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Orestes and the Fly (A Tragicomedy, with Tap Dancing; 8:08 min.)
"The Fly" meets one of the world's most famous dysfunctional families, the House of Atreus.
Orestes and the Fly is a comic revision of Jean-Paul Sartre's play The Flies--itself a retelling of the Greek tragedy The Oresteia by Aeschylus. This Fly is an Avenging Fury who really wants to be a tap dancer like Fred Astaire.
The Making of Orestes and the Fly (9:37 min.)
A "behind the scenes" look at making a comic movie about a Fly (think Vincent Price, 1958) inserted into Greek tragedy (think Aeschylus, 458 B.C.E.). Watch actors flub up, abuse furniture, tap dance not quite like Fred Astaire, and discover The Deeper Meaning.
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Orestes and the Fly (A Tragicomedy, with Tap Dancing; 8:08 min.)
"The Fly" meets one of the world's most famous dysfunctional families, the House of Atreus.
Orestes and the Fly is a comic revision of Jean-Paul Sartre's play The Flies--itself a retelling of the Greek tragedy The Oresteia by Aeschylus. This Fly is an Avenging Fury who really wants to be a tap dancer like Fred Astaire.
The Making of Orestes and the Fly (9:37 min.)
A "behind the scenes" look at making a comic movie about a Fly (think Vincent Price, 1958) inserted into Greek tragedy (think Aeschylus, 458 B.C.E.). Watch actors flub up, abuse furniture, tap dance not quite like Fred Astaire, and discover The Deeper Meaning.
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Beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking hommage, tomorrow, on mine.
Thanks, ArtSparker! I'm glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteMy father e-mailed, saying the movie seems to be:
"a mix of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Singing in the Rain... maybe with a little Marat/Sade thrown in."
I have watched both movies several times now, so they have become the same movie in my mind. My favorite parts are: the feather torment of Orestes (Sascha is great on camera); the lovely fly animation; Maura's beautiful, elegant, graceful death(s); and Fresca's seriousness in her interview, all the while playing with a sparkly ball.
ReplyDeleteTerrific to see grown-ups playing just because they want to -- a raspberry to the Puritan/Capitalist dictum that one must be materially productive or consuming at all times. Bravo Fly On the Wall!
A great sigh of contentment escapes my lips. Bravo, indeed! Have only watched the film twice and the making of once, but I shall return often. I was thinking "grace" when the fly put the stickers (gems?) on Orestes' murderous hand. I like, however, you, Fresca, saying the film's about how art saves us. My words would be along the line of art as a gracious gift to we who are all the way we are.
ReplyDeleteLove the fly.
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed when I visit your site. You make me think in ways I don't normally think in. A good mental exercise.
Thanks for commenting, all!
ReplyDeleteNANCY: I too love non-profit play! In fact, I think that as we focus on immediately useful activities, we may as a culture overlook the long-term "usefulness" of leisure time, frivolity, free exploration and expression.
That sounds grand, really I just wanna play in the mud, and usefulness be damned.
Thanks for the specific points, too! (Btw, I hope it's clear that bink made the Fly Dance Dream animation.)
DEANNA: I too see art as grace (in the religious sense). In Catholic thinking, art would be an expression of the Holy Spirit.
Along those lines, a friend sent me this note from a speech Karen Armstrong recently gave:
"Religion has always expressed itself best through art.
In the old days there were two ways of arriving at the truth – Logos and Mythos.
Logos was a way to think about the external world. It has its limits.
Mythos was there to help us negotiate the turbulence of grief or terror. Myth is essentially a program for action – it tells us what to do – how to behave."
LORI: Hi! I'm so glad you like the movie (and the blog!) I wish you could send me some of your lipsmacking goodies from your blog through the message box!
What a lovely film...I really enjoyed it, Fly Off The Wall productions, thank you very much.
ReplyDeleteYou've earned a break, but I trust you have other projects in the pipeline??
Thanks, Manfred!
ReplyDeleteI blush to think how awful the audio sounds even to a non-audiologist like me. I hope I've learned some tricks of the trade now, like don't leave the mike on the other side of a gully...
Fly Off the Wall's next film is going to be a short music video about herring, based on the Finnish proverb:
"Herring are rather small fish to serve for Christmas dinner."
Sort of an absurd Monty Python thing, I expect. Several friends have already agreed to get wrapped in tin foil for the shoot---if you happen to be in town, you're invited!
If you can get a second unit to the UK...? I played Second Herring back in our High School production of Look Back In Anchovy, so you'd be in good hands...
ReplyDeleteI've put the film up on TTJ, hope thats ok??
Are you kidding, Mein Herring? It's wonderful: Thank you!
ReplyDeleteA second unit! There's a dream... I'd settle for a second camera.
came here thru artspark theater. fabulous work! i have been sick all week and now i am better.
ReplyDeleteWhat a nice thing to hear, Jude! Thanks. (I tried to look at your blog, but as you know of course, it's private. See you at Art Sparkers.)
ReplyDelete