Name of this split-screen movie?

April 29, 2006 12:06 PM

What is the name of this movie containing split screens?

Question from a reader on my split-screen blog:

"I stumbled across your blog discussing split screen video this morning.
I've been searching for any information on a quad split screen indie
film that I saw approximately 1992-1993. It was a quad split screen
indie film I think pretty much throughout, and the story was that of a
'road movie' where at one point people end up at a beach house or
something. The content of the film for the most part is 4 separate
monologues by 4 actors and if I remember correctly the monologues were
pretty funny in places. I think there were also words (maybe
subtitles) moving back and forth between the panes of the split screen.
I saw this on home video, and I am not sure if it was ever theatrically
released.

If you have any info on this, or know anyone that does, it'd be much
appreciate as I remember it being really cool but extensive web
searches haven't turned up anything."

Please help id this movie. Thanks.

posted by shortfuse to Media & Arts (11 answers total)

It's not Timecode, is it?
posted by Gyan at 12:16 PM on April 29, 2006

Oops, 1992/93; so, it isn't.
posted by Gyan at 12:17 PM on April 29, 2006

Dammit.. now I wonder If I saw this too, and can't recall the details.. or if the original question-poser's memory is inaccurate. Are they sure on the date? Feature, or short? Language?
posted by unmake at 4:11 PM on April 29, 2006

I think Timecode is correct and that the poster's memory is wrong, because I vaguely remember when Timecode came out reading an article saying it was the first feature film to quadsect the screen. Yet, most of the provided details don't fit, so...this was unhelpful.
posted by Falconetti at 6:37 PM on April 29, 2006

Timecode wasn't monologues, wasn't a road movie, and I don't recall a beach house being involved.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 8:15 PM on April 29, 2006

Response by poster: I think it's not Timecode, as the details are different. Also, if he did do search online for such a split-screen movie, then he definitely would have run into some link regarding Timecode. But he says he's found nothing.
posted by shortfuse at 8:23 PM on April 29, 2006

Tangent: Coincidentally, last night the MGM Channel in NZ played the original Thomas Crown Affair (1968), in which VFX artist Pablo Ferro made frequent — and pretty innovative — use of split- and multiple-screen effects. shortfuse has also posted his question to www.splitscreen.us, which discusses the use of split screen by Ferro and director Norman Jewison, as well as earlier uses in Napoléon and Pillow Talk.
posted by rob511 at 8:28 PM on April 29, 2006

Response by poster: Yes, the original Thomas Crown Affair is fantastic. I haven't posted on Split Screen about Napoleon yet. Soon.
posted by shortfuse at 5:10 AM on April 30, 2006

The sequel to American Graffiti, More American Graffiti, made excellent use of split screens throughout.
posted by wsg at 10:44 AM on April 30, 2006

"The Boston Strangler" also has those little variable-sized windows happening, like the original "Thomas Crown Affair." As for "Timecode", I agree with dirtynumbangelboy -- no monologs, certainly no beach house -- it all happens around the Book Soup/Tower Records vertex on Sunset, miles from the beach.
posted by Rash at 2:40 PM on April 30, 2006

it all happens
its action all occurs
posted by Rash at 2:42 PM on April 30, 2006