Dance Party U.S.A.

BOMBAY BEACH

2011-04-23T16:16:00.003-04:00

A new film by ALMA HAR'EL, who got her start making music videos for the band BEIRUT, follows a handful of people in a decaying small town in California on the Salton Sea.

The strange lifestyles of an isolated community are captured with vision and empathy, and dedicated to the simple poetry that emerges from all pursuits. Featuring plenty of real talk, real emotions, and real dancing (music by BEIRUT).

One the best films of 2011, documentary or otherwise.

BEAUTY PLUS PITY

2011-04-23T16:03:00.005-04:00

DUKE & BATTERSBY are filmmaking duo, working mainly within the gallery world. Their short video pieces are self-described as "episodic," and take the collaged form of short-form children's programming, or sketch comedy.

The work itself is essayist, and usually combines raw imagery with a sweet innocence, with a distinct humanist appraoch. In this video, entitled BEAUTY PLUS PITY, most of the artists' usual techniques are on display: documentary, cartoons, & emotive balladry.

William Eggleston's Movie

2011-04-23T15:39:00.003-04:00

In 1974, photographer WILLIAM EGGLESTON started using a Sony Portapak video camera, modified with his own prime lens. The technology was very new, and it is suggested that the people being shot didn't really know what it was and because of that their characters are that much more vibrant.

Whether that is the case or not, the footage she shot that year was edited into the film STRANDED IN CANTON, and it stands as one of the most enchanting "movies" I've ever seen. Mostly portraits around his small town in Tennessee, HARMONY KORINE has cited it as an influence on his recent TRASH HUMPERS, shot in the same area.

People Doing Stuff

2011-01-15T22:01:00.002-05:00

A perfectly guileless presentation, as advertised. The original post on YouTube describes it best: "It's oddly satisfying."

A 2007 film by KOKI TANAKA entitled EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING.

Everybody Loves James Franco

2011-01-15T21:49:00.003-05:00

Part of a series directed by SOLVE SUNDSBO, and published online by The New York Times Magazine. Shot in rich black and white, and scored in silent film style, they called it 14 ACTORS ACTING.

Could not this collection of short clips—a structuralist's dream of Hollywood—be the film of the year?

The Serpentine Dance

2011-01-15T21:41:00.004-05:00

A hand-painted film from The LUMIERE BROTHERS, circa 1899.

Although shot in black and white and later colored by hand, for the live performance, I am told, these dancers were shone with colored lights to achieve a similar effect.

Video Describing a Line Describing a Cone

2011-01-15T21:30:00.004-05:00

The 1973 film LINE DESCRIBING A CONE is one of my favorite films of all time. I first saw Mr. ANTHONY MCCALL's ground-breaking film at the WHITNEY museum in 2003, with no prior knowledge, and it is truly a film that must be seen in person to be properly enjoyed.

Incidentally, I saw a new installation of MCCALL's work last year, which used video projections rather than film. The difference was palpable.

O Pioneers

2011-01-15T21:16:00.003-05:00

In the youthful exuberant style of photographer RYAN MCGINLEY, this commercial from a 2009 Levi's ad campaign, was directed by video artist M BLASH.

Accompanied by the poetry of WALT WHITMAN, the video captures the spirit of young America.

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives

2010-12-13T13:51:00.003-05:00

Nobody is making films like Thai filmmaker APICHATPONG WEERASETHAKUL. The trailer for his new film UNCLE BOONMEE WHO CAN RECALL HIS PAST LIVES is a glimpse into the world of a filmmaker who deftfully handles the metaphysical and the impermanent with a Buddhist's grace and humor.

The Spirit Was Gone

2010-12-13T13:44:00.003-05:00

In this videoclip for ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, the famed Japanese Butoh dancer KAZUO OHNO is resurrected via archival footage. Mr. OHNO, who appeared on the cover of ANTONY's 2009 album THE CRYING LIGHT, is given a fitting memorial here.

VCR by The xx

2010-02-04T01:57:00.003-05:00

How rare is it that a new music video is actually worth watching?

One of my favorite new bands THE XX has released a stirring video to accompany one of their best songs, VCR. The clip was directed by MARCUS SÖDERLUND, and uses surprisingly sumptuous (mostly) black and white photography, and captures the spirit of the song and the young band better than anything I've seen from them yet.

Deep down, people want to do the right thing

2010-02-04T01:39:00.004-05:00

Before HARMONY KORINE went back to challenging film audiences with his latest provocation TRASH HUMPERS, he quietly directed some television commercials for Liberty Mutual.

It's true! Here, Mr. KORINE proves that his strange beauty is possible in many forms of media, and his wide-eyed sense of everyday weirdness is not diluted, even in advertising.

