Educational Media Reviews Online

Monster Road is an engaging, intimate portrait of Bruce Bickford, a stop-motion animator best known for his work with Frank Zappa in the 1970s. Bickford's description of his work, influences, and philosophy about art are layered over segments showcasing his intricately designed clay figures and dreamlike footage of the places and landscapes that have inspired him. Those unfamiliar with Bickford's work are able to marvel at his prodigious output and creative fervor, most notably the nightmarish adventure saga Prometheus' Garden .

Bickford's democratic approach ("You can make a story out of anything") intertwines David-and-Goliath fantasies with surreal, Boschian story-scapes and surprising transformations. He often funnels disparate elements through his psyche (a cake mixer forms in the Garden of Eden, and a Moviola plays an important role in Prometheus' Garden), and the audience soon learns that expecting the unexpected is one of the true delights of his infinitely imaginative work. Footage of his workshop best gives a sense of the many fantastical (though often grotesque) elements that recur in his work; one particularly striking image shows a pile of boxes labeled "guitars, insects, cas'l [castles], body parts, animals, monsters, beasts, dinosaurs."

Interview footage with Bruce's aging father, a brilliant and proud engineer struggling with the onset of dementia, is incorporated throughout the film. The elder Bickford's reflections help the viewer piece together the challenging familial relationships which set the stage for Bruce's development as an avant-garde artist. These interviews are skillfully edited to build tension, as key pieces of information come together to reveal a complex family dynamic in a manner that highlights the filmmaker's adeptness at crafting a story as well as tenderness and respect for his subject. This film is highly recommended for collections with a focus on art and the creative process.