The Nomi Song - The Klaus Nomi Odyssey

Starring:Klaus Nomi, Ann Magnuson, Gabriele Lafari, David McDermott, Page Wood, Tony Frere (II), Man Parrish, Kristian Hoffman, Ron Johnsen, Kenny Scharf, Anthony Scibelli, Alan Platt, Pamela Rosenthal, David Bowie, Janus, Trude Sperber, Jon Cobert, Calvin Churchman, Joseph Arias, Jay Jay French
Director: Andrew Horn
Studio: Palm Pictures
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Born Klaus Sperber in Essen, Germany, Nomi dressed like an alien, sang like an angel, and electrified new wave-era New York. The classically trained tenor moved to the US in the 1970s. Influenced by Maria Callas, Marlene Dietrich, and 1950s sci-fi films, the "opera-singing pastry chef," as writer Glenn O'Brien described him, developed a unique look and sound that stood apart from every other act to emerge from the East Village. At the height of his fame, he caught the eye of David Bowie, with whom he performed on Saturday Night Live in 1979. Unfortunately, his AIDS-related death in 1983 curtailed any chance to reach a wider audience. Andrew Horn's evocative portrait rises above the ordinary by documenting a scene as much as its most original participant. Aside from a wealth of archival material, The Nomi Song includes interviews with Kenny Scharf and Ann Magnuson (but alas, no Bowie). --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Customer Reviews:

Klaus Nomi and the New york art scene in the 80's.......2007-07-05

This is a loveling crafted portrait of Klaus Nomi and the New york art scene in the 80's.
I absolutly recomend it for both those who want to discover or remember.
My only objection is not enough K. N. full performances or videos clips in the extras (only 3), otherwise them that buy it!

Saving The Human Race.......2007-01-25

I first saw "The Nomi Song" the same weekend I saw another music docu-bio, "No Direction Home," and frankly I thought "Nomi" was by far the better film. Now, I'm not saying Andy Horn is as accomplished a director as Martin Scorcese (for one thing, there is a lot less cussing in Horn's films, which is the only reason I can think of for why Horn wasn't nominated for an Oscar for "Nomi"), but I learned a lot more about the New Wave movement in the 1970s and 80s in Horn's film than I did about the folk movement in the 1960s in Scorcese's film. While Scorcese's goal apparently was to lionize Dylan, Horn's goal was at once more modest and more satisfying - to make a compelling film that gave you the sense of what it must have been like to be a musician/singer or even just a follower of New Wave music back in the day. Even if you don't have the slightest interest in Klaus Nomi (and I confess, I didn't), you'll come away from this movie impressed by Horn's exemplary movie-making skills, as well as his ability to find the essential humanness buried in Nomi's "man from outer space" persona.

Klaus Nomi, immortalized!!.......2006-12-29

Just had to say that this is one great documentary & a great subject. I knew Andy Horn , the director, from my NYU film days in the '70's & I am so proud of his work. I never heard of Klaus till this documentary & I'm hooked! Started to order his CD's thru Amazon right away. Yes, it is a predicatable story yet done very well. The songs do not do justice unless seen with Klaus performing. I asked Andy to do a video of all his songs & says there are so few that were taped that it's not worth it. Maybe if anyone reads this can write how they would invest in buying his musical video!!

The Man from Outer Space.......2006-08-29

This is a wonderful disc that looks at Klaus Nomi from all angles. His vocal and visual style both were unparalleled, and the footage of his first performance is nothing short of astonishing. It's no wonder that an announcer frequently had to remind the audience that what they were hearing was not a recording - Klaus Nomi was the real thing. Highly recommended for devotees of the avant garde.

Good Documentary on The One And Only Nomi, the Singing Alien.......2005-11-05

Don't say you're not interested in Klaus Nomi. If you never heard of him, it doesn't matter. If you want to hear something unique and extraordinary, here's Nomi, whose genre-defying, mind-bending mixture of styles is simply captivating. And here's a documentary about his tragic short life, which itself is as captivating as his songs.

Born Klaus Sperber in Germany, Nomi became part of New Wave movement in New York in the late 70s. And his eccentric style is still amazing to see. Tightly clad in the bizarre costumes coming directly from grade-B sci-fi films with completely white-wasked face, Nomi appears as if giving an oracle, and when he starts to sing, what a song! His is curious blend of pop and opera with beautiful falsetto. He is literally a singing alien.

This documentary consists of the interviews with those how knew Nomi. What is revealed here may not be surprising to the viewers who have some knowledge about Nomi, but to the people like me, who are interested in the 70-80s, the comments and footages about him and the surrounding NY club scenes are still precious. Sure, most of the footages are private films with bad image and sound quality, but they still vividly bring the feeling of the times to life.

Probably the most interesting moment in the film would be the song of David Bowie on Saturaday Night Live in 1979, in which Klaus Nomi appears one of the backsingers. Clearly this is, or should be, the turning of Nomi's career, and after this point, many interviewees, quite honest about Nomi's complex personality, are not always kind to his behaviors.

Though Nomi is gone forever, his originality can be still felt if you watch the film. With the lack of some materials (for instance, Bowie or the artists in Japan who briefly worked with him), and with less than satisfactory comments from Nomi himself, 'The Nomi Song' may not be as incisive as it should be, but still intriguing even for non-fans of Nomi. Watch this, and buy his CDs if you want something very different.

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