FAMU
A History of American Experimental Film
Spring 2009
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 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
VISIONARY FILM
P.Adams Sitney
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, Guy Debord, Fluxus, Jean
Genet, Alexander Hammid, Henry Hills,
Mauricio Kagel, George
Kuchar, George Landow, Alfred Leslie, Yoko Ono, Sidney PetersonÕs The Lead
Shoes, Peter Rose, Carolee Schneemann, Pat OÕNeill, Michael
Snow, Jack SmithÕs Normal Love, etc.):
CLASS
1 Feb 10
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
AN AMERICAN BEAUTY
Billy Bitzer 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 Feb 17
Man Ray LE RETOUR A LA RAISON
EMAK BAKIA
L'TOILE
DE MER
(Fernand Lger &) Dudley Murphy BALLET MCANIQUE (Antheil track)
Ralph Steiner H2O
Joseph Cornell ROSE
HOBART
COTILLION
BY
NIGHT WITH TORCH AND SPEAR
Busby Berkeley BY A WATERFALL
CLASS 3 Feb 24
Maya Deren MESHES
OF THE AFTERNOON
AT LAND
Martina Kudlček IN
THE MIRROR OF MAYA DEREN
CLASS 4
March 3
special guest
the legendary ROBERT NELSON
***extra event, Wednesday, March 4***
Robert Nelson presents additional films in 16mm
Skolska 28 Gallery, 19:00
CLASS 5
March 10
Robert Breer
FORM PHASES IV
RECREATION
A MAN AND HIS DOG OUT FOR AIR
JAMESTOWN BALOOS
BLAZES
69
FUJI
Marie Menken
GLIMPSE OF THE GARDEN
ARABESQUE FOR KENNETH ANGER
EYE MUSIC IN RED MAJOR
GO! GO! GO!
Kenneth Anger
RABBITÕS
MOON
EAU
DÕARTIFICE
SCORPIO
RISING
CLASS
6 March 24 guest filmmaker JEANNE LIOTTA
***extra event, Wednesday, March 4***
Jeanne Liotta presents additional films in 16mm
Skolska 28 Gallery, 19:00
CLASS 7 March 31 Stan Brakhage
WAY TO THE SHADOW GARDEN
CATÕS CRADLE
WINDOW WATER BABY MOVING
PRELUDE: DOG STAR MAN
MOTHLIGHT
THE DANTE QUARTET
RAGE NET
GLAZE OF CATHEXIS
DELICACIES OF MOLTEN HORROR SYNAPSE
BLACK ICE
COMMINGLED CONTAINERS
CLASS
8 April 7
Bruce Conner
BREAKAWAY
LOOKING FOR MUSHROOMS
REPORT
Arthur
Lipsett 21-87
William Burroughs TOWERS OPEN FIRE
Andy Warhol VINYL
CLASS
9 April 14
Christopher
McLaine THE END
Jordan Belson ALLURES
Shirley Clarke BRIDGES GO ROUND
Wallace Berman
ALEPH
Storm de Hirsch
PEYOTE QUEEN
Standish Lawder
NECROLOGY
Pat OÕNeill 7362
Owen Land NEW IMPROVED INSTITUTIONAL QUALITY
George Kuchar I, AN ACTRESS
CLASS
10 APRIL 21
Hollis
Frampton ZORNS LEMMA
NOSTALGIA
Paul
Sharits T:O:U:C:H:I:N:G
BAD
BURNS
CLASS
11 APRIL 28
Jack
Smith FLAMING CREATURES
Ken
Jacobs BLOND COBRA
Ron
Rice CHUMLUM
CLASS
12 May 4
Saul
Levine NEW LEFT NOTE
Robert
Beavers FROM THE NOTEBOOK OF
Su Friedrich
GENTLY DOWN THE STREAM
CLASS
13 May 11 (exam week)
Leslie Thornton PEGGY AND FRED IN HELL
Fred Worden HERE
Peggy Ahwesh MARTINAÕS PLAYHOUSE
Lewis Klahr ANTIGENIC DRIFT
Ben Russell BLACK & WHITE TRYPPS #3
Jennifer Reeves LIGHT„WORK„MOOD„DISORDER
Henry Hills MONEY,
GOTHAM, & FAILED STATES