Holidaze, 1994

“A time of cheer and chill, giving and getting, chomping and chewing.”

Overview

George spends quality time with his friends Karen and Carla in this unconventional, glitchy, collaged holiday video. HOLIDAZE filters a gift exchange through a lightly ironic, kitschy palette: whizzing geometric irises, stock footage of angelic-looking kids opening presents, and MIDI versions of Christmas songs. Kuchar’s magic was his ability to see the cinematic potential in everything around him—here, he finds endearing humor in three friends trying to work a landline phone. It became a tradition for Kuchar to break out the camera during his friends’ holiday festivities, but HOLIDAZE is unique for its visual verve, with lo-fi effects reminiscent of an arcade game.

Production

Video Data Bank, School of the Art Institute of Chicago