legends, tickets will only be 5 — the same amount Fugazi always tried to charge for their shows.
Per a description of the film on the AFI website, We Are Fugazi...
- 1/18/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The eighth annual Nitehawk Shorts Festival is upon us!
IndieWire can exclusively announce highlights from the upcoming Nitehawk Shorts Fest, running March 2–6 at both the Nitehawk’s Prospect Park and Williamsburg locations.
The Nitehawk Shorts Festival celebrates independent filmmaking by featuring over 60 short films, with filmmakers in attendance for Q&As. Continuing its mission to represent diverse backgrounds, voices, and perspectives with a selection of exceptional short-form films, female-directed films make up a majority of this year’s festival program.
The festival will include six programs: Opening Nite, Music Driven, Midnite, Matinee, NoBudge, and Closing Nite. Opening and Closing Nite shows will take place at the Prospect Park location, with post-screening parties hosted in the Trees Lounge bar. Music Driven, Midnite, Matinee, and NoBudge will be at the Williamsburg location.
“We have been eager to get the Nitehawk Shorts Festival back up and running, since it has become such an...
IndieWire can exclusively announce highlights from the upcoming Nitehawk Shorts Fest, running March 2–6 at both the Nitehawk’s Prospect Park and Williamsburg locations.
The Nitehawk Shorts Festival celebrates independent filmmaking by featuring over 60 short films, with filmmakers in attendance for Q&As. Continuing its mission to represent diverse backgrounds, voices, and perspectives with a selection of exceptional short-form films, female-directed films make up a majority of this year’s festival program.
The festival will include six programs: Opening Nite, Music Driven, Midnite, Matinee, NoBudge, and Closing Nite. Opening and Closing Nite shows will take place at the Prospect Park location, with post-screening parties hosted in the Trees Lounge bar. Music Driven, Midnite, Matinee, and NoBudge will be at the Williamsburg location.
“We have been eager to get the Nitehawk Shorts Festival back up and running, since it has become such an...
- 2/1/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
In 1997, the Chicago Underground Film Festival held its fourth annual edition on August 13-17 at the Theatre Building at 1225 W. Belmont Avenue. One way the festival promoted itself that year was it published a four-page pull-out section in the Chicago-based political magazine Lumpen, vol. 6 no. 4.
These pages included the entire festival schedule, which the Underground Film Journal has re-created below. In addition, scans of the original Lumpen pages appear at the bottom of this article. This program schedule did not include director names for the most part, but the Journal has included names that we could find through research.
In the Theatre Building, Cuff screened on two screens simultaneously. One theater screened films shot exclusively on film; while the other theater screened films shot exclusively on video. In addition, a Closing Night event of director John Waters‘ live performance piece “Shock Value” took place in the film theater and was simulcast into the video theater.
These pages included the entire festival schedule, which the Underground Film Journal has re-created below. In addition, scans of the original Lumpen pages appear at the bottom of this article. This program schedule did not include director names for the most part, but the Journal has included names that we could find through research.
In the Theatre Building, Cuff screened on two screens simultaneously. One theater screened films shot exclusively on film; while the other theater screened films shot exclusively on video. In addition, a Closing Night event of director John Waters‘ live performance piece “Shock Value” took place in the film theater and was simulcast into the video theater.
- 12/10/2018
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
On October 20, 1986, the legendary underground documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot made its world premiere at the music club d.c. space in Washington, D.C.
The club hosted punk rock shows, avant-garde jazz performances and poetry readings in D.C. from 1977 to 1991; and, at least in October 1986, held movie and video screenings on Sundays. A calendar from that month was recently posted on Facebook to confirm the Heavy Metal Parking Lot screening. Click the calendar above for a better view of it.
The calendar only lists John Heyn as the documentary’s maker, but Heavy Metal Parking Lot was co-directed by Jeff Krulik. The video was produced five months earlier on May 31, 1986 when Heyn and Krulik — both public access tv station employees at the time — drove to the Capital Centre stadium in Landover, Maryland to interview the kids hanging out in the parking lot waiting for a Judas Priest concert to start.
The club hosted punk rock shows, avant-garde jazz performances and poetry readings in D.C. from 1977 to 1991; and, at least in October 1986, held movie and video screenings on Sundays. A calendar from that month was recently posted on Facebook to confirm the Heavy Metal Parking Lot screening. Click the calendar above for a better view of it.
The calendar only lists John Heyn as the documentary’s maker, but Heavy Metal Parking Lot was co-directed by Jeff Krulik. The video was produced five months earlier on May 31, 1986 when Heyn and Krulik — both public access tv station employees at the time — drove to the Capital Centre stadium in Landover, Maryland to interview the kids hanging out in the parking lot waiting for a Judas Priest concert to start.
- 10/21/2018
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
We Are The Lambeth Boys The London Short Film Festival has announced the full programme for its 14th edition, which will run from January 6 to 15 2017.
Among the festival highlights is a night entitled David Bowie Sound & Vision, a series of screenings at 19 Picturehouse cinemas across the UK. The showcase, featuring Michael Armstrong's The Image, Alan Yentob's The Cracked Actor and Julien Temple's Jazzin' For Blue Jean, aims to tell the story of his career, taking in three decades, from his experimental beginnings of the Sixties to the golden era of the Seventies to his world of domination in the Eighties.
Also dipping into the archives are two evenings celebrating youth culture across the decades - the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies night will feature Karel Reisz's We Are The Lambeth Boys while the Eighties, Nineties, Noughties and beyond includes Heavy Metal Parking Lot by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn along with.
Among the festival highlights is a night entitled David Bowie Sound & Vision, a series of screenings at 19 Picturehouse cinemas across the UK. The showcase, featuring Michael Armstrong's The Image, Alan Yentob's The Cracked Actor and Julien Temple's Jazzin' For Blue Jean, aims to tell the story of his career, taking in three decades, from his experimental beginnings of the Sixties to the golden era of the Seventies to his world of domination in the Eighties.
Also dipping into the archives are two evenings celebrating youth culture across the decades - the Fifties, Sixties and Seventies night will feature Karel Reisz's We Are The Lambeth Boys while the Eighties, Nineties, Noughties and beyond includes Heavy Metal Parking Lot by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn along with.
- 12/17/2016
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
Since any New York cinephile has a nearly suffocating wealth of theatrical options, we figured it’d be best to compile some of the more worthwhile repertory showings into one handy list. Displayed below are a few of the city’s most reliable theaters and links to screenings of their weekend offerings — films you’re not likely to see in a theater again anytime soon, and many of which are, also, on 35mm. If you have a chance to attend any of these, we’re of the mind that it’s time extremely well-spent.
Metrograph
The Brian De Palma retrospective has its best weekend yet: Carlito’s Way and Raising Cain on Friday; Body Double and Femme Fatale on Saturday; and, this Sunday, Mission: Impossible, Snake Eyes, and the underseen, Paul Schrader-penned Obsession.
A program of Chuck Jones shorts plays on Saturday; Party Husband screens this Sunday.
Museum of...
Metrograph
The Brian De Palma retrospective has its best weekend yet: Carlito’s Way and Raising Cain on Friday; Body Double and Femme Fatale on Saturday; and, this Sunday, Mission: Impossible, Snake Eyes, and the underseen, Paul Schrader-penned Obsession.
