Danny Plotnick: Warts & All Film Party with Chuck Prophet March 29, 2008

Don't miss what promises to be a fun evening of film and music. Local filmmaking stalwart Danny Plotnick will screen selections from Warts & All, plus new films, including his recent music video collaborations with guitar slinger Chuck Prophet. In addition to screening films, Chuck Prophet will dazzle the crowd with a set of tunes.

Danny Plotnick roared into the underground film world in the 1980s. Fueled by his love of punk and alternative culture and infected with d.i.y. spirit, he started making films that captured a similarly snarly attitude. His films were pegged as bawdy, bad-mouthed and beautiful, straddling the line between high-brow and low-brow art. It's no surprise that his work has screened from the MOMA in NYC to mortuaries in Baltimore to the Independent Film Channel. With little opportunity to screen this type of work in the 80s, Plotnick took to the road, projector and films in trunk, screening in bars, warehouses and cafes. Plotnick trail blazed a path for the underground film world that exploded in the early 90s, a scene that would ultimately champion his work.

Working in the pre-digital age, Plotnick was a fierce advocate for super 8 filmmaking. He took this 1960s home movie medium with limited capabilities and made work that stands tall regardless of format. The special features on this dvd are an important document for students of film, providing a rare glimpse into the world of sound super 8 filmmaking.

The films on this disc include Swingers' Serenade, a titillating tale of suburban sexual malaise; I, Socky, a rogue sock monkey hits the town on a big day out; Steel Belted Romeos, a turbo-charged tale of California road rage; Skate Witches, a glimpse into the world of a 1980s female skateboard gang; Flip About Flip, a tribute to comic genius Flip Wilson.

Plotnick just received the Grand Prize at the Underground Filmmaker Festival, an award based on his body of work plus his brand new film Out of Print. Out of Print is a loving ode to the counterculture of the 80s and 90s, a time when unearthing quality culture was a real treasure hunt. Out of Print will be screening at the San Francisco International Film Festival this April and May. Additionally, Plotnick just completed a series of music videos for Chuck Prophet, and is working on a collection of music and alternative culture dvds for Runt Records including dvds about Terry Riley, The Black Panthers, drag racing, and ESP Records. He is also producing the popular art/culture/comedy/storytelling podcast Nest of Vipers.

Official Website: http://www.dogearedbooks.com/redhill