Peter Rose
Keita Kurosaka
Ernie Gehr
Ryan Trecartin
Jenni Olson
Owen Land
Pat O’Neill
_____________
Peter Rose Genesis (1991)
‘Genesis recounts a story about embodiment “told” using voice synthesis and animation display on a MacIntosh computer. It was installed at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Philadelphia in 1991. A computer is swaddled in blankets in a small baby carriage. A text appears on the screen that tells the (true) story of a woman who miscarries and keeps the fetus in her refrigerator. The narration is artificial, generated by a speech synthesis program. This voice becomes more human as the story evolves and as our understanding of the power of naming sharpens.’ — Letterboxd
_____________
Keita Kurosaka Worm Story (1989)
‘The story begins with a parody of a familiar folklore about a rabbit and an earthworm chasing after each other, but the warm atmosphere changes completely to a succession of surreal images, and the story dismantles.’ — MUBI
_____________
Ernie Gehr Eureka (1974)
‘Ernie Gehr takes a 1903 film that shows San Francisco’s Market Street, as photographed from a trolley, and multiplies each frame of the original film eight times, changing its length from 5 to about 38 minutes, while simultaneously, playing with the contrast and light fluctuations within each frame.’ — IMDb
_____________
Ryan Trecartin P.OPULAR S.KY (section ish) (2009)
‘In P.opular S.ky (section ish), a character played by Trecartin informs us that she wants ‘to live in a world where narration is the devil’. The ability to script oneself is an inalienable right, and anything that opposes that right must be rejected.’ — Letterboxd
_____________
Jenni Olson 575 Castro St. (2008)
‘A set from the then upcoming Milk (from Gus Van Sant) is used as an inspired backdrop to hearing Harvey Milk’s words. It is a tape, to be read if he was assassinated, where he goes through his wishes. The words themselves are open to critique at points, vis-à-vis his beliefs on how best to achieve a better world. However, this feels ancillary to the film. This film uses emptiness brilliantly, it projects and auditory presence on a physical absence. Our eyes pan across an empty place and only a ghost resides here. It is a very smart way of making loss feel concrete.’ — Stephen Gillespie
_____________
Owen Land Film in Which There Appear Sprocket Holes, Edge Lettering, Dirt Particles, Etc. (1965)
‘The richest frame I have seen in any film when you take into consideration all movements lines the beautiful whites, and reds and blacks… The kinetic and visual experienced produced by Landow’s film is even more difficult to describe… There is humour in it (the blink); there is clear Mozart -(Mondrian)- like sense of form.’ — Jonas Mekas
_____________
Pat O’Neill Water and Power (1989)
‘Water and Power explores the complex relationship between water and urban development in Los Angeles. Through techniques such as time-lapse photography, superimposition, and motion-controlled tracking shots, this experimental film visually depicts the transformation of natural landscapes into industrialized environments.’ –– Salt
*
p.s. Hey. ** Dominik, Hi!!! You have been to Prater! I went when it was closed and gradually opening too. The perfect atmosphere for it. It’s still a little unfriendly here, sky-wise, but that’s supposed to end dramatically tonight. Zac and I will attend a number of the screenings, but not all. If it’s a situation where we would have to pay for all of our travel and lodging expenses, we need to be very judicious since we’re not, you know, loaded. They’re always rearranging my little pop-in market down the street for no seeming reason other than to give the employees something to do. Annoying, yes. Love agreeing to do karaoke only because they have ‘Baby’s Got Back’ on the playlist, G. ** Uday, Hey there! Other than the sickness your away time sounds pretty swell. Really? ‘Destroy Dennis Cooper’? Wow, I’ll go see if I can see what that is. God knows I need to be destroyed. Thanks for the alert. Shit, sorry you’ll miss the Chicago screening. There’ll be a way for you to see it even if it takes a while longer. Good to see you! ** jay, Cool, happy to be responsible for a jay/blog crossover. I had no input into the Japanese covers, but, yes, they’re nice. Yes, yes, do the whole trilogy. I really don’t think you’ll regret it. I wish you cloudy skies and a bon fete. ** scunnard, My only pleasure, my friend. ** _Black_Acrylic, Has that novel been on here before? It’s certainly possible. I neglected to check. The more the merrier? ** Tosh Berman, Yeah, he’s great and strangely under-read at least in the States. He needs a better US publisher me thinks. ** Carsten, Wow, so soon: the move. No problem, everything comes back to amusement parks for me. That