What Is It?
| What Is It? | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Crispin Hellion Glover |
| Written by | Crispin Hellion Glover |
| Produced by | Crispin Hellion Glover Matt Devlen Ryan Page Mike Pallagi |
| Starring | Crispin Glover Fairuza Balk Steven C. Stewart Michael Blevis Rikky Wittman John Insinna Kelly Swiderski Lisa Fusco |
| Cinematography | Wyatt Troll |
| Edited by | Crispin Hellion Glover |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Volcanic Eruptions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 72 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
What Is It? is a 2005 American surrealist film written, edited, co-produced and directed by Crispin Glover and starring Glover, Fairuza Balk, and Steven C. Stewart.
Background[]
What Is It? is the first entry in a planned trilogy directed by Glover, followed by It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine. (2007) and continued with It Is Mine.[1][2]
Synopsis[]
The "adventures" of a young man with Down syndrome whose principal interests are snails, salt, a pipe, and how to get home, who is tormented by a hubristic, racist inner psyche.[3]
Production[]
Production of the film started in 1996 as a short film that was to be used as a proof of concept for the as of yet unproduced third film in Glover's It trilogy, It Is Mine. After completing the filming of the initial short, Glover decided to turn it into its own feature film and filmed an additional eight days over two years.[4]
Release[]
The film premiered at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival and played at several other film festivals. Aside from this, it has only been shown at independent theatres, typically accompanied by a question-and-answer session, a one-hour dramatic narration of eight different profusely illustrated books as a slideshow, and a meet-and-greet/book signing with Glover.[5]
Reception[]
The film had received a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10.[6]
References[]
- ^ Goodbye, McFly: Crispin Glover’s ‘It’ Trilogy and the Cinema of Reaction·Senses of Cinema
- ^ "Glover's 'What Is It?' aptly describes film". The Salt Lake Tribune. July 2005. Retrieved 2007-02-23.
- ^ Brows Held High What Is It HD-Internet Archive
- ^ [1]
- ^ Taboo You: Crispin Glover and What Is It?-Film/TV-The Stranger
- ^ "What Is It? (2005)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. Retrieved April 25, 2020.
External links[]
- 2005 films
- English-language films
- American films
- Films directed by Crispin Glover
- 2005 directorial debut films
- American independent films
- American avant-garde and experimental films
- 2000s avant-garde and experimental films
- Down syndrome in film
- Films about insects