Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection
by Charles Burnett
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DVD details
Actor: Henry Gayle Sanders, Kaycee MooreDirector: Charles Burnett
Brand: Oscilloscope Laboratories
DVD: Region Code 0
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, Full Screen, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 81 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-11-20
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Model: Mile00107
Studio: New Yorker Video/Milestone Cinematheque
Product features:
- KILLER OF SHEEP: CHARLES BURNETT COLLECTION (DVD MOVIE)
DVD Reviews of Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection
DVD Review: The early genius of Charles Burnett
Summary: 5 Stars
I started my educational career at UCLA in the History and Sociology departments from 1966 - 1971. I met Charles Burnett one early morning as he was headed to the north campus, Theater Arts & Motion Picture area in 1967 after I had returned to the United States from Sierra Leone, West Africa on the Operation Crossroads Africa program. I was headed to the southern part of the campus, toward the Engineering Department. Charles asked me to help him as a member of a jury that he would be shooting the following morning at 7:00 am. That was a bit early for me, since had my first classes beginning at noon; nevertheless, I told him that I would be there. As it turned out, I was the only member of the 12 person jury who showed up as scheduled. Charles and I became friends from that point in 1967. I made a Project 1 student film. Charles was my Director of Photography and Cameraman. I wrote, produced, directed and edited it. The film was "29 Pickup." We made it on the corner of 29th Street and Western Avenue in Los Angeles in the summer of 1969. It dealt with an invasion of privacy among 2 young men and a young woman.
I joined the motion picture division because I had met Charles and I felt that this would be a good vehicle for me to present my work as a writer on the worldwide, international stage.
I gave Charles a Honda Super 90 motorcycle when his car broke down so that he could get to UCLA classes sometime after that. Charles asked me to help him make "My Brother's Wedding" since he had gotten $75,000.00 in camera money from ZDF in Germany to conduct camera tests. Charles asked me if I thought that we could make a color feature film with the money rather than camera tests. I said that I would see what we could do. I contacted a friend of mine, Ruth, who worked for Earl Williman, the head of the Electrical Department for Lorimar Pictures. Earl "Pee Wee," promised to help us make the film. He gave us many lights and arranged for Lorimar to sell us film at a big discount. We used "short ends." Since the picture took 2 years, Lorimar eventually dropped the price of the film stock even further, finally amounting to about 6 cents a foot.
Charles used my home on Wellington Road in the Lafayette Square district for 2/3 of his movie. He asked me to play a "Dead Body in a Coffin," as a cameo role in addition to my other roles as Production Manager and Film Editor. I used all of the members of my family as extras in "My Brother's Wedding." I also let Charles use my Porche red Alfa Romeo convertible as a "picture car" when Pierce, the lead character in the film, has to find his way from the funeral to the wedding and winds up being late for both events.
Charles asked me to help him on Several Friends as well as The Horse, and Killer of Sheep. I gave him a bit of help on the first two films; however, I had a heavy time commitment at MGM during the time that he was shooting Killer of Sheep. I asked my sister, Christine Penick, to help him in the sound area. Incidentally, this was the first time that she had worked on a film. She knew nothing about sound. She has since turned into a fine still photographer. Her specialty is Women's Judo. She is the highest rannked Women's Judoist in the world. Several years ago, she was awarded a Red and White Belt in Judo which is the highest belt that anyone can get.
I had a VHS copy of "My Brother's Wedding," but it began to deteriorate. It greatly pleased me to buy it on DVD when Milestone re-issued My Brother's Wedding. I spent 2 years with Charles on the making of My Brother's Wedding, and, yes, there were many memories. This was the first feature film that I had worked on as a Film Editor. My experience had been as an assistant film editor for Michael Kahn, Ralph Winters and Henry Berman at the major studios. I was the trailer editor for domestic television syndication @ MGM from 1975 - 1978. I was the first assistant film editor for Gordon Parks' "Leadbelly" from 1974 - 1975. I'm primarily a writer. I've made many experimental, short and long form mini digital films since 2003. My first film was made in 1969 at UCLA. Then, I took a Super 8 mm. film, "Pohop," to the 1990 Berlin Film Festival in dailies form. In 1983 I made a one minute trailer of "Hurry, Cane Season. Burnett was my Cameaman & DP. In 1999 I made "The Arsonist" in 16 mm. color. In 2003 I made "The Backyard" for an Ivory Coast novelist, Sebastian Dehi after I completely re-wrote 5 of his scripts over the preceding few years. I then realized that I had best make my own films. I continue to write since I do it well. I anticipate publishing all of my creative work by 2009.
Since this was Charles' first 35 mm. film, he wasn't used to the pacing of 35 mm. He had made 16 mm. films and the film movement was a lot different from 35 mm. Charles initially told me to play the scenes out. Eventually, I made many deep trims in scenes otherwise "My Brother's Wedding" would have been a much longer film. I was disappointed in the acting throughout the picture. When I read Charles' script prior to beginning the film, I was quite excited. I think that he should re-make the project and have someone pick the cast as a casting director.
I had been keeping in touch with Gordon Parks and Charles Burnett; however, Mr. Parks passed in March of this year. I still communicate often with Charles.
I have always thought that Charles Burnett is a filmmaker par excellence!
In every area of filmmaking he has known exactly what he was doing and how he wants to do it.
He adds tremendously to existing ideas with his own perspectives and ways of seeing. There is no one like him in the world of filmmaking.
If anything, he needs a great casting director, I feel, and also, more importantly, a viable budget for the marketing of his creative works.
This has been something that he sorely needs in order for the audience to fully appreciate his films. I saw "Annihilation of Fish" and I thought it was his best film, technically.
My only problem with "Annihilation" was the choice of title. I seriously doubt that the people who would see this film fully understood what "annihilation" means, thus they would not go to see it. Charles asked me to alert my circle of friends about this film. I did so. None of them showed up, merely the members of my family.
Charles is very good at listening with the utmost patience and putting forth what he wants to see happen on the screen. He usually does everything on his films, loading the camera, shooting the camera, setting up all of the lights, carrying everything, driving the truck, etc.
Perhaps his finest actor, in my opinion, was his brother, Andy Burnett. The only problem with Andy was that he didn't realize how skilled and talented his brother Charles was. In my opinion, if Andy had been able to contain his irascible nature, he would have been another James Dean. I say that in all seriousness. Andy was that good.
Charles was also very attentive to his grandmother and mother when I knew him in the 1960's. He took photographs of his grandmother that were something that Gordon Parks would have envied.
As far as working with actors, Charles always sought to have them portray their characters without relying on stereotypes. He fought against them doing things the way that Hollywood traditionally does things. He was always seeking fresh outlooks, fresh perspectives, new ways of seeing and thinking.
I doubt that Charles Burnett was interested in the good or the bad guys, rather he would try to explore the common humanity of people in all of the films that he has done. This is rare. It shows someone who is really interested in the human condition and what makes everyone "tick."
blessings,
Thomas Penick
[...]
Description of Killer of Sheep: The Charles Burnett Collection
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