Counter

2010-02-04T01:24:00.004-05:00

The compilation of patterns or recurring tropes in video art has become something of a benchmark, not to say a cliche, and comes from the accessibility and mashability of past film and television clips. The current tendency of this type of work is usually pleasurable in two ways: the style and execution of a distinct concept, and then also in recognition by the viewer of the original sources. I would say, while the first is important, it is the second tendency which usually makes or breaks the effectiveness of the work.

This 2004 video, COUNTER by German artist VOLKER SCHREINER, is a good example of both tendencies.

My Son, My Son...

2010-02-04T01:14:00.004-05:00

The new film by WERNER HERZOG (currently playing at NYC's IFC Center) is called MY SON, MY SON, WHAT HAVE YE DONE? and is produced by DAVID LYNCH. It is a pleasure to see HERZOG's classic desperate man blues mixed with a dash of LYNCHian absurd poetry.

This, one of my favorite scenes, is a good example of the film's off-handed style, and leads toward one of many transcendent moments offered within.

Moments

2010-02-04T01:06:00.003-05:00

The pop-science public radio and podcast phenomenon RADIO LAB has posted another beautiful video to demonstrate one of its concerns. This time the "visual experiment" details little moments in a human life. Expertly edited, the piece is sentimental and funny without being obvious or pandering.

In many ways, the work of WILL HOFFMAN for RADIO LAB is a continuation of the scientific films made by Charles and Ray Eames in previous decades.

The Wayward Cloud

2009-07-06T14:46:00.002-04:00

The Taiwanese filmmaker TSAI MING-LIANG's 2006 film THE WAYWARD CLOUD didn't get much U.S. distribution, perhaps because American audiences are not ready for an off-the-wall, porn-u-topia, song-and-dance art film...

NYC's Museum of Modern Art plays the film this week.

"My Purple Past" by Deerhoof

2009-07-06T14:38:00.003-04:00

Made by ASHA SCHECHTER, this music video for art rock faves DEERHOOF is an investigation into the different methods of home listening. One of the more successful fusions of rock video and structualist cinema.

Sound is architecture is cinema.

Outer Space

2009-06-27T15:19:00.006-04:00

One of the most dedicated film deconstructionist working today, PETER TCHERKASSKY's 1999 film OUTER SPACE truly shows the outer limits of the world of motion pictures. Part cut-up, structuralist cinema, and filmic fantasy, the work of TCHERKASSKY instills a new kind of drama into previously traditional footage.

Who I Am and What I Want

2009-06-23T23:29:00.002-04:00

Have I ever told you my life story?

(From David Shrigley)

The Discipline of D.E.

2009-06-19T15:55:00.002-04:00

Early short film by GUS VAN SANT, based on the WILLIAM BURROUGHS short story of the same name. From 1978.

Sometimes by MIKE MILLS

2009-06-17T20:59:00.002-04:00

Music video by MIKE MILLS for the 1999 song SOMETIMES by LES RYTHMES DIGITALES.

The Lost Tribes of New York City

2009-06-13T15:35:00.003-04:00

Directed by CAROLYN and ANDY LONDON

BARR: First song

2009-06-13T15:29:00.003-04:00

Artist BRENDEN FOWLER'S spoken word project BARR performed last night at the New Museum, NYC, where he also has work in the YOUNGER THAN JESUS generational exhibit up now.

This video was made by DAVID HORVITZ.

Alex Bag, first tape

2009-06-13T15:03:00.004-04:00

Video artist ALEX BAG got her start producing videos for public access television. After getting kicked off the airwaves (twice), she found her distribution home among the art galleries, where she's been making her living lampooning the very world that accepts her.

Her first tape, and only one available for viewing, is from 1995, and includes BAG's signature one-woman performances, incuding the evolution of an SVA student. It's worth watching all the way through. I especially love the "Seudehead" segment.

Concerning distribution and exhibition, it's my belief that BAG's anarchist art world vision is being subsumed by the art world itself. ALEX: Break free and distribute your own work, either online or by DVD. You have an audience waiting for you when you do.

Gremlins vs the Avant-Garde

2009-06-10T23:56:00.005-04:00

When I first saw GREMLINS 2 at a movie theater as a kid, it included this now famous scene involving HULK HOGAN. In a bold, self-described "anarchist," move, filmmaker JOE DANTE included a scene in which it appears the film is broken (by Gremlins in our projection booth!), and the HULK has to convince them to start it again:

When the movie was put out on home video, the filmmakers decided to put together a scene in which it appeared that gremlins had taken over the video feed, and, um, started flipping channels, I guess:

Of course, GREMLINS 2 wasn't the first film to "break the fourth wall," but certainly it is one of the most high profile.
Cheers to anarchy in Hollywood!

The Crying Game

2009-06-05T11:54:00.004-04:00

Take Time

2009-06-01T14:09:00.003-04:00

One of the prevailing features in the music of avant-garde pop-collagists THE BOOKS is laughter. The sense of wonder and play might be one of the reasons they're not taken seriously, in a form that applauds grim seriousness and esoterica.

