A rare moment with the veteran darling of underground cinema
“Movies should have sex appeal,” says Mike Kuchar. “It’s a basic fundamental quality and helps in making it bearable to watch.” It’s the same bravado that seared through the filmmaker’s lascivious, sugar-coated home videos made with his brother George and screened alongside friends Kenneth Anger, Jonas Mekasand Andy Warhol in the New York underground film scene of the 1960s and 70s. Experimenting with 8mm film, the twin brothers from the Bronx conjured up their own camp, sexually charged pop fantasies in fleshly shades of violet, turquoise, and sunflower. While George passed away in 2011, Mike continues to make his own brand of incisive art and has also taken over his brother’s teaching duties, which is where he first encountered the man who shot today’s film, Oscar Oldershaw.