A program of Chuck Jones shorts plays on Saturday; Party Husband screens this Sunday.
Museum of...
- 6/17/2016
- by Nick Newman
- The Film Stage
August 14
7:30 p.m.
The Silent Movie Theater
611 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hosted by: Don’t Knock the Rock
Master documentarian Jeff Krulik will make his magnificent return to Los Angeles with his latest blockbuster, Led Zeppelin Played Here, which digs deep into the mystery of the classic rock group playing a micro-venue in Maryland. Did the band really play? Or is the tale just a hallucinogenic myth conjured up by pranksters?
Krulik will be in attendance and will participate in a post-screening Q&A session hosted by musican and actor Michael Des Barres.
It had long been rumored that on the night of Richard Nixon’s first Presidential Inauguration — January 20, 1969 — a young Led Zeppelin played a show at the Wheaton Youth Center in Wheaton, Maryland for a tiny audience of teenagers. Although attendees swear they were there, many a naysayer has claimed that the story of the show is a complete fabrication.
7:30 p.m.
The Silent Movie Theater
611 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hosted by: Don’t Knock the Rock
Master documentarian Jeff Krulik will make his magnificent return to Los Angeles with his latest blockbuster, Led Zeppelin Played Here, which digs deep into the mystery of the classic rock group playing a micro-venue in Maryland. Did the band really play? Or is the tale just a hallucinogenic myth conjured up by pranksters?
Krulik will be in attendance and will participate in a post-screening Q&A session hosted by musican and actor Michael Des Barres.
It had long been rumored that on the night of Richard Nixon’s first Presidential Inauguration — January 20, 1969 — a young Led Zeppelin played a show at the Wheaton Youth Center in Wheaton, Maryland for a tiny audience of teenagers. Although attendees swear they were there, many a naysayer has claimed that the story of the show is a complete fabrication.
- 8/11/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Jeff Krulik says:
My cat’s name is Iggy, full name Iggy Smalls, but now he’s just Iggy, not named after Iggy Pop.
He was a stray I took in, in 2009. Someone had callously abandoned him in the neighborhood and, after what might have been nearly two months trying to make his way in the cold cruel world (and several weeks of me trying to tend to him), we brought him inside. He was a handful. But he finally settled in to a nice and apparently happy life.
I love the guy.
Anyway, he zig-zagged all over the place when you tried to get near him when he was outside, so originally he was Ziggy, but that name just mutated into Iggy, which I liked better. So there you have it. Plus, I always liked the name Small from a character in Winnie the Pooh-land, so that’s where Smalls came from him.
My cat’s name is Iggy, full name Iggy Smalls, but now he’s just Iggy, not named after Iggy Pop.
He was a stray I took in, in 2009. Someone had callously abandoned him in the neighborhood and, after what might have been nearly two months trying to make his way in the cold cruel world (and several weeks of me trying to tend to him), we brought him inside. He was a handful. But he finally settled in to a nice and apparently happy life.
I love the guy.
Anyway, he zig-zagged all over the place when you tried to get near him when he was outside, so originally he was Ziggy, but that name just mutated into Iggy, which I liked better. So there you have it. Plus, I always liked the name Small from a character in Winnie the Pooh-land, so that’s where Smalls came from him.
- 3/24/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Move over Paul Kersey and Travis Bickle — there’s a new vigilante in town and he goes by the name Hectic Knife. Watch the virulently violent trailer above. Also, play it loud — i.e. as long as you’re not at work and there are no small children around.
This new gonzo splatter-ific flick comes courtesy of collaborators Greg DeLiso and Peter Litvin. Both dudes co-wrote the film while DeLiso served as director, editor and cinematographer; and Litvin acted as producer, composed the score and stars as the eponymous anti-hero.
(Special underground note: DeLiso previously edited Jeff Krulik’s hit underground documentary Heavy Metal Picnic.)
While the film is fully complete, the filmmakers are currently raising funds on IndieGoGo to launch a special “interactive” midnight movie tour around the country, which sounds totally fun, so consider kicking in a few bucks. Please visit the Hectic Knife fundraising page for more details.
This new gonzo splatter-ific flick comes courtesy of collaborators Greg DeLiso and Peter Litvin. Both dudes co-wrote the film while DeLiso served as director, editor and cinematographer; and Litvin acted as producer, composed the score and stars as the eponymous anti-hero.
(Special underground note: DeLiso previously edited Jeff Krulik’s hit underground documentary Heavy Metal Picnic.)
While the film is fully complete, the filmmakers are currently raising funds on IndieGoGo to launch a special “interactive” midnight movie tour around the country, which sounds totally fun, so consider kicking in a few bucks. Please visit the Hectic Knife fundraising page for more details.
- 8/14/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Sorry for the fairly short list this week. Been kind of a nutty week for me, so I haven’t been as on top of things.
Here’s an awesome new project that I missed linking to last week: Boston Viewfinder, which helps people find off-beat screenings in the Boston area — and appears there’s a ton going on there. Every city needs a site like this. Jeff Krulik has been busy getting interviewed a lot lately. Here’s one conducted by the Maryland Moving Image Archive, which is nice to see this great filmmaker getting wonderful local recognition lately. Robert Maier reviews the documentary The Iran Job, which sheds some much needed light on progressive movements in that country. Maier rates it an absolute “Must See.” Making Light of It has an amazing photo from the first ever screening of Wavelength, featuring Ken Jacobs, Shirley Clarke, George Kuchar and...
Here’s an awesome new project that I missed linking to last week: Boston Viewfinder, which helps people find off-beat screenings in the Boston area — and appears there’s a ton going on there. Every city needs a site like this. Jeff Krulik has been busy getting interviewed a lot lately. Here’s one conducted by the Maryland Moving Image Archive, which is nice to see this great filmmaker getting wonderful local recognition lately. Robert Maier reviews the documentary The Iran Job, which sheds some much needed light on progressive movements in that country. Maier rates it an absolute “Must See.” Making Light of It has an amazing photo from the first ever screening of Wavelength, featuring Ken Jacobs, Shirley Clarke, George Kuchar and...
- 7/21/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Jeff Krulik is one of the best interviewers ever in documentary film history. That’s not hyperbole, that’s a fact.
However, in the above embedded podcast, Krulik has the tables turned on him by one of the best interviewers in film journalism, Mike Plante. That’s not hyperbole, either. That’s a fact, too. And, happily, Krulik is a wonderful storyteller, so this 100-minute chat is a breezy, informational, fascinating and educational discussion about Krulik’s influences, the Baltimore/D.C. music scene, a personal history of public access TV, a reminiscence about Ernest Borgnine and, oh, so much more.
On a personal note, I’ve known Krulik myself for several years now, yet I still learned a lot about the guy listening to this. Since I’m such a huge fan of his work, a lot of it makes more “sense” to me now, hearing about how such...
However, in the above embedded podcast, Krulik has the tables turned on him by one of the best interviewers in film journalism, Mike Plante. That’s not hyperbole, either. That’s a fact, too. And, happily, Krulik is a wonderful storyteller, so this 100-minute chat is a breezy, informational, fascinating and educational discussion about Krulik’s influences, the Baltimore/D.C. music scene, a personal history of public access TV, a reminiscence about Ernest Borgnine and, oh, so much more.