The proof to the importance to THE BOOKS, I believe, lies in their self-produced music videos. Since the band had always used audio samples in their music from found video clips, it made sense to source a lot of that audio back to its original video for visual accompaniment when playing live. When I saw the band play live along with this clip, I was completely floored. THE BOOKS manage to take on all of experimental video, found footage, and collage art, and come out on top with one of the most strange, uplifting, and joyful pieces of cinema I've ever seen.

TAKE TIME is certainly one of my favorite little movies ever. This, and more by THE BOOKS are collected on the PLAY ALL DVD.

Battle In Heaven

2009-06-01T12:56:00.003-04:00

Trailer for the CARLOS REYGADAS film BATTLE IN HEAVEN, 2004.

Oh, Calypso

2009-06-01T12:38:00.003-04:00

A scene from Taiwanese director TSAI MING-LIANG' s 1998 film THE HOLE. Throughout this poetic urban fairytale, the characters re-enact musical numbers from legendary Chinese actress GRACE CHANGE. The original, below:

All My Life by Bruce Baillie

2009-05-27T17:44:00.005-04:00

Part of the original wave of New American Cinema in the 60's, BRUCE BAILLIE's work was beautiful in it's simplicity and poeticism, always arriving at a deeply personal awareness of the image.

ALL MY LIFE, made in 1966 on 16mm film, is famously the all-time favorite film of my all-time favorite teacher of film.

...then let's make a vow

2009-05-27T17:26:00.003-04:00

The opening scene of MIRANDA JULY's debut feature film YOU AND ME AND EVERYONE WE KNOW is the perfect bridge from her open-hearted, yet noisy video art into the more narrative-concerned world of cinema pursued here on in.

JULY's vision of life and art as a personal act of radical theatricallity and her rejection of an abstracted love, unfortunately, is still a point of contention for a lot of artists and filmgoers. Her dedication no less hindered, the trouble with the work of MIRANDA JULY is certainly not in its absence of unveiled beauty. Rather, we should rejoice in art so willfully transparent.

KEECHIE by No Age

2009-05-27T16:24:00.002-04:00

Ever since I saw ANDY BRUNTEL's music video for BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY's CURSED SLEEP, I have been paying attention to his every move. Unlike most promos made by bands and labels, BRUNTEL approaches the music video as a distinct art form, somewhere between a short film, and experimental video. He brings his surrealist visions to the small screen with impeccable set design and cinematography, and with an incredible consistency among various projects.

This clip, of one of the noisier tracks from your little brother's favorite band NO AGE, is a good argument for the re-consideration of the possibilities of the music video among artists.

The Limits of Control

2009-05-22T16:34:00.002-04:00

Featuring music by Japanese metal band BORIS, the new film by JIM JARMUSCH is a wonder of texture and variations on a filmic theme. While the "momentary" camera-work by CHRISTOPHER DOYLE is a delight, the soundtrack (that's including the pure music of the dialogue), is one of the richest in recent memory.

Punk rock

2009-05-22T16:20:00.003-04:00

Audio of MOGWAI's "PUNK ROCK," the lead track on the album COME ON DIE YOUNG, synched up with the video footage of IGGY POP interviewed by PETER GZOWSKI sampled in the song.

"Do you understand what I'm saying, sir?"

The Last Days of the Guitar

2009-05-17T18:09:00.003-04:00

The previous clip from ROY ANDERSSON reminds me of the beauty of the live, improvised guitar filling a scene in long-take cinema.

In the GUS VAN SANT film LAST DAYS, the KURT COBAIN stand-in played by MICHAEL PITT draws out a scene while looping takes on guitar, vocals, and drums. In both of these instances, the amplified sound becomes another aspect of the stunning architecture of the scene.

You, the Living

2009-05-17T18:01:00.004-04:00

For reasons unknown, ROY ANDERSSON remains Sweden's best kept filmmaking secret. His newest film is still yet to be distributed to the U.S., and we are left watching clips like this on the internet.

I can't think of another filmmaker who has developed such a huge and original style, while dedicating his work to the absurd, joyous ends of people as a whole. His films are strange, unsettling, and a huge delight, which is needlessly a rare combination of elements.

God I love Michael Jordan

2009-05-09T14:38:00.002-04:00

On the court, and off:

Muppets take "Manhattan"

2009-05-09T13:32:00.005-04:00

The combining of film dialogue with scenes of animation/puppetry has now become something of a YouTube phenomenon. What once took hours of work with analog video, is now relatively easy with the right software. The true mark of a good bootleg edit, of course, is the confluence of image and sound, and—usually more important—technique.

The Muppets are ideal for this type of re-editing. The ambiguity of the mouth movements create a believability of just about anything that can be said—moreso than cartoons.

