DESERT SPIRITS
REVIEW
The following review appeared in the April 1995 issue of
VIDEO EYEBALL magazine:
35 mm , b&w, 1994
D: Patrick McGuinn, First Run Features
Armed with a small budget (spent only on film stock, processing,
food and video transfers - editing facilities were donated), an
electric motor Bolex a non-synch cassette recorder, relatives
for actors and a stuffed iguana, Patrick McGuinn headed for Arizona
to make his first film DESERT SPIRITS.
PLOT: Chris and Gordon, two aimless motorists, break down
in the desert. They share a bagful of peyote to kill the time,
which greatly increases Chris' sense of perception. He soon encounters
a spirit guide named Nori (in the form of an iguana) who reveals
to him a bridge between the invisible and physical or "meat"
world. He also discovers a monstrous force prowling the desert,
a force now alarmingly aware of him.
EYEBALLING IT: Equal parts Easy Rider , El Topo
and The Evil Dead, Desert Spirits is DIY filmmaking
at its most ambitious, with a vision and scope that belies its
limited budget. McGuinn makes excellent use of the desolate Arizona
locations and distorted sound effects to create a convincing alternate
reality. The result is raw, challenging, amusing, and original.
DIRECTOR'S NOTES: "Making a film which is cast entirely
with family members can be difficult. I thought the familial rapport
would be a positive element in generating ideas, but sibling tension
proved a hindrance. My younger brother Henry, cast in the lead
role, had to be cajoled into getting up every morning, at least
for the first few days ( it was a 12 day shoot that spanned over
one month because it was during Arizona's winter rain season).
After the initial difficulty of getting my brother to come to the
location , there was the problem of getting him to accept the
things I would tell him to do. Being an MOS [silent] shoot, I
would often bark commands while filming, which often resulted
in my brother looking confused, directly at the camera, then ignoring
the command. It took time for him to develop into an "actor,"
unfortunately at the price of processing film. I was seeking spontaneous
things; the script was loose. I'd written some dialogue, but again,
wanted it to appear natural, so my brother and cousin Ed ad libbed,
most of which was unused. One funny moment that arose from this
sibling tension was the oatmeal sequence in the ranch house. I
wanted my brother to eat the bowl of oatmeal on the table as he
enters the ranch house. It made sense to me that after wandering
the desert overnight, one would be famished and dehydrated, so
any food or water would be devoured. Instead, Henry takes a few
casual sips from the water bottle (far from sips of dire thirst)
and then takes a look at the oatmeal and dumps it. I yelled at
him and it became very difficult to get anything from him the
rest of the day. Ironically, I think the oatmeal dumping is one
of the more "true" moments in the film. I laugh about
it now, since what seemed like such a traumatic experience then
turns out to be only a few seconds on film. The actor who took
directions best was Nori, the iguana who was stuffed, much to
some peoples' surprise (which is to my surprise)." --P.McGuinn
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