"Pittsburgh City Paper" - april 23-30, 2008
"Film Repertory"
Backwards Masking In Rocks
Writer: BILL O'DRISCOLL
The latest from tireless local experimenter tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE is a[n 86]-minute expose about an insidious threat to our morals: Like rock-music records played backward, our very geology contains subliminal messages encouraging drug use and devil worship. An old Flash Gordon episode and a fundamentalist minister's book about backwards masking inspires such tENTATIV-entions as a mad text about "rock books"
[tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE note: actually an invention of Richard Shaver & Ray Palmer]
and an Old Testament re-enactment starring a GG Allin doll as King Saul. Heavy reliance on on-screen text slows the film's first half, but Backwards Masking pays off with an extended satirical metaphor conflating rocks and rock stars, and advice about how to identify rebels against God. At minimum, it's the year's only film to mixtape Godard's Roplling Stones movie, Twelve Ceasars author Suetonius, Steppenwolf's "Pusher Man" and Hustler. This premiere screening features a live soundtrack by [tENT] and virtuouso musician Ben Opie, and doubles as the release of [tENT]'s 12-inch vinyl LP on Dear Skull records, entitled Mechanically Repetitive / ReRecorded Records RECORD.
8 p.m. Wed., April 30, Melwood. $6; $9 for the record this night only. 412-682-4111
to the tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE movie-making "Press: Criticism, Interviews, Reviews" home-page
to the "tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE - Sprocket Scientist" home-page
to the "FLICKER" home-page for the alternative cinematic experience
to find out more about why the S.P.C.S.M.E.F. (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Sea Monkeys by Experimental Filmmakers) is so important
for info on tENTATIVELY, a cONVENIENCE's tape/CD publishing label: WIdémoUTH
to see an underdeveloped site re the N.A.A.M.C.P. (National Association for the Advancement of Multi-Colored Peoples)