There is just so much to love about this bootleg.

Apocalypse Pooh

2009-05-09T13:26:00.003-04:00

A recent edition of Canadian film Journal CINEACTION included a piece about an early bootleg video called APOCALYPSE POOH. Though it could be considered a "mashup," the work pre-dates the internet-era. It was circulated on bootlegged VHS tapes, along with other early examples of copyright-violating underground cinema that became possible once video was consumer level.

It has now surfaced on YouTube. As far as I know, the artist is still unidentified.

Migrating Forms 2009

2009-04-18T14:43:00.002-04:00

The new incarnation of what was once the NEW YORK UNDERGROUND FILM FESTIVAL is now known as MIGRATING FORMS. The weekend festival takes place this weekend, and in the tradition of the NYUFF, there is a commissioned trailer for the event by one of the artists.

MICHAEL ROBINSON is one of the most heralded young video artists working today, and this clip is one of the rare views of his work available on the web.

Parabolas, etc.

2009-04-09T15:05:00.003-04:00

The WNYC program RADIO LAB has consistently been one of the most forward-thinking audio productions, and this foray into filmmaking continues that tradition. Directed by WILL HOFFMAN, this piece recalls the science-inflected films of CHARLES AND RAY EAMES. And the music, from TIM HECKER's underrated RADIO AMOR album, is another example of the program's undisputed curatorial instinct.

The Other Side of Sonic Youth

2009-04-09T14:56:00.003-04:00

Sonic Youth, 1992, forever.

The excellent UK-based BOOMKAT recently presented an editorial about SONIC YOUTH on their mixtape-via-record shop recommendation web project called 14 TRACKS, in which they gave a hearty shout out to this early nineties JULES HOLLAND appearance.

Zen for video

2009-04-06T03:02:00.002-04:00

Artist CORY ARCANGEL came to prominence with his piece SUPER MARIO CLOUDS, which hacked the original NINTENDO game to remove all game elements save the randomized clouds moving against a plain sky-blue background.

I think I might prefer its companion piece F1 RACER, which removed the cars and the twists and turns from the orignal car race game. (This is apparently the sequel, F2.)

A recent, similarly minded piece, simply called BLUE TUBE, works only when embedded off-site. Behold:

Stay the Same Never Change

2009-04-01T17:17:00.004-04:00

Video artist LAUREL NAKADATE developed this feature-length project from short video pieces she was writing. At the New York premier, as part of the NEW DIRECTORS NEW FILMS series, she described that the film really came together after she began collaborating with OWEN ASHWORTH, of the one-man band CASIOTONE FOR THE PAINFULLY ALONE, who provides the soundtrack.

Both artists concern themselves with teen drama of the realist kind, but Ms. NAKADATE's work has been considerably more transgressive. See more about her artwork below:

Epilepsy is Dancing

2009-04-01T17:11:00.003-04:00

This is what happens if an epileptic walks near the WACHOWSKI BROS's warehouse...

The press release accompanying this music video for ANTONY AND THE JOHNSON's current single asks you to "enjoy the fruits" of this "San Francisco art party."

M83 remixes something...

2009-03-30T14:22:00.004-04:00

The teen drama-obsessed, (graciously) self-serious French electronica band M83 remixes the song SET IN STONE by electro newcomer FIRES OF ROME, thus highlighting all that is tense and necessary about the song, while leaving the rest behind. (The chorus is ditched in favor of the surreal turns of the verses, now completely out of hiding, and the overstuffed distorted electronic backing is replaced with a minimal piano and strings score.

The dramatic alteration to the song arrives via a "remixed" music video, the entire package of which being appealingly WTF-friendly.

I'm Mister Lonely

2009-03-30T14:13:00.003-04:00

HARMONY KORINE may have made one of the most delightful, oddly moving, and refreshingly unique films in contemporary cinema with MISTER LONELY. This is the opening sequence of that film, a celebration of the poetry of slow motion. Here's hoping KORINE continues to develop his peerless style of filmmaking.

Call it a zeitgeist

2009-02-18T14:29:00.003-05:00

Now it's KANYE WEST's turn to use the DVD-codec-destroying effects pioneered by video artist TAKESHI MURATA. Due respect given to WEST for what looks like the most vivid and meaningful use of the style, as well as using his star power to highlight new forms of underground art, shortening the link from Chelsea art galleries to MTV.

Brooklyn band cops Takeshi Murata

2009-02-14T15:19:00.003-05:00

Brooklyn based CHAIRLIFT employ the trippy digi-fail effects used by video artist TAKESHI MURATA in their new video for the song EVIDENT UTENSIL. It works.

Click the corner menu to see in HD. (Not sure why YouTube doesn't allow embeds to automatically appear as HD.)

