Re: the word is out: experimental film is available for use on dvd by educators

From: Steven Budden (email suppressed)
Date: Thu Mar 02 2006 - 10:25:30 PST


 
Were any of those experimental films mentioned in the article ever part of the mainstream (except maybe the Edison)? It seems like a few of the films on those AG DVD's were only shown once or a few times before they were put away forever.
 
I think this idea that experimental film has to compete with Hollywood "film" is part of the problem. No doubt it exists. Pure speculation: Hollywood will go its own way and film will survive and branch off into its own thing, with some crisscrossing to be sure. But trying to lure Lord of the Rings fans into experimental cinema seems like it might be barking up the wrong tree.
 
"If it doesn't exist in the mass culture it's a shadow." I think this is a very stark interpretation of the situation. What about fine artists in every genre? They actually exist as a counterpart to mass culture. And most work in small, specialized circles. I'm speaking as an abstract painter here. Most of the greatest painters alive are not in the mass culture, though painters from the 50's are and this romantic notion of 'the painter.' We've kind of had this discussion on here before and I know it gets cyclical and endless.
 
I for one don't care whether one works in film or video, and I wouldn't try to convince anyone rationally one way or the other, because if one needs convincing via words the effort is bound to fail. But experience can convince.
 
I think this is again just a question for the filmmakers on film... what venues/means will keep film being being viewed on film?
 
Steven
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Sam Wells <email suppressed>
To: email suppressed
Sent: Thu, 2 Mar 2006 10:52:19 -0500
Subject: Re: the word is out: experimental film is available for use on dvd by educators

> Woe is H2O, having to compete with Lord of the Rings?
 
Yes.
 
> Isn't this sort of naively simplistic?
 
No. I CANNOT explain to anyone outside the hermetic world of film appreciation why I'm not interested in "Memories Of A Geisha" and I can't even lend or I bet *give away* my copy of Hou Hsaio-hsien's "Flowers Of Shanghai" as an alternate vision (of a somewhat resonant milieu).
 
If it doesn't exist in the mass culture it's a shadow. I'm talking about highly educated mobile people. I mean they'll be flocking in droves to "The Davinci Code" - from a book which makes a far less plausible case than George Bush made for WMD's in Iraq.
 
But the _same_ people who don't believe anything Bush and Rumsfeld say will believe anything Ron Howard says...
 
 rant over for now
 
-Sam
 
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For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.

__________________________________________________________________
For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.