To view the trailer click here
At this month’s Sundance Independent Film Festival, 2 Live Crew’s Luther Campbell will star in a short film probably unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.”The Life and Freaky Time of Uncle Luke” tells a fictionalized account of Campbell’s hip hop career and campaign to be mayor of Miami-Dade County. The story line strays from fact in many, many places, but none is more notable than the nuclear fallout Miami suffers after a reactor explodes, leaving Uncle Luke as the sole survivor.
Director Jillian Mayer used her signature art style and cardboard cutouts to give “Uncle Luke” a look of its very own. According to the trailer, the film is based on Chris Marker’s monumental short film “La Jetée,” which served as the basis for Terry Gilliam’s “12 Monkeys.”
Films inspired by, or outright ripping off, the classic La jetée are not uncommon. The original has a unique style and a powerful story at its core, so it’s not surprising that it resonates so strongly with filmmakers (and audiences). That said, if you told me that one of the best La jetée-inspired short films was going to be the whimsically demented tale of 2 Live Crew’s Luther Campbell… well, I’d be surprised, but then really want to see it.
Jillian Mayer’s Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke is just such a interpretation. The life of Luther Campbell is one fraught with everything from beheadings to obscenity hearings to nuclear meltdowns and time travel. With the imagery a combination of colorful insanity, paintings with human body parts and Campbell’s own inspired narration, the look and experience is as whacky and silly as the story itself; delightfully so.
La jetée may be a classic, thought-provoking cinematic experience, but I had way more fun watching Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke.
In addition to the clip, we also have an exclusive first look at the “Uncle Luke” poster:
“The Life and Freaky Times of Uncle Luke” will premiere at the Sundance Independent Film Festival.
