list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Killer of Sheep on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Killer_of_Sheep/90760/default.aspx Title: Killer of Sheep
Year: 1977
Director: Charles Burnett
Plot: The first feature film from acclaimed independent African American filmmaker Charles Burnett, this intensely emotional drama concerns a man who makes his living at a slaughterhouse as he struggles for economic and emotional survival and tries to patch up his often strained relationship with his family. Shot on weekends over a period of several years and first shown publicly in 1977, Killer of Sheep slowly but surely began to develop a potent reputation among film enthusiasts; in 1981, it won honors at the Berlin International Film Festival and an enthusiastic reception at the Sundance Film Festival. It was added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 8
Number of Lists: 4
Number of blog posts: 6
Number of discussion threads: 1
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 13 Oct 2008 10:26:26 GMTKiller of Sheep1977Charles BurnettThe first feature film from acclaimed independent African American filmmaker <a href="/players/P____83593/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Charles Burnett</a>, this intensely emotional drama concerns a man who makes his living at a slaughterhouse as he struggles for economic and emotional survival and tries to patch up his often strained relationship with his family. Shot on weekends over a period of several years and first shown publicly in 1977, Killer of Sheep slowly but surely began to develop a potent reputation among film enthusiasts; in 1981, it won honors at the Berlin International Film Festival and an enthusiastic reception at the Sundance Film Festival. It was added to the Library of Congress' National Film Registry in 1990. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide8Taggedy Taggged (6-10)4613http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s90760.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Killer_of_Sheep/90760/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/nakedlunchradioshow/archive/2008/7/23/32980.aspx Post By: NakedLunchRadioShow
Post To: Naked Lunch Radio
Post Date: 7/23/2008 4:40:22 PM
Body: The Killer of Sheep Killer of Sheep; don't let the title put you off! In cinematic history (that's a really long time!) few films have portrayed ghetto life as accurately and humanely as ‘Killer in Sheep'. What aspects, you might ask, make it a real standout among others? Well, consider the fact that it was shot by a UCLA student on weekends with a shoestring budget, using a mostly amateur cast. Charles Burnett, the director of this poignant tale, unknowingly created a film that has acquired cult status since its creation thirty years ago. Although very few independent movies that suffered the same initial fate as Killer of Sheep (limited distribution) can be called "cult films" today (Punishment Park and Stroszek come to mind), critics unanimously lauded this simplistic production for its accurate depiction of the down-and-out lifestyle many people suffered in Watts, an African-American ghetto of Los Angeles. I had never heard of this movie until our Arts Editor told me about it but the title and circumstances surrounding the film's release immediately caught my interest. It opens with a powerful scene involving a father (Stan) and his oldest child. Stan berates his son for refusing to protect his younger brother when a group of children ganged up on the latter. His fiery gaze burns a hole through his son's eyes while he chews him out, reminding him that family comes first and that under no circumstances shall one abandon the other. The ferociousness of his speech does not set the tone of the film however, as we discover later on that Stan is an insomniac whose brutal labor at the slaughterhouse directly contributes to his disassociation with reality. Through a series of loosely connected vignettes, his daily happenings and those of his friends and family are played out in or around his poor neighborhood. One particular dinner scene establishing Stan's disjointed reality has him staring right into his plate, daydreaming of who knows what, aloof and content. His wife and daughter look on although fully aware of his all-to-common behavior. Other interesting scenes involve the neighborhood children who play in the rubble of destroyed and abandoned buildings due to the lack of organized activities. At one point, Stan and a few friends plot to rob and kill someone for monetary purposes. Whether it's the sight of a young boy wiping the dirt off his pants or a young girl singing to Motown tunes, the message is always present; desperation, frustration and unlimited hurdles fuel these people's lives. Poetic yet heartbreaking, Killer of Sheep reveals itself as truly original in its goal to publicize the sometimes dangerous and highly volatile life in Watts. Fortunately for North American moviegoers, the movie has been restored and enlarged to 35mm by the UCLA Film & Television Archive and