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The Angree Gun IV was the first live-action short produced by Ted Phillips with T.J.'s Cracked Egg Productions, as well as his first experimental film, and his longest film as of its production. While he continued the trend of using unscripted dialogue, the main characters were human rather than various creatures, so there was a lot more dialogue in this film. Possibly due to the length, this contains some of the earliest examples of character development in his films, and its plot is broken into several acts.
The Angree Gun IV is an example of Ted's early art direction, because each character wears a primary color from print publishing, which, in turn, matches the furniture. Since it is an experimental film, the meta-plot becomes more meaningful, as does the characters' interactions in the space, than the narrative plot. It is also Nick Phillips' first onscreen appearance as a supporting actor.
It was recorded on VHS-C format media in 1994, but was not edited or released to the public until February 10, 2009.
The Angree Gun IV was the first live-action short produced by Ted Phillips with T.J.'s Cracked Egg Productions, as well as his first experimental film, and his longest film as of its production. While he continued the trend of using unscripted dialogue, the main characters were human rather than various creatures, so there was a lot more dialogue in this film. Possibly due to the length, this contains some of the earliest examples of character development in his films, and its plot is broken into several acts.
The Angree Gun IV is an example of Ted's early art direction, because each character wears a primary color from print publishing, which, in turn, matches the furniture. Since it is an experimental film, the meta-plot becomes more meaningful, as does the characters' interactions in the space, than the narrative plot. It is also Nick Phillips' first onscreen appearance as a supporting actor.
It was recorded on VHS-C format media in 1994, but was not edited or released to the public until February 10, 2009.
Synopsis
Teddy, a man who has been plagued by a house full of snakes, tries to use a gun to kill them. He soon learns that his gun can only inflict real harm to its wielder, and that he is not the only person living in his house. What started as a pest control problem escalates into a hostage situation.
History
In March 1995, the first approximately 5 minutes of The Angree Gun IV were lost when several other shorts were recorded on the same media over it: Nicky's Movie, The Escape of Jurassic Park, and Jurassic Park's Attack on Mt. Spooks.
Over time, the VHS-C master became so damaged that it was only possible to hear audio at some parts and all the video became garbled by the disintegrating magnetic emulsion. Then in 2004, the physical damage due to age and improper care made it impossible to view the film any longer. After many attempts at repairing the tape, it seemed likely that The Angree Gun IV would become another lost project.
When Ted Phillips applied to film school in 2005, he wrote the title The Angree Gun IV as "The Angry Gun" in his portfolio, to prove to review committees that he now knew how to spell correctly and to avoid confusion over three unreported previous installments that did not actually exist. After that, "The Angry Gun" was used to write about and discuss the film casually, because the portfolio document overwrote most people's memories of the actual title.
On December 26, 2008, Ted Phillips was able to successfully workaround these issues and transfer the albeit damaged master to a digital file.
Over time, the VHS-C master became so damaged that it was only possible to hear audio at some parts and all the video became garbled by the disintegrating magnetic emulsion. Then in 2004, the physical damage due to age and improper care made it impossible to view the film any longer. After many attempts at repairing the tape, it seemed likely that The Angree Gun IV would become another lost project.
When Ted Phillips applied to film school in 2005, he wrote the title The Angree Gun IV as "The Angry Gun" in his portfolio, to prove to review committees that he now knew how to spell correctly and to avoid confusion over three unreported previous installments that did not actually exist. After that, "The Angry Gun" was used to write about and discuss the film casually, because the portfolio document overwrote most people's memories of the actual title.
On December 26, 2008, Ted Phillips was able to successfully workaround these issues and transfer the albeit damaged master to a digital file.
Cultural References
- At various times, clips from the 1960 film The 3 Worlds of Gulliver can be heard in the background.[1]
Trivia
- When applying to film school, Ted Phillips attempted to describe The Angree Gun IV in his portfolio:
Ted Phillips said:
Categories:
Experimental film
Lost Projects
Old Camera
1994
Pending categories:
Stub
