| Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey | |
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| Directed by | Steven M. Martin |
| Written by | Steven M. Martin |
| Produced by | Steven M. Martin |
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| Edited by | David Greenwald |
| Music by | Hal Willner |
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| Distributed by | Orion Classics |
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Running time | 84 minutes[1] |
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| Box office | $253,311 |
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey is a 1993documentary film bySteven M. Martin about the life ofLéon Theremin and his invention, thetheremin, a pioneeringelectronic musical instrument. It follows his life, including being imprisoned in a SovietGulag, and the influence of his instrument, which came to define the sound of eerie in 20th-century films, and influenced popular music as it searched for and celebrated electronic music in the 1960s. It was first broadcast on November 2, 1993 (coincidentally, one day before Theremin's death) as a special edition ofChannel 4'sWithout Walls arts strand.
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey won theDocumentary Filmmakers Trophy at the 1994Sundance Film Festival. It was also nominated for an International Emmy as well as a BAFTA, the Huw Wheldon Award for the Best Arts Programme, one of theBritish Academy Television Awards.Theremin was named to the Top Ten Films of the Year lists in Los Angeles, Boston, and Washington DC, and was invited to almost every important film festival in the world, including The New York Film Festival, set a record for the longest question and answer period at the National Gallery in Washington, and was shown by invitation of the Russian Ministry of Culture to top scientists in St. Petersburg.
Janet Maslin ofThe New York Times called the film a "fascinating, offbeat documentary that stands as a fine job of detective work".[1]
In a December 1995 review,Roger Ebert wrote:[3]
Theremin: An Electronic Odyssey was released on DVD by MGM Home Video on April 1, 2003.