On a personal note, I’ve known Krulik myself for several years now, yet I still learned a lot about the guy listening to this. Since I’m such a huge fan of his work, a lot of it makes more “sense” to me now, hearing about how such...
- 3/28/2013
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This week’s Must Read is actually a series from Melanie Wilmink’s new blog. One of her posts totally won Bad Lit over with the introductory sentence: “Short films regularly draw the short stick when it comes to being written about.” Ain’t that the truth! So, Melanie rights this wrong with an amazingly well-thought out article/review of the “Crime Wave” shorts at the Calgary International Film Festival that digs deep into issues of cinematic authenticity. Then, she has more in-depth reviews of the “End of Days” shorts program at the fest. Finally, at least for now that I know of, she tackles the anthology film V/H/S, which has been getting lots of press, and hammers it for its overt misogyny.Wanna hear Jonas Mekas talk lovingly about his five Bolexes?The Manitoba Scene got filmmaker Deco Dawson to write an essay about his award-winning short film Keep a Modest Head,...
- 9/30/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Embedded above is a trio of (blurry) photos taken at the Jeff Krulik retrospective that was held at the Cinefamily theater in Los Angeles on August 26, 2012 as part of the Everything Is Festival III: The Domination event. Click each photo to embiggen.
The first photo features Krulik himself in the Cinefamily audience while his cult classic documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which he co-directed with John Heyn, screens in front of him. (By the way, depicted on the screen happens to be Bad Lit’s favorite “character” from the film due his slurred delivery of the line, “Yo, Priest is the best, man.”)
The second photo is of Mike Plante and Jeff Krulik. Plante interviewed Krulik between the short films, which included Hmpl; the Michael Jackson episode of the long-lost “Parking Lot” TV show that was inspired by Hmpl and ran on the cable channel Trio for two seasons; the...
The first photo features Krulik himself in the Cinefamily audience while his cult classic documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which he co-directed with John Heyn, screens in front of him. (By the way, depicted on the screen happens to be Bad Lit’s favorite “character” from the film due his slurred delivery of the line, “Yo, Priest is the best, man.”)
The second photo is of Mike Plante and Jeff Krulik. Plante interviewed Krulik between the short films, which included Hmpl; the Michael Jackson episode of the long-lost “Parking Lot” TV show that was inspired by Hmpl and ran on the cable channel Trio for two seasons; the...
- 8/27/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
August 26
2:30 p.m.
The Silent Movie Theater
611 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hosted by: Everything Is Festival III: The Domination
It’s official! The biggest film event of 2012 in Los Angeles will take place on August 26 when documentary filmmaker Jeff Krulik will present a selection of his favorite short films at the 3rd annual Everything Is Festival.
Cranking out cult hits since the early ’80s, the Maryland-based Krulik will be making a rare sojourn out to the West Coast for this incredibly special event. As a master storyteller, you won’t want to miss this special live presentation. Nobody spins great yarns about wild adventures better than Jeff Krulik. Nobody!
Beginning with the runaway cult hit Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which he co-produced and co-directed with his partner John Heyn, Jeff Krulik has been making wonderfully quirky documentaries for over thirty years. He frequently shines a spotlight on...
2:30 p.m.
The Silent Movie Theater
611 N. Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
Hosted by: Everything Is Festival III: The Domination
It’s official! The biggest film event of 2012 in Los Angeles will take place on August 26 when documentary filmmaker Jeff Krulik will present a selection of his favorite short films at the 3rd annual Everything Is Festival.
Cranking out cult hits since the early ’80s, the Maryland-based Krulik will be making a rare sojourn out to the West Coast for this incredibly special event. As a master storyteller, you won’t want to miss this special live presentation. Nobody spins great yarns about wild adventures better than Jeff Krulik. Nobody!
Beginning with the runaway cult hit Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which he co-produced and co-directed with his partner John Heyn, Jeff Krulik has been making wonderfully quirky documentaries for over thirty years. He frequently shines a spotlight on...
- 8/23/2012
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
A strong contender for the title of most famous movie you've probably never heard of. When cable TV first hit the Us, a certain amount of space was given over to public access, so every area had some local content. It was open to all-comers and equipment was made available to anyone strong enough to lug it around. So Maryland residents John Heyn and Jeff Krulik took it upon themselves to record the activity of attendees of the local enormodome indoor arena. They lucked out too because on the evening they chose, Judas Priest rolled into town.
What resulted was a jaw-dropping 17 minutes where we're treated to a procession of kids who were, to assume the vernacular of the time, super-wasted and hyped up to see a proper rock show; none of that sucky new wave or Madonna crap for them. Full of bad haircuts, baffling fashion choices and ranting teens,...
A strong contender for the title of most famous movie you've probably never heard of. When cable TV first hit the Us, a certain amount of space was given over to public access, so every area had some local content. It was open to all-comers and equipment was made available to anyone strong enough to lug it around. So Maryland residents John Heyn and Jeff Krulik took it upon themselves to record the activity of attendees of the local enormodome indoor arena. They lucked out too because on the evening they chose, Judas Priest rolled into town.
What resulted was a jaw-dropping 17 minutes where we're treated to a procession of kids who were, to assume the vernacular of the time, super-wasted and hyped up to see a proper rock show; none of that sucky new wave or Madonna crap for them. Full of bad haircuts, baffling fashion choices and ranting teens,...
- 8/3/2012
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Jeff Krulik and Jon Heyn revisit their head-bangin’ roots in their documentary Heavy Metal Picnic, which is now available on DVD through the film’s website for $15. Or buy the new film and the original Heavy Metal Picnic Parking Lot for just $25.
Back in the 1980s, Maryland was the epicenter for hard rockin’ and even harder partyin’ moreso than anywhere else on Earth. And there was no bigger, more debauched, more deranged gathering at the time than the Full Moon Jamboree weekend farm party in the sleepy suburb of Potomac.
Forget peace, love and understanding, the Full Moon was an unabashed, unending heavy metal concert planned by a couple of bored layabouts and one brazen entrepreneur looking for something exciting to do. The result was such a raucous event that it made the evening news and new laws had to be written so that nothing like it could ever happen again.
Back in the 1980s, Maryland was the epicenter for hard rockin’ and even harder partyin’ moreso than anywhere else on Earth. And there was no bigger, more debauched, more deranged gathering at the time than the Full Moon Jamboree weekend farm party in the sleepy suburb of Potomac.
Forget peace, love and understanding, the Full Moon was an unabashed, unending heavy metal concert planned by a couple of bored layabouts and one brazen entrepreneur looking for something exciting to do. The result was such a raucous event that it made the evening news and new laws had to be written so that nothing like it could ever happen again.
- 3/20/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Denver Underground Film Festival
The Denver Underground Film Festival is changing things up a bit this year, namely moving its screening dates up a few months. The fest will run May 18-20 instead of its usual late autumn / early winter dates.
This is also a short films only festival, accepting movies that are 30 minutes or less. But, they are looking for short films in all applicable genres and breaking things into these categories: Narrative, Experimental, Animated, Documentary and Music Video.
To get an idea of the kinds of films they like, it’s probably best to check out last year’s list of award winners, which comes with general descriptions of why they won. You can also look at last year’s full lineup here.
