Avant-Garde Film: Motion Studies / Edition 1

by Scott MacDonald

Overview

The past thirty years have seen the proliferation of forms of independent cinema that challenge the conventions of mass-market commercial movies from within the movie theatre. Avant-Garde Film examines fifteen of the most suggestive and useful films from this film tradition. The films discussed include No. 4 (Bottoms) by Yoko Ono, Wavelength by Michael Snow, Serene Velocity by Ernie Gehr, Print Generation by J. J. Murphy, Standard Gauge by Morgan Fisher, Zorns Lemma by Hollis Frampton, The Ties that Bind by Su Friedrich, From the Pole to the Equator by Yervant Gianikian and The Carriage Trade by Warren Sonbert. Through in-depth readings of these works, Scott MacDonald takes viewers on a critical circumnavigation of the conventions of movie going as seen by filmmakers who have rebelled against the conventions. MacDonald's discussions do not merely analyse the films; they provide a useful, accessible, jargon-free critical apparatus for viewing avant-garde film and communicate the author's pleasure in exploring 'impenetrable' works.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521388214
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	02/26/1993
Series:	Cambridge Film Classics
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	212
Sales rank:	320,356
Product dimensions:	5.91(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.63(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction; Part I. From Stern to Stem: Yoko Ono: No.4 (Bottoms); Michael Snow: Wavelength; Ernie Gehr: Serene Velocity; J. J. Murphy: Print Generation; Morgan Fisher: Standard Gauge; Part II. Psychic Excursions: Hollis Frampton: Zorns Lemma; Laura Mulvey and Peter Wollen: Riddles of the Sphinx; James Benning: American Dreams; Su Friedrich: The Ties That Bind; Yervant Gianikian and Angela Ricci Lucchi: From the Pole to the Equator; Part III. Premonitions of Global Cinema: Warren Sonbert: The Carriage Trade; Godfrey Reggio: Powaqqatsi; Trinh T. Minh-ha: Naked Spaces: Living in the Round; Yvonne Rainer: Journey from Berlin/1971; Peter Watkins: The Journey.

Editorial Reviews

The 15 films featured here are not of the ``midnight movie'' ilk (though John Waters is mentioned in passing), but works whose form, structure, and content challenge the most basic conventions of mainstream film: Peter Watkins's The Journey is more than 14 hours long; Yoko Ono's No. 4 (Bottoms) is an 80-minute montage of bare bottoms in closeup. McDonald (English and film, Utica Coll. of Syracuse Univ.) examines the technical and artistic features of each film, placing it in context within the avant-garde's trends and movements. An earlier book with a similar focus, Stan Brakhaga's Film at Wit's End: Eight Avant-Garde Filmmakers ( LJ 10/1/89) is more readable, but lacks MacDonald's depth of analysis; since there is virtually no overlap in terms of artists covered, libraries serving serious students of such movies will want both.-- David C. Tucker, De Kalb County P.L., Decatur, Ga

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