Kids Run Wild

2009-02-14T14:49:00.003-05:00

Among the current crop of new hipster synth bands, THE PRESETS stand out for their attention to sonic details and a serious gothic streak. This new music video for the song IF I KNOW YOU shows what happens if kids run wild on the streets of L.A. with dancing on their minds.

The results are much sweeter than what could happen in France, if you remember JUSTICE's infamous STRESS clip:

Takeshi Murata

2009-02-12T15:14:00.003-05:00

The video work of TAKESHI MURATA is striking in its totality of vision. Starting with a wave of early animation-inspired cartoon loops, his work has lately begun focusing on a certain kind of digital abstraction that DVD-encoding affords.

The above bootleg clip is unfortunately low quality, but gives a good example of MURATA's fluid, pyschedelic output. Come see the real thing next Tuesday night, Feb. 17, at Electronic Arts Intermix, where MURATA will also be present to discuss his work. Admission is free.

METAL G-DS

2009-02-12T13:58:00.003-05:00

Baltimore filmmaker MATTHEW PORTERFIELD is now seeking funding for his second feature film, to be titled METAL GODS. A strict independent, PORTERFIELD's muted yet passionate film style unfortunately isn't one to attract studio attention, but his methodology perhaps provides a framework for the kind of filmmaking that can only be made without studio backing (independent or otherwise).

His first film, HAMILTON, trailer above, was a triumph of minimalist poetic narrative, the kind of success rarely seen, even in the broad spectrum of American Indies.

Waking up in HANOI

2008-12-16T17:11:00.003-05:00

The pleasure of a languid, early film scene set to diegetic pop music is hard to match, in my book. The Vietnamese film THE VERTICAL RAY OF THE SUN features three such sequences, repeated in the same bedroom at morning to different songs.

In this scene, LOU REED's 1970's single CONEY ISLAND BABY sets the tone for filmmaker TRAN ANH HUNG's carefully orchestrated wake up scene.

NITE JEWEL is not an alien, or maybe

2008-12-16T17:00:00.005-05:00

This is one of those lo-fi druggy vids that just stick in my mind. The syrupy groove to NITE JEWEL's dance track ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE is irresistible. It's the kind of thing that, at first, you think it's a joke—until you realize that Ms. JEWEL is just from another planet.

The NITE JEWEL record is out now on ITALIANS DO IT BETTER.

Dream with the Coens

2008-12-05T17:13:00.002-05:00

The final scene of NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN has been a contentious one. Some dismiss it, others feel the weight of the film depends on it. Whatever your take on it, it's worth watching again.

Dreaming is a recurring element of the COEN BROTHERS' films. One scene that's stuck with me is from an early COEN BROS. farce that I first saw as a young man on TV. For some reason, the image of the football player's highly stylized rush to the endzone has stayed with me. Comical as it is, RAISING ARIZONA actually has a lot in common with NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN. But that might just be a fact COEN BROS. recurring territory.

France, circa 1967

2008-12-05T16:54:00.003-05:00

The 2008 film SILENT LIGHT by Mexican filmmaker CARLOS REYGADAS features a unique cameo appearance by French chanteur JACQUES BREL.

In an intially portentious scene, a father finds his children in the back of a Mexican vagrant's van. What could have been a cheaply suspenseful scene, turns into one of odd merrymaking, as the kids are watching a small television broadcasting the above performance from French television, 1967. The sweaty grotesqueries of the performance bring the children—as well as the audience watching the film—a rare form of delight...

The same day I sought out this footage on YouTube, a friend shared this clip with me, of FRANCOISE HARDY, also from 1967. Rare, indeed, and a fitting counterpart.

Spiegel Im Spiegel

2008-12-02T21:05:00.005-05:00

Tonight at New York's LE POISSON ROUGE, I will be seeing the WORDLESS MUSIC SERIES, featuring TIM HECKER. Also performing will be the WORDLESS MUSIC ORCHESTRA, who will be playing work by ARVO PÄRT, among others.

The "sarcred minimalism" of ARVO PÄRT's music was a big part of GUS VAN SANT's film GERRY, which used SPIEGEL IM SPIEGEL in the above scene.

Like a moth to a flame

2008-11-28T14:37:00.002-05:00

From STAN BRAKHAGE, the seminal avant garde short film MOTHLIGHT. Made in 1963. Uploaded to YouTube in 2007.

The Silence Before Bach

2008-11-24T15:13:00.003-05:00

Spanish filmmaker PERE PORTABELLA has been making avant garde features since the '60s. His most recent film, THE SILENCE BEFORE BACH plays this week at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART in New York.

Like that other experimental filmmaker MATTHEW BARNEY, PORTABELLA does not allow his work to be transferred to video, or distributed domestically. Thankfully a preview has surfaced online, but the run at MoMA is one of the rare chances to catch his highly regarded work.

