Theory of Obscurity: A Film About the Residents

2015 1h 27m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🍅

75%

FRESH

⭐

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 17🍅75%Rotten Tomatoes★7IMDB · 580

DocumentaryMusic

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Theory of Obscurity tells the story of the renegade sound and video collective known as The Residents…a story that spans 40 years and is clouded in mystery. Many details surrounding the group are secret, including the identities of its members. They always perform wearing masks and costumes, which is part of their magic. At its heart, this story is about perseverance and chasing your dream. The Residents never caved to convention. They never compromised. They’ve followed their muse for decades and thousands of fans have hung on for the ride. Along the way they’ve also inspired many people to be weird, take chances and find their own voice.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Cast

Matt Groening
Himself
Les Claypool
Himself
Penn Jillette
Himself
Jerry Harrison
Himself
Gary Panter
Himself
Robert Crow
Himself
Homer Flynn
Himself
Hardy Fox
Himself

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Don Hardy Jr.
Writers: Don Hardy Jr.
Languages: English
Countries: Austria, Germany, Netherlands, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

87 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 11 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 4 countries: Austria, Germany, Netherlands, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Don Hardy Jr., shot by Josh Keppel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Barton John Bishoff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Matt Groening and Les Claypool and Penn Jillette carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt2833768 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Don Hardy Jr. directs. Josh Keppel behind the camera. Barton John Bishoff cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in Austria, Germany, Netherlands, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

187 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
2Released 11 years ago.
3International production across 4 countries: Austria, Germany, Netherlands, United States of America.
4Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
5Directed by Don Hardy Jr., shot by Josh Keppel. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Editor Barton John Bishoff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Matt Groening and Les Claypool and Penn Jillette carry the top of the cast.
8IMDB entry: tt2833768 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 17 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.