'Forthcoming' Lists Discussion and Random Speculation Vol.2

[kawest]

To add to what Adam said:

Zorn's Lemma is Frampton's most famous work. It was the one that was rented most often back when more than a handful of universities taught avant-garde film, probably because its structure and aims (nothing less than the creation of a new alphabet and language arising from cinema) lent themselves preposterously well to discussion, especially if the professor wanted to introduce semiotics. In an interview with Scott MacDonald (in the out-of-print first volume of A Critical Cinema), Frampton mused that Zorn's Lemma was so 'popular' because its length--sixty minutes--coincided with that of many lecture periods.

It was not always so. Zorn's Lemma screened at the New York Film Festival in 1970, though the Festival had historically been indifferent to avant-garde work. There's an extraordinary contemporary review, well worth tracking down, written by John Simon that advances the theory that Zorn's Lemma is one horrible, masochistic joke perpetrated on Lincoln Center by kitsch-loving homosexuals. Think about that the next time you see it.

The seven-part Hapax Legomena has indeed recently been preserved. MoMA handled the first part, (nostalgia), which can be seen on the Treasures IV set. The other six films were preserved from MoMA's elements by students at NYU's Moving Image Archiving and Preservation master's program. There's more information about that preservation work here.

So the Hapax would be a logical choice, but I have to agree with Adam that some of these films might not translate well to video. But that's true of most of Frampton's work. The effect in Zorn's Lemma comes from an exhausting montage that would feel quite different on NTSC video than it would from 16mm. Then there are other ones like INGENIVM NOBIS IPSA PVELLA FECIT where much of the interest comes from intense observation of the light and grain and, again, could pose Brakhage-type problems for compression.

Frampton studied Brakhage's films (but then, who didn't?) and some have described his two-part Magellan at the Gates of Death (The Red Gate and The Green Gate) as a 'response' to The Act of Seeing with one's own eyes. (They were both shot at the same Pittsburgh morgue, I believe).

IMDB is really bad when it comes to avant-garde work and the Wikipedia list has some holes, too. (Such as Green Gate.) You can get a better idea of his filmography (including Frampton's own descriptions) by looking at the listings on the Film-maker's Cooperative website. (No direct link, but go here and search for 'Frampton' in the Author field...)

To Adam's recommendations, I would also add the seasonal films, especially Winter Solstice; Matrix; and Drafts & Fragments: Straits of Magellan, which are, for lack of better words, less 'theoretical' than some of the Hapax series.

[zedz]

Frampton is fantastic news. Zorn's Lemma is an axiomatic work of American experimental film, so I'd expect any set to include that (if only for the guaranteed academic sales), but whatever they can offer will be gratefully accepted. As far as I know (nostalgia) is his only work to make it to DVD.

[TIVOLI]

It's either a distant memory or the effect of watching the snow pile up through my classroom window, but weren't there some key scenes on the Swiss Alps in Hitchcock's neglected Secret Agent ?

[Adam]

To Adam's recommendations, I would also add the seasonal films, especially Winter Solstice; Matrix; and Drafts & Fragments: Straits of Magellan, which are, for lack of better words, less 'theoretical' than some of the Hapax series.

Agree with the recs of Winter Solstice and Matrix - we screened both. Winter Solstice is, for lack of a better phrase, his "steel mill" film - all shot in a Pittsburgh steel mill, but doing oh so much with it in color, line, editing.
Matrix has three or four layers throughout, using elements of other films of his, one of which is Winter Solstice (steel mill footage) and another is slaughterhouse footage. Mark Toscano theorized that the underlying premise for the film has to do with the layers used for technicolor matrices.
Surface Tension is another really good one.

The films are distributed by Film-makers Coop.
Most elaborate Frampton website, from the UK:
http://hollisframpton.org.uk/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[ianthemovie]

It's either a distant memory or the effect of watching the snow pile up through my classroom window, but weren't there some key scenes on the Swiss Alps in Hitchcock's neglected Secret Agent ?

I just watched this for the first time recently. A character does get pushed off of a mountaintop by Peter Lorre, but there's no ski lift involved, if memory serves.

[Jean-Luc Garbo]

There's an extraordinary contemporary review, well worth tracking down, written by John Simon that advances the theory that Zorn's Lemma is one horrible, masochistic joke perpetrated on Lincoln Center by kitsch-loving homosexuals. Think about that the next time you see it.

Worth tracking down in what sense? Because Simon gets it and contributes an understanding or because it's another one of his classic, bitchy pans?

[DanV]

Yep, Zorn's Lemma is a fundamental film in the structural cinema "wave". I found it not so great, nonetheless. Nostalgia is really a great piece of avant-garde instead, useful to understand some dynamics of this art too.

Now I want So Is This on DVD!

[kawest]

Worth tracking down in what sense? Because Simon gets it and contributes an understanding or because it's another one of his classic, bitchy pans?

The latter. Mind, I don't think it's witty; it has next to nothing to do with the film. It's just a hell of a document for anyone studying Frampton, the reception of the avant-garde, homophobia in the New York intelligentsia, etc.