I'm Too Sad To Tell You

2008-11-24T15:00:00.003-05:00

The artist BAS JAN ADER spent the early seventies in L.A. pushing his distinctive and dedicated work of photography, filmmaking, and performance. Although best known for his "FALLING" series of films, in which he is filmed falling from various heights, his 1971 film I'M TOO SAD TO TELL YOU provocatively establishes his brand of physical, emotional, and self-demanding art.

In 1975 he set out on what would be his final art project, called IN SEARCH OF THE MIRACULOUS, ADER set out in a tiny sailboat into the Atlantic. He was never seen again, and his boat was later found capsized off the coast of Ireland.

A new documentary about his life and work HERE IS ALWAYS SOMEWHERE ELSE is now in release.

Some company on the dancefloor

2008-11-21T14:42:00.004-05:00

A little slice of Swedish backwoods dancefloor heaven. THE KNIFE, famously reclusive in performance, cast Sweden's most public transvestite to act as the artist in their clip for PASS THIS ON. The actual band members, a real-life brother and sister duo, can be spotted in the crowd. (The narrow-eyed dancer is THE KNIFE's OLAF). A masterpiece of setting and mood (and dance moves), this video rewards repeat viewings.

The clip for this song turned out so well, in fact, that they recreated it for a "live" television performance. Everybody dance:

Shame is Coming Back to the Redneck People

2008-11-21T14:40:00.004-05:00

Poet and band-leader DAVID BERMAN reads a new poem, care of Pitchfork.tv.

All I Need

2008-11-14T12:38:00.003-05:00

When I think about my favorite music videos of all time, I think back to filmmaker and artist MIKE MILLS' inspired experiments with the band AIR. The clip for 1998's ALL I NEED reminds of when I actually watched MTV, and the brave, borderline wonky, open-heartedness, along with MILLS' breaking into the audio of the song make it stand out.

And speaking of MTV, they apparently teamed up with RADIOHEAD for their new video for their song, um, ALL I NEED. The result is somewhere between an art video and a public service announcement. Good message:

This American Life vs. Rabio Lab vs. Chris Ware

2008-11-12T16:06:00.004-05:00

In this animation for THIS AMERICAN LIFE's TV show, CHRIS WARE illustrates a story told by RADIO LAB's ROBERT KRULWICH and his wife. When the television version of TAL debuted last year, host IRA GLASS claimed he wanted the show to look like nothing else on television.

To this end, I think they've somewhat succeeded, with the often stunning cinematography highlighting the show's unique documentarianism. The first season of the show is on iTunes, with hopefully the second season to follow.

God Only Knows, Claire Denis

2008-11-11T15:38:00.004-05:00

CLAIRE DENIS is a master, sensualist filmmaker. Her camera lingers on faces and skin in sometimes grotesque intimacy. This simple scene of a French bartender catching the attention of a passing American sailor from NENETTE ET BONI is a good example of her style.

God only knows what I'd do if VINCENT GALLO looked at me like this.

Here, she gets all telefoto on SONIC YOUTH for her music video of their recent INCINERATE:

Skater boys

2008-11-10T15:06:00.003-05:00

For his film PARANOID PARK, GUS VAN SANT handed off Super 8 cameras to kids around Portland to capture the poetic sequences that highlight his film about youth skate culture.

Bonnie and Barney and Bjork

2008-11-10T14:49:00.003-05:00

WILL OLDHAM sings the song GRATITUDE as the opening for MATTHEW BARNEY's film DRAWING RESTRAINT 9.

Music by BJORK.

WHAT IS HAPPENING?

2008-10-29T18:57:00.003-04:00

This video clip, from the sweet-toothed pop band ALPHABEAT, was supposedly the third most watched video on YouTube a couple days ago. Charming, for such scrappy up-and-comers.

It reminds of this video, from GARY JULES' update from DONNIE DARKO, of the '80s classic MAD WORLD:

Silent Light

2008-10-01T13:39:00.005-04:00

The newest film from Mexican maverick CARLOS REYGADAS opens in darkness to reveal a not-so-silent sunrise. TIMES critic MANOLHLA DARGIS reads the film's title as "an allusion to love," but I think the message is closer to spirituality and belief, which is not necessarily the same thing.

In this shot, as per usual, REYGADAS rewards our patience with a carefully wrought sense of beauty and significance.

I need another world

2008-10-01T13:36:00.004-04:00

ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS' latest single ANOTHER WORLD will be released next week. This is the teaser video, a hazy window into a flowery past.

Saint Bruce

2008-10-01T13:29:00.004-04:00

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN is again helping out with the current Democratic candidate's campaign. I saw BRUCE play some live songs in Madison with JOHN KERRY in 2004 at a huge outdoor downtown rally that made the cover of the New York Times. This coming weekend he will be supporting BARACK OBAMA in rallies and benefit concerts in Philadelphia and New York.

