My Dead Dad's Porno Tapes Response

When I think of documentaries I generally have just one style in mind. Most of the documentaries I have seen fall under this category that is full dialogues and conversations from talking heads that tells the story of a person or event over the course of a feature length film. This style is not bad by any means, but it is refreshing to see how other people can take the genre and create a new and engaging form of storytelling. My Dead Dad’s Porno Tapes is a perfect example of a documentary going against the standard formula to grab the audience’s attention and lead them through a story in a way they are not used to. The first thing to note is the film’s title. For an unorthodox film that is trying to lure in the audience into a story about someone not personal to them, this title does a great job. It is eye catching and just odd enough to intrigue almost anyone to at least giving it a second glance or a try. The rest of the film uses a very powerful effect of nostalgia to keep everyone interested in the story. The filmmaker could have easily used stock footage and recreations but instead only used home videos from his family during the 1990’s which gives the footage a simple homemade aesthetic that has become very popular lately. When the film does not use home videos, it tells the story in a very unique and impressive way. The story revolved around the narrator’s late father and so he tells the story primarily through his father’s stuff. Through editing and stop motion these objects come to life and unravel and create new images before your eyes. These shots alone are worth watching but they really help progress the story. The film starts by literally dissecting the father’s porno tape stash but by the end his stuff reveal not only a lot about him but a lot of what is missing in his story. The moral at the end of the story is that all of the father’s useless junk can explain part of the story but you will never get to fully know someone without spending lots of time with them.