Search - Plaster Caster on DVD

Exegi monumentum

Larry Cosentino | Lansing, MI, USA | 01/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Van Gogh nailed a canvas to a hay-wagon in his zeal to paint a wind-whipped landscape. Proust wrote hundreds of pages of prose in pursuit of a single memory. Cynthia Plaster Caster strives to capture an even more elusive and prized phenomenon than her artistic predecessors. For some thirty years, she has been creating life molds of the erect (or, sometimes unavoidably, semi-erect) penises of rock stars.
Early in the film, Cynthia makes it clear that she is not a "size queen." Her generous, appreciative spirit is only one of many things that makes this film a celebration of diversity the likes of which are seldom seen. As the film follows her through two castings (one substantially more successful than the other), the passion and logic of her quest uplifts the soul as much as it titillates the mind and body.
While the salt-of-the-earth heroine only grows in our estimation, any grist for post-modern irony has to be shaved off the backs of the run-of-the-mill freaks who surround her. Aging stars like Eric Burdon are seen first in blurry, hairy 60's snapshots, then as sagging, eyebrow-penciled wrecks reminiscing about their groupie years. A procession of preening young rockers, draggy hangers-on, pretentious gallery types and callow publicists underscore the point that C.P.C. is by far the most fulfilled, together, and focused person in her circle (with the possible exception of her attorney). She is that rare, heaven-anointed artist who never doubts her path for a second, and even gets to achieve her dream of a New York gallery show. The final, wildly successful casting session, shown in bravely orgasmic detail, is the best argument made for art in a movie since Charlton Heston saw his Sistine ceiling materialize in the clouds in "The Agony and the Ecstasy.""

Portrait of a "hands on" artist...

D. Hartley | Seattle, WA USA | 08/31/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"A profile of down-to-earth artist Cynthia "Plaster Caster" that should er, hold, the, er, attention of anyone fascinated by "The Sixties" or rock 'n' roll subculture in general. For the uninitiated, the "Plaster Casters" were a group of female "artists" (some may still argue, "groupies") who earned a universal backstage pass of sorts throughout the 60's and 70's by immortalizing the southernmost regions of many a rock legends' anatomy in plaster-based life-size sculpture. This would obviously guarantee many an amusing war story from (surviving) participants, and indeed, the most entertaining parts of the film are derived from such. One warning: The (somewhat deceptive) psychedelic cover art gives the impression that you might be in for a 60's time capsule, chock-a-block with vintage clips and music of the era; but the documentary is shot ultra low-budget direct to video, all "present day" footage with only an occasional still photo from the bygone days for context, and no "period" music to speak of. The overall "feel" is that of any one of the myriad of "reality" TV shows currently cluttering the commercial airwaves (of course, the subject matter here would be strictly "premium cable"!) The "extras" actually redeemed the investment for this reviewer-particularly the additional backstage tales that Cynthia tells regarding Led Zeppelin (somewhat harrowing, actually) and her explanation of why Kiss was "off" her list from the get-go. An interesting companion piece to "The Mayor Of The Sunset Strip" (see my review on this site) as an examination of the "almost famous" who take thier succor from the aura of rock stardom."

A Rock-Solid Documentary That's a Blast

Gina M. | New York, NY United States | 01/21/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I saw Cynthia Plaster Caster's "babies" on display at Threadwaxing Space in 2000, read about her in a 2001 issue of BB Gun, and was thus very eager to see this. I got my chance at a recent film festival, and thoroughly enjoyed it.This documentary is as unique as its subject, who comes across as quirky, warm and eternally youthful, and whose craft provides us with a bizarre but indispensible bit of rock n roll memorabilia. You'll love "Plaster Caster" if you're a fan of: British rock of the 1960s and '70s; the GTO era of LA; the "indie" music scene of the 1980s and '90s; dive bars inhabited by shaggy-haired rock n rollers; and the DIY aesthetic. I'm definitely buying this on DVD."

And yes the Hendrix anecdote is priceless.

Christopher Underwood | Greenwich - London | 01/13/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Rather like the subject herself this is more a curio than a particularly rounded enterprise. It also starts rather slowly, although this is the non flashy style chosen for the documentary and as it progresses we see the wisdom of playing this all rather dead pan. By the time we have discovered that the now mid 50 year old Cynthia is more interesting than we first thought and that maybe the plaster cocks are imbued with some significance we have Camille Paglia making good sense and a New York gallery preparing an exhibition. Everyone is likable, the old rock people talking about their castings 30 years before, the young bloods giving it a go now and the ladies of the past giving us a glimpse of the world of the groupie all that long time ago. But likable despite everything is Cynthia herself as she struggles with her landlady, her distant mother and her pots of plaster. 'And what will you be wearing?' asks a prospective candidate, with a leer and it is clear that dressing sexy had never even occurred to her. And yes the Hendrix anecdote is priceless."