Fireworks (1947) is an important experimental, independent avant-garde film about homo-erotic phantasies and which became a classic of underground cinema. It's bizarre and somewhat disturbing, considering the blatant violence sequences - a dreamscape of beefy masculine bodies, squirted blood, rape, and S/M. The work of a 20-year-old visionary, shot over the course of one weekend when his parents were not at home.
Eaux d'artifice (1953) considering the somewhat unsettling film before, this felt like a nice relaxation, with all those shots of splashy and bubbly water in a royal garden. We even have a princess-like young lady wandering around and marvelling at those artistic fountains to classical music, which I would imagine is Händel's Water Music, but that's just speculation. Nice!
Scorpio Rising (1964) which is currently in the TSPDT 1000 and a ground-breaker. 50s and 60s pop tunes, leathered bikers, sex, death, Jesus, Nazis, Dick Tracy comics, James Dean are in the mix and makes it one of the first post-modern films in cinema history, which influenced directors like Scorsese and Lynch. Lot of fun, and demands more viewings.
Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965) a short short, 3-minutes, and the one I liked the least out of this bunch, though it isn't bad. Felt like a cynical satire on 'boys and their cars', but I'm not sure. A light-hearted vignette of colour and shiny objects.
Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969) - pretty creepy, but visually fascinating! It's an unconventional experiment without footing or story, a colourful collage of images you won't forget and with a roaring soundtrack by Mick Jagger. Wild filmmaking and enjoyable, even if you are not a satanist.
Lucifer Rising (1972) is Anger's second entry in the TSPDT 1000 and this one blew me away personally. Space, time, perimeters are declared to be futile in this beautiful, lyrical film of liberation and chaos, dedicated to the visual arts, to the colours and to the form. It smoothed the way for underground cinema, especially on levels of film editing and cinematography, a reflection of the life feeling of Anger's generation. The walls of mainstream have fallen: "Underground Rising!"
Eaux d'artifice (1953) considering the somewhat unsettling film before, this felt like a nice relaxation, with all those shots of splashy and bubbly water in a royal garden. We even have a princess-like young lady wandering around and marvelling at those artistic fountains to classical music, which I would imagine is Händel's Water Music, but that's just speculation. Nice!
Scorpio Rising (1964) which is currently in the TSPDT 1000 and a ground-breaker. 50s and 60s pop tunes, leathered bikers, sex, death, Jesus, Nazis, Dick Tracy comics, James Dean are in the mix and makes it one of the first post-modern films in cinema history, which influenced directors like Scorsese and Lynch. Lot of fun, and demands more viewings.
Kustom Kar Kommandos (1965) a short short, 3-minutes, and the one I liked the least out of this bunch, though it isn't bad. Felt like a cynical satire on 'boys and their cars', but I'm not sure. A light-hearted vignette of colour and shiny objects.
Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969) - pretty creepy, but visually fascinating! It's an unconventional experiment without footing or story, a colourful collage of images you won't forget and with a roaring soundtrack by Mick Jagger. Wild filmmaking and enjoyable, even if you are not a satanist.
Lucifer Rising (1972) is Anger's second entry in the TSPDT 1000 and this one blew me away personally. Space, time, perimeters are declared to be futile in this beautiful, lyrical film of liberation and chaos, dedicated to the visual arts, to the colours and to the form. It smoothed the way for underground cinema, especially on levels of film editing and cinematography, a reflection of the life feeling of Anger's generation. The walls of mainstream have fallen: "Underground Rising!"
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Senses of Cinema (on Kenneth Anger; Maximilian Le Cain)
Senses of Cinema (on Fireworks; Chris Meir)
Senses of Cinema (on Eaux d'artifice; Deborah Allison)
Senses of Cinema (on Invocation of My Demon Brother; Deborah Allison)
DC's ("Kenneth Anger Day" with video links)
New York Times (DVD review; Dave Kehr)
(screencaps from Lucifer Rising)