Reflections from a Cinematic Cesspool: Planet Mike @ SFMOMA
Co-presented by Canyon Cinema
Filmmaker Mike Kuchar and curator Andrew Lampert in attendance
Join us for two screenings from the prodigal twin brothers of underground cinema, George and Mike Kuchar. Marked by a delight for the absurd, a sardonic wit, an admiration for the act of moviemaking, and a true interest in people, the Kuchars’ work is both one of a kind and two of a kind. For decades, both taught at the San Francisco Art Institute, where their influence on generations of students was as outsized as their own staggering output. In the films created directly with students, we see them shaping the school into a crucible for fearless, personal, and provocative filmmaking.
Program One: Planet Mike starts at the very beginning, presenting rare 8mm films shot on a camera the brothers received at age 12, alongside four additional works spanning 1967 to 2025, including a favorite SFAI class production. Curated by Andrew Lampert in collaboration with Mike Kuchar, with both in attendance.
Recommended for mature audiences! Thank you to Anthology Film Archives, Video Data Bank, and Michelle Silva.
Program Details
Early 8mm Shorts (George and Mike Kuchar, 1950s, 17:30 minutes, color, 8mm-to-16mm blowup)
Bits and pieces by the brothers from their early days experimenting with the camera they were gifted for their twelfth birthdays. Featuring friends and locales, this is prime Kuchar. Preserved by Anthology Film Archives with support from the National Film Preservation Foundation.
Fragments (Mike Kuchar, 1967, 10 minutes, color, sound)
A personal 16mm favorite of the filmmaker!
Blue Banshee (Mike Kuchar, 1994, 14:30 minutes, video)
This film, a commission from a loud punk band, BLUE BANSHEE, features underground priestess Kembra Pfhaler, as always, giving it her all.
Happy Birthday! (Mike Kuchar, 2013, 20:30 minutes, digital)
An SFAI class production! “’Misery’ doesn’t like ‘company’ — but ‘company’ does love a ‘party,’” so come join in on a catastrophic celebration, and do ‘hang on’ tight — because it’s a steep ride down into the depths of a soul in meltdown mode!” — Mike Kuchar
Beyond the Edge of Forever (Mike Kuchar, 2025, 8:17 minutes, digital)
“Is a person’s soul ‘real’ in the ‘material’ world? . . . Find out!” — Mike Kuchar