Ever since moving to L.A. in the mid-80's, I've heard of KILLER OF SHEEP in almost hushed tones - as if it were some well-kept local secret that non-natives couldn't be let in on. And, the film HAS been elusive. I can only remember a couple of screenings having occurred in the ensuing two decades. Up until now, I didn't know that it COULDN'T be commercially released because of the music rights. Ironically, the music rights cost the current distributor (Milestone) 15 TIMES what the original budget of the entire film was ($10,000)! The money is well spent as the Blues infused tracks add dimension to the piece.
The small band of folks who championed the film over the years obviously were enthusiastic. So much so, that KILLER OF SHEEP entered the National Film Registry (for Preservation) in 1990 along with the likes of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, DODSWORTH, RAGING BULL, TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE etc. - Incredibly heady company.
All this for a Student thesis film? It seems unfair in a way to put so much on such a small scale project. It simply, but poetically, depicts life in a black neighborhood around South Central L.A. in the mid-70's. What little plotting there is revolves around the daily struggle of a family where the father works in a meat factory - literally, a killer of sheep. Take what you wish for the symbolism there.
There are amateur aspects - actors looking into the lens, awkward edits, mediocre sound, unsteady camera moves etc. Hopefully, most audiences can look beyond the limitations and take the film on its own level. Another interesting angle is to examine the fact that it came at around the end of the 70's Blaxploitation cycle. Of course, there are no heroes or even anti-heroes here. Just the simple ordinary folks who really lived at the time.
The small band of folks who championed the film over the years obviously were enthusiastic. So much so, that KILLER OF SHEEP entered the National Film Registry (for Preservation) in 1990 along with the likes of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, DODSWORTH, RAGING BULL, TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE etc. - Incredibly heady company.
All this for a Student thesis film? It seems unfair in a way to put so much on such a small scale project. It simply, but poetically, depicts life in a black neighborhood around South Central L.A. in the mid-70's. What little plotting there is revolves around the daily struggle of a family where the father works in a meat factory - literally, a killer of sheep. Take what you wish for the symbolism there.
There are amateur aspects - actors looking into the lens, awkward edits, mediocre sound, unsteady camera moves etc. Hopefully, most audiences can look beyond the limitations and take the film on its own level. Another interesting angle is to examine the fact that it came at around the end of the 70's Blaxploitation cycle. Of course, there are no heroes or even anti-heroes here. Just the simple ordinary folks who really lived at the time.