Since the fest is running earlier than normal this year, here at Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, we’ve missed posting their Early Bird Deadline.
The Denver Underground Film Festival is changing things up a bit this year, namely moving its screening dates up a few months. The fest will run May 18-20 instead of its usual late autumn / early winter dates.
This is also a short films only festival, accepting movies that are 30 minutes or less. But, they are looking for short films in all applicable genres and breaking things into these categories: Narrative, Experimental, Animated, Documentary and Music Video.
To get an idea of the kinds of films they like, it’s probably best to check out last year’s list of award winners, which comes with general descriptions of why they won. You can also look at last year’s full lineup here.
Since the fest is running earlier than normal this year, here at Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, we’ve missed posting their Early Bird Deadline.
- 2/16/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The raw footage shot of actor Ernest Borgnine driving across the country, which became the 1997 documentary Ernest Borgnine on the Bus but was originally shot to be an early reality series, is now online, thanks to Jeff Krulik, its director. Krulik may be best known for the cult classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot, a 1986 short documentary about heavy metal as illustrated by fans in the parking lot of a Judas Priest concert (rent...
- 1/25/2012
- by Andy Dehnart
- Reality Blurred
So, what’s it really like to make a go of it on the festival circuit, especially when you’re a much beloved cult filmmaking icon? The Washington City Paper runs a timeline of Jeff Krulik’s Heavy Metal Picnic film festival odyssey of 2011 — and it’s not a rosy journey. Much of the article is framed by a series of update emails that Krulik sends to his supporters, a group of people of which I’m a member. And those emails, thanks to Krulik’s incredible directness, frequently include some of the most hilarious exchanges ever. (The great portrait of Krulik above by Darrow Montgomery is from the article.)The Count Gore De Vol documentary Every Other Day Is Halloween is still racking up great reviews, this time from the Spooky Vegan. If you haven’t had the chance to enjoy this gem yourself, this is the perfect time of year to do so.
- 10/23/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Directed by John Heyn and Jeff Krulik
USA, 1986
Often hailed as a hidden anthropological gem, it seems too many misunderstand the context and importance of this Heavy Metal Parking Lot. There seems to be a feeling that this film is in some way, mocking it’s subjects. I am not sure that is the case. Even with the addition of “critical” commentary from the likes of John Waters, who deems the film “creepy,” there is a sense of celebration in that title. This is a film that could only really have been made by young people and nothing interests young people more than each other. That’s why this film succeeds at being an accurate portrait of a lifestyle that perhaps too many among us deem unworthy.
As for its anthropological value, Heavy Metal Parking Lot shows the very beginning of a shift in culture. We...
Directed by John Heyn and Jeff Krulik
USA, 1986
Often hailed as a hidden anthropological gem, it seems too many misunderstand the context and importance of this Heavy Metal Parking Lot. There seems to be a feeling that this film is in some way, mocking it’s subjects. I am not sure that is the case. Even with the addition of “critical” commentary from the likes of John Waters, who deems the film “creepy,” there is a sense of celebration in that title. This is a film that could only really have been made by young people and nothing interests young people more than each other. That’s why this film succeeds at being an accurate portrait of a lifestyle that perhaps too many among us deem unworthy.
As for its anthropological value, Heavy Metal Parking Lot shows the very beginning of a shift in culture. We...
- 9/25/2011
- by Justine
- SoundOnSight
Heavy Metal Picnic
Directed by Jeff Krulik
USA, 2010
Heavy Metal Picnic is a follow-up to the short cult film, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which depicted the Maryland Heavy Metal scene during the mid-1980s. Heavy Metal Picnic mixes the home video footage from a 34 hour concert called the “Full Moon Jamboree”, as well as contemporary footage of the people and musicians who made it possible.
What makes this event such a compelling film subject, is that it takes place right at the tail end of an era. Even in that 1985 footage people seemed well aware that this might be the very last concert of it’s kind. The “Psychotic Revolution” (phrased coined by concert promoter/organizer Billy Gordon), was upon them. This revolution defined by growing technology came perhaps a little later than expected, but it nonetheless suggests both the foresight of Billy Gordon as well as the underlying paranoia of this moment in time.
Directed by Jeff Krulik
USA, 2010
Heavy Metal Picnic is a follow-up to the short cult film, Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which depicted the Maryland Heavy Metal scene during the mid-1980s. Heavy Metal Picnic mixes the home video footage from a 34 hour concert called the “Full Moon Jamboree”, as well as contemporary footage of the people and musicians who made it possible.
What makes this event such a compelling film subject, is that it takes place right at the tail end of an era. Even in that 1985 footage people seemed well aware that this might be the very last concert of it’s kind. The “Psychotic Revolution” (phrased coined by concert promoter/organizer Billy Gordon), was upon them. This revolution defined by growing technology came perhaps a little later than expected, but it nonetheless suggests both the foresight of Billy Gordon as well as the underlying paranoia of this moment in time.
- 9/25/2011
- by Justine
- SoundOnSight
The 11th annual Coney Island Film Festival, running Sept. 23-25, offers an exquisite blend of freak show, burlesque and cinematic oddities, featuring movies about reformed gang members, unwitting superheroes, rock ‘n’ roll heaven and tons and tons of short films.
The fest opens with the portrait of a real-life Coney Island badass, Keith Suber, a reformed gang member who now teaches kids that violence isn’t the solution to their problems in the documentary The Last Immortal, directed by Charles Denson.
However, the highlight of the festival — in Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s opinion — is the headbangin’ documentary Heavy Metal Picnic by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, which beautifully relives the glory days of ’80s era rock ‘n’ roll Maryland in all its raucous glory. Featuring footage from an outrageous backwoods farm concert and a reunion among its (slightly) more mature participants. Read the official Bad Lit documentary review here.
The fest opens with the portrait of a real-life Coney Island badass, Keith Suber, a reformed gang member who now teaches kids that violence isn’t the solution to their problems in the documentary The Last Immortal, directed by Charles Denson.
However, the highlight of the festival — in Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s opinion — is the headbangin’ documentary Heavy Metal Picnic by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, which beautifully relives the glory days of ’80s era rock ‘n’ roll Maryland in all its raucous glory. Featuring footage from an outrageous backwoods farm concert and a reunion among its (slightly) more mature participants. Read the official Bad Lit documentary review here.
- 9/14/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This year, Pop Montreal, an annual smrgasboard of concerts and music-themed films, celebrates its 10th anniversary. While the concert side of the equation is typically stacked (including, but not remotely limited to, a free Arcade Fire concert), the film portion is no slouch either. This year, film topics include legendary folkie Phil Ochs, The Replacements, Alan McGee and Creation Records, Aice Donut, and the Vancouver punk scene, among others. The fest runs from Sept. 21st-25th here in Montreal – the complete lineup and press release are below.
Montreal, August 11th, 2011 – Where music and movies make out in the dark: Film Pop returns. From September 21st to the 25th, as the Pop Montreal festival turns 10, Film Pop will once again resurface an always-pertinent array of underground musical films and captivating documentaries. Throughout the 5 days of the festival, Film Pop events will be held in 3 main venues: Blue Sunshine (3660 St-Laurent), the Pop...
