FAMU

A History of American Experimental Film

Fall 2008

 

Instructor: Henry Hills

Contact: henry@henryhills.com

Class times: Tuesdays, 15:40-18:05 FAMU Auditorium, 1st floor

         (+ special screenings at  Skolska 28 Gallery)

 

Course description

Viewing the dominance of narrative in film and the consequent hegemony of Hollywood as an historical anomaly owing to the economics of film production (an issue from the pre-digital past, now that filmmaking, like record collecting, has become essentially free), we will explore fringe work as an alternative reality which contains seeds of a positive future vision for moving-imagery, i.e., avant-garde film will be viewed as a model of consciousness seeking expansion. Ideally this will be a study of works in which form and content are perfectly merged, the focus being on film as a thing itself, not films ŅaboutÓ something. We will view as many films as possible, films that bounce off each other in different ways. Availability on DVD is redefining film history, and such access plays a major role in the structure of this course.

 

Evaluation    

Students must keep a JOURNAL of experimental films they see, both in class and outside. This should include sufficient information to convince me that you have seen the films, plus commentary indicating that some of what you have seen has given you some thoughts. These are due (by e-mail) for initial approval  at mid-term, and for final evaluation within a week after the last class. Attendance at screenings is mandatory; make-ups are possible by arrangement.

 

Recommended texts:

ESSENTIAL BRAKHAGE

ESSENTIAL DEREN

AVANT GARDE READER (Anthology Film Archives)

FILM DIARIES  Jonas Mekas

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE AMERICAN UNDERGROUND FILM Sheldon Renan

EXPERIMENTAL CINEMA David Curtis

A CRITICAL CINEMA (Scott McDonald interviews 1-6)

 

Web resources

Edweard Muybridge: http://americanhistory.si.edu/muybridge/

Etienne Jules Marey: http://www.expo-marey.com/

Library of Congress Paperprint Collection: http://www.loc.gov/rr/mopic/ndlmps.html

Stan Brakhage: http://www.fredcamper.com/Film/BrakhageL.html

Kenneth Anger: http://www.phinnweb.org/links/cinema/underground/anger/

Harry Smith: http://www.harrysmitharchives.com/

Jack Smith: http://jacksmithandthedestructionofatlantis.com/

Andy Warhol: http://www.warholstars.org/filmch/filmchro.html

Jonas Mekas:  http://jonasmekas.com/

 

STREAMING VIDEO  (Bruce Baillie, Cinema of Transgression, Rene ClairÕs EntrÕActe,  Guy Debord,  Fluxus,  Jean Genet, Alexander Hammid, Henry Hills,  Mauricio Kagel,  George Kuchar, George Landow, Alfred Leslie, Arthur Lipsett, Yoko Ono, Sidney PetersonÕs The Lead Shoes,  Ron Rice, Peter Rose, Carolee Schneemann, Jack Smith, Viennese Actionism, etc.):

http://www.ubu.com/film/

 

 

CLASS 1 Sept 23

 

         Ken Jacobs  HANKY PANKY

                                    NYMPH

                                    CAPITALISM:SLAVERY

         William Kennedy Laurie Dickson  EARLIEST EDISON FILMS

            Andy Warhol  BLOW JOB

         Edwin S. Porter  WHAT HAPPENED ON 23RD STREET         

PAN AMERICAN EXPOSITION AT NIGHT

DREAM OF A RAREBIT FIEND

Billy Bitzer  WESTINGHOUSE WORKS

                        INTERIOR NEW YORK SUBWAY

                        IMPOSSIBLE CONVICTS

Fredrick Armitage  DEMOLISHING THE STAR THEATRE

                        SEEING NEW YORK BY YACHT

                        DOWN THE HUDSON

Ken Jacobs   NEW YORK STREET TROLLEYS (Nervous System demo)

 

 

CLASS 2 Sept 30

 

         Man Ray LE RETOUR A LA RAISON

                        EMAK BAKIA

                        L'ƒTOILE DE MER

(Fernand LŽger &) Dudley Murphy BALLET MƒCANIQUE (Antheil track)

            Ralph Steiner   H2O

Mary Ellen Bute   DADA

                                    ESCAPE (Synchromy # 3)

         Oskar Fischinger RADIO DYNAMICS

            Joseph Cornell  ROSE HOBART

            Slavko Vorkapich  THE FURIES

         Busby Berkeley  BY A WATERFALL

      

 

CLASS 3 Oct 7

 

          Maya Deren  MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON

                                       AT LAND

             Martina Kudl‡ček  IN THE MIRROR OF MAYA DEREN

 

 

 

CLASS 4  Oct 14

 

           Rudy Burckhardt  PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS                  

           Marie Menken

                        GLIMPSE OF THE GARDEN

 ARABESQUE FOR KENNETH ANGER

 EYE MUSIC IN RED MAJOR

 GO! GO! GO!

                   Kenneth Anger

                                     FIREWORKS

                                     RABBITÕS MOON

                                     EAU DÕARTIFICE

                                     SCORPIO RISING

      

CLASS 5  ****note special time and place****

                  October 21  19:30  classroom 1

 

         special multi-projector performance by the tape-beatles

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tape-beatles

 

CLASS 6  October 28  Stan Brakhage

                  WAY TO THE SHADOW GARDEN

                        CATÕS CRADLE

            WINDOW WATER BABY MOVING

            PRELUDE: DOG STAR MAN

            MOTHLIGHT           

            THE DANTE QUARTET

            GLAZE OF CATHEXIS

            BLACK ICE

         THE ACT OF SEEING WITH ONES OWN EYES

 

 

CLASS 7 November 4

 

         Robert Breer

                        FORM PHASES IV

                        RECREATION 

                        A MAN AND HIS DOG OUT FOR AIR

                        JAMESTOWN BALOOS 

                        BLAZES         69

                        FUJI

         Jordan Belson

                  ALLURES

                        SAMADHI

         Scott Bartlett  OFF/ON

            Phill Niblock  MAGIC SUN

 

 

CLASS 8  Nov 11

 

         Bruce Conner   

                        BREAKAWAY

                        REPORT

         Jack Smith FLAMING CREATURES

         Ken Jacobs BLOND COBRA

        

 

CLASS 9 Nov 18

 

         Arthur Lipsett  21-87

         William Burroughs TOWERS OPEN FIRE

            Andy Warhol  VINYL

 

 

CLASS 10 Nov 25

 

         Hollis Frampton  ZORNS LEMMA

         Robert Beavers  FROM THE NOTEBOOKS OF...

 

 

CLASS 11 Dec 2   PEGGY AHWESH in person

 

http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/directors/03/ahwesh.html

 

***extra screening***

Wednesday, Dec 3, Skolska 28 Gallery

Keith Sanborn and Peggy Ahwesh in person IN 16MM

           

 

CLASS 12 Dec 9

 

         Leslie Thornton PEGGY AND FRED IN HELL

         Abby Child  COVERT ACTION

            Fred Worden  HERE

            Lewis Klahr  ANTIGENIC DRIFT

            Ben Russell  BLACK & WHITE TRYPPS #3

            Jennifer Reeves LIGHT„WORK„MOOD„DISORDER

            Jim Jennings PRAGUE WINTER

            Henry Hills ELECTRICITY

                                    MONEY

                                    GOTHAM