Every once in a while, I like to check out the web site of my #1 favorite crackpot/mad genius Sam Sloan. Sam’s personality comes through quite strongly in everything he does and he passionate about things like books, chess, Asian women, lawsuits, and sex. Sloan is also a bona fide historic figure, as he is the last individual to argue a case pro se in the Supreme Court of the United States. And forget that old adage, about “having a fool for a client” because Sloan actually won the case.
This doesn’t make his other behavior any less bizarre or erratic. Hot damn, if the guy isn’t making DVDs lately and you know that’s got to be tasty. So I did a little reasearch:
“Oragami for Children” sounds so atrocious that I must buy a copy immediately. It’s been reviewed on Amazon, presumably by somebody who knew what he was getting into:
The Documentary has 4 characters. The teacher, the friend, the “perverted wizard” and the Origami monster. (The monster was a 3 yr old girl, who behaved well for a three year old. It’s just that she was far too young for this DVD. The reason I call her “Origami monster” will be evident soon and is purely for dramatic effect)
The DVD starts with the teacher Kayo, teaching how to make a crane, while the 3 year old Origami monster keeps disturbing her. Her greatest joy is to try to unfold, destroy and open/rip any Origami model she can lay her hands on. The teacher is completely out of control and even answers the cell phone in the middle of teaching, completely on camera. Not to mention, speaking in Japanese during the teaching and phone call. Her friend, Mayumi, visits her and demonstrates how to make a not so basic Sonobe type module and eventually makes the 12 piece pointed ball star. What beginners DVD begins with cranes and Sonobe modulars modules?? To add insult to injury, the “perverted wizard,” Sam makes a brief appearance where he sits next to friend and kisses her and is all very touchy and obvious in his affection for his teacher wife’s friend. We all had flashes of some reality TV while watching this.
Part two of the DVD is a more formal teaching of origami. I use the word teaching quiet liberally in this review. The formal teaching is also short lived as after teaching 4 models ; crane, waterbomb, purse and pigeon, the three year old monster resurrects and starts her demolition.
To top it all, the teacher even does some cloth/scarf folding and actually makes a bra.
This DVD can be summed up in the teachers own words (pronounced with her accent), “This is origami ‘sheet'”.
Sloan also reviews his own “Contemporary Dance Festival Performance October 8, 2005,” which starts with the headline “Finally out, after litigation.” There’s very little in Sloan’s life that doesn’t involve some form of litigation; note the numerous legal documents posted on his site.
