Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey
Encyclopedia
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey is a 1993 documentary film
directed by Steven M. Martin
about the life of Leon Theremin
and his invention, the theremin
, a pioneering electronic musical instrument
.
THEREMIN: An Electronic Odyssey tells the life story of Lev Sergeivich Termen, known in the West as Leon Theremin, a Russian physicist who invented the entire field of electronic music with his remarkable musical instrument, originally called the aetherphone, but soon simply referred to as a Theremin, or Thereminvox(voice of Theremin). It follows his life, including being imprisoned in a Soviet gulag, and the influence of his instrument, which came to define the sound of eerie in 20th Century movies, and influenced popular music as it searched for and celebrated electronic music in the 1960's.
. It was also nominated for an International Emmy as well as a BAFTA, the Huw Wheldon Award for the Best Arts Programme, one of the British Academy Television Awards
. Theremin was named to the Top Ten Films of the Year lists in Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC, and was invited to almost every important film festival in the world, including The New York Film Festival, set a record for the longest question and answer period at the National Gallery in Washington, and was shown by invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture to top scientists in St. Petersburg.
Janet Maslin
of The New York Times called the film a "fascinating, offbeat documentary that stands as a fine job of detective work."
In a December 1995 review, Roger Ebert
wrote:
Documentary film
Documentary films constitute a broad category of nonfictional motion pictures intended to document some aspect of reality, primarily for the purposes of instruction or maintaining a historical record...
directed by Steven M. Martin
Doug and Steve Martin
Steven M. Martin is an actor and filmmaker, who wrote and directed Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey, which earned him a Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.-Career:...
about the life of Leon Theremin
Léon Theremin
Léon Theremin was a Russian and Soviet inventor. He is most famous for his invention of the theremin, one of the first electronic musical instruments. He is also the inventor of interlace, a technique of improving the picture quality of a video signal, widely used in video and television technology...
and his invention, the theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, a pioneering electronic musical instrument
Electronic musical instrument
An electronic musical instrument is a musical instrument that produces its sounds using electronics. Such an instrument sounds by outputting an electrical audio signal that ultimately drives a loudspeaker....
.
THEREMIN: An Electronic Odyssey tells the life story of Lev Sergeivich Termen, known in the West as Leon Theremin, a Russian physicist who invented the entire field of electronic music with his remarkable musical instrument, originally called the aetherphone, but soon simply referred to as a Theremin, or Thereminvox(voice of Theremin). It follows his life, including being imprisoned in a Soviet gulag, and the influence of his instrument, which came to define the sound of eerie in 20th Century movies, and influenced popular music as it searched for and celebrated electronic music in the 1960's.
Reception
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey won the Documentary Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994 Sundance Film FestivalSundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
. It was also nominated for an International Emmy as well as a BAFTA, the Huw Wheldon Award for the Best Arts Programme, one of the British Academy Television Awards
British Academy Television Awards
The British Academy Television Awards are presented in an annual award show hosted by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts . They have been awarded annually since 1954, and are analogous to the Emmy Awards in the United States.-Background:...
. Theremin was named to the Top Ten Films of the Year lists in Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC, and was invited to almost every important film festival in the world, including The New York Film Festival, set a record for the longest question and answer period at the National Gallery in Washington, and was shown by invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture to top scientists in St. Petersburg.
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin
Janet Maslin is an American journalist, best known as a film and literary critic for The New York Times. She served as the Times film critic from 1977–1999.- Biography :...
of The New York Times called the film a "fascinating, offbeat documentary that stands as a fine job of detective work."
In a December 1995 review, Roger Ebert
Roger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
wrote:
- Watching Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey is a curious experience. You begin with interest, and then you pass through the stages of curiosity, fascination and disbelief, until in the last 20 minutes, you arrive at a state of dumbfounded wonder. It is the kind of movie that requires a musical score only the Theremin possibly could supply.
External links
- List of reviews of Theremin from the Movie Review Query EngineMovie Review Query EngineThe Movie Review Query Engine also known as MRQE, is an index of movie reviews published online. Registered users are able to access movie-specific forums and provide their own reviews. The site aggregates reviews, news, interviews, and other material associated to specific movies...
- Theremin - An Electronic Odyssey The movie at Vimeo