Starring the Residents. Directed by the Residents.
Q. What is Ralph Records?
A. They make those awful weird records.
Q. Why are they weird?
A. Those stupid Residents started Ralph, they're really sick.
Q. What are the Residents?
A. "The Residents not only exemplify the so-called underground, they
are it. Period. There is much more to the Residents than meets the
ear." (Heavy Metal)
Q. What is a RALPHFILM?
A. I don't like them either, they make me feel weird.
See the first filmed performance by the mysterious Residents, featuring Klansmen in newspaper suits and pixilated spaceshipshopping carts, with a medley of the Residents' inimitably demented renditions of "Land of a Thousand Dances" and "Wipeout."
"... far beyond far out ...." - The Oakland Tribune
1977, 16mm, color/so, 5m, $20
Starring the Residents and Brigit Terris; Directed by Graeme Whifler.
The Residents perform the title song while anthropomorphic Skinny explores the nightscape of some future or parallel world of deserted industrial zones in collages of black and white photos and color live action shots.
"[A] film that I want to see 10 or 20 times and you will too if you love the Residents." - Damage magazine
1980, 16mm, color/so, 5m, $20
35mm, color/so, 5m, $20
Starring Snakefinger. Directed by Graeme Whifler.
Rolling down a deserted road in a battered old sedan pulled by minions, Snakefinger performs "Man in the Dark Sedan." Lush rural landscapes combine with startling nature photography.
"The highlight was the film MAN IN THE DARK SEDAN, best described as a mix of Bosch and Castro fed through Fellini." - Sounds magazine
1980, 16mm, color/so, 5m, $20
Starring the Residents. Directed by Graeme Whifler and the Residents.
Something for everybody! Four individual one minute movies canvas the Residential spectrum.
"The Residents specialize in cultural sabotage, sonic rearrangement, cryptic capers. They are (at the same time) very funny and very scary." - London's Sounds magazine
1980, 16mm, color/so, 5m, $20
Starring Tuxedomoon. Directed by Graeme Whifler.
Delivered in operatic style, this film deals with hard day-to-day issues affecting us all, from personal hygiene to fire safety.
"A provocative statement on moral decay (and tooth decay) and general insanity in our society. Tuxedomoon's rather ribald sense of humor nicely leavens the seriousness of the theme. Asks the musical question, 'How is it we live dying to die?'" -Record World
1981, 16mm, color/so, 4m, $20
Starring MX-80 Sound. Directed by Graeme Whifler.
Dream sequence of a garage band working hard, an endless processional through a wet steamy bunker. Poetic soft impressionistic imagery collide with the savage musical pleading, "Why are we here?"
1981, 16mm, color/so, 3m, $20
From Switzerland, an avant-garde work using highly sophisticated visual effects, features Yello, that country's leading New Wave Band. Filmmaker Dieter Meier is also a member of the band. This work is a real visual treat.
16mm, color/so, 3.5m, $20
A child's perverse fantasy about escaping from his mother becomes reality and then a nightmare in this brilliantly acted and staged film from the creator of HELLO SKINNY and The Residents' ONE MINUTE MOVIES. Entertaining and scary. Music is by the band Renaldo and the Loaf.
16mm, color/so, 6m, $20
Includes: THIRD REICH AND ROLL, HELLO SKINNY, ONE MINUTE MOVIES, MAN IN THE DARK SEDAN, WHY ARE WE HERE, JINX, THE EVENING'S YOUNG and SONGS FOR SWINGING LARVAE
1977-1981, 16mm, color/so, 34m, $100