Montreal, August 11th, 2011 – Where music and movies make out in the dark: Film Pop returns. From September 21st to the 25th, as the Pop Montreal festival turns 10, Film Pop will once again resurface an always-pertinent array of underground musical films and captivating documentaries. Throughout the 5 days of the festival, Film Pop events will be held in 3 main venues: Blue Sunshine (3660 St-Laurent), the Pop...
- 8/11/2011
- by Ricky
- SoundOnSight
For their 5th annual event, which is set to run Sept. 8-11, the Sydney Underground Film Festival is looking a little more demented than ever. And that’s saying a lot for this scrappy, still relatively young fest, which typically offers ample twisted cinematic offerings.
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
The fun kicks off with the Opening Night film, the demented superhero comedy Super, written and directed by former Troma go-to screenwriter James Gunn (Tromeo & Juliet); then ends with the Closing Night wallowing in Sydney’s seedy underbelly, X, by homegrown filmmaker Jon Hewitt.
Crammed between these two excursions into violence and depravity is a lineup filled with perverse visions, scandalous public figures, sickening horror, experimental pop culture remixes and more.
For Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, the highlight of the fest is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a complex psychological, psychosexual, spiritual morality play about a Muslim sex worker who endures a “reverse...
- 8/9/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
July 8 & 9
8:00 p.m. (both nights)
The Dryden Theatre
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
Hosted by: The Dryden Theatre
The world’s greatest documentary filmmaker, Jeff Krulik, will make a special two-night live appearance at the Dryden Theatre on July 8 & 9! On July 8, he will be screening his latest masterpiece, Heavy Metal Picnic, along with his most infamous film, Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Then, on July 9, he will screen a collection of his legendary short docs, such as King Of Porn, Obsessed with Jews, I Created Lancelot Link, Ernest Borgnine On The Bus, Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington, and more.
As great an opportunity to see any collection of Krulik’s work may be, it’s really a special bonus to go hear him speak in person. He is an amazing yarn-spinner and, listening to him talk, you really get to understand what makes his films so wonderful. His passion for life...
8:00 p.m. (both nights)
The Dryden Theatre
900 East Avenue
Rochester, NY 14607
Hosted by: The Dryden Theatre
The world’s greatest documentary filmmaker, Jeff Krulik, will make a special two-night live appearance at the Dryden Theatre on July 8 & 9! On July 8, he will be screening his latest masterpiece, Heavy Metal Picnic, along with his most infamous film, Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Then, on July 9, he will screen a collection of his legendary short docs, such as King Of Porn, Obsessed with Jews, I Created Lancelot Link, Ernest Borgnine On The Bus, Mr. Blassie Goes To Washington, and more.
As great an opportunity to see any collection of Krulik’s work may be, it’s really a special bonus to go hear him speak in person. He is an amazing yarn-spinner and, listening to him talk, you really get to understand what makes his films so wonderful. His passion for life...
- 7/8/2011
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Happy almost Independence Day! Hope everybody is having a great holiday weekend. This first link should put you in the mood. Or not.
This is a little different than my typical Must Reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed Jack Sargeant reprinting his history and analysis of the ’80s “death film” genre, most famously epitomized by the film Faces of Death. I’ve never seen any of these films — nor do I want to — but Jack’s conclusion is fabulous.Filmmaker Waylon Bacon has written a fantastic overview of the Berkeley film scene for CineSource Magazine.Fangoria interviews director Rona Mark on the eve of her awesome Strange Girls finally getting a DVD release. Finally!GorePress.com has a really nice interview with Paul Campion about his first feature film, The Devil’s Rock.IndieWIRE interviews Mike Plante about his new Cinemad distribution venture, who, strangely enough, isn’t in it for the money.
This is a little different than my typical Must Reads, but I thoroughly enjoyed Jack Sargeant reprinting his history and analysis of the ’80s “death film” genre, most famously epitomized by the film Faces of Death. I’ve never seen any of these films — nor do I want to — but Jack’s conclusion is fabulous.Filmmaker Waylon Bacon has written a fantastic overview of the Berkeley film scene for CineSource Magazine.Fangoria interviews director Rona Mark on the eve of her awesome Strange Girls finally getting a DVD release. Finally!GorePress.com has a really nice interview with Paul Campion about his first feature film, The Devil’s Rock.IndieWIRE interviews Mike Plante about his new Cinemad distribution venture, who, strangely enough, isn’t in it for the money.
- 7/3/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This week’s Absolute Must Read is a letter Hollis Frampton wrote to MoMA regarding a planned retrospective of his work in 1973. The hitch: The museum wanted Frampton to give them his films for free. Too bad he’s not still alive because we need more letters like this written, especially in today’s “free” internet culture. My favorite line: “I leave it to your surmise whether [Maya Deren's] life might have been prolonged by a few bucks.”In case you missed it on Bad Lit, Jonas Mekas reprinted the very informative and insightful comment he left here on his own website. Good stuff on the demise of his Movie Journal column.If you can name the three dudes and know where they’re sitting in this photograph, then you are a 100% underground film nerd. (And, yes, I canChris Hansen continues his production diary for his film An Affair. Day Three found...
- 6/12/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Jeff Krulik and John Heyn’s latest head-banging documentary Heavy Metal Picnic makes its Windy City debut tonight, June 4 at 8:00 p.m., as the Closing Night film of the Chicago Underground Film Festival. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Cuff website. The screening is at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Heavy Metal Picnic is a quasi-sequel to Krulik and Heyn’s immortal classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot. It details, via archival home footage and modern reunion interviews, a raucous weekend-long outdoor farm party held in Maryland. Heavy metal bands played, alcohol was consumed, drugs were ingested, romances were born and a ton of fun was had.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed the film several months ago. An excerpt:
Listening to the Jamboree party goers with their thick Maryland accents, completely inebriated ramblings, rude attempts at humor and at least one fistfight makes the event...
Heavy Metal Picnic is a quasi-sequel to Krulik and Heyn’s immortal classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot. It details, via archival home footage and modern reunion interviews, a raucous weekend-long outdoor farm party held in Maryland. Heavy metal bands played, alcohol was consumed, drugs were ingested, romances were born and a ton of fun was had.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed the film several months ago. An excerpt:
Listening to the Jamboree party goers with their thick Maryland accents, completely inebriated ramblings, rude attempts at humor and at least one fistfight makes the event...
- 6/5/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Tonight marks the opening of the 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival. The fest is kicking off this year with the transcendental comedy debut feature by Jerzy Rose, Some Girls Never Learn.
The film chronicles several coincidental paranormal discoveries, including the unearthing of Amelia Earhart’s leg bone, the spontaneous gatherings of wildlife into concentric circles, the loss of helium into the luminiferous aether, and the journey a high school science teacher takes to the underworld to find his girlfriend.
The film screens tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Watch the trailer below.
Cuff will then continue every night until June 9. Some other highlights of the fest include Usama Alshaibi’s Profane, Marie Losier‘s The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, Jeff Krulik & John Heyn’s Heavy Metal Parking Lot and Michael Galinsky & Suki Hawley‘s Battle of Brooklyn.
Check out the full lineup here.
The film chronicles several coincidental paranormal discoveries, including the unearthing of Amelia Earhart’s leg bone, the spontaneous gatherings of wildlife into concentric circles, the loss of helium into the luminiferous aether, and the journey a high school science teacher takes to the underworld to find his girlfriend.
