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The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati

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The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati
Directed byMichael McNamara
Written byAlan Williams, based on his own plays
Produced byMichael McNarmara
StarringAlan Williams
Deborah Drakeford
Oliver Dennis
CinematographyPatrick Lobzun
Edited byMichael McNarmara
Music byKurt Swinghammer
Release date
  • September 8, 1996 (1996-09-08) (TIFF)
Running time
95 minutes
CountryCanada
LanguageEnglish

The Cockroach that Ate Cincinnati is a Canadian film, released in 1996.[1] Directed by Michael McNamara and starring Alan Williams, the film was an adaptation of Williams' Cockroach trilogy of one-man theatrical shows.[2]

Synopsis

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Based on a series of plays by Alan Williams, an aging hippie and rock-fanatic-turned-stand-up-comic who calls himself ‘The Captain’ (Williams), convinces a couple of novice filmmakers (Deborah Drakeford and Oliver Dennis) to help him record his ‘pure thoughts’ – a filmic testament of his experiences and observations of the past three decades. What follows is a series of wildly complex, sardonic anecdotes and theories about rock ‘n’ roll, hero-worship, hallucinations, drugs, madness, paranoia, rebellion, nuclear dread and the search for individual integrity in a world on the brink of cultural and physical destruction.

The title references the 1973 novelty song "The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati", by Rose and the Arrangement (a.k.a. Possum).

Cast

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  • Alan Williams as The Captain
  • Deborah Drakeford as Novice filmmaker
  • Oliver Dennis as Novice filmmaker
  • Diane Niac
  • Peter Steponaitis
  • Danielle Pedard
  • Michael Olesen

Reception

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The film garnered Williams a Genie Award nomination for Best Actor at the 18th Genie Awards.[3]

References

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  1. ^ "Review: ‘The Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati’". Variety, October 14, 1996.
  2. ^ "Cockroach That Ate Cincinnati features Windsors back alleys". Windsor Star, July 25, 1996.
  3. ^ "Sweet Hereafter leads the Genie award pack". The Province, November 5, 1997.
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