Here he is, doing the classic SUICIDE song DREAM BABY DREAM on his 2005 tour.

More bodies break...

2008-09-22T18:22:00.003-04:00

The BREAKER video has inspired the most sincere form of flattery.

This first one gets it best, with extra points for the nonsensical outfits.

Emo boys can barely get to the second glass of milk...

These bros went with chocolate...

There will be cake

2008-09-22T18:14:00.003-04:00

The Minnesota band LOW has been making stomach churning anthems for years, but their spare and stark video for last year's BREAKER marks the first time the complex intensity of their music has been matched visually. That is to say the surreal, palpable intensity which is conveyed without the obvious signifyers of doom and gloom, darkness, or slow-motion.

It's hard to watch, but this may be one of the strongest pieces of experimental music videos I've seen. LOW play tonight in NEW YORK CITY, and tomorrow in BROOKLYN.

Total Eclipse of the Heart

2008-09-22T17:28:00.004-04:00

The previous clip from BÉLA TARR may describe a total eclipse of the sun, but that doesn't begin to describe what might happen if you were an 80's power balladeer in love with a bright-eyed school boy.

A legendary music video that gloriously pulls out all stops... By popular request, here is the great BONNIE TYLER. Enjoy.

Werckmeister Harmonies

2008-09-18T00:43:00.003-04:00

Hungarian filmmaker BÉLA TARR works in a timeless tradition unmoved by contemporary trends. This opening scene from WERCKMEISTER HARMONIES captures his style and tone beautifully, notably his use of long takes and the roving camera that completely ignores the standard rules of editting—namely the 180 degree rule. That's right, his camera crosses the line, in fact, it's fair to say that in his films, there is no line.

BÉLA TARR's newest film THE MAN FROM LONDON will be playing all this week at the MUSEUM OF MODERN ART.

MySpace proof

2008-09-04T03:55:00.004-04:00

When someone gets popular on MySpace, they run the risk of getting fake profiles made about them. The solution is posting a video of yourself on your profile page reciting your MySpace URL I.D. number, offered as "proof."

Artists BRAD TROEMEL and RANDI HEYLEK cut together a series of videos of MySpace girls authenticating their identities. The resulting montage is like a shopping list of commodified online personas, revealing the twist of a new kind of personal branding.

Baby, don't forget my number.

Journal for People

2008-09-04T01:37:00.005-04:00

What makes the difference in video art is often the ability to transcend the medium and the software. Since so much of digital video art is automatic and clichéd, it takes a lot of hard work and talent with software to make work that stands out, especially in the highly aesthetic world of pop.

Tokyo-based electronic composer and video artist TAKAGI MASAKATSU manipulates video footage with painterly digital effects, and in this video for his song GIRLS he utilizes a hand-painted look that is both resolutely human, yet totally dependent on digital processes. A rare feat, and a rich viewing experience.

What do you think Ferris is going to do?

2008-09-04T01:20:00.003-04:00

A group calling themselves PROJECT BUELLER is planning on recreating the famous TWIST AND SHOUT parade scene from JOHN HUGHES' classic 80's film FERRIS BUELLER'S DAY OFF, during the Sept. 6th DEITCH ART PARADE.

Will it come off? The website posts this rather low-quality (and French-dubbed in the beginning) YouTube clip, calling for viewers to recreate the extras in the Chicago-land scenery. Hopefully you'll be able to distinguish the right outfit for your version of "Evelyn," or at least have time to practice your choreographed stair dance.

Giant white glove

2008-09-01T14:44:00.004-04:00

This video is from a 2007 project called White Glove Tracking, in which a collective of online users collaborated to produce a source code tracking MICHAEL JACKSON's white glove from the footage of his legendary BILLIE JEAN performance.

TIM KNAPEN, the artist here, uses the data to greatly expand the white glove, to surreal and comical effect. A new classic.

Your favorite horse

2008-08-27T21:08:00.005-04:00

This music video for BONNIE 'PRINCE' BILLY's remake of his own NO MORE WORKHORSE BLUES was done by HARMONY KORINE in 2004. KORINE is the master of the oddly affecting, whacked out image.

Here, he uses a cast of two shot with bright, sunny video tones, and chops it up using a two-frame stutter effect that is not unlike the 3-D simulacra-style used by video artist KEN JACOBS. The last shot sees a cameo by WILL OLDHAM, the artist himself.

The Perfect Human

2008-08-26T05:43:00.003-04:00

This 1967 short film from Danish filmmaker JØRGEN LETH was the subject of LARS VON TRIER's provocation THE FIVE OBSTRUCTIONS, in which LETH was challenged to remake the film five times, each with new "obstructions" set by VON TRIER.

