Keating

Media Relations


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    Toronto, Ont

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      T. 416 966 3796 / skeating@interlog.com

 

BRUCE LABRUCEÕS ÔOTTO; or, UP WITH DEAD PEOPLEÕ OPENS AS PART OF HIS FIRST-EVER RETROSPECTIVE.

Bruce LaBruce Retrospective at The Royal from Dec 4th to Dec 6th, 2008.

 

"sexy and silly in just the right proportions, it's a cult item with real heart!"

– New York Times, Nov. 7 2008

(Nov 12, 2008 – Toronto)  OVN.TV is pleased to announce the Canadian premiere of Bruce LaBruceÕs gay zombie movie Otto; or, Up With Dead People (www.ottothezombie.de), which will form the centrepiece of the first-ever, long- awaited, Bruce LaBruce Retrospective - running Thurs, Dec 4th through Sat, Dec 6th at The Royal Cinema in Toronto.  Presented by OVN.TV,  Otto; or, Up With Dead People is paired with classic LaBruce features including Hustler White, Super 8 1/2, The Raspberry Reich and No Skin Off my Ass.

The Bruce LaBruce Retrospective will celebrate the cinematic work of the Canadian iconoclast cult hero, and artiste provocateur with films, nightly Q&As and such events as a live musical performance by Crystal Castles, a discussion panel exploring censorship in Canada, a master class with LaBruce and a closing night party.  

LaBruceÕs films remain committed to pushing the boundaries of cinema, society, moral comfort -- and yes, even taste -- in his desire to demystify and explore worlds many deem taboo. Over the years, Bruce LaBruce has become one of the most equally controversial and influential members of the ÒqueercoreÓ movement. His outrageous mixture of comedy, art, porn and politics has won him numerous awards and acclaim around the world. A writer, editor, actor, and photographer, LaBruce is most widely known as an auteur whose films challenge and invert the way contemporary culture is depicted and celebrated. The Bruce LaBruce Retrospective gives audiences the opportunity to experience this one-of-a-kind artistÕs amazing output and to meet the director himself.

His latest film, Otto; or, Up With Dead People is a must-see for zombie movie lovers and clearly a crossover film for LaBruce, who turns the genre upside down while creating a new, sexy, hyper-politicized zombie mythology. An award-winner around the world, the film was an Official Selection at both the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.

Written and directed by Bruce LaBruce (www.brucelabruce.com), this film finds a young zombie named Otto (Jey Crisfar) on a remote highway.  He has no idea where he is coming from or where he is going. After hitching a ride to Berlin and nesting in an abandoned amusement park, he begins to explore the city.  Soon he is discovered by underground filmmaker Medea Yarn (Katharina Klewinghaus), who begins to make a documentary about him with the support of her girlfriend, Hella Bent (Susanne Sachsse), and her brother Adolf (Guido Sommer), who operates the camera.  Meanwhile, Medea is trying to finish ÒUp With Dead People,Ó the epic political-porno-zombie movie that she has been working on for years.  With an emotional core, superb music (including a melancholic song by Antony & The Johnsons) and featuring many nods to genre influencers such as George Romero and Carnival of Souls, Otto; or, Up With Dead People rises high while remaining proudly, bloodily lowbrow.

The Bruce LaBruce Retrospective lineup at The Royal is as follows:

 

Thurs, Dec 4th.         

7pm                 The Raspberry Reich - a messy camp manifesto for public sexual warfare and a mockery of knee-jerk rebellion and ÒfashionableÓ causes, this film is both agit-pop and a radical sex flick.

 

8:30pm            Performance by acclaimed duo Crystal Castles    

 

9pm                 Otto; or, Up With Dead People

 

11pm               After-Party with the Crystal Castles

     

Fri, Dec 5th

7pm                 Hustler White - is the most famed of LaBruceÕs early films and tells the story of a Santa Monica Boulevard street hustler (Tony Ward) who is being pursued by a love-struck writer (LaBruce) who visits Los Angeles to check out the Santa Monica Boulevard hustler scene.

 

8:30pm            Discussion on Censorship in Canada featuring a surprise expert panel of popular filmmakers and noted social critics debating the realities of censorship in Canada.

 

9pm                 Otto; or, Up With Dead People

 

Sat, Dec 6th

7pm                 No Skin Off My Ass – LaBruceÕs debut feature film, in which he plays the role of a hairdresser obsessed with a street skinhead. 

 

8:30pm             Master Class with Bruce LaBruce in which he discusses his methods of moviemaking and his perspective on the realities of working outside the traditional system.

 

9pm                 Super 8 ½ - A harrowing and cautionary bio-pic about the rocky rise to cult stardom of a rapidly aging porn actor/director.

 

11pm               Otto; or, Up With Dead People followed by closing night party, DJÕd by Crystal Castles.

 

Admittance to each Retrospective event is free with purchase to one of that dayÕs films.

 

OVN.TV (Online Video Network), an online broadcaster and download-to-own service specializing in feature and documentary content, is presenting the Bruce LaBruce Retrospective.  Otto: or, Up With Dead People will be available for download exclusively through OVN.TV commencing simultaneously with the World Premiere Screening on December 4.                                             

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To schedule interviews or to receive press kit, screeners and/or photos please contact:    Stephanie Keating at  skeating@interlog.com  or at 416-966-3796.