Back in 2008 I took a trip to Los Angeles and tweeted about what a good time I was having and got into a Twitter feud about whether or not my excitement would impact my “Mission cred” or something. I wrote a post about the ordeal, and one of the things I mention as I’m ticking off great things about LA is Wayne White and his paintings (such as the one above). Well, turns out he’s got a lot of other talents too, and somebody just made a movie about him:
Part biography, part live performance, BEAUTY IS EMBARRASSING tells the irreverent and inspiring story of this one-of-a-kind visual artist and raconteur. The film traces White’s career from an underground cartoonist in the East Village to his big break as a designer, puppeteer and voice-over actor on Pee Wee’s Playhouse for which he won three Emmy’s. It follows Wayne’s success designing and animating for other children’s shows like Beakman’s World and The Weird Al Show and music videos for Peter Gabriel (“Big Time”) and Smashing Pumpkins (“Tonight, Tonight”) through a dark period of struggle and self-reflection before emerging in his present-day incarnation as a respected painter and performer. The film, like White, embraces the ragged edges and messy contradictions of life, art, and family with rabid humor and honesty. Dir: Neil Berkeley. Featuring Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Mark Motherbaugh, Todd Oldham, Matt Groening, Gary Panter and Paul Reubens. 2012. Digital. 87 mins. Nightly at 7pm & 8:45pm, plus Sun. at (3:15pm) & 5pm.
I need to go to the Roxie more. Not only am i missin out on quality content it’s the best type of theatre to support. Maybe that might. Be my very early new years resolution.
AND San Francisco’s own national PBS series Independent Lens will be broadcasting it after it’s theatrical run in Winter/Spring.