Milestone Films, thanks in part to a donation from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. In terms of music, the songs chosen by Burnett exemplify the wonderful talent pool that African American artists have created. "This Bitter Earth", sung by Dinah Washington, is played during an especially tender moment between Stan and his wife. As they gently sway to the soulful melody, they hold each other tight; the wife grips her husband's shirt tighter and tighter, perhaps in response to the lyrics that remind her of the south she grew up in. When the song ends, Stan leaves the room and her frustration boils over as she sits on a window sill, sobbing away while a voiceover confirms her nostalgic moment. In addition, I admired the Lynch-like use of dark, ambient music to set the tone for certain scenes, a definite reminder of Eraserhead, another movie you kids should see a.s.a.p. Killer of Sheep was not immediately released upon completion due to a snafu involving the musical rights; that is, until the restorers could pony up the 150,000$ required to secure the rights. Although it has been brought up to modern standards, the movie succeeds in keeping its message fresh and delivers the same emotional punch to its audience as it did thirty years ago. Its impact on the way we think about poor, urbanized areas was not imminent, but rather delayed. In 1990 the Library of Congress declared the film a national treasure and placed it among the first 50 films entered in the National Film Registry. In 2002 the national society of Film Critics named it one of the 100 essential films of all time. Such praise for such a modest movie only goes to show that it deserves the distribution it is finally getting. www.naked-lunch.org
]]>Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:40:22 GMTNakedLunchRadioShowNaked Lunch Radio7/23/2008 4:40:22 PM The Killer of Sheep Killer of Sheep; don't let the title put you off! In cinematic history (that's a really long time!) few films have portrayed ghetto life as accurately and humanely as &lsquo;Killer in Sheep'. What aspects, you might ask, make it a real standout among others? Well, consider the fact that it was shot by a UCLA student on weekends with a shoestring budget, using a mostly amateur cast. Charles Burnett, the director of this poignant tale, unknowingly created a film that has acquired cult status since its creation thirty years ago. Although very few independent movies that suffered the same initial fate as Killer of Sheep (limited distribution) can be called "cult films" today (Punishment Park and Stroszek come to mind), critics unanimously lauded this simplistic production for its accurate depiction of the down-and-out lifestyle many people suffered in Watts, an African-American ghetto of Los Angeles. I had never heard of this movie until our Arts Editor told me about it but the title and circumstances surrounding the film's release immediately caught my interest. It opens with a powerful scene involving a father (Stan) and his oldest child. Stan berates his son for refusing to protect his younger brother when a group of children ganged up on the latter. His fiery gaze burns a hole through his son's eyes while he chews him out, reminding him that family comes first and that under no circumstances shall one abandon the other. The ferociousness of his speech does not set the tone of the film however, as we discover later on that Stan is an insomniac whose brutal labor at the slaughterhouse directly contributes to his disassociation with reality. Through a series of loosely connected vignettes, his daily happenings and those of his friends and family are played out in or around his poor neighborhood. One particular dinner scene establishing Stan's disjointed reality has him staring right into his plate, daydreaming of who knows what, aloof and content. His wife and daughter look on although fully aware of his all-to-common behavior. Other interesting scenes involve the neighborhood children who play in the rubble of destroyed and abandoned buildings due to the lack of organized activities. At one point, Stan and a few friends plot to rob and kill someone for monetary purposes. Whether it's the sight of a young boy wiping the dirt off his pants or a young girl singing to Motown tunes, the message is always present; desperation, frustration and unlimited hurdles fuel these people's lives. Poetic yet heartbreaking, Killer of Sheep reveals itself as truly original in its goal to publicize the sometimes dangerous and highly volatile life in Watts. Fortunately for North American moviegoers, the movie has been restored and enlarged to 35mm by the UCLA Film &amp; Television Archive and Milestone Films, thanks in part to a donation from filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. In terms of music, the songs chosen by Burnett exemplify the wonderful talent pool that African American artists have created. "This Bitter Earth", sung by Dinah Washington, is played during an especially tender moment between Stan and his wife. As they gently sway to the soulful melody, they hold each other tight; the wife grips her husband's shirt tighter and tighter, perhaps in response to the lyrics that remind her of the south she grew up in. When the song ends, Stan leaves the room and her frustration boils over as she sits on a window sill, sobbing away while a voiceover confirms her nostalgic moment. In addition, I admired the Lynch-like use of dark, ambient music to set the tone for certain scenes, a definite reminder of Eraserhead, another movie you kids should see a.s.a.p. Killer of Sheep was not immediately released upon completion due to a snafu involving the musical rights; that is, until the restorers could pony up the 150,000$ required to secure the rights. Although it has been brought up to modern standards, the movie succeeds in keeping its message fresh and delivers the same emotional punch to its audience as it did thirty years ago. Its impact on the way we think about poor, urbanized areas was not imminent, but rather delayed. In 1990 the Library of Congress declared the film a national treasure and placed it among the first 50 films entered in the National Film Registry. In 2002 the national society of Film Critics named it one of the 100 essential films of all time. Such praise for such a modest movie only goes to show that it deserves the distribution it is finally getting. www.naked-lunch.org http://www.spout.com/blogs/cinemarian/archive/2008/5/12/28605.aspx Post By: CinemaRian
Post To: CinemaRian Blog
Post Date: 5/12/2008 11:41:38 AM
Body: Killer of Sheep is supposed to be some kind of neo-realist slice of life, I think. But those who found even those films to contrived and plot driven will probably enjoy this movie, that has no story and no resolution. Some people will love this film, but I found that, accurate at its look at the lives of the characters may be, there was not much of a reason to care. It also hard to understand what there is to care about. The sound on this low-budget feature is very bad, and the characters speak in a thick Ebonic dialect. This means that much of the dialogue is hard to understand (I was not the only person who felt this way). Since the movie is plotless, it crucially important that we understand the character relationships. The movie is about a black family in a big city (I know from what I read it's Los Angeles). The father (Henry Gayle Sanders) works as a slaughterer at a meat packing plant. He has two kids and a wife. He's basically a good guy but is occasionally harassed by two men who may or may not be gangsters. His kids are okay but often play rough. He helps a friend move his car engine (in the best scene in the movie). And that's about all. So much of this movie the characters speaking, and too often I couldn't understand what they are saying. The photography is grainy, black and white. It is the movie best features and in a way works too well, since it makes the setting look like nothing we've ever seen. The film is so detached from any real location, it almost seems like a science fiction film or a fantasy. The visuals are so evocative that they defeat the movies obstensive purpose of realism. I respected this movie a lot. I liked what it tried to do. I support low buget filmmaking, but it's clear that this movie had too low a budget then it needed. Although I doubt I would join this movie's cult if I understood the dialogue more, I might have gotten into the grove of the characters' lives. Maybe. Killer of Sheep (1977)
]]>Mon, 12 May 2008 15:41:38 GMTCinemaRianCinemaRian Blog5/12/2008 11:41:38 AM Killer of Sheep is supposed to be some kind of neo-realist slice of life, I think. But those who found even those films to contrived and plot driven will probably enjoy this movie, that has no story and no resolution. Some people will love this film, but I found that, accurate at its look at the lives of the characters may be, there was not much of a reason to care. It also hard to understand what there is to care about. The sound on this low-budget feature is very bad, and the characters speak in a thick Ebonic dialect. This means that much of the dialogue is hard to understand (I was not the only person who felt this way). Since the movie is plotless, it crucially important that we understand the character relationships. The movie is about a black family in a big city (I know from what I read it's Los Angeles). The father (Henry Gayle Sanders) works as a slaughterer at a meat packing plant. He has two kids and a wife. He's basically a good guy but is occasionally harassed by two men who may or may not be gangsters. His kids are okay but often play rough. He helps a friend move his car engine (in the best scene in the movie). And that's about all. So much of this movie the characters speaking, and too often I couldn't understand what they are saying. The photography is grainy, black and white. It is the movie best features and in a way works too well, since it makes the setting look like nothing we've ever seen. The film is so detached from any real location, it almost seems like a science fiction film or a fantasy. The visuals are so evocative that they defeat the movies obstensive purpose of realism. I respected this movie a lot. I liked what it tried to do. I support low buget filmmaking, but it's clear that this movie had too low a budget then it needed. Although I doubt I would join this movie's cult if I understood the dialogue more, I might have gotten into the grove of the characters' lives. Maybe. Killer of Sheep (1977) http://www.spout.com/blogs/wonga/archive/2008/1/10/23719.aspx Post By: wonga
