Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		3.5

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie Review

Anonymous

Reviewed by Michael Reuben April 22, 2016

Don Hardy's Theory of Obscurity sets itself the inherently contradictory task of introducing to a new generation a group of artists who have zealously concealed their identity for over forty years. The Residents are (or perhaps I should say, "are believed to be") four avant-garde artists who write music, make films and create objects. Their collected works now reside in New York's Museum of Modern Art—in a giant refrigerator. The Residents avoid the limelight and resist categorization. Hardy's film isn't so much an introduction as a challenge: Make of us what you will.

Hardy interviews a variety of subjects, including present and former officers of the Cryptic Corporation, which is the Residents' marketing arm; artists and musicians who have worked with the Residents; and devoted fans that include Simpsons creator Matt Groening, Jerry Harrison of Talking Heads and Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller. Interspersed with the interviews are both old and new performances from the Residents, who hale from Shreveport, Louisiana, but migrated to the San Francisco Bay Area during the Sixties counterculture, where they adopted their name from the mail sent to their house in San Mateo (addressed, simply, to "Resident"). Any attempt to explicate the Residents' art would be futile, but Hardy includes many images of the group in the guise for which they are best known: globe-shaped helmets painted with a single eye. Consistent with the group's resolute silence, Theory of Obscurity talks about them at length, but the group remains elusive.

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Film Movement's 1080p, AVC-encoded Blu-ray capably reproduces the new footage digitally shot by Hardy and his crew, and it does the best it can with the many vintage recordings made of and by the Residents on 16mm film and early videotape. Some of the sources are badly damaged (or perhaps the distortion is part of the original design—who knows?), but the new footage is sharp, clear and colorful (when it isn't in black-and-white). The average bitrate of 29.99 Mbps is welcome, given the challenging nature of the diverse sources.

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Two 5.1 audio options are available, one in Dolby Digital and the other in DTS-HD MA. The track consists of interview subjects and music by the Residents. The interviews are clearly rendered, and the music plays with broad dynamic range and deep bass extension.

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• The Boarding House (1080p; 1.78:1; 6:29): The Residents' first performance.



• Vileness Fats Outtakes (1080p; 1.33:1; 8:26): Outtakes from the group's never-completed film.



• Third Reich and Roll (1080p; 1.33:1; 4:43): Remastered from 16mm negative.



• Hello Skinny (1080p; 1.33:1; 3:09): Remastered from 16mm negative.



• One Minute Movies (1080p; 1.33:1; 5:00): Remastered from 16mm negative.



• Mellon Collie Lassie (1080p; 1.66:1; 3:05): A new short film compiled from outtakes found during remastering.



• Freak Show DVD Animation (1080p; 1.66:1: 4:45): A sample from a never-completed DVD release.



• The Walking Woman (1080p; 1.33:1; 7:33): A found footage experiment using clips from the internet.



• UBS #1 (1080p; 1.78:1; 3:10): "UBS" stands for "Ultimate Box Set", the collection delivered to the Museum of Modern Art.



• Want More? Extended Interviews Here . . . (1080p; 1.78:1)
• Les Claypool (4:16)
• Jay Clem (8:14)
• Chris Cutler (5:30)
• Homer Flynn (5:18)
• Hein Fokker (5:54)
• Matt Groening (5:25)
• Jerry Harrison (2:28)
• Penn Jillette (4:08)
• John Kennedy (6:34)
• Brian Poole (8:57)



• Theory of Obscurity Trailer (1080p; 1.78:1; 1:39)



• Film Movement Trailers
• Mad Tiger
• The Tall Blond Man with One Black Shoe
• The Gambler
• A Life in Dirty Movies
• Famous Nathan
• The Pillow Book

Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Residents fans will want to acquire Theory of Obscurity simply because Hardy was able to get as close to the group as he did, and the archival materials he has collected are not available elsewhere. If you're new to the Residents, I suggest a rental or VOD, because they're definitely an acquired taste. Either way, Hardy's film is a unique experience.