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Monster Road (2004)

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Take a glimpse into the colorful world of a true visionary in this documentary focusing on the remarkable life and career of visionary clay and line animator Bruce Bickford. Verite footage combines with home movies, intimate interviews, childhood drawings, and never before seen animation to detail the points of intersection between Bickford's life and art. In the 1970s, Bickford achieved cult status as a result of his work with acclaimed rock musician and composer Frank Zappa. Today, he creates elaborate realms of fantasy for an audience of one. In addition to focusing on the artist's life, filmmaker Brett Ingram also highlights the influence that his father George, a retired Cold War-era aerospace engineer, had on his son's creative endeavors. When he was working, George was charged with maximizing the space inside airplanes and missiles, a talent that he no-doubt passed onto his son, whose animations are frequently filmed on a miniature set in the cramped family basement. These days George is facing the onset of Alzheimer's Disease, and Bruce has become his caretaker. While outward appearances suggest that Bruce had a typically happy, suburban childhood, one look at his darker works gives the distinct impression that as a boy the artist developed a decidedly dark outlook on life. By exploring the man, as well as his art and influences, Ingram offers the definitive portrait of an artist whose creative vision truly knows no boundaries. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi