“Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure”
Directed by Matthew Bate
Filmlab
Viral videos and YouTube stars lose their glamour when compared to the Peter and Raymond audiotapes, a ’90s pop culture phenomenon that was perhaps the first media of its kind to establish a cult following before the creation of the Internet.
An official selection at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, “Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure” is a documentary that examines the lasting legacy of two elderly drunkards named Peter and Raymond.
In 1987, two college graduates, Eddie Lee Sausage and Mitchell D., move into a bright pink San Francisco apartment comically referred to as the “Pepto-Bismol Palace.” From the neighboring flat, Eddie Lee and Mitchell frequently overhear two elderly men verbally and physically abusing one another in a drunken stupor. What begins as the bizarre hobby of recording these discomfiting arguments soon evolves into an underground sensation.
It is hard to discern whether or not the dialogue between Peter and Raymond is hilarious or depressing. Their witty jabs at one another cannot help but provoke laughter. But on a grander scale, the narrative of their life together is somewhat tragic.
The film pulls no punches when addressing many of the unanswered questions regarding the narrative of Peter and Raymond’s life. In listening to the recordings, Raymond presents himself as a passionate homophobe, while Peter ironically seems to be homosexual. The documentary flows with the tension and excitement of a mystery fiction, as Eddie Lee and Mitchell carry out an investigation to determine whether or not Peter and Raymond were in a secretive homosexual relationship, and if not, why they would choose to live together in such a hostile environment.
The film also delves into scholarly pursuits, questioning how society should define art and regard personal privacy. Viewers are challenged to ask themselves if art is simply capturing something glorious, or if it is to be inspired by something glorious to create something original. The film also illustrates how legality can destroy the concept that art belongs to the artist.
“Shut Up Little Man! An Audio Misadventure” is alluring, shocking and thought-provoking, utilizing storytelling as a means to inspire audiences to question the boundary between art and exploitation and how we could find such a dark situation to be remotely humorous.