Avant-Garde, Experimental & Non-narrative Films on DVD

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#101 Post by Gregory » Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:10 pm

I didn't realize this until a few months after the fact but Mode has released another John Cage DVD: 49 Waltzes for the Five Boroughs. NTSC, Region 0.

loachparty
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 5:12 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#102 Post by loachparty » Wed Mar 04, 2009 7:50 pm

Gregory wrote:At the end of next month Microcinema is releasing a generous collection of Phill Niblock's work: The Movement of People Working.
I was just looking at an earlier release of his work, "China and Sunsets," the first part of which is closely related to what's going to be on offer with this new release, and am very much looking forward to seeing more. The link provides a good description.
The Extreme disc pictured has been out for a few years hasn't it? I own it. The cover looks slightly different from how I remember it but the content sounds the same. My copy's packed up at the moment so I can't check.

Guess it's oop though I still see it in stores now and again.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#103 Post by Gregory » Thu Mar 05, 2009 12:44 pm

Yes, it's a re-release. I never saw the older release in stores and missed it the first time around. It looks like it's being distributed much more widely this time around.

loachparty
Joined: Tue May 27, 2008 5:12 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#104 Post by loachparty » Thu Mar 05, 2009 3:22 pm

Gregory wrote:Yes, it's a re-release. I never saw the older release in stores and missed it the first time around. It looks like it's being distributed much more widely this time around.
That's good, it deserves a re-release. I remember it being a nice disc all around. Good image, etc.

Hard to tell from that entry if the repress includes the 2nd side. Hong Kong, Hungary IIRC

Most of the text is copy & pasted from the original press materials.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#105 Post by Gregory » Thu Mar 05, 2009 3:55 pm

I'm pretty sure the listed runtimes of the two releases are identical. Thanks for the good news about the image quality.

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foggy eyes
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#106 Post by foggy eyes » Fri Mar 06, 2009 10:09 am

Ed Halter & Glenn Kenny on Treasures IV.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#107 Post by Gregory » Sun Mar 15, 2009 2:57 am

A choice tidbit from DVD Savant's persistently pithy review of Treasures IV
This film is technically sophisticated in a way not common to most avant-garde efforts.
Throughout, he often seems to have a huge chip on his shoulder about these filmmakers being either pretentious art students, silly hippies, or both. He's entitled to his views, of course, but he's way too dismissive of things he doesn't understand, and the contemptuous tone could hardly be more misplaced in a review of this kind of set. For example, on an early Ken Jacobs's film:
We love ya, Ken, but the whole thing is trying too hard.


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ianthemovie
Joined: Sat Apr 18, 2009 10:51 am
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#109 Post by ianthemovie » Sat Apr 18, 2009 11:57 am

Hello, new user here.

Can anyone tell me about Su Friedrich's Hide and Seek? I'm looking to blind-buy something by her, and it seems like Sink or Swim comes most highly recommended, but after checking out clips from both films on the Outcast site I was more intrigued by the former and rather unimpressed with what I saw of the latter. The clip from Hide and Seek suggests that the film is a nice mixture of narrative film, found/archival footage, and documentary/interviews that seemed appealing to me, whereas I was put off by the fact that Sink or Swim seemed to consist entirely of annoying little-girl VO narration over home movies (can someone tell me whether that's the case?). I've heard raves about it from several people so I want to believe that there's more to the film than that, but as of right now I don't feel confident blind-buying this one. Anyone want to sell me on it (or vouch for Hide and Seek)?

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#110 Post by zedz » Sun Apr 19, 2009 6:57 pm

ianthemovie wrote:Can anyone tell me about Su Friedrich's Hide and Seek? I'm looking to blind-buy something by her, and it seems like Sink or Swim comes most highly recommended, but after checking out clips from both films on the Outcast site I was more intrigued by the former and rather unimpressed with what I saw of the latter. The clip from Hide and Seek suggests that the film is a nice mixture of narrative film, found/archival footage, and documentary/interviews that seemed appealing to me, whereas I was put off by the fact that Sink or Swim seemed to consist entirely of annoying little-girl VO narration over home movies (can someone tell me whether that's the case?). I've heard raves about it from several people so I want to believe that there's more to the film than that, but as of right now I don't feel confident blind-buying this one. Anyone want to sell me on it (or vouch for Hide and Seek)?
Definitely Sink or Swim for me - raved about here. It's way more than a home movie comp, much closer to early Greenaway structuralism. It does involve found footage (mostly not home movies, though) and "annoying little-girl VO narration", however. You may prefer its less dazzling but still excellent companion piece, The Ties that Bind, in which Friedrich effaces her voice entirely.

