Curt McDowell

It Came from Kuchar

It Came from Kuchar is the definitive, feature documentary about the legendary, underground filmmaking twins, the Kuchar brothers. George and Mike Kuchar have inspired two generations of filmmakers, actors, musicians, and artists with their zany, "no budget" films and with their uniquely enchanting spirits.

Video Album 5: The Thursday People

The comings and goings of the late underground filmmaker, Curt McDowell—and the people and activities that came and went along with him—are the themes that run through this existential diary of daily life. McDowell was dying from AIDS-related illnesses during the production of the diary. “An elegy for McDowell, the videowork captures Kuchar’s mournful remembrances of his long-lasting friendship with the young filmmaker. But it also has the inquisitive charm, perverse humor, and quirky candor that places Kuchar’s visual expressions in a gritty niche all their own.”

Xmas 1986

"In Xmas 1986, George Kuchar’s mother Stella has come to stay with him for the holidays. After a series of dinners with friends, Stella’s repeated discussions about her shingles and Kuchar’s ominous film-noirish narration, Kuchar rescues the morale of a dinner party gone bad thanks to an undercooked ham by presenting his hosts with a very memorable holiday gift." – Kyle Riley

Little Showoffs

From filmmaker Zachary Youngblood (Deep Tango) comes Little Showoffs, an intimate study of the sexual fantasies of real people, brought to the screen. From the surreal, to the highly personal, Little Showoffs explores the range of erotic desire through six vignettes framed by and starring the actual people who conceived them.

George Kuchar: The Comedy of the Underground

A documentary portrait of filmmaker George Kuchar conducting a tour of his apartment where he displays memorabilia and his toys which were used for props.

Audience

Barbara Hammer’s Audience is a fascinating deep cut from the director’s prodigious filmography. Relatively raw in its design, this 16mm diary of audience reactions at retrospectives of Hammer’s work in San Francisco, London, Toronto, and Montreal in the early 1980s bears none of the distinctive visual flourishes and essayistic form one usually finds in her filmmaking. Today, Audience serves as an invaluable historical archive, providing quick but complex portraits of lesbian scenes in different cities and countries: the San Francisco women are bold and raucous, treating Hammer like a celebrity; the London crowd more reserved and tentative; the Canadians politely critical after initial hesitation. It also functions as a testament to the power of Hammer herself as a figure of lesbian culture, showing how fully she engages audiences to incite new forms of discourse about representation.

Loads

Curt McDowell offers an account of his adventures with straight boys and the hospitality he extends to them.

The Mongreloid

A man, his dog, and the regions they inhabited, each leaving his own distinctive mark on the landscape. Not even time can wash away the residue of what they left behind.

Symphony for a Sinner

Symphony for a Sinner (1979) was a long, lavishly photographed color film generally considered the magnum opus of the class productions.

A Reason to Live

"This film is about depression, although it's not that depressing. I suppose it has a message of faith and hope in it ... it does for me .... But then again my interest may not match yours. It was shot in San Francisco and in Central Oklahoma with a cast of one man and four women. Crushing emotions are indulged in against a massive meteorological background that brings inspiration and terror to the characters involved."

Thundercrack!

An eccentric and alcoholic widow hosts a motley assortment of travelers - four men, three women and one gorilla - who arrive one eventful night to get out of a torrential rainstorm.

The Devil's Cleavage

A shady motel manager becomes obsessed with a neglected wife.

Naughty Words

Naughty Words is a 3 min experimental film by Curt McDowell, covering the gamut of cinematic profanity.

Naughty Words

Naughty Words is a 3 min experimental film by Curt McDowell, covering the gamut of cinematic profanity.

Stinky-Butt

A comedic satire of psychological thrillers. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2015.

Resurrection of Eve

Eve is stuck in an abusive relationship with her lover, Frank, but after attending a few swing parties, she begins to lose her inhibitions in more ways than one.

The Mean Brothers "Get Stood Up"

Two brothers are stood up and lament through song. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2015.

Boggy Depot

Two men hypnotize their roommate and attempt to force him to fall in love.

Dora Myrtle

A short film in two parts by Curt McDowell. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2015.

Wieners and Buns Musical

A musical about an unhappy couple and the man that stands between them. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2015.

Confessions

Curt McDowell has a confession for his parents. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2015.

Truth for Ruth

Curt McDowell relates an idea for a film to Ted Davis. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.

Peed Into the Wind

“PEED INTO THE WIND smears across the screen like one of those dirty underground comic books. It’s loaded with a lot of big scenes and unusual looking people that make this epic resemble a clogged toilet. Unfortunately, since several of the performers were not as loyal as Ainslie Pryor and John Thomas, the plot is difficult to follow but in no way hinders the sewer-like sequences. It’s quite enjoyable and possesses the releasing power of an enema.” –George Kuchar. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2016.

Siamese Twin Pinheads

Willy and Billy attempt to entertain while struggling with their primal urges.

Riverbody

A continuous dissolve of 87 male and female nudes. "The film's fascination lies with the suspense of that magic moment, halfway between two persons, when the dissolve technique produces composite figures, oftentimes hermaphroditic, that inspires awe for the mystery of the human form." - B. Ruby Rich, Chicago Art Institute

Pornogra Follies

A musical revue of lewd routines.

A Visit to Indiana

Super 8 home movie footage of McDowell's trip home to Indiana, with voice-over by McDowell and Ted Davis.