Teknolust the Movie

Screenings:

Past Screenings:
12/12/03 -- Madstone Tamarac Square
12/12/03 -- 12/18/03 Restaurant Row 9 Theatres 11/14/03 -- Madstone San Mateo 8
11/14-11/28/03 -- The Coolidge Corner
11/28-12/04/03 -- Cinema 21 in Portland
10/03/03-10/5/03 -- The Webster University Film Series
10/17/03 10/18/03 -- Laemmle Midnight Screening Series
Sept. 22-28, 2003 -- 5th Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema
August 22, 2003 -- Landmark’s Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco, and Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley.
July 23, 2003 – August 10, 2003 Melbourne International Film Festival
February 2003 -- Berlin International Film Festival
October 2002 -- The Hamptons Film Festival
September 2002 -- Toronto International Film Festival
May 24 – June 17, 2002 -- Seattle Film Festival
April 18 – May 2, 2002 -- San Francisco Int’l Film Festival
April 13, 14, 2002 -- Boston Film Festival
April 13, 2002 -- Taos Talking Pictures Festival
March 9, 2002 -- Walker Art Center
January 2002 -- Sundance Film Festival - Teknolust Premier

News:

An Interview with Director Lynn Hershman Leeson: " The director Lynn Hershman Leeson, is an artist who works with many media, including photography and installations. A consistent theme in her work is how people engage in media-derived fantasies. Though she has produced over fifty major video works, Conceiving Ada was her first feature film."

Interview with Tilda Swinton -- Laura Kiritsy

Reviews:

*** (three stars)
http://www.bostonphoenix.com/listings/movies/filmstrips/TEKNOLUST.asp

Tilda Swinton (''Orlando,'' ''The Deep End'') is easily the best thing here, and since she plays four different roles, in four different wigs, there's a lot of her to go around.
Ty Burr

Paul Sherman http://theedge.bostonherald.com/movieReviews/edgeMovies.bg?articleid=189

Leeson has provided what we demand from independent film: fresh talent crammed into new ideas.
John Stackpole

The film, which is like stepping inside an interactive video game via a real life techhead, touches on the consequences of genetic advancement. ....Teknolust circles cyberspace with genetically enhanced proof that sci-fi films don't have to be pretentious to be fantastically fun. Tiffany Sanchez

"Ruby gives a whole new meaning to cyber-sex as she comes out of the computer and propositions men with lines from old movies (she downloads off the internet). This is not a movie for everybody, but I thought it was weird and funny and tekno-entertaining. "

Hershmann-Leeson plays with the idea of adjustment, highlighting the awkwardness of humans in what ought to be their comfort zone.

If you forced Mary Shelley, Timothy Leary, Camille Paglia, and John Waters to collaborate on a film, you'd still fail to duplicate the witty and timely madness of Teknolust.

I viewed most of my films in small screening rooms put aside solely for the press and, of over 20 films screened in such rooms, this was the only one that got an ovation from the people in attendance.

Yet, I couldn't help but like Teknolust—a lot. For one thing, it seems to take an unexpected route by focusing on the comedic possibilities of the situation. ....Technically, the film is quite an achievement.

"Teknolust" is a delight. Fairly bursting at the seams with imagination and humor, it is hands-down the most creative and original work to come out of Sundance this year. ....."An achievement in digital filmmaking that Leeson's peers will be hard-pressed to emulate."

Still, the film's weirdness needs to be experienced in order to be believed. If anything, see it for Karen Black, who camps up a storm as a fringe feminist conspiracy theorist named Dirty Dick.

" ...Swinton can hug Swinton and you'd swear you're watching two distinct people clutching each other. ...."Teknolust" gets an A for creativity"

" ..The product of the fertile imagination of truly alternative filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson ("Conceiving Ada"), this high-tech satire (shown in non-mainstream Visions section) boasts eye-catching art direction...."

