Having just seen Peter Hujar’s Day last night, My Dinner With Andre was already on my mind when I saw this announcement:
"Today we’re announcing the exclusive VHS release of a film with Daniel Johnston & Jad Fair called “My Dinner with Daniel.” It’ll be out on our web store 3/13.
Filmed in 1988 at the home of Half Japanese co-founder David Fair, this raw VHS footage is a work of cinema verite. Daniel Johnston, Jad Fair, Susan Fair, David Fair and Charles Brohawn (The Tinklers) all participate in this intimate, unguarded gathering. Daniel performs some of his classic material, including the astonishing “Don’t Play Cards with Satan” from the documentary “The Devil and Daniel Johnston”.
Jad Fair says of the film:
“What if the film ‘My Dinner With Andre’ was with Daniel Johnston instead of Andre? We didn’t know what would happen, but we knew it was bound to be great. On the last day of the recording session for the album ‘It’s Spooky’ Daniel and I were invited over to my brother David’s home to have dinner.
We filmed the dinner with a VHS camera. It’s Daniel telling stories and singing songs. It’s time now for dinner and you’re invited. Kick off your shoes and pull up a chair. Here’s ‘My Dinner With Daniel.’”
Why VHS? Well, we chose to release this on VHS both because Daniel is the undisputed champion of the cassette format, as well as because that’s the format the film was originally shot on.
“My Dinner With Daniel” will be limited to a first pressing of 250 hand-numbered copies.”