The film screens tonight at 8:00 p.m. at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Watch the trailer below.
Cuff will then continue every night until June 9. Some other highlights of the fest include Usama Alshaibi’s Profane, Marie Losier‘s The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye, Jeff Krulik & John Heyn’s Heavy Metal Parking Lot and Michael Galinsky & Suki Hawley‘s Battle of Brooklyn.
Check out the full lineup here.
- 6/2/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Today marks the 25th anniversary of one of the most important days in underground film history. On May 31, 1986, public access TV guys Jeff Krulik and John Heyn “borrowed” some equipment from their station, drove out to the Capital Centre arena in Largo, Maryland and videotaped a bunch of stoners in the parking lot partying before a Judas Priest concert. The edited together footage would become one of the most beloved bootlegged classics of all time: Heavy Metal Parking Lot. Watch it again embedded above and feel the love. And the drugs.
Tell us what your favorite heavy metal bits are!
(With us, we mutter “Yo, Priest is the best man!” for hours after viewing every time, so we love that guy.)
From initial showings in Krulik’s and Heyn’s living rooms to migrating its way onto L.A. video store shelves where it ended up on Nirvana’s tour bus,...
Tell us what your favorite heavy metal bits are!
(With us, we mutter “Yo, Priest is the best man!” for hours after viewing every time, so we love that guy.)
From initial showings in Krulik’s and Heyn’s living rooms to migrating its way onto L.A. video store shelves where it ended up on Nirvana’s tour bus,...
- 5/31/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival is ready to have another monumental year at the Gene Siskel Film Center on June 2-9, featuring a killer lineup with new films from some true underground legends.
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
First, Usama Alshaibi will screen his latest, most visually stunning and conceptually innovative feature Profane, about a spiritually confused Muslim sex worker trying to recapture her lost jinn — a demon of smokeless fire — on streets of the Windy City.
Then, documentary filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn return to their hard rockin’ roots with Heavy Metal Picnic, which relives one of the most notorious ’80s weekend parties in the history of Maryland and the world — the Full Moon Jamboree, which if you can remember it means you weren’t there. Plus, Hmp will be screened with Heyn and Krulik’s underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot.
Also in the documentary vein, are Marie Losier‘s...
- 5/13/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Update: See the full 2011 Cuff lineup here.
The Chicago Underground Film Festival, the longest-running underground film fest in the world, has announced the Opening and Closing Night films for their 18th annual edition, which will run this year June 2-9 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Opening the prestigious festival is the debut feature film by Chicago-based filmmaker Jerzy Rose, Some Girls Never Learn. The film is an absurdist comedy about the discovery of several bizarre scientific happenings, including the unearthing of Amelia Earhart’s leg bone, animals spontaneously gathering into concentric circles and helium escaping into the luminiferous aether. Meanwhile, a high school science teacher has to journey into the underworld to retrieve his girlfriend.
Rose has previously directed several short experimental videos, including a trailer for last year’s Cuff. He is also a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Watch the Some Girls Never Learn trailer:
Then,...
The Chicago Underground Film Festival, the longest-running underground film fest in the world, has announced the Opening and Closing Night films for their 18th annual edition, which will run this year June 2-9 at the Gene Siskel Film Center.
Opening the prestigious festival is the debut feature film by Chicago-based filmmaker Jerzy Rose, Some Girls Never Learn. The film is an absurdist comedy about the discovery of several bizarre scientific happenings, including the unearthing of Amelia Earhart’s leg bone, animals spontaneously gathering into concentric circles and helium escaping into the luminiferous aether. Meanwhile, a high school science teacher has to journey into the underworld to retrieve his girlfriend.
Rose has previously directed several short experimental videos, including a trailer for last year’s Cuff. He is also a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
Watch the Some Girls Never Learn trailer:
Then,...
- 5/6/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Get a few lessons on how to live life to the fullest by watching Ernest Borgnine on the Bus, the incredibly true cross-country journey taken by the Oscar-winning actor back in 1995 and filmed by master documentary filmmaker Jeff Krulik. Yes, Ernie drives his own bus, but not just any bus. This is the Taj Mahal of buses! An extravagant 40-foot rolling condo with a cockpit that has more flashing lights and buttons than the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. Whether he’s drinking beer or petting parrots, Ernest Borgnine has a grand ol’ time wherever he goes — and so will you when you get on the bus with him!
This documentary was originally shot by Krulik as a pilot for a TV show that never got picked up. Back in ’95, cable networks hadn’t yet realized the ratings gold to be had in broadcasting TV series that followed celebrities around in their everyday lives.
This documentary was originally shot by Krulik as a pilot for a TV show that never got picked up. Back in ’95, cable networks hadn’t yet realized the ratings gold to be had in broadcasting TV series that followed celebrities around in their everyday lives.
- 1/31/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 25th anniversary of the underground classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot kicked off one month early when the late night show Last Call With Carson Daly hosted a special tribute to the film and the filmmakers on their Dec. 7 episode. Embedded above, you can watch the entire segment, plus a promo and a teaser for it. The Last Call staff really did a bang-up job with the segment, too. It’s funny, informative, properly reverential and shows off why it’s such a beloved masterpiece.
I’m not sure the details of how this whole thing was put together, but I was mighty surprised when Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, the two brilliant talents behind the Hmpl phenomenon, literally showed up at my workplace doorstep in November to tell me they had taped this segment. (That was also actually the first time I had ever met John, although we’ve...
I’m not sure the details of how this whole thing was put together, but I was mighty surprised when Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, the two brilliant talents behind the Hmpl phenomenon, literally showed up at my workplace doorstep in November to tell me they had taped this segment. (That was also actually the first time I had ever met John, although we’ve...
- 12/16/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Was there ever a more awesomely jammin’ place and time than the state of Maryland in the 1980s?
Well, the answer is probably yes, but thanks to the documentary evidence produced by filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, it’ll be awfully hard to prove.
The pair immortalized ’80s Maryland party atmosphere in their now legendary underground documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot (Hmpl), in which they chronicled the shenanigans going on outside of a Judas Priest concert. That film is probably one of the most iconic artifacts of ’80s culture ever created during that decade.
A little older, a little wiser and a little grayer, the boys are back with a new documentary, Heavy Metal Picnic, that, while not directly linked, is at to least joined in spirit with their earlier hit. (For this film, Krulik is credited as a director and producer; and Heyn just as a producer.)
The...
Well, the answer is probably yes, but thanks to the documentary evidence produced by filmmakers Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, it’ll be awfully hard to prove.
The pair immortalized ’80s Maryland party atmosphere in their now legendary underground documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot (Hmpl), in which they chronicled the shenanigans going on outside of a Judas Priest concert. That film is probably one of the most iconic artifacts of ’80s culture ever created during that decade.
A little older, a little wiser and a little grayer, the boys are back with a new documentary, Heavy Metal Picnic, that, while not directly linked, is at to least joined in spirit with their earlier hit. (For this film, Krulik is credited as a director and producer; and Heyn just as a producer.)
The...