On its own, the film is certainly a singular production, merging documentary style with Structuralism, cast in a New Wave sense of off-handed poetry. For contemporary film fans who have seen the VON TRIER film, THE PERFECT HUMAN never appears in full in that movie, so it's a real pleasure to watch the original, without the weight of any further challenges.

What happens in Vegas...

2008-08-26T04:43:00.003-04:00

One of the most delightful film experiences I had last year was catching the work of OLIVO BARBIERI, both at film festivals and galleries. His photography from the SITE SPECIFIC_NEW YORK 07 series was on view here in NYC, but my first encounter with his unique shooting style was this film, SITE SPECIFIC_LAS VEGAS 05.

The beguiling yet simple technique used by BARBIERI involves a tilt-shift lens, throwing what looks like a narrow depth of focus on far-away scenes of cityscapes. First-time viewers, myself included, have a hard time deciding if the scenes are real, or models. But all of BARBIERI's toylike depictions are shot from a helicopter, using a slightly more advanced tilt-shift technique which he won't fully disclose. The result is a chance see well-known landscapes from an unusual perspective.

Township Funk

2008-08-25T01:14:00.005-04:00

This incredible and gloriously timeless-looking clip from South Africa is actually the flagship single from the Kwaito scene's heavyweight DJ MUJAVA. The word on the street is that WARP RECORDS found this clip on YouTube and is now putting TOWNSHIP FUNK out as a single.

I love the energy and the fluid endless melody in this record, and amazingly it mixes quite well with today's NYC electro scene (I heard it in a club just last night).

Last kiss

2008-08-25T00:42:00.003-04:00

MARTIN ARNOLD is one of the bigger names is contemporary art cinema. His approach is intensely formalist, in the structuralist tradition. This is a short segment from his 1998 film ALONE. LIFE WASTES ANDY HARDY, which re-edits footage from the ANDY HARDY film series orginally made between 1937 and 1958.

The stutter-jerk technique developed by ARNOLD is a doorway toward exploring classic Hollywood cinema, in order to reveal, in ARNOLD's words, "something behind that which is being represented, which was not represented."

Raise your hands up to the sky

2008-08-24T21:57:00.007-04:00

When I think of dancing on film, a longtime favorite music video has been NICK CAVE AND THE BADSEEDS' unholy dance party with FIFTEEN FEET OF PURE WHITE SNOW. The unsettling and darkly comic cinematography is reminiscent of DAVID LYNCH, but the attitude is pure CAVE.

When I saw his punkier outfit GRINDERMAN perform in Chicago last year, the electric antics of NICK CAVE's lanky frame served by the mid- to upbeat music were the highlight of his performance. Here, we are also treated to a cameo appearance from JARVIS COCKER of PULP.

Let it guide our feelings

2008-08-21T18:24:00.006-04:00

French post-wave stylist LEOS CARAX likes to use pop music to guide his scenes, often from DAVID BOWIE, and often with his favorite actor DENIS LEVANT jumping around and/or dancing.

This clip, from the 1986 film MAUVAIS SANG (Bad Blood) might just be one of my favorite scenes ever. The spirit of the New Wave and the deep romanticism of CARAX anchor the scene, but LEVANT's exuberant run down the street to MODERN LOVE is what made it famous.

Don't Follow Me

2008-08-20T14:58:00.004-04:00

The duo known as GNARLS BARKLEY can be counted on to make creative and singular music videos to match their uncompromising R&B esoterica music. This clip for their great recent single GOING ON was shot in Jamaica, and features its fair share of choreographed dancing, against a classic metaphysical tall tale.

Elephant in the room

2008-08-19T15:21:00.006-04:00

The poetry of GUS VAN SANT's steady cam is rarely as affecting to me as in this early scene from ELEPHANT. In one fell sweep, we are introduced to a number of characters and the everyday scenes of a high school, from the football field to the hallways.

But what drives this scene, more than the floating eminance of the camera, is the way the soundtrack weaves in and out of environmental sounds and musical accompaniment, in this case MOONLIGHT SONATA, which is reprised later in the film when it is played on a piano in a character's bedroom.

Punch In

2008-08-18T13:49:00.005-04:00

Here we have a fan-made video of the Nintendo classic MIKE TYSON'S PUNCH OUT, showcasing one gamer's run to the finish, only taking one punch. Growing up with two older brothers, I spent a lot of time watching others play video games, basically waiting for my turn. Being the youngest son, my turn didn't always come, but I came to enjoy watching the little movies video games provided without actually playing them.

The game-play of PUNCH OUT, like most early Nintendo, is quite simple, limited to one background, and based on learned movements and patterns. Years later, when I returned to this game, I made the comment that what the game boils down to is simply learning the "dance" of all the characters.

I realize gaming has become more cinematic, but my experience never went much further than Nintendo. I don't expect anyone to make it through the entire video, but know, for me, this is probably the first structuralist film with which I became fascinated.