Vileness Fats (partially found material from unfinished Residents musical film; 1972-1976)
Characters Arf and Omega in a behind-the-scenes photo from the film.
Status: Partially Found
Vileness Fats is an unfinished musical film by anonymous avant-garde art collective The Residents, with the bulk of it being shot between 1972 and 1976. While only 40 or so minutes have been released by the band on the 1984 VHS Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats? and the 2001 DVD Icky Flix, the group shot well over 14 hours of material.[1] Additional footage of both the film and behind-the-scenes work was shown in the 2015 documentary about the group, The Theory of Obscurity. The Residents shot the majority of the music-based film on the relatively new reel-to-reel video format. The project was abandoned because, after years of shooting, the black-and-white videos they were using looked outdated. Additionally, it took far too long to build individual sets. After four years of filming and fourteen hours of footage, the band was nowhere close to finished. Subsequently, the band included references to the movie in later albums and songs.
Plot
The film's plot revolves around a village, Vileness Fats, under siege by meat-thieving atomic shopping carts, forcing the population to survive entirely on vegetables. Unbeknownst to the population, however, their spiritual leader is also the leader of the bandits. To guard the bridge leading into Vileness Fats, the villagers call upon Siamese-twin wrestlers, Arf and Omega, who in turn summon the Indian priestess Weescoosa. They're victorious against the shopping carts, at which point the local preacher becomes the main antagonist as he's also the secret leader of a gang called The Bell Boys who continue to steal meat from Vileness Fats. Arf and Omega also break out into a deadly fight when both are seduced by a local lounge singer. However, it's not known how the film would have ended as this represents all the footage the Residents shot before abandoning the project.
Availability
A cut-down version of the film was released in 1984 as Whatever Happened to Vileness Fats?, with a runtime of about 35 minutes. In 2001, a new concentrated edit of the film was released, at just over 17 minutes long. This version featured a new digital restoration of the footage. Additional footage was included in the 2015 documentary, Theory of Obscurity. The director also released additional restored footage as part of the promotion of the film. An extensive plot outline was included in the 2015 Buy Or Die art book. This not only provided the film's intended plot but also detailed which scenes were shot.
Soundtrack
The only released part of the original soundtrack is a piece entitled "Aircraft Damage" featured on The Residents' debut EP, Santa Dog.
Not Available
It has often been speculated that The Residents' Not Available album was intended as the original soundtrack, as it was allegedly recorded during the filming, but was unreleased until two years after the project had been scrapped. The theory originates from the fact that the original LP features a photo still from Vileness Fats on the back. This theory is further supported by the fact that the album's lyric "There are clothes that haven't been worn, shoes that haven't been shorn, need I say more?" is quoted during the banquet sequence.[2] In 2019, an expanded 2xCD of Not Available which featured the original demos for the project featured a track entitled "Soundtrack Music Piece 17", which led to more speculation about the connection.
Preserved
In 2018, Cherry Red Records, MVD Audio, and New Ralph Too began to release expanded multi-disc sets of The Residents' classic albums. These sets often featured previously unreleased instrumentals, which have often been speculated as Vileness Fats soundtrack.
Details on Deleted Scenes
Excerpts from the Buy Or Die plot outline.
Scene 1 - Arf and Omega (Excerpt included in VHS release) Siamese twin tag team wrestlers, Arf and Omega Berry (Palmer Eiland and George Ewart) are first seen in a motel room. Omega is asleep as Arf watches a news bulletin about a fight between a band of renegade Bellboys and a group of virtually defenseless townspeople.
Hoping to turn the battle from a minor bloodbath to a major massacre, the Berry Boys recite a magic chant, designed to summon an enchanted Indian priestess, Weescoosa (Sally Lewis), who spends eternity rescuing short people from life-threatening situations. Curiously, since the combatants on BOTH sides of the battle are one-armed midgets, the resulting scenario is uniquely no-win AND no-lose. The scene ends with Arf and Omega chanting:
"Kick A Cat, kick a cat, kick a cat today, fish are dumb, pluck an eye from one."
Scene 7 - Weescoosa & Ninnie 2 Cleaned up and wearing the new dress, Weescoosa looks spectacular, but, as the Indian priestess contemplates her past romantic failures, she sadly drifts into remorse. Encouraged by Ninnie, she tells her friend that she's cursed; even though she lives forever, the enchanted priestess constantly relives the same affair, with the same short powerful man, over and over again.
