The Confessions of Curt McDowell

A contemporary and occasional collaborator of the Kuchar brothers, San Francisco-based Curt McDowell produced an utterly remarkable body of work between the late 1960s and his death in 1987 from AIDS-related illness. In his exquisitely made yet wildly audacious films, he drew vividly on his obsessions with sex, pop music, performance, comedy, melodrama, and the delicious dichotomy of the gorgeous and the grotesque. Most notorious for his nearly three-hour horror/comedy/porno/melodrama/cult classic Thundercrack! (1975), McDowell also created numerous hilarious, intimate, provocative, and unexpectedly profound short films over his tragically short career.

The Academy Film Archive in Los Angeles has been home to Curt McDowell’s films since 2014, and since then has been actively working to restore his entire body of work. This program will feature an eclectic selection of these restorations, ranging from sensitive portraiture to voyeuristic erotica to scatological farce.

Curt McDowell: Ainslie Trailer, 1972, 16mm, 2 min; Confessions, 1971, 16mm, 11 min; Wieners & Buns Musical, 1972, 16mm, 14 min; Ronnie, 1972, 16mm, 4 min; Stinky-Butt, con Mark Ellinger, 1974, 16mm, 3 min; Beaver Fever, 1974, 16mm, 20 min; Loads, 1980, 16mm, 20 min.

A program by Mark Toscano. All films restored by and courtesy of the Academy Film Archive. Projection in 16mm except for Loads (Digital file), VOSC.