An Anti-Masterpiece is, as defined by our own Will Ross, is “an astonishing, essential work of art in spite of a distinct lack of conventional competence on the part of its makers”. After Last Season by Mark Region is one such film, and we’ve invited filmmaker Bram Ruiter to discuss it with us. In what is very much not a “bad movie” episode, we attempt to grapple with the nature of outsider art.
In this episode, we discuss:
The value of different competent cinema.
The many, many mysteries behind the production of After Last Season
More realism in cinema: Mark Region’s seeming insistence on pushing the boundaries of acceptable cinematic ‘reality’.
If you’d like to support the show, here’s a link to our Patreon.
Additional Resources:
Jason Coffman’s Article on After Last Season
Jason Coffman’s Follow-Up Oral History with the Cast and Crew
Filmmaker Magazine’s interview with director Mark Region
Media:
Works discussed during this episode:
After Last Season (2009)
The Room (2003)
Street Fighter: The Movie (1994)
Inland Empire (2006)
The Treasure Planet (1982)
Bram Ruiter is a filmmaker based in The Netherlands. With his films, he examines the creative process and observes social, textural, and narrative structures.
He has recently finished A Weave of Light, a short experimental work inspired by an undeveloped roll of super8. His previous work includes Perpetual Spawning , an experiment with time-based systems, while Endless Sea and Infinite Skies are concerned with purgatory.
There's also a duo of travelogues: No Service and Die Labirint, which focus on the difficulties of long-distance relationships.
And back in 2014, he co-created the documentary series Super Game Jam. This project inspired him to make many more documentaries such as Beyond the Usual (about modern dance choreographers) and Small and Personal and Tranquil (about a media arts festival).