Decade after decade it never changes, they need her, she gives in, they leave, and they die - then it happens again ...and again. And, since each love affair ends with her lover's death, he never recognizes her after being reborn, but, as an unfortunate consequence of living forever, she always knows. Everyone has their problems. Frustrated, Weescoosa recalls two of her past affairs.
Scene 8 - Weescoosa's Flashback (Excerpt included in VHS) In flashback, Weescoosa tells Ninnie about previous affairs with Napoleon and Abraham Lincoln, casually remarking that the statuesque Lincoln was actually quite short but appeared taller due to the Indian priestess's magic spell. Ninnie, of course, has no idea what her friend is talking about.
Scene 9 - Weescoosa & Ninnie 3 In a brief scene after the two flashbacks, Weescoosa sadly sums up the pattern of her failed love affairs for Ninnie. Concerned and confused, the bewildered Ninnie can only shake her head; regardless, the overly optimistic teenager somehow manages to convince the Indian priestess to give it one more try.
Resplendent in the striking new dress, Weescoosa goes back to town, determined to find Steve.
Scene 10 - Bellboys & Townspeople Battle 2 (Excerpts included in Theory of Obscurity Doc) Convinced of the purity of their purpose, the motley Bellboys attack the townspeople again, this time with their Atomic Shopping Carts. Determined to protect her new dress, Weescoosa can't be bothered, but she does pause long enough to conjure up a spell summoning Arf and Omega.
Delighted to find themselves amid a battle with the much smaller and weaker Bellboys, the Berry Boys take great glee in crushing the one-armed midgets once again.
Scene 14 - Desert 1 The story continues to follow Lonesome Jack, when, shortly after, the rebel leader is seen deep in thought, standing alone in the desert.
Consumed with doubt, the idealistic midget gradually falls prey to his worst weakness, the lure of ecstatic bliss, eventually convincing himself that HE is the illusive Evergreen, a delusion that triggers his transformation back to Steve. Suddenly uncomfortable in Lonesome Jack's old cowboy clothes, Steve returns to his mother's house to change.
Scene 19 - Bridge 1 Despondent over her continuing romantic failures, Weescoosa is seen walking on the bridge leading out to the desert.
Scene 24 - Desert 4 Lonesome Jack and Weescoosa meet in the desert. At first, the Indian is cold and distant, but the rebel leader is both romantic and needy, a dangerous combination. He sees her as a sign from Evergreen.
Scene 26 - Desert 5 Lonesome Jack and Weescoosa continue their love scene. Initially, the Indian priestess still attempts to resist, but the outcome is unavoidable, and gradually she succumbs.
Scene 27 - Cave 4 (Excerpt included in VHS) With their meat costumes now complete, The Bellboys are ready to carry out their latest assault on the unsuspecting townspeople. Weenie sends Mel to find Lonesome Jack in the desert.
Scene 29 - Desert 6 (Excerpt included in VHS) Oblivious to everything else, Lonesome Jack and Weescoosa are consumed with the passionate throes of true love, until they are abruptly interrupted by Mel. Without hesitation, the stoic Bellboy informs his leader that preparations for the Master Plan are now complete, and the rest of the rebels are waiting for word from him.
Completely conflicted between true love and duty, the overwrought rebel leader is suddenly helpless and incapable of making a decision. Turning, as if to run away, he bumps Weescoosa, who then falls, hitting her head and knocking herself unconscious.
Mumbling that he has no choice but to seek advice from the mysterious Window of Never, Lonesome Jack suddenly disappears. Confused, Mel returns to the cave to inform Weenie.
Scene 30 - Night Club 4 (Excerpt included in VHS) As the tension between them escalates, Arf and Omega continue to antagonize each other. Pleased to be the center of attention between two big, strong men, Peggy convinces them to have a contest to determine which one can hold his breath the longest.
Scene 31 - Cave 5 Distraught and confused, Mel returns to the cave, telling Weenie that Lonesome Jack has inexplicably run away to the Window of Never. The rebel leader's right-hand man instantly realizes that their only hope for salvation lies with one person - Lonesome Jack's mother.
Scene 32 - Night Club 5 (Excerpt included in VHS) Encouraged by the smug Peggy Honeydew, Arf and Omega continue to provoke each other. As the tension in the nightclub continues to grow, it soon becomes obvious that the brother's confrontation will not result in a happy conclusion.
As the scene ends, Willie, the owner of the night club (Hardy Fox), presents the twins with a pair of knives - with blindfolds in place, the brothers prepare for a duel to the death.