Flying Lotus reacts to walkouts at Kuso's Sundance screening: 'I tried to warn folks'
Electronica star turned film-maker Flying Lotus (Steven Ellison) says he tried to warn people about the nature of his first feature-length film after reports of mass walkouts during screenings at this year’s Sundance film festival.
The film, Kuso, which was described as “a mix of live action, puppetry and animation” in its promotional material, was screened as part of the film festival’s Midnight selection.
Technology website the Verge called the film “the grossest movie ever made”, criticizing the gore and mutilation before adding: “It’s really easy to imagine Kuso’s creators laughing at critics trying to apply meaning where there is none.”
Kuso’s trailer
On Wednesday, Flying Lotus tweeted to address the reports, claiming that critics had been warned about the content and that fewer than two dozen people left the premiere early.
“It was only like 20 people out of like 400 who walked out,” he wrote. “Wasn’t as dramatic as they make it out to be. I tried to warn folks.”
He also tweeted that the press screening was where the large walkouts took place before adding that he’s considering distributing the film himself after the initial reaction.
All this talk makes me not want to sell Kuso and self distro myself.
— FLYLO (@flyinglotus) January 26, 2017
The film features an appearance from George Clinton and was co-written by British film-maker David Firth, who is best known for his Salad Fingers cartoon and his contributions to Charlie Brooker’s Screenwipe. When an earlier version of Kuso screened at a short film, Pitchfork reported that some audience members were given sick bags before it started.
Ellison has made films before, and at last year’s Sundance festival his short film collaboration with Eddie Alcazar, FUCKKKYOUUU, screened and in 2015 he provided the score for Khalil Joseph’s m.A.A.d., which was part of the festival’s NEXT competition.