The Nomi Song - The Klaus Nomi Odyssey

Rating NR Formats DVD Genre documentary Starring Klaus Nomi, Ann Magnuson Directed by Andrew Horn Publisher Palm Pictures External Links Official Site Palm Pictures

This 96 minute screener is largely documentary, depicting in fetching detail both the transformation of Klaus Sperber into alien New Wave phenomenon Klaus Nomi, and the then-feasible Manhattan communally oriented struggling artist scene. Nomi is shown in what comes off as a very realistic light - both incredibly sympathetic and sweet, while concurrently somewhat egomaniacal and extremely ambitious. He came from Essen, from outer space, from opera in Berlin, and Elvis. His theatrics left nothing to be desired from the uber-hip Fiorucci crowd in the Village - indeed, it was precisely what they didn't know they were looking for.

The coverage of his New York life is quite thorough, with bits pieced together from fellow German transplant and roommate Gabriele La Fari who relayed the details of a shudder-inspiring, ominous falling out the two had over concerns about his health in relation to his sexual promiscuity. In a touching final scene, La Fari does in fact claim that she has been too pained to listen to any of his music since his AIDS-related death in 1983. This woman is admittedly still angry. She warned him, she feels, but her righteous stance is tempered when she nobly admits that she never thought he could make a career of his soprano-falsetto, cartoonishly-clad dabbling.

Also featured were former band mates and creative supporters of the original Nomi show and the New Wave Vaudeville act that initially begot his career. Among the ranks here we are entreated to the annoying, too-humored whining of musical director Kristian Hoffman, clearly still embittered by not getting the props and/or monetary compensation he felt owed him on Nomi's two RCA France album releases. On a more engaging note, we hear from Ann Magnuson, the performance artist/actor who cast him in her Vaudeville production upon hearing his warbling aria belted from atop a coagulated mound of dirty New York snow. Art directors, voice teachers, painters, and photographers followed suit with their own informative anecdotes and memories of Klaus, but it must be noted that reflections from one of the most intriguing creatures on the scene, Joey Arias, are sorely lacking. The magnetism of this style maven and now notorious drag queen was built up to a degree that I actually felt an absence of something that I'd never expected to be there in the first place.

There are some incredibly tender, heartwarming informative pre-recorded bits about Nomi's youth in Germany offered up by Klaus' Aunt, Truder Sperber, too shy to appear in the film. As opposed to running these audio nuggets to family photos or scenes of mid-twentieth century Essen, they were set to two detailed, delicate, but extremely bizarre, fairly disturbing dioramas, the first a lacey living room scene followed by a replica of her former garden that Klaus had so thoroughly enjoyed as a child; a place he chose to visit just months before his abrupt death.

Several contributors gave a sense of palpable bitterness over Klaus' abandonment of Nomi World for the BIG STEP FORWARD, namely the RCA releases, but generally were quite nostalgic of their involvement with Klaus and the early 80's New Wave movement. Most poignantly, however, there came through strong feelings of deep regret from those who felt they weren't fully present at the time of Klaus' death. Tell somebody you give a shit. Right now. Then treat yourself to the charming, coquettish stylings of Klaus in The Nomi Song