- 11/30/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
I usually link to Making Light of It in these posts — when Jacob’s not disappearing on me — but I really want to make sure people look at Jacob’s most recent article, so I’m listing him first this week. Jacob’s scanned a bunch of covers of old Film Culture magazines that are really sweet looking. I don’t recognize everybody’s picture, but I see Stan Vanderbeek, Harry Smith, Robert Breer and more. And, I think Jacob has the second only photo ever of Ron Rice on the Internet, after mine. Fangoria conducted a fascinating interview with one of Bad Lit’s favorite people, C.W. Prather of the Spooky Movie Festival, which is currently going on. Funniest thing I saw this week — hell, funniest thing I’ve seen in months! — was the Twitter stream of Ted Nope, a parody of indie film producer Ted Hope’s airless Twitter musings.
- 10/24/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
I’m working on another big, site-wide project that I haven’t come up with a snappy name for yet, but it’s another type of project I can work on in mini-chunks that will eventually add up to a major positive development for the site. (Knock on wood.)
The project involves making Bad Lit’s archives more accessible and search friendly, as well as better spotlighting more filmmakers. This doesn’t involve creating new pages. Instead it’s making the filmmaker index pages more useful with more detailed information.
For any filmmaker that’s covered in-depth on Bad Lit, I create a “tag page” for them, which is a handy index linking to every article that mentions that filmmaker’s name, including film reviews, embedded videos, film festival lineups and more. An example of this would be for James Fotopoulos, which if you click his name there you’ll...
The project involves making Bad Lit’s archives more accessible and search friendly, as well as better spotlighting more filmmakers. This doesn’t involve creating new pages. Instead it’s making the filmmaker index pages more useful with more detailed information.
For any filmmaker that’s covered in-depth on Bad Lit, I create a “tag page” for them, which is a handy index linking to every article that mentions that filmmaker’s name, including film reviews, embedded videos, film festival lineups and more. An example of this would be for James Fotopoulos, which if you click his name there you’ll...
- 9/4/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This week’s Must Read is on the brief side, so now you have no excuse not to read it. Animation god Bill Plympton is self-distributing his latest feature Idiots & Angels and he’s keeping a diary about how that’s going. His second piece goes into the reasons of why he has to self-distribute in the first place. That Plympton — a god, I tell you, a god! — has so much trouble getting his films out there is a sad, sorry commentary on lots of things. The Melbourne Underground Film Festival has been going on this past week and The Age profiled Joseph Sims, the director of the closing night film Bad Behavior. Meanwhile, the Maroondah Leader profiled Matt Cleaves, director of the short film Radev. And an anonymous female blogger writes about seeing Road Train at Muff. Via Professor Tryon, there’s a piece on IndieWire by Anne Thompson...
- 8/29/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Aug. 6
9:30 p.m.
AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910
The year: 1985. The place: “The Farm,” MD. The party: The Full Moon Jamboree, one hell-raisin’, balls-out, long-weekend bacchanal that was so raucous it made the evening news — and not for any reason that was good. Revisit the good ol’ time to end all good ol’ times by the mighty masters of ’80s rock ‘n’ roll debauchery: Jeff Krulik and John Heyn.
Heavy Metal Picnic is a first-hand account of one massive, outrageous farm party that terrified the neighbors and local officials. Krulik and Heyn, of Heavy Metal Parking Lot fame, have assembled the long unseen hand-recorded VHS footage that was captured by the Full Moon Jamboree’s attendees and combined it with modern-day interviews with those who organized it, lived it and have fond memories of it.
While the original Heavy Metal Parking Lot inspired several sequels,...
9:30 p.m.
AFI Silver Theater and Cultural Center
8633 Colesville Road
Silver Spring, MD 20910
The year: 1985. The place: “The Farm,” MD. The party: The Full Moon Jamboree, one hell-raisin’, balls-out, long-weekend bacchanal that was so raucous it made the evening news — and not for any reason that was good. Revisit the good ol’ time to end all good ol’ times by the mighty masters of ’80s rock ‘n’ roll debauchery: Jeff Krulik and John Heyn.
Heavy Metal Picnic is a first-hand account of one massive, outrageous farm party that terrified the neighbors and local officials. Krulik and Heyn, of Heavy Metal Parking Lot fame, have assembled the long unseen hand-recorded VHS footage that was captured by the Full Moon Jamboree’s attendees and combined it with modern-day interviews with those who organized it, lived it and have fond memories of it.
While the original Heavy Metal Parking Lot inspired several sequels,...
- 8/3/2010
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Sort of a truncated link list this week. That’s because a) well, that’s just all the links I could find; and b) I had to compile this a few days early since I went to Comic Con on Saturday. Still much to enjoy, though:
Jeff Krulik is the world’s greatest documentary filmmaker and slowly but surely the world is starting to catch up. The Washington City Paper has a wonderful profile/interview with Krulik about his latest project, Heavy Metal Picnic. Plus, read about his recent screening adventures in Texas, where he and Chuck Statler were guests of the Alamo Draft House. Engadget reports that the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is getting a $67 million makeover, but even more exciting is that in the new facility they will screen a specially commissioned animated video by Martha Colburn called Dolls vs. Dictators based on her photos...
Jeff Krulik is the world’s greatest documentary filmmaker and slowly but surely the world is starting to catch up. The Washington City Paper has a wonderful profile/interview with Krulik about his latest project, Heavy Metal Picnic. Plus, read about his recent screening adventures in Texas, where he and Chuck Statler were guests of the Alamo Draft House. Engadget reports that the Museum of the Moving Image in Queens is getting a $67 million makeover, but even more exciting is that in the new facility they will screen a specially commissioned animated video by Martha Colburn called Dolls vs. Dictators based on her photos...
- 7/25/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
From out of the parking lot and onto the farm, Jeff Krulik and John Heyn revisit their badass roots with their new documentary Heavy Metal Picnic, which revisits the backyard party to end all backyard parties. The year is 1985 and the place is the Full Moon Jamboree, a thirty-six hour non-stop heavy metal jam in the backwoods of Maryland. Metalheads, stoners and other degenerates all came together for a blow-out event that made it onto the evening news — and not for one of those “feel good” stories. (Although the partiers sure were feelin’ good.) Relive the good ol’ days in the above embedded trailer for the raucous new documentary that’s coming soon.
Krulik and Heyn are, of course, the two geniuses behind one of the greatest underground films of all time: Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which chronicled first-hand the shenanigans going on in the parking lot outside of a Judas Priest concert.
Krulik and Heyn are, of course, the two geniuses behind one of the greatest underground films of all time: Heavy Metal Parking Lot, which chronicled first-hand the shenanigans going on in the parking lot outside of a Judas Priest concert.
- 7/21/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
*%$#Loads Of Videos with Jeff Krulik Live!
Sun at Ritz
Pop And Not-so-pop Clips with Chuck Statler Live!
Mon at Ritz
This Sunday and Monday, we’ll be showcasing the work of two of the secretly perfect men of American entertainment!
About Jeff Krulik: Many consider Heavy Metal Parking Lot to be one of the defining works of the ’80s. And it is. Hilarious, unbelievable and 100% Real, it’s persevered as a truly classic mini doc. But creator Krulik has never stopped chronicling amazing, gut-busting and truly unusual people across the globe. From raging pro wrestlers to Jew-obsessed shut-ins to all-chimpanzee rock bands, Krulik has fearlessly delved into the strangest chasms of the world.
