FUTURE SCHLOCK FAQS
What is Future Schlock?
Future Schlock is a “video mixtape,” the best term available for an otherwise unclassifiable mixture of found footage from cable television, outdated educational films, obscure import DVDs, insane religious propaganda, infomercials, Z-grade genre films,and abandoned VHS tapes of all types. Some clips are selected for their ability to speak to the absurdity and/or intellectual decay of our era, and some for cheap humor, but all must have the elusive quality of “schlockworthiness.” Since Future Schlock takes out the boring parts of mainstream cinema like plot and character, and leaves in the visceral parts like explosions and witty non sequiturs, you could also call it an “experimental film,” but we only feel that pretentious upon occasion.
How did you make Future Schlock?
Each volume of Future Schlock is the result of about a year’s worth of video collecting. We screen hundreds of videos, rip the good parts to a hard drive, and import those clips to a nonlinear editing program. It takes forever. You’ll have to figure out the rest for yourself.
Where can I get Future Schlock?
The easiest way to get both volumes of Future Schlock is to buy them from the excellent video mixtape website undergroundcollector.com. Future Schlock Vol. 2 is also available from Quimby’s bookstore (1854 W. North Ave, Chicago) and at quimbys.com. If you’re in the Chicagoland area, Future Schlock is available for rent from our friends at Odd Obsession video (1822 N. Milwaukee Ave., oddobsession.com). If for some reason all of these avenues are closed to you, you can contact us at orders@future-schlock.com to arrange getting a copy straight from us.
What will the quality be like?
Because we use found footage, the visual and audio quality of Future Schlock is dependent on the source material. So, some parts of Future Schlock are DVD quality, some are VHS quality, and some are internet quality. We do have some standards, though, so none of our footage is so pixelated as to be unwatchable.
What if my copy is fucked up?
A good rule of thumb for Future Schlock and DVD players is: the cheaper the DVD player, the more likely it is to play Future Schlock. Most computers will also play the discs, so if your DVD player is being cranky, try a computer. If for any reason your copy of Future Schlock will not play in any of your devices, contact us at info@future-schlock.com and we will send you a replacement. Replacement discs will be sent without labels, as they sometimes are the source of the problem.
Are there other video mixtapes?
Hell yeah! The main influences on Future Schlock were Bruce Connor’s “A Movie,” Lost & Found Video Night, and the TV Carnage series. While the video mixtape is still a new medium, it is growing fast; we highly recommend you check out undergroundcollector.com for a survey of what’s out there. You can find links to some of our favorites on the Links page.
Will there be more Future Schlock?
As long as crappy video is being spewed out of the collective media asshole of the world, there will be Future Schlock. Future Schlock is now a member of that sinister cabal known as Everything Is Terrible and is currently plotting to take over the world.