George Kuchar
George Kuchar (August 31, 1942 – September 6, 2011) and his twin brother Mike began making films as teenagers in the 1950s, with 8mm film being their weapon of choice. After shocking their local amateur filmmaking club with their over-the-top stories of lust and angst, they became stars of the NYC underground scene in the 1960s, befriending the likes of Jonas Mekas and Jack Smith. Always working with the constraints of minuscule budgets and nonprofessional actors, the Kuchar’s inspiration comes from classic Hollywood melodrama. Their cheaply made pictures, rather than being held back by lack of funds, blossomed in the shackles of poverty; the garish colors of the cheap makeup and sets were perfectly complemented by the bold color range afforded by Kodachrome reversal stock. The wild (and sometimes the inverse of wild) acting, use of stock music, lack of synch sound, hyperbolic narration, and primitive special effects all combined to make tiny gems unlike anything seen before or since. The Kuchars are cited as major influences by such filmmakers as John Waters, Todd Solondz, and David Lynch.
Acting
Movie
Hold Me While I'm Naked
1966
Movie
Bongwater
as Homeless Man
1998
Movie
Divine Trash
as Self
2000
Movie
Thundercrack!
as Bing / Medusa
1975
Movie
I, an Actress
as Director
1977
Movie
Mary Jane's Not a Virgin Anymore
as Banquet speaker
1998
Movie
Sins of the Fleshapoids
as Prince Gianbeno
1965
Movie
Screamplay
as Martin
1984
Movie
The Mongreloid
as Himself
1978
Movie
Tootsies in Autumn
1963
Movie
The Craven Sluck
as Morton
1967
Movie
He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
as Self (archive footage)
1986
Movie
It Came from Kuchar
as Self
2009
Movie
The Secret of Wendel Samson
1966
Movie
Weather Diary 3
1988
Movie
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis
as Self
2007
Movie
Wild Night in El Reno
1977
Movie
Confessions
1972
Movie
Brakhage
as Self (archive footage)
1998
Movie
Sparkle's Tavern
as Mr. Pupik
1985
Movie
Taboo: The Single and the LP
1980
Movie
Big Joy: The Adventures of James Broughton
as Self
2013
Movie
Born of the Wind
1964
Movie
George Kuchar: The Comedy of the Underground
as Himself
1983
Crew
Movie
Hold Me While I'm Naked
Director
1966
Movie
Thundercrack!
Screenplay
1975
Movie
I, an Actress
Director
1977
Movie
I Was a Teenage Serial Killer
Other
1993
Movie
The Mongreloid
Director
1978
Movie
Tootsies in Autumn
Director
1963
Movie
A Reason to Live
Director
1976
Movie
Weather Diary 3
Director
1988
Movie
Wild Night in El Reno
Director
1977
Movie
The Devil's Cleavage
Screenplay
1975
Movie
Eclipse of the Sun Virgin
Director
1967
Movie
Cattle Mutilation
Director
1983