Day you propose would be wonderful, of course. Please do if you continue to want to do. Nope, didn’t visit the swimmers yet. I think I’d better head over there today because it’s supposed to turn into fall outside tomorrow. ** Adem Berbic, Yeah, let me know and let’s hope we can sort it. It’s a very good novel, that ‘Bartleby’. Hugs back for every reason under the sun? ** Mari, My guess is you’ll end up finding one poem or one poet that gets to you, and then the whole genre will open up. Poetry is a very beautiful form once you get used to its shapes. Driving sounds good. No, I don’t drive here, or I haven’t. I always seem to travel by car with Zac who loves driving. I don’t miss LA freeways, but I do miss LA streets. There are so many of them, and you can always discover a new way to drive to somewhere you drive to a lot. Have you driven in LA? Yes, I’m allergic to all fabrics, or perhaps to whatever chemicals fabrics are made with. Wool is one of the worst for some reason. But, like I said, I can do an organic underlay which works ok except in the summer, of course. I hope your week is proceeding magically even. ** Nicholas., Okay, I think I understand. I feel like I’m a seriously non-complex person, and I feel like I’ve been the same person since I was a kid, so I drift forward and accumulate input, and it never seems to alter me very much, it’s strange. Me, I’m the opposite. I’m tired of being forced to ‘rest’ because of the heat, but the good part is that I’m really raring to go. ** Steeqhen, Nostalgia will adds years to your age if you’re not careful, so be careful. Okay, I know nothing about those PC emulators and related games, so that was like reading concrete poetry. I like concrete poetry, btw. ** Steve, Ugh. Well, I hope the final result is as easy as it sounds. Poor things: the pigeons. ** HaRpEr //, It’s very good. He’s a smarty. He’s done a number of collaborations with one of France’s brainiest artists, Dominique Gonzales-Foerster. Halloween is coming! I can feel it, can’t you? It’s going to make everything better. That’s my prediction. Yeah, I’ll go to LA for at least second half of October and do lots of home haunts. And probably do a Halloween screening of RT there. Plus, Zac and I want to do a home haunt there next year, so we’ll be talking with artists about collaborating with us on that and sussing out possible locations and so on. ** Dan Carroll, Hi, Dan! Yay about you coming to the Chicago screening. Say hi and stuff. It’ll be really nice to meet you! ** tomk, Hi, Tom! He’s well worth reading. We definitely will show RT in London, but we haven’t found any opportunities there yet. We’re strategising and looking, and I’m sure we’ll find something. And it’ll end up streaming at some point, yes. And I hope you’re writing a novel secretly or not. I’m not, but one of these months, I hope. ** Tyler Ookami, Thumbs up on ‘Weapons’? Okay, good. I’ll agenda-size it. Have you seen ‘Bring Her Back’? That’s been on my to-see list for a couple of weeks now. ‘Grafted’: I’ll look it up. Thanks! Everything generally good in and around you? ** Corey, Hi, Corey! The heat is supposedly on its last legs today, but we’ll see. It’s been ugh but not nightmarish. Heavy employment of fans. You translated Paul Cunningham! How cool. I assume he knows. Nice! And excellent about the proceeding, very healthy lit mag/readings. Your first comment did register. So weird when comments register but ghost the commenter. This blog is wack. ** Right. Today you get the … what, 6th? … in my series of short film programs, so watch what you feel like watching or don’t or whatever floats your boats. See you tomorrow.
Now available in North America 
Hi!!
What did you think of Prater? I liked how absurd and questionable some of the decorations were, but I didn’t have much to compare it to. I’m sadly inexperienced when it comes to theme parks.
Oh. I thought when they show your film at a festival, you automatically get invited – basic expenses covered. How naïve of me.
Anita’s theory is that they rearrange grocery stores to make people wander around longer, looking at – and potentially buying – stuff they’d otherwise skip while looking for what they actually need.
I’d love to hear love do karaoke. Love asking people why they ask questions when they don’t want to hear the answer, Od.
Loving the Trecartin film and was basking in its god-like genius. I happen to know there’s a definite fanclub developing up in Scotland for this work.
Just been listening to the BEE podcast and he’s recommending Weapons as the latest multiplex horror success. The film is actually on at the Odeon round the corner from me, so I might just make it up there with my mum in the coming weeks. Will be nice to experience a film in the cinema for the 1st time in a good few years.
