Discussion Questions #4

1. Briefly respond to one of the following Fluxfilms, which are on-line here:
http://www.ubu.com/film/fluxfilm.html
- I think I viewed Yoko Ono's "One", I'm not sure because it seems like some of the films were under the wrong heading. Anyways, the film I viewed was the one showing the match being lit in super slow motion. It was a lot like the fluxfilm that showed her smiling then not smiling in super slow motion. This one was much better because you could actually see the changes taking place in the flame of the match since it moves at such a lightning speed in reality.

2. Look up “Fluxus” and any of the Fluxus artists in the index of Visionary Film. Why are they not there? Are the Fluxfilms compatible with Sitney’s central argument about the American avant-garde?
- You would think that the Fluxians would be regarded as a very important part of avant-garde film, however it seems that Sitney has left them out. Maybe it was an entirely different view of the art form than what Sitney believes, so he decided to just leave them out all together.


Mary Jordan, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

3. Chapter 4. What are some of the reasons suggested for Smith’s obsession with Maria Montez? What are some of your responses to the clips from the Montez films (especially Cobra Woman)?
- They say that Smith's obsession with Maria Montez was very obsessive. He saw her as an untainted romantic idea that he could believe in. Smith was really into her not-so-great acting and saw her performances as a lost art. In my opinion, the Maria Montez films looked incredibly shallow. From the scenes they showed Maria Montez was the only person focused on in the film, done up lavishly in jewelry and extravagant dresses.

4. Chapter 5. What were some attributes of the New York art community in the 1960s, and what was the relationship between the economics of the time and the materials that Smith incorporated in to his work and films? [How could Smith survive and make art if he was so poor in the city so big they named it twice?]
- There was an overwhelming pressure to conform, it was highly frowned upon to break free of the norms and explore new territory. They had to take what little money they had to try and produce quality films, so they always had to be pinching their pennies.

5. Chapter 6. What problems emerged after the obscenity charges against Flaming Creatures in the relationship between Jack Smith and Jonas Mekas? What metaphor emerged from the conflict between Smith and Mekas?
- The film "Flaming Creatures" was banned for its obscenity in 22 states. It was then that Jonas Mekas began to travel across the nation showing the film and speaking about it afterwards. He took the film and made it his in an attempt to make money, with a disregard for the makers of the film. This gave him the nickname "Uncle Fish-hook"

6. Chapter 7. What is John Zorn’s argument about Normal Love? How does his argument relate to some of the changes in the New York art world in the 1960s that we discussed in class? What are some arguments made about the influence of Jack Smith on other filmmakers (including Warhol)?
- The show itself wasn't the finished product of the film, but the actually filming process of the film. Zorn says that the audience should have been there when they were making the film instead of when they were exhibiting the film. In NY in the 1960's people were starting to do things in different ways, just for the sake of trying. This lead to the experience of making "Normal Love", a film which took about a year to complete. In 1967, Andy Warhol actually filmed Smith directing "Normal Love" for a film of his own.

7. Chapter 9 and 10: In what ways did Jack Smith become “uncommercial film personified”? What is meant by the slogan, “no more masterpieces” and how did Smith resist commodification (or the production of art products)?
- After Jack Smith's inauspicious start as a filmmaker, his films started to take on a different attribute. He became the definition of "uncommercial" film.

Callie Angell, “Andy Warhol, Filmmaker”

[I have emailed part one of this article to the class, it is not on reserve.]

8. How does Angell characterize the first major period of Warhol’s filmmaking career? What are some of the films from this period, and what formal qualities did they share? What are some significant differences between Sleep and Empire?
-The first major period of Andy Warhol's filmmaking career would have to be labeled as minimalist. Meaning that the films would use the least amount of filmmaking material in an attempt to capture the "ordinary" and make it into art. These films had a somewhat "primitive" approach. Additionally, they were usually consisted of one static and unedited shot.

9. What role did the Screen Tests play in the routines at the Factory and in Warhol’s filmmaking?
- Many film scholars see the "Screen Tests" as a learning process for Warhol. Angell says that these "Screen Tests" helped Warhol gain experience in "the posing, framing, and lighting of his subjects". These "Screen Tests" also helped him build up a group of actors that he used for them that would appear in some of his later works. They were also extremely important in the development of Warhol's brand of cinema.

10. How does Angell characterize the first period of sound films in Warhol’s filmmaking career? Who was Warhol’s key collaborator for the early sound films? What are some of the films from this period and what formal properties did they share?
- Warhol's first sound films had characteristics that remind me of his minimalist films. He fought to make the onscreen area in his films as uncomfortable for the actors as possible by having complete control over the actors and their performances. His partner during these times was a man named Ronald Tavel. Some of the films from this period include "Vinyl"and "Poor Little Rich Girl".