On Sunday, he joins us in person to present selections from his skull-rattling filmography, including monkey manifesto I Created Lancelot Link, oddball celebrity travelogue Ernest Borgnine On The Bus, the unstoppable, aforementioned Heavy Metal Parking Lot and many more.
Sun at Ritz
Pop And Not-so-pop Clips with Chuck Statler Live!
Mon at Ritz
This Sunday and Monday, we’ll be showcasing the work of two of the secretly perfect men of American entertainment!
About Jeff Krulik: Many consider Heavy Metal Parking Lot to be one of the defining works of the ’80s. And it is. Hilarious, unbelievable and 100% Real, it’s persevered as a truly classic mini doc. But creator Krulik has never stopped chronicling amazing, gut-busting and truly unusual people across the globe. From raging pro wrestlers to Jew-obsessed shut-ins to all-chimpanzee rock bands, Krulik has fearlessly delved into the strangest chasms of the world.
On Sunday, he joins us in person to present selections from his skull-rattling filmography, including monkey manifesto I Created Lancelot Link, oddball celebrity travelogue Ernest Borgnine On The Bus, the unstoppable, aforementioned Heavy Metal Parking Lot and many more.
- 7/16/2010
- by Zack Carlson
- OriginalAlamo.com
Revisit the good ol’ days when local TV stations actually employed local talent beyond the nightly news in Every Other Day Is Halloween, C.W. Prather’s wonderful profile of Washington, D.C.’s legendary late night horror host Count Gore De Vol. This wickedly entertaining documentary is now available on DVD at Amazon and other retailer/rental outlets.
Underneath the cape, fangs and pancake makeup, the good Count is actually performer Dick Dyszel, who appeared as several different characters on Wdca-tv Channel 20 in the nation’s capital throughout the 1970s. During the day, he entertained the kiddies as Bozo the Clown and hosted cartoon shows as the sci-fi themed Captain 20. But, at night, he transformed himself into Count Gore De Vol for the adults — and the naughty children who dared to stay up late watching old horror movies.
But, all good things must come to an end — or not!
Underneath the cape, fangs and pancake makeup, the good Count is actually performer Dick Dyszel, who appeared as several different characters on Wdca-tv Channel 20 in the nation’s capital throughout the 1970s. During the day, he entertained the kiddies as Bozo the Clown and hosted cartoon shows as the sci-fi themed Captain 20. But, at night, he transformed himself into Count Gore De Vol for the adults — and the naughty children who dared to stay up late watching old horror movies.
But, all good things must come to an end — or not!
- 4/20/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
After a decade defined by reality TV, the sweet kids caught on video tailgating for the Judas Priest show in 1986's Heavy Metal Parking Lot seem quaint in comparison. There's an innocence and naïvete to these kids, a lack of hunger for fame and validation, even if they are part of a drunken, silly subculture. They just love drinking, metal, girls, and getting their faces rocked off by Judas Priest and (opening act) Dokken. It is a simple anthropological study of people in their natural habitat; in this case, heavy metal fans in a parking lot. A 15-minute documentary by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn, this short became a cult classic, passed around on bootleg VHS and with high-profile admirers from the band Nirvana to director John Waters, who said it "creeped him out." It's been culturally influential, as well: one example includes the movie Dazed and Confused, which takes...
- 2/10/2010
- TribecaFilm.com
Here it is! The original bootlegged underground classic is now officially available for viewing online: The one, the only, the head-bangingly awesome Heavy Metal Parking Lot by John Heyn and Jeff Krulik. Available only as a 100th generation bootleg for years, the entire film — which only runs about 17 minutes — can now be watched on Hulu. Or, embedded right above! For the first time or the thousandth, witness the glory and wonder that was 1986.
For the uninitiated, (there’s still some of you out there, right?) here’s the set-up: On May 31, 1986 Heyn and Krulik appropriated a public access TV camera and headed to the Capital Centre stadium in Landover, Maryland to interview the metalheads waiting in the parking lot for a Judas Priest concert to start. The filmmakers totally didn’t know what to expect, but what they captured is pure cinematic gold: Acres of chemically altered and imbalanced teenagers...
For the uninitiated, (there’s still some of you out there, right?) here’s the set-up: On May 31, 1986 Heyn and Krulik appropriated a public access TV camera and headed to the Capital Centre stadium in Landover, Maryland to interview the metalheads waiting in the parking lot for a Judas Priest concert to start. The filmmakers totally didn’t know what to expect, but what they captured is pure cinematic gold: Acres of chemically altered and imbalanced teenagers...
- 2/7/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This is the 3rd post in a series covering the most outrageous moments in underground film history. You can follow the entire series here.
Film: Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Director: John Heyn and Jeff Krulik
Year: 1986
On May 31, 1986, filmmaker John Heyn and public access station manager Jeff Krulik grabbed a video camera and drove to the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland to interview fans of the heavy metal rock group Judas Priest tailgating in the parking lot before a concert. The result became the beloved cult classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot, aka Hmpl.
What Heyn and Krulik managed to capture was all sorts of inebriated and otherwise chemically imbalanced carousing and partying. While the documentary is filled with all sorts of memorable characters and stories — from Zebraman to the friends of Timmy — the most outrageous action caught on video is when 20-year-old Air Force recruit Dave Helvey starts making out with a 13-year-old girl,...
Film: Heavy Metal Parking Lot
Director: John Heyn and Jeff Krulik
Year: 1986
On May 31, 1986, filmmaker John Heyn and public access station manager Jeff Krulik grabbed a video camera and drove to the Capital Centre in Landover, Maryland to interview fans of the heavy metal rock group Judas Priest tailgating in the parking lot before a concert. The result became the beloved cult classic Heavy Metal Parking Lot, aka Hmpl.
What Heyn and Krulik managed to capture was all sorts of inebriated and otherwise chemically imbalanced carousing and partying. While the documentary is filled with all sorts of memorable characters and stories — from Zebraman to the friends of Timmy — the most outrageous action caught on video is when 20-year-old Air Force recruit Dave Helvey starts making out with a 13-year-old girl,...
- 1/7/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Animator Nina Paley has placed her entire feature film Sita Sings the Blues online for viewing. That’s it embedded above in really good quality on YouTube, which sounds like an oxymoron, but it’s not. It’s extremely crisp looking so that the incredibly eye-catching animation really grabs you.
Paley’s situation with her film has been a big story in 2009, particularly in the past month or so. Here’s the deal: Paley crafted the film — which combines her own personal story of her painful divorce with the ancient Indian story of Sita and Rama, two gods who try to exist as human beings — around songs sung by Annette Hanshaw, a jazz singer who was popular in the ’20s.
However, in trying to clear the copyrights to the composition of those songs, Paley ran into a big problem: Namely that the copyright holders wanted Paley to pay $50,000 to include them in the film.
Paley’s situation with her film has been a big story in 2009, particularly in the past month or so. Here’s the deal: Paley crafted the film — which combines her own personal story of her painful divorce with the ancient Indian story of Sita and Rama, two gods who try to exist as human beings — around songs sung by Annette Hanshaw, a jazz singer who was popular in the ’20s.
However, in trying to clear the copyrights to the composition of those songs, Paley ran into a big problem: Namely that the copyright holders wanted Paley to pay $50,000 to include them in the film.
- 1/3/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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