Post To: wonga's filmblog
Post Date: 1/10/2008 12:19:35 PM
Body: i have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can’t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year…i know, it’s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here’s my list, for what it’s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn’t see until later. my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordthe diving bell and the butterflythe lives of othersjunothe painted veilonceno country for old menthe darjeeling limitedwaitressstarting out in the eveningsunshinefirst snow zodiacin the shadow of the moonacross the universehonorable mention (alphabetically)2 days in paris 3:10 to yuma51 birch streetdirty dancing (20th anniversary)dreamgirlshairsprayinto the wildthe jane austen book clubkiller of sheepknocked uplars and the real girlletters from iwo jimathe lookouttalk to me wristcutters: a love story2007 movies i still want/need to seeking of kongthe savagessweeney toddthere will be blood 2007 movies I didn’t like so well before the devil knows you’re deadfeast of lovei now pronounce you chuck and larryla vie en rosemartian childold joyratatouillespider-man 3other movies (on video) that I fell in love with this yearthe dead girllonesome jimlook both ways
]]>Thu, 10 Jan 2008 17:19:35 GMTwongawonga's filmblog1/10/2008 12:19:35 PMi have a wonderful picture of all my movie ticket stubs from this year in a pile but i can&rsquo;t get it transferred to my filmblog (yes, i save my ticket stubs and scrapbook them at the end of the year&hellip;i know, it&rsquo;s sad really)! armed with discount movie coupons, i saw 118 movies this year at the theater and, as usual, it was really hard to narrow them down but here&rsquo;s my list, for what it&rsquo;s worth. some are from 2006 that i didn&rsquo;t see until later. my 15 favorite movies at the theater in 2007the assassination of jesse james by the coward robert fordthe diving bell and the butterflythe lives of othersjunothe painted veilonceno country for old menthe darjeeling limitedwaitressstarting out in the eveningsunshinefirst snow zodiacin the shadow of the moonacross the universehonorable mention (alphabetically)2 days in paris 3:10 to yuma51 birch streetdirty dancing (20th anniversary)dreamgirlshairsprayinto the wildthe jane austen book clubkiller of sheepknocked uplars and the real girlletters from iwo jimathe lookouttalk to me wristcutters: a love story2007 movies i still want/need to seeking of kongthe savagessweeney toddthere will be blood 2007 movies I didn&rsquo;t like so well before the devil knows you&rsquo;re deadfeast of lovei now pronounce you chuck and larryla vie en rosemartian childold joyratatouillespider-man 3other movies (on video) that I fell in love with this yearthe dead girllonesome jimlook both ways http://www.spout.com/blogs/paul/archive/2007/12/21/23039.aspx Post By: paul
Post To: paul on spout.com
Post Date: 12/21/2007 4:15:09 PM
Body: Paul and Kevin navigate the gauntlet of trying to watch movies at home. Stu Vanairsdale, The Reeler, reviews a lost gem from 1976, the newly restored and released film, Killer of Sheep. Kevin drops his two-cents on Will Ferrell’s Blades of Glory. Download FilmCouch #14 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul
]]>Fri, 21 Dec 2007 21:15:09 GMTpaulpaul on spout.com12/21/2007 4:15:09 PMPaul and Kevin navigate the gauntlet of trying to watch movies at home. Stu Vanairsdale, The Reeler, reviews a lost gem from 1976, the newly restored and released film, Killer of Sheep. Kevin drops his two-cents on Will Ferrell’s Blades of Glory. Download FilmCouch #14 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for “filmcouch” or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog » Paul http://www.spout.com/blogs/wonga/archive/2007/8/16/18224.aspx Post By: wonga
Post To: wonga's filmblog
Post Date: 8/16/2007 12:38:27 PM
Body: apparently this is a "lost gem" and i was lucky to see it. i heard going in that it was dark and depressing so i was waiting the whole time for the shoe to drop, which never happened. the whole story was the shoe dropping i guess! in summary, it's the story of Stan and his little family who live in a ghetto. he works in a slaughterhouse, hence the title. there's really no story arc, just observations of the family and their life. i think more than half the movie was children playing outside in what passed for a neighborhood. i read somewhere that it was hard to get the music rights, which is why it wasn't released before, but without the music it would have been an entirely different movie. highly recommended.
