Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Portrait of a "hands on" artist..., August 31, 2004
A profile of down-to-earth artist Cynthia "Plaster Caster" that should er, hold, the, er, attention of anyone fascinated by "The Sixties" or rock 'n' roll subculture in general. For the uninitiated, the "Plaster Casters" were a group of female "artists" (some may still argue, "groupies") who earned a universal backstage pass of sorts throughout the 60's and 70's by immortalizing the southernmost regions of many a rock legends' anatomy in plaster-based life-size sculpture. This would obviously guarantee many an amusing war story from (surviving) participants, and indeed, the most entertaining parts of the film are derived from such. One warning: The (somewhat deceptive) psychedelic cover art gives the impression that you might be in for a 60's time capsule, chock-a-block with vintage clips and music of the era; but the documentary is shot ultra low-budget direct to video, all "present day" footage with only an occasional still photo from the bygone days for context, and no "period" music to speak of. The overall "feel" is that of any one of the myriad of "reality" TV shows currently cluttering the commercial airwaves (of course, the subject matter here would be strictly "premium cable"!) The "extras" actually redeemed the investment for this reviewer-particularly the additional backstage tales that Cynthia tells regarding Led Zeppelin (somewhat harrowing, actually) and her explanation of why Kiss was "off" her list from the get-go. An interesting companion piece to "The Mayor Of The Sunset Strip" (see my review on this site) as an examination of the "almost famous" who take thier succor from the aura of rock stardom.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
fascinating look into the mind of a strange person, January 7, 2004
I didn't know what to expect when I picked this one up. I've heard mixed reviews about Plaster Caster, but I'm a big fan of reality shows and "slice of life" documentaries, so I decided to check it out. I'm happy to report I was pleasently suprised! Ms. Plaster Caster is an interesting, funny, talented, and often pathetic person. There's no question she's an odd duck, but she sure does keep interesting company! Oddly enough, for a movie about reproductive organs, the film has little to do with adult activities (only one breif moment with an on-camera casting.) It was also nice to see the late Noel Redding (Hendrix bass player) in one of his last interviews. The pace of the film moved along quite nicely and when it was over I felt I wanted more.The good news is, there is more! The DVD is loaded with plenty of interesting out takes, including funny footage with Wilco's Jeff Tweedy and an L7 "chest" casting sequence. I also liked the photo galleries and the Cast-O-Rama rotating cast gallery! With this feature you can have Plaster Caster's art (both boy and girl) loop on screen for infinity, if one chooses. Great conversation video at parties! I feel this documentary is worthy of a long hard look. (sorry about that, but I couldn't resist!)
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A Rock-Solid Documentary That's a Blast, January 21, 2004
I saw Cynthia Plaster Caster's "babies" on display at Threadwaxing Space in 2000, read about her in a 2001 issue of BB Gun, and was thus very eager to see this. I got my chance at a recent film festival, and thoroughly enjoyed it.This documentary is as unique as its subject, who comes across as quirky, warm and eternally youthful, and whose craft provides us with a bizarre but indispensible bit of rock n roll memorabilia. You'll love "Plaster Caster" if you're a fan of: British rock of the 1960s and '70s; the GTO era of LA; the "indie" music scene of the 1980s and '90s; dive bars inhabited by shaggy-haired rock n rollers; and the DIY aesthetic. I'm definitely buying this on DVD.
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