Sonic Outlaws

The subject matter of this film/video documentary - copyright infringement and (some of) the consequences - is interesting enough. What isn't so interesting is the manner in which director Baldwin and cameraman/editor Bill Daniel have presented it. It runs like an early '80s 'scratch' video: masses of found footage (most of it unrelated to the accompanying sound-bites) is cut, tossed, turned and generally fiddled with to produce either a slant on the original or a different interpretation. And it's fine when taken in small doses. At the film's centre is a group of American 'Media Hackers' called Negativland who incurred the wrath of Irish rockers U2 for infringement of copyright. Questions are asked, few are answered (the interviews create the impression of an empty bread bin). Indeed, it's a relief when we get introduced to some of the other forms of artistic plagiarism (or parody, as some hackers call it) including billboard 'vandalism' (some of it amusing) and a hilarious item on the work of the 'Barbie Liberation Organisation'.