☼☼☼☼☼☼☼☼ out of 10☼
The sophomore feature for William Cusick (Welcome to Nowhere) sees him as a keen multi-hyphenate - a writer, director, editor, co-producer, co-composer and star of the (fragmented and non-linear) story about a struggling artist. While the premise is certainly not an original one, it is the unique execution that elevates the film above its counterparts. Four narrative threads, one of them being highly abstract, are tightly interwoven into a form- and genre-defying blend of deadpan dramedy, psychological fantasy and fourth-wall-breaking pseudo-documentary.
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Live Design Magazine takes an in-depth behind the scenes look at the technology behind Pop Meet's the Voids White Room scenes. Technically complex and visually seamless - director William Cusick, animator Jon Weiss, cinematographer Bart Cortright and Projections Designer Matt Mellinger combine their expertise in these constructed set / green screen / live mapping / animation scenes.
See the issue and read the article on Issuu here.
Wrong Reel co-host Parker Dixon sits down with Director William Cusick and Producer Tara Maen to chat about Cusick’s first feature-length film, “Pop Meets the Void,” an award-winning journey down the mind-bending rabbit hole of identity, artistry, and fame.
Listen here.
Some great shout-outs from Rogue Cinema and 366 Weird Movies - click the links for the full reviews.
If Cusick had merely followed an orthodox route, his film would be dishonest and pedestrian. Cusick knows such a retreat must inspire a genre-rejecting, authentic composition, and Pop Meets The Void‘s fantasia qualities make it a startling work that validates the narrative as both immortal and relevant. History does not exist. Rather, the artistic expression is fluid. Marc sees continuity as opposed to an historical valve which shuts on and off: “Cezanne and El Greco are spiritual brothers, despite the centuries that separate them.” We can, of course, subscribe to the maxim there is nothing new under the sun, but Cusick stubbornly refuses to be fence-bound, charismatically imprinting his own process. -Alfred Eaker, 366 Weird Movies
"Pop Meets the Void” is a shimmering, colorful and vibrant look at the prison that struggling artists can find themselves trapped in.
The film is visually stunning. Whenever Walter shifts into another reality, Cusick uses animation and CGI graphics to depict the change. Backgrounds break apart, melt away in a miasma of colors and shapes and then reform into something new. The effects, which were created by Jonathan Weiss, are startling and they give the film a real emotional power. -Philip Smolen, Rogue Cinema
Read Jessica Baxter's thoughtful & precise review of Pop Meets the Void here.
It’s a fun and wry 90 minute trip to the Void that will continue to rattle around in your brain long after it’s over. The independent film industry is almost as oversaturated as the music industry, but I can tell you with certainty that William Cusick’s film is worth your mental energy.
"..this film blows your mind away. It’s a bit unfair to call it a “film,” though, because we’re dealing with something that is more than a film. It is more truly a “film experience” that goes on the same par with virtual reality; wonderfully immersive and fun, its blend of intelligent, sophisticated storytelling, and pure entertainment value is a rare find. Expect a lot of humor from a cast that features popular New York comedians Sarah Tollemache, Jordan Carlos, Alexis Pereira, and legendary experimental filmmaker Bill Morrison in supporting roles."
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Check out the original article & interview by Tanya Klich here, including highlights from the festival sizzle reel and interviews with Melvin Van Peebles and Susan Seidelman.
Pop Meets the Void won Best Feature Film at the 2015 Lower East Side Film Festival. Chosen by Festival Directors and Judges including Parker Posey, Laverne Cox, Rachel Horowitz, Michael Trim, Mike Love & Jacob Blackstock.
More information here.
Bedford + Bowery writes about the LES Film Festival's closing night party including the official announcement of awards for the 2015 films. Included are Pop Meets the Void for Best Feature Film, A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story for LESFF Audience Award and Katharine Emmer's Life In Color for Best of Fest.
Read the article here.
Pop Meets the Void is an official selection of the 2015 Lower East Side Film Festival.
The sold out screening was June 16, 2015 at the legendary Anthology Film Archives.
Lower East Side Film Festival
While technology has made independent filmmaking more manageable over the years, it can still be rare to see true risks being taken in the medium, and on a minuscule budget. If this is the case, then Queens filmmaker William Cusick can be considered an indie heavyweight, as his new project “Pop Meets the Void,” plans to tackle motion graphics animation, green screen compositing and live action all in one $36,000 film.
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Pop Meets the Void has been successfully funded via Kickstarter!
Many, many, many thanks to the wonderful backers listed below who are helping make this film happen.
Pop Meets the Void is an innovative project that presumes to tackle the problems of self-promotion and success in the age of the Internet, where the music industry is suffering through the tail end of its death rattle. It’s precisely within this rattle that writer, director, and star tells his story “through a series of parallel narratives that explore varying levels of success” in a series of fractured narratives that “overlap, intertwine and never end in this surrealist comedy.”
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Here’s your daily dose of an indie film in progress; at the end of the week, you’ll have the chance to vote for your favorite.
“Pop Meets the Void“
Tweetable Logline:
A dark comedy about a musician who’s been working on his first album for almost 15 years, Pop Meets the Void is a twisted indie-music film.
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