FAMU
History of American Experimental Film
Fall 2005
Instructor: Henry Hills
Contact: henry@henryhills.com
Class times: Thursdays, 19:00-20:30 FAMU Auditorium, 1st floor
+ special screenings at Ponrepo
Course description
Course
will be dominated this semester by in-person appearances of visiting American
experimental filmmakers (sponsored by a grant from the Trust for Mutual
Understanding). Students are expected to attend ALL classes where there are
guests!!! The other 7 classes (along with the 3 Ponrepo screenings, 2 optional,
1 required) will present an overview of American Experimental filmmaking from
1888 to the present.
Recommended texts:
ESSENTIAL BRAKHAGE
ESSENTIAL DEREN
AVANT GARDE READER (Anthology Film Archives)
FILM DIARIES Jonas Mekas
VISIONARY FILM P.Adams Sitney
A CRITICAL CINEMA (Scott McDonald interviews 1-4)
Classes:
1. February 9
F.W.L.Dickson selected films for Edison 1888-1896
MONKEYSHINES
DICKSON GREETING
NEWARK ATHLETE
MEN BOXING
ANNABELLE DANCES
EXPERIMENTAL SOUND FILM
Andy Warhol BLOW JOB
***February 15, 20:00, Ponrepo screening ****
Gregory Markopoulos (extremely rare!)
MING GREEN
BLISS
SORROWS
GALAXIE
Billy Bitzer PANORAMA BROOKLYN BRIDGE
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)
3. February
23
Jim Jennings in person
4. March 2 (20s/30s)
Ralph Steiner H2O
Joseph Cornell COTILLION +
Mary Ellen Bute DADA
ESCAPE (Synchromy # )
Slavko Vorkapitch THE FURIES +
Busby Berkeley LULLABY OF BROADWAY +
5.
March 9 (40s/50s)
Rudy Burckhardt HAITI
PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
Maya Deren MESHES OF THE AFTERNOON
AT LAND
Marie Menken ARABESQUE FOR KENNETH ANGER
GO! GO! GO!
WRESTLING
***March 15, 20:00, Ponrepo: Structuralist Film program***
Paul Sharits WORD MOVIE
Michael Snow <-----> (BACK AND FORTH)
Morgan Fisher STANDARD TIME
6. March 16
Stan Brakhage CATŐS CRADLE
PRELUDE: DOG STAR MAN
MOTHLIGHT
THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS
THE DANTE QUARTET
DELICACIES OF MOLTEN HORROR SYNAPSE
COMMINGLED CONTAINERS
7. March 30
Leslie Thornton in person
8. April 6
Ernie Gehr in person
9. April 13
Vincent Grenier in person
***April 19, 20:00, Ponrepo funk screening ****
Sidney Peterson THE LEAD SHOES
Robert Breer eight short films 1954-63
Robert Nelson THE GRATEFUL DEAD
OH DEM WATERMELONS
George Kuchar MOSHOLU HOLIDAY
ECLIPSE OF THE SUN VIRGIN
WILD NIGHT IN EL RENO
10. April 20
No class (Cinemadance Weekend). Must attend Ponrepo the night before!
***Wednesday April
26, 20:00 Ponrepo Jennifer
Reeves in person***
ELATIONS
IN NEGATIVE (5 min, 16mm, 1990)
THE
GIRL'S NERVY (5 min, 16mm, 1995)
DARLING
INTERNATIONAL (22 min, 16mm, 1999)
co-directed with M.M. Serra
FEAR
OF BLUSHING (6 min, 16mm, 2001)
WE
ARE GOING HOME (10 min, 16mm,
1998)
SHADOWS
CHOOSE THEIR HORRORS (31 minutes,
2005 MiniDV))
11. April 27
Jennifer Reeves in person in class
THE TIME WE KILLED (experimental feature)
***Wednesday May 3,
20:00 Ponrepo Abby Child in
person***
1.
ORNAMENTALS
2.
MUTINY
3.
COVERT ACTION
4.
MAYHEM
5. SURFACE NOISE
6. DARK DARK
12. May 4
Abigail Child in person
Wednesday May 10 Ponrepo
20:00 Henry Hills in person
PORTER
SPRINGS 3 (16mm, silent, 1977, 7 min.)
THE
NEXT STOP (16mm, opt. sound, 2001, 10 min.)
MONEY
(16mm, opt. sound, 1984, 15 min.)
KINO
DA! (16mm, opt. sound, 1981, 3 min.)
GOA
LAWAH (16mm, opt. sound, 1990, 5 min.)
SSS
(16mm, opt. sound, 1988, 7 min.)
LITTLE
LIEUTENANT (16mm, opt. sound, 1994, 7 min.)
KING RICHARD (DVD NTSC, 2005, 20 min
13. May 11 Final class
Ken
Jacobs FLO ROUNDS A CORNER
Keith
Sanborn THE ZAPRUDER FILM, A CONSENTUAL HALLUCINATION
Michael
Wallin DECODINGS
Janie
Geiser THE FOURTH WATCH
Lewis
Klahr TWO MINUTES TO ZERO TRILOGY
Henry
Hills EMMAŐS DILEMMA (selections) & GOTHAM