DOCUMENTARIES &
EXPERIMENTAL FILMS

D.I.Y. OR DIE How to survive as an independent artist This fast-paced documentary explores the "Do It Yourself" ethic, as seen in the lives and work of independent artists and musicians.  See what it really takes to survive as a creative artist today.  Featuring interviews and performances by Lydia Lunch, Mike Watt, Ian MacKaye, J Mascis, Jim Rose, Foetus, Richard Kern, GWAR, Madigan Shive, Ron Asheton, Tribe 8, and more.   "Forget about art school; this film is all you need." --Film Threat   Color video.  90 min.  VHS:  $13  DVD:  $16 Note: The DVD includes 1 hour of bonus material!

GWAR in concert

Home Movies Three films by Peter Kirby Three movies from a San Francisco independent filmmaker: a 48 min. documentary about taxicabs and two eleven minute experimental films. Peter Kirby, a former taxicab driver, makes and distributes his films himself completely outside the Hollywood and independent film establishments. "The independent film world tries to pass itself off as anti-establishment when film festivals ARE the establishment." Self Portrait  (16mm black & white, silent) is in two parts; one about the mundane and another about beauty. The idea behind The Hunter  (16mm color, sound) was to get things that are difficult to capture on film such as wildlife and skateboarding. San Francisco Taxicab  (digital video) is a traditional documentary about the history and current state of the cab business in S.F. with a mini history of the city itself.  SFT is narrated by veteran driver/dispatcher Sai Lee and a veteran driver, Mike Eaton, appears in a scene. "Kirby is clearly talented."  -- San Francisco Weekly.  Check out Peter Kirby's official website at: www.peterakirby.com. Color film and video.  49 min.  VHS:  $10.

Homestead Artifact A film by Kent Hayward A personal documentary using landscape, physical artifacts, and a grandmother's stories, this film recounts one family's role in the history of the American West.  While piecing together memories of harsher times, the filmmaker's family rediscovers the remains of the New Mexican homestead where his grandfather grew up. Homestead Artifact explores the idea of "personal archeologies" through a thoughtful examination of the connections between history and memory, progress and entropy, story and history.  Beautiful images of Western landscapes and the remnants of pioneer dwellings, combined with meditative narration, create a moving experience.   "Deeply affecting... Hayward has succeeded beautifully in making history personal."  -- Kevin Thomas, The Los Angeles Times  Color film and video.  49 min.  VHS:  $20.

SANTERO Art of Devotion This major new documentary depicts the lives and works of the traditional Hispanic artists of northern New Mexico, who are keeping alive the centuries-old art form of carving and painting images of saints on wood.  Included are intimate glimpses of more than a dozen major artists as they participate in fiestas and private devotions, as well as training the next generation of santeros.  Through their craft, these artists are passing on a legacy of cultural identity to the next generation.  Endorsed by the Spanish Colonial Arts Society.  Color video.  VHS:  $30.

USED VIDEOS - SINGLE COPIES

Concert of Wills (1997)
From documentary filmmakers Susan Froemke, Bob Eisenhardt, and Albert Maysles comes this portrait of the personalities and processes involved in designing and constructing the Getty Center building in Los Angeles. Shot over a period of years, this film reveals in fascinating detail just what goes into creating a major work of public art. Col film (16mm). 100 min. VHS $20 (NOTE: This video comes in a plastic case rather than a cardboard sleeve.)

Liberation (1994)
The Simon Wiesenthal Center presents a documentary which interweaves the twin stories of the Allied campaign to liberate Europe, and Hitler's genocidal war against the Jews. While Hitler was losing his war against the Allies, tragically, the Nazis were winning their war against the innocent victims of the Holocaust. Narrated by Ben Kingsley, Miriam Margolyes, Patrick Stewart, Jean Boht, and Whoopi Goldberg. VHS

Once Upon a Time (1992)
A highly flattering biography of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, from producers David Lynch and Mark Frost (Twin Peaks). Includes scenes inside the Playboy Mansion, home movies of Hefner's childhood, and candid interviews with his friends and his enemies. Col video. 91 min. Rated R. VHS STILL SEALED! $12

One Year After (1988)
A documentary video about the Oct. 11, 1998 March on Washington for Gay and Lesbian Rights. Col video. 58 min. VHS: $3

Scrabylon (2003)
Shot primarily during the World Scrabble Championships in Las Vegas, "Scrabylon" takes you into the wild world of competitive Scrabble, and gives you an up-close look at some of the eccentric characters who live and breathe the game. It's "like a Best in Show about board-game lovers," says the Los Angeles Times. Color. 50 min. STILL SEALED! DVD $15

Silverlake Life: The View from Here (1993)
This extraordinary video diary reveals the day-to-day experience of a man living with AIDS. Acclaimed by critics as one of the ten best films of 1993, Silverlake Life was also the Grand Jury Prize winner at the Sundance Film Festival. Col video. 90 min. STILL SEALED! VHS $10 (Box has a small scratch at the top on the back).

Thomas Eakins: A Motion Portrait
Thomas Eakins was a brilliant portraitist and outspoken teacher who flaunted the conventions of Philadelphia society in the Victorian era. Not until years after his death did a new generation of scholars and critics recognize Eakins as one of America's greatest painters. This film combines dramatic re-creations with photographs, interviews and archival footage to tell the story of Eakins' life. Actor Kevin Conway portrays Eakins in the re-creations, and Sam Waterston is the narrator. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art home video collection. 60 min. STILL SEALED! VHS $15 (NOTE: This video comes in a large plastic case rather than a cardboard sleeve.)