That makes it easier to focus on the advancements The Residents made, particularly their dedication from the beginning of their careers to strong visual elements, which ultimately led to the band developing some of the first music videos.
For the unconverted, The Theory of Obscurity is a lot to take in, but it’s perhaps the best possible entry into the band’s intimidating history, illustrating their ambition and scope and personality rather than burying the viewer in facts and data. Though Hardy does dig up archival footage of the band’s early attempts to infiltrate the counterculture and material from their abandoned film Vileness Flats, the bulk of the documentary focuses on the various tactics the band has utilized to remain anonymous (including their iconic eyeball heads), the way their fanbase has evolved over the years and footage from their stripped down contemporary shows. Residents fans already know the basics of the band’s story and how they left the deep south for San Francisco in the ’60s and acquired their name after sending demos to Warner Bros, which were returned to them in care of “the residents” of where they were currently residing. The figures who have crossed paths with the Residents– ranging from previous collaborators like Penn Jillette and Gary Panter to the group’s Cryptic Corp founders to fans like Dean Ween and Les Claypool- all stress that the band’s success comes down to their lack of a cult of personality and a dedication to simply making what they want to make with an almost childlike naivete about what they’re supposed to be capable of. Assembling a remarkable number of artists who have collaborated with The Residents as well as be inspired by them, Hardy creates a perfectly Residentsian narrative in that there is no narrative, only anecdotes and samples and information that result in more questions than answers. Rather than provide answers about any of the mysteries surrounding The Residents, Don Hardy’s film instead seeks to place the group within the context of contemporary art and music while also showcasing the ways the band’s disciplined dedication to anonymity has helped them become one of culture’ most unique and prolific forces. The Residents never had any hits and their true identities remain debated, but as the documentary The Theory of Obscurity shows, they’ve had a lasting impact on art in our era, pioneering the way media intersected in the 20th century, continuing to influence it in the 21st century, inspiring legions of geniuses across any number of fields.
Yet one of the secret directors of 20th century culture remains basically anonymous, with no real commercial impact to speak of. When you get down to the question of who most defined art and culture in the 20th century, there are constants, figures who will come up over and over again, most of whom had commercial impacts similar to their critical achievements.
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