$24.95 – $150.00
Renowned Art Car artist Harrod Blank’s camera-covered van breaks down near Albuquerque, NM. The only mechanic capable of fixing it is local drag racer and machining savant Russell “Rusty” Tidenberg. Rusty recently began to transition by getting breasts. While Rusty works, Harrod learns that Rusty’s boss (father) cut his pay, his biker friends rejected him, and women won’t date him now. Struck by his story, Harrod films Rusty for eight years. Other gender-non-binary Art Car artists that Harrod meets shed further light on gender identity in America. The film follows Rusty on this difficult journey of embracing and exhibiting both genders, while still hoping for acceptance, and love.
We are greatly saddened to share news of Leon Russell’s passing on November 13, 2016.
After seeing Les Blank’s seminal film, The Blues Accordin’ to Lightnin’ Hopkins, Leon Russell and Denny Cordell wanted to work with him. Les directed, filmed, and edited, A Poem Is A Naked Person during 1972-74, while he was living at the Russell/Shelter Records recording studio compound on Grand Lake Of The Cherokees in NE Oklahoma. This feature-length film includes appearances by Willie Nelson, George Jones, and some amazing characters in Oklahoma, where much of it was shot.
The film was never released, and was rarely shown in public, except at non-profit institutions with Blank in attendance. After Les Blank’s death in 2013, his son Harrod Blank came to terms with Leon Russell in order to re-master and finally release the film, some forty years later. At least two major critics have declared it the best film ever made about Rock and Roll. Criterion and Janus Films are distributing the film in North America.
A film by Les Blank with Maureen Gosling
89 minutes
1974-2015
From Janus/Criterion Films
ISBN: 978-1-68143-118-5
All donations to Les Blank Films are tax deductible.
Les Blank Films Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit.
© ∞ Les Blank Films. Site built by j.kulp.
