Tanked
From the Archives
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19-Aug-2014
An existential struggle to make an elaborate Halloween costume, set to 80's synth beats, carried by Eric Yevak, who exists in the frame without really acting, just goes about his work. A procedural with a simple trajectory: make a costume, go to a party. But the costume isn't some half-baked last minute thing, it's a precisely realized World War 2 era tank. The work takes time & director John Raftery gives it, allowing for the breadth of the endeavor, the costume develops slowly out of Styrofoam and takes shape as a blocky, hard-to-maneuver walking Panzer. An idea which could lose heat after a couple minutes is made intriguing for the full 17 because it's such an earnest pursuit, the man takes it very seriously, spending all day focused, only taking breaks to down PBR's and think. Eventually, the man & the tank hit a significant snag but the undertaking is never called into question & the man pivots for a triumphant finale. The impressively multitasking Raftery (who is also a tattoo artist) writes, directs, produces, shoots, and edits.
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