Adam and Joel
Shot on Tape
•
19-Nov-2013
A conversation between 2 friends, drinking beers, eating Combos, talking about everything, a spirited 5am social + political + religious, etc, etc., discussion. There's a jump cut every 2 or 3 seconds which takes some getting used to, but creates interesting gaps and leaps, and establishes momentum. The two friends, one Jewish, one African American, start with some sex talk, jump to some cultural heritage, land on some self-hate, get to some semantics, "white trash," "the holocaust." Director Theodore Collatos (who also directed the previous NoBudge selection, "Berlin Day to Night") simply documents the discussion, jump cuts being his only flourish, he knows how to get out of the way, to let the "actors" act. The whole thing feels spontaneous, like a feeling arose in a room, Collatos reached for whatever camera was around and filmed for hours, capturing two people at the end of a long night, locked in to an endless chatter (at worst) / discourse (at best), a time & situation that's never easy to get. The result is refreshing for its candor and lack of self-consciousness.
Up Next in Shot on Tape
-
Salt Mom
An ode to teen friendship told through a series of loose vignettes exploring the moods and personalities of a group of friends in Brooklyn, NY. “Salt Mom,” directed by Sam Kahrar, is a hybrid documentary filled with moments of casual intimacy, specificity and humor. We watch as the kids read each...
-
Making Eyes
A distinctive piece of homemade filmmaking that’s awkwardly funny and intriguing. Arriving and departing on its own track, "Making Eyes" is a lo-fi film about locking eyes with a stranger on the NYC subway and falling in love. An office worker who gets by with his Mad Men impressions keeps seeing...
-
The Valley of the Cats
Two brothers steal a car in Lisbon, Portugal and head for a lighthouse. Directed by George Daniell, “The Valley of the Cats,” is an inventive lo-fi comedy adventure, shot on 8mm tape, part road movie, part descent into madness. Dead Eye and Square Hands, as the brothers are known, make their way ...
