WI Film Fest: The Wonderful World of Sid Laverents

Before I begin, I have to make a quick reference to how surreal portraiture class was today. We started off drawing from models and skeletons, then the models put on costumes! At one time, the center of the room contained a biker, a lounge singer, a cowboy and two skeletons.

That said, the main reason for this post...

So when I was selecting movies for the Wisconsin Film Festival, "The Wonderful World of Sid Laverents" appealed to me, but the chances of convincing anyone to watch Sid Laverents' 1960s hobby films was extremely small. So I bought my one ticket, went alone... and loved it. Here's the summary from the festival guide:

With a background in vaudeville, a stint as a one-man-band, and a career in rocket science, Sid started his amateur film hobby in the late 1950s — when he was well into his 50s himself — and has been making films ever since. Not only are his films charming, funny, and sweet, but they are also technically precise marvels of amateur filmmaking.

The short film that has won the most amateur awards is "Multiple SIDosis", where he's given a recorder, and then makes his own 11 part harmony with different instruments. After watching YACHT last night (a guy who plays all the instruments on his CD, mixed together on his computer), this was a nice comparison on technology. There's a scene where Sid is writing out the sheet music for his composition. Very entertaining. And, best part, I found the video online, so everyone can enjoy it! [Direct link to Video, Via WFMU]


I may even buy the DVD (sold directly from Sid), but in the meantime, there are a couple mp3s available online. [Nola - the song playing during Multiple SIDosis] [Nobody Loves a Fat Man]