2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
Phil Thomas Katt is this seemingly larger than life, eccentric individual who has spent his life creating low-budget music videos. He and his friends sit down and discuss his career, what it’s like to create these music videos, run a company called Uncharted Zone, and just be one of a kind. Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone takes viewers through the life of this interesting man; but more than anything, it tells a story of human connection and what it’s like to chase your dreams.
Eccentric might not be a strong enough word to describe Phil, as he’s one of the more unique individuals that I’ve ever seen. He creates these music videos that don’t adhere to the typical standards of the music industry–but they, in a lot of ways, surpass the creativity that we often see in mainstream music videos. Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone dives deep into Phil’s life, and at every turn, viewers see something even more odd than before. However, it’s clear how passionate he is about the industry and about helping others. Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone frames this character in a way that allows him to appear to viewers in a number of ways, and that helps us to see him in the best possible light–an honest one.
Being odd is no longer a bad thing (and there are pockets of the mainstream now that embrace this sentiment), and I believe that it’s made clear throughout the duration of Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone that Phil is just that–odd. In a lot of ways he was ahead of his time. He was unwilling to relent in terms of his art and his passion, and it didn’t matter what strange persona he had to adopt in order to make his dreams (and others’) come true. To be able to showcase his originality and his uniqueness in a way that viewers are able to appreciate is a tall task. There’s no doubt in viewers’ minds that Phil is genuine, but to be able to look past how odd he is can be challenging. It’s challenging in the sense that, while being peculiar is acceptable in certain places in the mainstream, there are still skeptics in the world. Director Louis Crisitello Jr. finds just the right people to sit in front of the camera and express their feelings about Phil–and they help to create a very positive atmosphere within the documentary–creating a bond between Phil and viewers.
The tone of the film is lighthearted, innocent, and the like. Crisitello Jr. and the individuals on screen create something accessible in this regard. It’s not always easy to understand or appreciate the process of creating music videos, and it’s certainly not incredibly easy to understand Phil–who is often outlandish. What makes the film accessible is the innocence that transcends Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone, as it is a reflection of these things that we once possessed.
Once again, Phil is one of the more unique individuals that I’ve seen as the subject of a documentary, but Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone showcases him and his work in such a brilliant way. Crisitello Jr. creates something unique but familiar, wild yet grounded–and he fills Space Happy: Phil Thomas Katt and The Uncharted Zone with wonderfully catchy music. Every piece of this film is developed meticulously, in a way that almost guarantees success. I love what is accomplished here, and I genuinely appreciate how left-of-center this documentary manages to be.
Directed by Louis Crisitello Jr
Written by Louis Cristello Jr. & John R. Nobbs II.
Starring Phil Thomas Katt, Tommy Robinetti, Michael J. McCartan, Kenneth L. Manning, Mark Gormley, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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