	Screenings: Past Screenings: 12/12/03 -- Madstone Tamarac Square 12/12/03 -- 12/18/03 Restaurant Row 9 Theatres 11/14/03 -- Madstone San Mateo 8 11/14-11/28/03 -- The Coolidge Corner 11/28-12/04/03 -- Cinema 21 in Portland 10/03/03-10/5/03 -- The Webster University Film Series 10/17/03 10/18/03 -- Laemmle Midnight Screening Series Sept. 22-28, 2003 -- 5th Bordeaux International Festival of Women in Cinema August 22, 2003 -- Landmark’s Lumiere Theatre in San Francisco, and Landmark’s Shattuck Cinemas in Berkeley. July 23, 2003 – August 10, 2003 Melbourne International Film Festival February 2003 -- Berlin International Film Festival October 2002 -- The Hamptons Film Festival September 2002 -- Toronto International Film Festival May 24 – June 17, 2002 -- Seattle Film Festival April 18 – May 2, 2002 -- San Francisco Int’l Film Festival April 13, 14, 2002 -- Boston Film Festival April 13, 2002 -- Taos Talking Pictures Festival March 9, 2002 -- Walker Art Center January 2002 -- Sundance Film Festival - Teknolust Premier News: An Interview with Director Lynn Hershman Leeson: " The director Lynn Hershman Leeson, is an artist who works with many media, including photography and installations. A consistent theme in her work is how people engage in media-derived fantasies. Though she has produced over fifty major video works, Conceiving Ada was her first feature film." Interview with Tilda Swinton -- Laura Kiritsy Reviews: * (three stars) http://www.bostonphoenix.com/listings/movies/filmstrips/TEKNOLUST.asp Tilda Swinton (''Orlando,'' ''The Deep End'') is easily the best thing here, and since she plays four different roles, in four different wigs, there's a lot of her to go around. Ty Burr Paul Sherman http://theedge.bostonherald.com/movieReviews/edgeMovies.bg?articleid=189 Leeson has provided what we demand from independent film: fresh talent crammed into new ideas. John Stackpole The film, which is like stepping inside an interactive video game via a real life techhead, touches on the consequences of genetic advancement. ....Teknolust circles cyberspace with genetically enhanced proof that sci-fi films don't have to be pretentious to be fantastically fun. Tiffany Sanchez "Ruby gives a whole new meaning to cyber-sex as she comes out of the computer and propositions men with lines from old movies (she downloads off the internet). This is not a movie for everybody, but I thought it was weird and funny and tekno-entertaining. " Hershmann-Leeson plays with the idea of adjustment, highlighting the awkwardness of humans in what ought to be their comfort zone. If you forced Mary Shelley, Timothy Leary, Camille Paglia, and John Waters to collaborate on a film, you'd still fail to duplicate the witty and timely madness of Teknolust. I viewed most of my films in small screening rooms put aside solely for the press and, of over 20 films screened in such rooms, this was the only one that got an ovation from the people in attendance. Yet, I couldn't help but like Teknolust—a lot. For one thing, it seems to take an unexpected route by focusing on the comedic possibilities of the situation. ....Technically, the film is quite an achievement. "Teknolust" is a delight. Fairly bursting at the seams with imagination and humor, it is hands-down the most creative and original work to come out of Sundance this year. ....."An achievement in digital filmmaking that Leeson's peers will be hard-pressed to emulate." Still, the film's weirdness needs to be experienced in order to be believed. If anything, see it for Karen Black, who camps up a storm as a fringe feminist conspiracy theorist named Dirty Dick. " ...Swinton can hug Swinton and you'd swear you're watching two distinct people clutching each other. ...."Teknolust" gets an A for creativity" " ..The product of the fertile imagination of truly alternative filmmaker Lynn Hershman Leeson ("Conceiving Ada"), this high-tech satire (shown in non-mainstream Visions section) boasts eye-catching art direction...." Awards:** Alfred P. Sloan Feature Film Prize – Hamptons International Film Festival 2002