Not all messages are displayed:
show all messages (41 of them)
Well, the obvious one of course is the brilliant Criterion "By Brakhage" set. It's amazing this was even made, considering Stan's aversion to watching films on video. Although most will agree that you don't get the true experience of watching a Brakhage film unless it's projected, the transfers on the Criterion set are still amazing. The second installment should be out sometime next year, according to Marilyn.
"Decasia" was just released on DVD this year, and an art museum in San Francisco released several of Bruce Conner's films on DVD (including the wonderful "Looking For Mushrooms").
For newer experimental work, try www.peripheralproduce.com and www.microcinema.com. Experimental filmmakers (and former professor of your's truly) sells his works on DVD, including his recent feature length experimental work "Rubicon", on his website--www.berserker-rage.com. Caveh Zahedi (if you consider him "experimental", which I do) also sells his films on DVD & VHS at www.cavehzahedi.com.
Outside of that, you can get many great works by experimental directors like Maya Deren, Stan Brakhage, Len Lye, etc. for www.facets.org. www.re-voir.com is a fantastic site for buying experimental VHS. Although their PAL collection is much larger, you can still buy films by Jonas Mekas, Stan Vanderbeek, Brakhage, Michael Sno, Paul Sharits, Len Lye, Ken Jacobs, etc. in NTSC format. One of my favorites is www.vdb.org, the Video Data Bank. They are the exclusive sellers of the early works of Jem Cohen, one of my favorite filmmakers. Don't be daunted by the high "rental" prices--they are for institutions and public screenings. While it is still pricey, VDB will sell almost any of their titles for $30 on VHS for home personal use (to keep, not a rental).
Hope this helps. If anyone knows of any other places I haven't mentioned, I would love to know about them. It's a shame that experimental/avant-garde cinema is so difficult to come by, especially for those of use who don't live in a big city.
― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Monday, 10 January 2005 03:48 (nineteen years ago) link
"Which raises an interesting question: Is it possible to ever created an all-sample film and have the seams not be visible? What might this look like? "
There is a film that attempted this, but I can't remember the name. They have it at my local video store, so I'll find out the next time I'm there.
― jay blanchard (jay blanchard), Monday, 10 January 2005 04:10 (nineteen years ago) link
just a random observation: there is a extra on the criterion dvd of In the Mood for Love where it seems Wong Kar Wai creates a montage of old hong kong films--basically a litany of filmic fetishes--and many of the shots are replicated in the actual movie.
― ryan (ryan), Monday, 10 January 2005 04:13 (nineteen years ago) link
speaking of criterion extras, the CC edition of either
under the roofs of paris or
a nous la liberte (forget which) has rene clair's
entr'acte, one of the key dadaist films, as a bonus feature. it's a lot of fun.
― joseph (joseph), Monday, 10 January 2005 06:16 (nineteen years ago) link
also, if you consider david lynch's early short films experimental, he sells them from his website: www.davidlynch.com
(as an aside, EVERYONE should see the grandmother. NOW.)
― joseph (joseph), Monday, 10 January 2005 06:17 (nineteen years ago) link
oh oh and the brothers' quay collected works are available on dvd from kino. very elegant stop-motion animation.
and i heard un chien andalou and l'age d'or finally got the dvd treatment recently and if that's true (not o
― joseph (joseph), Monday, 10 January 2005 06:19 (nineteen years ago) link
L'Age d'Or is out from Kino, Un Chien Andalou is from some no-name label. Or you can get them together on a BFI disc for mo' money if you've got a region-free player.
Sup3r H@ppy Fun has the Lynch shorts (and Eraserhead) available for ~1/4 of the Lynch.com price if you don't mind DVD-R.
― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Monday, 10 January 2005 06:33 (nineteen years ago) link
ten years pass...