]]>Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:38:27 GMTwongawonga's filmblog8/16/2007 12:38:27 PMapparently this is a &quot;lost gem&quot; and i was lucky to see it. i heard going in that it was dark and depressing so i was waiting the whole time for the shoe to drop, which never happened. the whole story was the shoe dropping i guess! in summary, it&#39;s the story of Stan and his little family who live in a ghetto. he works in a slaughterhouse, hence the title. there&#39;s really no story arc, just observations of the family and their life. i think more than half the movie was children playing outside in what passed for a neighborhood. i read somewhere that it was hard to get the music rights, which is why it wasn&#39;t released before, but without the music it would have been an entirely different movie. highly recommended. http://www.spout.com/groups/GR_Movies_and_Happenings/What_s_new_at_the_UICA/125/17173/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: KATTmandu
Post To: GR Movies and Happenings
Post Date: 8/3/2007 12:10:24 PM
Body: The UICA just finished showing the French comedy The Valet and Charles Burnett's film Killer of Sheep. Here is what's coming up for August. PAPRIKA In the latest anime from director/co-writer Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue), Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a cutting-edge research psychotherapist whose alter ego, Paprika, can enter people's dreams and uncover the source of their neuroses. At her lab, a powerful new device, the DC-MINI, promises to revolutionize the world of psychotherapy, but in the wrong hands it could annihilate a dreamer's personality while they are asleep. When one of the DC-MINI prototypes is stolen and several lab workers begin to experience strange dreams, Atsuko realizes someone is using the device to destroy people's minds. “A gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery, the doors of perception never close.” - The New York Times - Manohla Dargis Website: sonyclassics.com/paprika Opens August 3 - Showtimes Forthcoming
]]>Fri, 03 Aug 2007 16:10:24 GMTKATTmanduGR Movies and Happenings8/3/2007 12:10:24 PMThe UICA just finished showing the French comedy The Valet and Charles Burnett&#39;s film Killer of Sheep. Here is what&#39;s coming up for August. PAPRIKA In the latest anime from director/co-writer Satoshi Kon (Tokyo Godfathers, Perfect Blue), Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a cutting-edge research psychotherapist whose alter ego, Paprika, can enter people&#39;s dreams and uncover the source of their neuroses. At her lab, a powerful new device, the DC-MINI, promises to revolutionize the world of psychotherapy, but in the wrong hands it could annihilate a dreamer&#39;s personality while they are asleep. When one of the DC-MINI prototypes is stolen and several lab workers begin to experience strange dreams, Atsuko realizes someone is using the device to destroy people&#39;s minds. &ldquo;A gorgeous riot of future-shock ideas and brightly animated imagery, the doors of perception never close.&rdquo; - The New York Times - Manohla Dargis Website: sonyclassics.com/paprika Opens August 3 - Showtimes Forthcoming http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/4/6/6780.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 4/6/2007 12:14:22 PM
Body: Paul and Kevin navigate the gauntlet of trying to watch movies at home. Stu Vanairsdale, The Reeler, reviews a lost gem from 1976, the newly restored and released film, Killer of Sheep. Kevin drops his two-cents on Will Ferrell's Blades of Glory. Download FilmCouch #14 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for "filmcouch" or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Syndicated Feed From:SpoutBlog
]]>Fri, 06 Apr 2007 16:14:22 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com4/6/2007 12:14:22 PMPaul and Kevin navigate the gauntlet of trying to watch movies at home. Stu Vanairsdale, The Reeler, reviews a lost gem from 1976, the newly restored and released film, Killer of Sheep. Kevin drops his two-cents on Will Ferrell's Blades of Glory. Download FilmCouch #14 or subscribe in the iTunes store (search for "filmcouch" or click here to launch iTunes) and a new free episode will download every Friday. Syndicated Feed From:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/family/MemberTagFilms.aspxfamily
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