Press Quotes:
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“An enthralling film that tells the story of a truly pivotal figure in 20th-century music. A poignant, compelling attempt by a son to understand his father; we know about the works of great artists like da Vinci, but rarely do we hear how their artistic triumphs affected their own families. An essential view inside the wonders of creative genius, American-style.”
—LA WEEKLY
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“A very powerful, honest, direct, and personal documentary film.”
—NPR
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“A fascinating look at a musical genius and the way he lived his life. This absorbing, highly personal documentary is well worth checking out. Warnow allows us to share his journey of discovery as he pieces together the story of his father. I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
—LEONARD MALTIN, film historian, critic, & author
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“Raymond Scott isn’t a fascinating figure to tech-heads and crate-diggers alone — to this day, he continues to mystify even his own son, a veteran filmmaker. Through interviews with the likes of MARK MOTHERSBAUGH and JOHN WILLIAMS — as well as his own family members — the younger Warnow pieces together a portrait of an artist neither he nor his father’s fans fully understand.”
—THE ONION AV Club
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“In a bittersweet paean to his late father, the director has taken great pains assembling a visual and aural composite of his subject. The insights afforded by Raymond Scott’s own son add shades of intrigue and pathos not found in the average music documentary.”
—THE WIRE magazine
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“Essential viewing — directed by Raymond Scott’s son, working with co-producer JEFF E. WINNER — I can’t recommend it highly enough. It’s as alive as Scott’s music, which punctuates and graces every passage, personal and professional. It’s an astonishing, entertaining, and absolutely mesmerizing film, and one rewarding repeat viewings.”
—Stephen R. Bissette, MYRANT
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“I attended the ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES screening of this superb documentary. The story of this mercurial and unparalleled genius is told with great intimacy. I strongly recommend checking this film out, whether you’re interested in early electronic music or not.”
—TINY MIX TAPES
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“A must for lovers of music, gadgets, and personalities.”
—David Burge, IOWAHAWK
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“Raymond Scott’s endlessly fascinating life and ideas are so well showcased by his filmmaker son. The emotional dimension adds extra weight to Warnow’s doc, as does his connecting with the growing legion of Scott devotees out there, a smart, fun, quirky bunch of music geeks who have thoroughly archived and exposed the man’s body of work.”
—MONTREAL MIRROR
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“I thought I knew a lot about Raymond Scott, yet I found myself deeply engaged in the story. This movie really affected me. I can’t explain the many feelings this film has stirred-up. I don’t feel the same since. It truly is a remarkable film. Easily one of the best I have seen in years. A must-see.”
—Jack Hertz, SYNTH-ME
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“Raymond Scott’s son, who directed this terrific documentary, saw little of his father who was always working. But later he ran into fans of Scott’s music and technologies, and he created this exploration of his father’s life and work. He attempted in this film to achieve a closeness with his dad that he never got during his life.”
★★★★★ (5-Star Review)—AUDIOPHILE AUDITION
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“The achievement of this film is particularly admirable in its impartiality. For a father who described microphones like microscopes — tools for stripping something down to its basic structure — Warnow utilizes film similarly. As fascinating and visionary as Raymond Scott is, the real beauty of this account is that of a son getting to know his dad retrospectively, showing the acceptance and compassion only time can bring.”
—THE CINESKINNY
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“A fascinating documentary, an emotionally rich, aural and visual tapestry of Raymond Scott’s visionary career. As a music doc, it has far more personal feeling than most, as Warnow invites us on his own bittersweet quest to understand his father.”
—THE MMIXDOWN
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“A great, personal music doc.”
—SEE IT LOUD
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“DECONSTRUCTING DAD is exactly what the title suggests, a very personal and inquisitive look into a son’s search for his father’s love, which in the end, he realized he had all the time. Truly gives a full spectrum of the musician, leaving you excited about the music and wanting more. Very touching and extremely intriguing. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!”
—DOWNTOWN MUSIC GALLERY
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“Thank you so much for bringing your wonderful DVD of the life and works of Raymond Scott to light. It brought remembrances to me that were touching, and your portrayal of Raymond the man, musician, inventor, ring completely true to my vivid recollections of him. He was a valued friend, and valuable mentor, whose intelligence and musicality I miss to this day.”
