Critical Writing Index

Weeks's wonder: Czech cult flick gets Espers freak tweak

by Tim Perlich

NOW, Apr. 3, 2008, v. 27, no. 31, p. 50

Perlich reviews the The Valerie Project which screened at the 21st Images Festival. Greg Weeks was able, as Perlich claims, to bring together his love for subtitled lesbian vampire movies and fuzzed out guitar solos. Weeks work was based on little known Czech work titled Valerie and her week of wonders and along with multimedia ideas from his friend Joseph Gervasi the new work was conceived.

Philadelphia musician Greg Weeks, part of the band Espers, has always retained an interest in 60s and 70s thriller films. This led the musician to Joseph Gervasi of Exhumed Films, an American organization focused on the presentation of cinema from the past. A particular film caught the eye of Weeks, Czech surrealist Jaromil Jires' Valerie and Her Week of Wonders, so much that he formed a 10-piece musical ensemble to create a whole new soundtrack to accompany its screening. This screening and performace was part of the 21st Images Festival in Toronto, ON.

ITEM 2008.033 – available for viewing in the Research Centre

Videos, Artworks and Artists Cited

Valerie and Her Week of WondersJaromil Jires