Hide and Seek is a fine film, but its component parts aren't as brilliantly orchestrated as in Sink or Swim, and it's ultimately much more conventional and less personal.

In terms of what you're seeing on the Outcast site, given the nature of the films there's a strong possibility that fragmentation would make Hide and Seek look better than it is and Sink or Swim worse.

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ianthemovie
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#111 Post by ianthemovie » Mon Apr 20, 2009 10:29 am

Thanks, zedz. It does seem that Sink is the more interesting of the two, and it's likely I'll end up going with that one. I just know that little-girl voice is going to annoy me, though, and I was disheartened to read in your review that there's pretty much nothing else on the soundtrack for the whole film. But if it's as powerful as you say that won't matter.

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zedz
Joined: Sun Nov 07, 2004 7:24 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#112 Post by zedz » Mon Apr 20, 2009 9:45 pm

I suppose another way of looking at it is that if you don't get anything out of Sink or Swim, you've given Friedrich your / her best shot. Even if the voice grates, hopefully you'll get a good sense of how much else is going on and whether or not you want to explore further. If you ended up not liking Hide and Seek, the potential epiphany of Sink or Swim would still be there taunting you!

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domino harvey
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#113 Post by domino harvey » Thu May 07, 2009 1:46 am

I don't know if these titles/filmmakers have any weight here, but Kelly Reichardt "presents" the following five short films on the just-released Wendy and Lucy DVD:

Boston Fire (Peter Hutton)
New York Portrait, Chapter II (Peter Hutton)
The Scary Movie (Peggy Ahwesh)
flight (Les LeVeque)
How to Fix the World (Jacqueline Goss)

Adam
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#114 Post by Adam » Thu May 07, 2009 2:24 am

domino harvey wrote:I don't know if these titles/filmmakers have any weight here, but Kelly Reichardt "presents" the following five short films on the just-released Wendy and Lucy DVD
Wow, what a brilliant thing to do. Those are some really good filmmakers, and mostly films that may never have seen a DVD.

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bearcuborg
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:30 am
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#115 Post by bearcuborg » Thu May 07, 2009 2:29 am

To be honest, this was the only reason I bought the DVD. The Hutton stuff in particular is great news. In addition, this distributor, Oscilliscope, puts out some daring avant garde documentaries too.

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ouatitw
Joined: Tue Dec 19, 2006 11:13 am

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#116 Post by ouatitw » Thu May 07, 2009 3:30 pm

I'm going to get this DVD only because of the extras. I've been trying to find a hutton film for a while.

How is the quality of the shorts?

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DDillaman
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Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#117 Post by DDillaman » Thu May 07, 2009 3:51 pm

holy crap. This is the first time Peter Hutton's been on DVD, right? It will be strange to watch his films without the gentle lull of the projector, but this may necessitate me to break my 2009 ban on buying DVDs.

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Cash Flagg
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2008 11:15 pm

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#118 Post by Cash Flagg » Fri May 08, 2009 5:13 pm

I received this email from the Center for Visual Music, publishers of the wonderful Oskar Fischinger disc:
Shoot Shoot Shoot DVD, British Avant-garde Film of the 1960s and 1970s

'Shoot Shoot Shoot', is the first time that works from this defining period in British artists’ filmmaking have been made available on DVD or video. The 1960s and 1970s were groundbreaking decades in which independent filmmakers challenged cinematic convention. In England, much of the innovation took place at the London Film-Makers’ Co-operative, an artist-led organisation that incorporated a distribution agency, cinema space and film workshop. Within this unique laboratory, filmmakers were able to control every aspect of the creative process, and the physical production of a film – the printing and processing – became vital to its form and content. Many of the films made at the LFMC explored the physical nature of the film material, using production processes that shaped the form and content of the final works.

The “Shoot Shoot Shoot" DVD is 2 hours long and contains 13 complete films accompanied by bilingual English / French booklet written by project curator Mark Webber, with a foreword by A. L. Rees (author of “A History of Experimental Film and Video” BFI, 1999).

