1980

The Movie

"A masterpiece of color, composition music and light. The Walking Dead meets The Harlem Shake.   Thirty three (33) years ahead of its time."  NYTimes Art Critic Karl Kink, April 1, 2013

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So, I finally got around to transferring my super-8 film 1980, which was made in..  you guessed it... 1980! 

Here is the flyer that went with a showing at one of western NY's most beloved nightclub's:

photo credit:  the Szpakowski bros. (c) 1981

"1980"  made its debut at HALLWALLS, Buffalo, NY's premier art gallery on March 9, 1981.

HALLWALLS

Featuring unpaid actors, famous in their own right, who btw, haven't commented on it's recent premier, hand-picked by our casting director, Guy Manning.  The idea was to dance around in a cemetery to celebrate their mortal existence.  After being transported to a strange and otherworldly placement, the dancers were no longer able to find their natural rhythm.  This idea finds its roots in the philosophy of Hegel and Kant (dance.)

Any who, after 33 years in captivity..... we present.... "1980."

SAN FIASCO

May 21, 1979 -the "White Night" San Francisco Riot-

Original Super 8 film by Joe Kotas

It started with a news announcement on the radio, the afternoon of May 21, 1979. I was in San Francisco, hanging out in "The Avenues" with my brother Karl and friend Gary Tarbox. It was a beautiful sunny day.
The implication that the man who killed Mayor Moscone and Harvey Milk got convicted merely of manslaughter was immediately apparent to my friend who lived there. He said, "There's gonna be a riot."
The San Francisco gay community began to organize. They marched down Castro St. to City Hall. The atmosphere grew tense. No government officials provided any consolation to the crowd. The murderer was in hiding.
SMASH!
The glass on the City Hall doors was the first to go. A small fire on the corner of Polk Street was set ablaze, then a police car in front of the building. The protestors were not pleased with the unjust verdict.
And it was a nice night for a riot.
As the evening wore on, the anger grew. A large dumpster was easy pickings for a molotov cocktail. The cops in full riot gear could only stand around and act like they were in control.
One by one the cars were torched. The participants and spectators alike felt they were witnessing a historic spectacle. As the violence grew, nobody knew, what was going to happen next.
After about a dozen vehicles were set on fire, the cops finally assembled into one long line, four deep, driving the crowd into the streets with billy clubs and shields.
Joe Kotas
Chicago
January 2012