Ian Scuffling
Well-known member
Finally watched Dog Star Man this week and wrote down my thoughts.
My way of judging experimental film has become primarily on the merits of self-consciousness, and subsequent lack of neurosis. My frustration with a lot of experimental films of the 21st century I've seen is they are experimental in the way that one experiments in talk therapy, neurotic and exploratory not of anything outside of the self and one's own personal environment and thoughts. I saw this in Hopinka's films especially; frankly I found them annoying in the same way I find indie rock music that's entirely personal anecdotes annoying.
This film is to me is what experimental filmmaking is meant to be, experimental in the sense of taking a subject and pushing the medium in following it, aware of one's own perceptions but not obsessed and consumed by them, instead trying to use those and a direct material relationship with the medium to push the boundaries of any perception of that subject. Consider Baillie's meditations on the life cycle, obviously influenced by Brakhage. This has a completeness and structure to it that allows it to elevate medium and subject to something subconscious and spiritual; complete because Brakhage allows himself total freedom in what he can do to style, medium, substance, object, subject.
Anyway, Bruce Baillie and Larry Gottheim's films to me evince a similar creative fearlessness. I'm not sure if this is possible in narrative filmmaking, and I'm excited to pursue more experimental cinema from the back half of the 20th century based on these filmmakers. Baillie's Quick Billy and Gottheim's infamous Fogline are masterpieces if any of you are interested. Are people on here into that sort of thing? Anybody got any recommendations along these lines?
My way of judging experimental film has become primarily on the merits of self-consciousness, and subsequent lack of neurosis. My frustration with a lot of experimental films of the 21st century I've seen is they are experimental in the way that one experiments in talk therapy, neurotic and exploratory not of anything outside of the self and one's own personal environment and thoughts. I saw this in Hopinka's films especially; frankly I found them annoying in the same way I find indie rock music that's entirely personal anecdotes annoying.
This film is to me is what experimental filmmaking is meant to be, experimental in the sense of taking a subject and pushing the medium in following it, aware of one's own perceptions but not obsessed and consumed by them, instead trying to use those and a direct material relationship with the medium to push the boundaries of any perception of that subject. Consider Baillie's meditations on the life cycle, obviously influenced by Brakhage. This has a completeness and structure to it that allows it to elevate medium and subject to something subconscious and spiritual; complete because Brakhage allows himself total freedom in what he can do to style, medium, substance, object, subject.
Anyway, Bruce Baillie and Larry Gottheim's films to me evince a similar creative fearlessness. I'm not sure if this is possible in narrative filmmaking, and I'm excited to pursue more experimental cinema from the back half of the 20th century based on these filmmakers. Baillie's Quick Billy and Gottheim's infamous Fogline are masterpieces if any of you are interested. Are people on here into that sort of thing? Anybody got any recommendations along these lines?
