Monster Road
2004 - U.S.A. - 80 mins
English language dialogue
Rated PG (Parental Guidance)
© 2004, Bright Eye Pictures
Director
Brett Ingram
Produced by
Brett Ingram, Jim Haverkamp
Synopsis
Monster Road explores the wildly fantastic worlds of legendary underground clay
animator Bruce Bickford. Tracing the origins of his remarkably unique sensibility,
the film journeys back to Bickford's childhood in a competitive household during the
paranoia of the Cold War, and examines his relationship with his father George who
is facing the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.
Bickford's films, especially the dark and magical
clay animations he created for Frank Zappa in the 1970s, have achieved cult status
worldwide. Entirely self-taught, the 56-year-old Bickford works alone in a makeshift
basement studio in his house near Seattle. Bickford's father George, a retired Boeing
engineer of the Cold War era, is the other main character. George's talent for
maximising the space inside airplanes and missiles parallels his son's animations, which often
contain dozens of inch-tall figures fighting battles on a tiny set. George's wondrous
musings about the universe reveal a deep admiration for the implicit architect of such
splendour, while atheism prevents him from admitting the possibility of a God.
Along with the wonder of creation, George considers the pain of a life spent disengaged
from his family and centred on the imperfections in those around him.
The film features music composed and performed by Shark Quest (Merge Records). Many of the
ideas of their latest soundtrack were developed in the summer and fall of 2002 during
their work on a musical suite written to accompany a screening of Bruce Bickford's
animation.
Profile: Director Brett Ingram
Jim Haverkamp is an award-winning filmmaker and editor who lives in Durham,
North Carolina. His short films have shown in festivals across the country, and he
was awarded a Filmmaking Fellowship from the North Carolina Arts Council in 2000.
Growing up in Iowa City, Iowa, Jim made Super8 films in his backyard, and he still
finds that activity relaxing today. He is a former organizer of the Flicker Film
Festival in Chapel Hill, and also plays harmonium and guitar in the Durham band
"The Holy Roman Empire."
Festival participation
Slamdance Film Festival, 2004 - Best Documentary
Ann Arbor Film Festival, 2004 - Michael Moore Award for Best Documentary Film
Independent Film Festival of Boston, 2004 - Best Documentary
RiverRun International Film Festival, 2004 - North Carolina Filmmaking Award
Sonoma Valley Film Festival, 2004 - Independent Spirit Award
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Bright Eye Pictures