—Thomas L. Rhea, Ph.D, BERKLEE COLLEGE OF MUSIC
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“DECONSTRUCTING DAD is crammed with Raymond Scott’s remarkable performances and helped me to place his work in a much broader context. The film offers the curious insight that in the 1930s and 1940s, Scott sought to develop a style of jazz which was highly rehearsed and carefully scored, allowing limited room for improvisation, whereas in the 1950s and 1960s, he ceded far more control of his compositions over to his digital tools, foreshadowing John Cage and others in his fascination with chance in composition.”
—Henry Jenkins, Author and Provost’s Professor of Communication, Journalism, and Cinematic Arts at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
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Viewer Reactions:
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“This is an astonishingly rich documentary on the incredible life of Raymond Scott, musical genius and electronic instrument pioneer. Catnip for pop culture geeks!”
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“Brilliant, highly highly enjoyable movie! I would recommend it to ANYONE involved in the arts. This is the embodiment of a man who has done pretty much nothing but good work, yet his name for so long was washed away by history.”
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“And it’s awesome. I’m wading through the extras now and can recommend this DVD highly. ”
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“Received Friday. Watching it for the second time and came on here to order for my (ex!) father in law, lute maker, musician. I’ll watch it again when I can — on deadline right now, but this is so rich and inspirational. Rock on Warnow family. P. S. I think there is material for a part 2.”
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”DECONSTRUCTING DAD is both a personal father-son narrative without being yucky, and an overview of Scott’s life and work that’s not rote retrospection. It’s totally worth seeking out.”
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“Joyous days!”
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“Great film!!!, I love it. I’ve done, as far as I know, the first review of the DECONSTRUCTING DAD DVD in Spanish on my blog. ”
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“I received the DVD yesterday and watched it this morning — really fascinating film, all the way through. Great job putting it together! I loved it.”
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I was thrilled last night to help program and present Deconstructing Dad at our experimental sound-art and new media festival, Soundasaurus, where not only, we were lucky enough to have Stan Warnow and his lovely wife join us from NYC, but we were able to display the Clavivox seen in the film, through the generosity of some of our local Calgarian music partners. One of the best parts about it was watching it with an enthusiastic audience, and listening to them discover Raymond Scott for themselves. This film is a treasure and joy to experience.
Jodi Lucas
Programming Coordinator
Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts
Calgary, AB, Canada
Very much enjoyed the screening at Glasgow Film Festival and the preceding live set by Stu Brown’s Stextet. You really felt like you were getting to know the man behind the music just as his film-maker son had intended. Look forward to owning and rewatching the DVD.
I finally got to see Deconstructing Dad this past weekend at the Sebastopol Film Festival. I’m a long time admirer and fan of Raymond Scott and was very interested in seeing not only a film about him and his music and inventions but a more personal, private side. His son Stan Warnow made the film as a way to finally get to know his dad since he wasn’t in his son’s life much before he died. The film was an in-depth look at Scott’s musical career and how his personal life seemed to “tag along.”
I was aware of the vast amount of work Scott had done and the crazy genius that inspired the creation of so many electronic technologies, compositions, and conceptual sound ideas – all far ahead of their time, many still to this day. But after having all of this information presented to me in the film, I realized that what I was seeing was just scratching the surface of Raymond Scott. But it also made me realize just how difficult it must have been for his son to really know a man like this, even if he had done the fatherly things a father is supposed to do. I also found it interesting in the similarities I saw with Raymond Scott and his son Stan. Raymond was terribly shy, which you see clearly in one part of the film where he is speaking in front of a TV camera. Stan Warnow also had a part in the film where his son turned the camera on him and was interviewing his father. Stan seemed to hate every minute of it and you could tell he wanted nothing to do with being in front of the camera. Even during the Q&A portion after the film, though he spoke eloquently, he did seem a bit uncomfortable up in the front of everyone, alone.
Such an interesting piece of work, many levels of history, personal soul searching, dysfunctional family relations…all put together as an entertaining, extremely informative, and exceptional piece of film work.
Stan set out on a mission to make the world aware of his father’s music, inventions, and accomplishments; lest this brilliant composer and inventor, leave this world without recognition. He has done an outstanding job! He immersed himself totally for the last several years to complete the award winning documentary and travels the world to share his father’s story. Mission accomplished!
Hi Gail–thanks so much for your kind words! Much appreciated….Stan
Seeing your film and chatting afterwards was a highlight of my weekend at All Tomorrow’s Parties in Asbury Park. So glad to get some more insight into one of my favourite musical innovators, and pick up a copy of the film on DVD to boot (I’ve already watched it once more since getting home). Good luck with the film as it continues to find its audience!
Hey Stephen, great meeting you, and glad you’re enjoying the film. Thanks again for your support….
Stan W.