Jon Moritsugu

Jon Moritsugu
Born (1965-02-15) February 15, 1965 (age 59)
Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
EducationBrown University
Occupation(s)Filmmaker, musician
Notable workMod Fuck Explosion (1994)
SpouseAmy Davis

Jon Moritsugu (born February 15, 1965) is an American cult-underground filmmaker[1] and musician. His movies are satiric, protopunk deconstructions of popular genres and formats with scabrous and pointedly garish results.[2] The New York Times describes them as "funny, anarchic, provocative and exhilarating".[3] Influenced by the nihilism of Jean-Luc Godard and Guy Debord,[4] Moritsugu's films are often defined by their "lo-fi" aesthetic and were initially shot on 16mm film for a gritty, visceral quality.[1] He states that he often "pay(s) less attention to narrative flow and storyline and put(s) more emphasis on sight, sound and spectacle" to create a movie that is "like a live punk/hardcore show."[5] The works themselves are often absurdist comedies that feature actress, co-writer, stylist, and wife, Amy Davis. Perhaps best known for his cult film Mod Fuck Explosion,[6] Moritsugu's films have been screened at Sundance, Cannes, Berlin, Toronto, Rotterdam, Venice, USA Film Festival, New York Underground, Chicago Underground, MoMA, Guggenheim, Whitney and numerous other festivals and museums.[7] In 2001 he received the Moving Image award from Creative Capital.

  1. ^ a b Mayfield, Dan (5 July 2009). "Their Love Built on Chicken Sandwiches". Albuquerque Journal. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 20 August 2010.
  2. ^ Chin. "One Indie Pioneer to Another." Fandor.com. 17 March 2010. Web. 17 March 2010.
  3. ^ Hale, Mike (17 June 2015). "Films of Jon Moritsugu, Upending Stereotypes With a Wig and a Sneer". The New York Times. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  4. ^ Okada, Jun (2015). Making Asian American Film and Video. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press. p. 71. ISBN 9780813565026.
  5. ^ "A Conversation with Jon Moritsugu (PIG DEATH MACHINE) – Hammer to Nail". hammertonail.com. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Jon Moritsugu - Original BB in da house". Amoeblog. Retrieved 7 March 2019.
  7. ^ Dean, Michael (2003). $30 Film School. Boston: Premier Press. pp. 442–444. ISBN 1-59200-067-3.