Five Musicians you didn't know Directed Films

 Image: Flying Lotus - Kuso 

Recent reports of Flying Lotus'  feature length film-making debut were interesting to say the least. The press screening of his abstract creative endeavour Kuso resulted in audience members walking out and one critic calling it the "grossest movie ever made" - any press is good press, right?

Funk legend George Clinton stars in the semi-connected collection of short films from the experimental electronica musician and before you look up any details, FlyLo himself has warned potential audiences of the grotesque nature of the film.

The music industry and film industry have always overlapped, whether that be musicians starring in films or actors making appearances in music videos. More recently, more and more musicians are trying their hand at making their own films, these are the most interesting and obscure.

St. Vincent 

Annie Clark, better known as her indie rock alias St. Vincent, has recently dipped her toe into the creative pool of film-making. Her directing debut comes as a quarter part of a horror anthology, XX - its chromosomal namesake highlighting the all female writing and directing cast. 

Clark’s segment, The Birthday Party, looks especially creepy as warped-looking characters circle a dining table ominously in the trailer. Its premiere at the Sundance Festival was met with rave reviews and for fans of St. Vincent - the short film does of course feature snippets of her electro-pop genius. 

Rob Zombie

In keeping with the horror theme, the gore God and masochistic mastermind himself Rob Zombie is practically a veteran of Download Festival and will be returning this year to perform again. The heavy rock musician is popular among his clientele, although he's arguably better known for his films. There's a cult following of Zombie fans who have literally branded themselves as horror fanatics - by getting tattoos of a logo from his film The Lords of Salem. 

He also directed the notoriously controversial remake of Halloween (and subsequent sequel), which despite largely negative critic reviews went on to be the highest grossing film in the series. Somewhat fittingly, the movie was a remake of John Carpenter's 1978 classic, himself one of the most celebrated self-scorers in cinema (read about Carpenter's essential film scores here).

The Flaming Lip's Wayne Coyne

It's not a huge surprise that the artistic brains behind psychedelic fun-filled band The Flaming Lips has somehow visualised the inner-working of his mind. If you've ever seen this band live, you'll know that Coyne's head is an interesting place to be with vivid colours and costumes accompanying the already interactive and action packed experience.

His 2001 directional debut Christmas on Mars was mostly filmed in the comforts of his back garden - and the majority of the set was built by the creative and eccentric frontman himself. 

Wu-Tang Clan's RZA

Wu-Tang Clan's Robert Fitzgerald Diggs - better known as RZA - collaborated with the notoriously violent Quentin Tarantino to create the feature-length martial arts film Man With the Iron Fists in 2012. The film was met with mixed reviews, but was generally well-received by audiences. Its all-star cast included Lucy Liu and Russell Crowe. 

Limp Bizkit's Fred Durst 

Possibly one of the more surprising names on the list, but William Fredrick "Fred" Durst of noughties nu-metal band Limp Bizkit also tried his hand at making movies prior to the bands' reformation. The Rollin' singer directed The Education of Charlie Banks in 2007, with a cast consisting of Jesse Einsberg and Jason Ritter. The drama claimed a narrative award at the Tribeca Film Festival but was met with mixed reviews from a wider audience. 

You can catch Flying Lotus at this year's Field Day, and see him stick to what he knows best.