[brendanjc]

In case no one saw the announcment on the Criterion home page yet, May titles are:
Stagecoach (DVD + Blu)
Walkabout reissue (DVD + Blu)
M (Blu)
By Brakhage: Vol 2 (DVD)
By Brakhage: Vol 1 + 2 (Blu)
Oshima's Outlaw 60's (Eclipse)

This is shaping up to be quite the year so far. I'm glad to see a month where no mainline releases are DVD only.

[Matt]

Threads are open for all the new releases and reissues, and cover art can be discussed in the cover art thread.

[Oedipax]

Via Fred Camper, it sounds like Hapax Legomena in its entirety will indeed be included in the Criterion set:

...the current plan is to include all of "Hapax Legomena." I've made the case to Criterion that this is a case where the whole film is a lot greater than its individual parts, and I believe the parts also get new meaning from the whole. Once the set is released, my advice would be to watch the whole of "Hapax" without a break, and see if you don't agree.

Criterion's seriousness about this release is further evidenced by the fact that the staff member who is working on it attended the recent three-day Frampton conference at the University of Chicago, which gathered together scholars working on Frampton with many others, including Michael Snow.

[perkizitore]

This is shaping up to be quite the year so far. I'm glad to see a month where no mainline releases are DVD only.

And no bad IFC films either!

[Spielbergo]

This is shaping up to be quite the year so far. I'm glad to see a month where no mainline releases are DVD only.

And no bad IFC films either!

Such as...?

[perkizitore]

Che?

[knives]

Che's the one you're complaining about, really? Not only is it one of the better IFC films they've put out, but the package as a whole with its commentary and docs is one of their better jobs. I'm sure the Focus titles are much easier to poke fun at if you are going to play that ridiculous game. Even than, though, don't.

[CJG]

The PFA's upcoming screening of Joseph Losey's Time without Pity is credited to the BFI with permission from Janus Films.

[JHunter]

The PFA's upcoming screening of Joseph Losey's Time without Pity is credited to the BFI with permission from Janus Films.

Janus previously released "Time Without Pity" through the Home Vision Entertainment line.

[CJG]

The PFA's upcoming screening of Joseph Losey's Time without Pity is credited to the BFI with permission from Janus Films.

Janus previously released "Time Without Pity" through the Home Vision Entertainment line.

I didn't realize the R1 DVD was a Home Vision release. Oh well.

[ianungstad]

Anyone know what's going on with the Jerry Lewis films?

Paramount discontinued all the box sets and most of the titles back in the fall. From what I understand, Jerry Lewis owns the rights to all these movies and Paramount had been licensing them for years. (Gifted to Lewis by Paramount in the 1970s)

With all the studios shedding licensed product and Paramount seemingly dropping the American Zoetrope titles and licensing their library to whoever wants it, has me wondering if they decided not to relicense the Jerry Lewis films as part of cutbacks.

Wouldn't be too surprised if Criterion picked a bunch up (if Paramount did indeed drop them) directly from Lewis.

Anyone have any insight into what's going on with these titles? Meh. I wish Criterion were still answering Facebook or Mulvaney questions. Amazon still has several titles in stock but some are sold out. Don't see Paramount revisiting these any time soon.

[jaredsap]

Wouldn't be too surprised if Criterion picked a bunch up (if Paramount did indeed drop them) directly from Lewis.

I'd give anything for this to be true. These are some of the best films of the 60s.

[ianungstad]

Wouldn't be too surprised if Criterion picked a bunch up (if Paramount did indeed drop them) directly from Lewis.

I'd give anything for this to be true. These are some of the best films of the 60s.

These are the titles that are oop :
Jerry Lewis Legendary Collection
Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis vol.1/2
Delicate Delinquent
Disorderly Orderly
Family Jewels
Ladies' Man
My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West
Stooge

I think it was you that mention the Lewis titles going out of print in a previous posting on the forum. I guess it stuck in my head cause it does seem a little odd, IMO.

EDIT: From the Paramount Wikipedia page:

Paramount's association with the comedian Jerry Lewis, which produced The Nutty Professor among other films, ended in the 1970s, and the rights to these films were given back to Lewis. As a consequence, the hit remakes starring Eddie Murphy were released by Universal Pictures.

This reversion to Jerry Lewis resulted from a promise made by then-Paramount CEO Barney Balaban who gratuitously offered to give the rights back to Lewis as a birthday present. Paramount, however, has retained full distribution rights to the Lewis films under license.

[domino harvey]

'Twas me and as much as I'd love to see them on Criterion, boy I wouldn't be holding my breath

[ianungstad]

Probably not but it makes for fun speculation. I'll ask Criterion on Facebook but they probably won't answer.

[domino harvey]

Who's Minding the Store?, It'$ Only Money, the Geisha Boy, and Rock-A-Bye Baby would make a nice Tashlin and Lewis Eclipse set...

[NilbogSavant]

Who's Minding the Store?, It'$ Only Money, the Geisha Boy, and Rock-A-Bye Baby would make a nice Tashlin and Lewis Eclipse set...

Assuming they'd save Artists and Models for the mainline with a Blu release? [-o< Or does Paramount still have that one?