Contains the following films:
At The Academy (Guy Sherwin 1974),
Little Dog For Roger (Malcolm Le Grice 1967), Shepherd’s Bush (Mike Leggett 1971),
Hall (Peter Gidal 1968-69),
Dirty (Stephen Dwoskin 1965-67),
Marvo Movie (Jeff Keen 1967),
Broadwalk (William Raban 1972),
Fforest Bay II (Chris Welsby 1973),
Slides (Annabel Nicolson 1970),
Film No. 1 (David Crosswaite 1971),
Dresden Dynamo (Lis Rhodes 1971),
Footsteps (Marilyn Halford 1974),
Leading Light (John Smith 1975).

Shoot Shoot Shoot DVD is $40 private home use, $100 institutions/libraries, plus shipping
Note this is a PAL DVD

We won't have them on the regular store site as we only have a limited supply, let us know if you want one (via ccard via phone, or paypal)

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foggy eyes
Joined: Fri Sep 01, 2006 9:58 am
Location: UK

Re: Avant-garde & experimental film on DVD

#119 Post by foggy eyes » Fri May 08, 2009 6:36 pm

Cash Flagg wrote:Shoot Shoot Shoot DVD, British Avant-garde Film of the 1960s and 1970s
It's just this. Great disc.

Chris W
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 4:57 am

Re: Avant-Garde, Experimental & Non-narrative Films on DVD

#120 Post by Chris W » Wed May 27, 2009 12:08 pm

Sorry if this has already been mentioned, but Drag City have put out a couple of interesting DVDs by Austrian experimental documentary maker Peter Liechti, Kick That Habit and Signer's Suitcase: On the Road with Roman Signer. For those in the UK, they're pretty cheap on Play (£7.99/£8.99).

Out in June from Tzadik: Henry Hills Selected Films 1977-2008

Moving to New York in 1978, filmmaker Henry Hills formed a strong alliance with the Downtown improvisers and the “Language” poets, guiding his film work toward a rhythmic, multilayered world filled with unpredictable changes and a striking improvisational edge. The very best of his short, intense films are presented here—from the downtown all-star Money to structural dance films like The Little Lieutenant and Bali Méchanique. A major force in new cinema, these films are brilliantly visual, crammed with image and double meaning. Also included is his 1990 music video for the band Naked City, ‘Gotham’.


admira
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:33 pm

Alexander Hammid (Hackenschmied) Films on DVD

#122 Post by admira » Sat Nov 14, 2009 1:15 am

For those who are searching for Alexander Hammid / Hackenschmied film released on DVD, here is a list:

The Private Life of a Cat, 1944, 22 min.
Meshes of the Afternoon, 1943 - 59, 14 min.
Included on MAYA DEREN Experimental Films

Hymn of the Nations, 1944, 31 min.
Released on disc Toscanini: The Maestro / Verdi - Hymn of the Nations, or Battles of Reverence: World War II

Night Journey, 1961
Included on MARTHA GRAHAM: Dance on Film

Marriage Today, 1950, 23 min.
Who's Boss, 1954, 15 min.
Classic Marriage Films

Angry Boy, 1950, 31 min.
Special Delivery, 1963, 25 min.
Activity Group Therapy, 1950, 50 min.
Don't Be Afraid, 1953, 11min.
The Childhood Years: Stop The World

The Forgotten Village, 1941, 1h 05min.
The Forgotten Village

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-Garde, Experimental & Non-narrative Films on DVD

#123 Post by Gregory » Sat Nov 14, 2009 3:24 am

There's a good bit more of his work out there that's not included on that list. Happy to provide examples if anyone is indeed seeking this information. What's needed most, though, is some anthology including the early work like Aimless Walk.

admira
Joined: Fri Nov 13, 2009 4:33 pm

Re: Avant-Garde, Experimental & Non-narrative Films on DVD

#124 Post by admira » Sat Nov 14, 2009 12:41 pm

Gregory. That would be nice, if you could add more of A. Hammid's films on DVD.

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Gregory
Joined: Tue Nov 02, 2004 4:07 pm

Re: Avant-Garde, Experimental & Non-narrative Films on DVD

#125 Post by Gregory » Sat Nov 14, 2009 5:06 pm

"To the Fair!" is included on this DVD and on this one.
There was also a series of master classes by Casals and by Heifetz that Hammid directed, which have been distributed on DVD by Shar Music.
Others that he worked on but did not direct have also been released.
And of course there is stuff for free download at archive.org and Ubu.

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