I will keep that in mind about nostalgia. Although I am the type of person who can find the good in most things, and I’m not someone who believes that things were necessarily better when i was younger, especially when it comes to music; the music i grew up with used to be considered the death of culture, and yet nowadays is revered. I think I’m a very inquisitive and open-minded person, almost in the way a child is, and Ilike to keep my head fluctuating between past, present, and future — I think it does me good!
Haha, i’m looking at it now and it does just look like a block of text full of numbers and random capital letters, like it’s some sort of coding. I started putting that Leaf Blower game on in the background to farm and I’m beginning to remember what I need to do and how to go about it. It’s strange when you slowly remember complex info that you had memorized years ago, it’s like uncovering some old fossil or remnants of a civilization, filling in some blanks of the past.
Watching a program about Ireland’s geography, and they’re speaking about turloughs (tur-locks) which are primarily only found in Ireland; they’re lakes that will fill and empty either the rise of tides or seasons, through cracks in the bed made of limestone. Such a fascinating thing and wild to think that this is something almost impossible to find outside of Ireland. The name Turlough was used as well in this one character in Doctor Who in the 80s, but is a name that has really stuck with me… perhaps I’ll have to use it somehow.
Hey there Dennis! Hope life has been well for you
Thank you for your kind words about that excerpt I wrote in my last comment. I felt confident that there was something there I wanted to expand upon in my novel. Just yesterday, this idea for a dialogue came to mind. It centers on making a thought into a running gag between friends. Whilst this occurs, the narrator is speaking of their calculated approach to making these comments. I was thinking of ways to illustrate a dilemma between sincerity and acceptance. This is one of several ideas that have come to mind over the past week. My reflection on my social struggles has inadvertently encouraged productivity for this project of mine. I’m going to spend some time today developing that excerpt and seeing where it takes me.
I watched some of the short films that you’ve posted today. Always a delight to see Trecartin’s work being talked about. Perhaps the standout for me was Genesis. I thought it was an affecting demonstration of how power in resonance is demonstrated in our relationship to beings that are no longer alive. It takes that, observes the devastating quality of a miscarriage, and elevates it beyond that singular experience. “I have forgotten now the name that I had given it” – such a beautiful line that acts as the last one shown in text.
In terms of happenings in my life, things have been easier to maintain. Those social issues I mentioned earlier have been manageable over the past week. It’s nice to be able to reach a position where I can approach myself with kindness and let myself be sincere to those around me. Although I’m still struggling employment-wise. It’s tricky to find opportunities where I live, as writing options are somewhat limited. It’s left me feeling directionless, but hopefully I can secure something soon.
Wish you all the best with the rest of the week. Take care!
Nice, every once in a while I’m on the lookout for unfamiliar experimental shorts. Often that means coming up empty & watching Bruce Baillie’s “Valentin de las Sierras” for the 20th time. I found the Pat O’Neill film “Water and Power” especially striking at first glance. I’ll watch the whole thing tonight when I have the proper headspace.
Yeah, time flies, re. my move. I’m sizing up the route right now, which broken up into four days of travel means we’ll be making our nightly stop-overs somewhere around Lyon, then the French/Spanish border, then Murcia, before arriving in Malaga. I used to wing these lengthy road trips in my twenties, when I drove cross-country with my ex-wife. There was something really loose & free & wonderful about taking the occasional detour into the wild, spending most of the day strolling around San Antonio or New Orleans, then crashing at the nearest Motel 6 once beat. This time I got more of a schedule & somewhat less adventurous company, plus a fucked-up spine, but the van we have is comfortable enough, so I think I’ll manage the 6-7 hours of driving per day. Any more my spine will not tolerate.
It’ll be a pleasure to do the Duende Day. I’m thinking of a collage form (of music, poetry, film & visual art) with purposely minimal commentary, the aim being to let the viewer/reader draw their own correspondences. Should be fun.
Just curious: how empty is Paris in the summer? Do half the locals leave like in New York (or Munich for that matter)? I hope you’re getting the desired cool-down, brother.
Hi Dennis
Thanks for the recommendations the other day for exhibits. I didn’t get back because I had a bad day with some vivid nightmares that left me on edge and a little bit odd, so I didn’t really feel like saying much. Not that I *have* to talk here, but I do like being on here and fully interacting. I don’t know if my dad will go to Paris in the end. But I will be in England from this weekend to Wednesday.
Really loved the first short films here, especially the first and last ones. I need to get into more Trecartin since I think I’ve watched all the big “popular” stuff.
I also watched “Like Cattle towards glow” yesterday, a very good film. I was really impressed by the 4th sequence with the anarchists and the demons and stuff, also just the harsh noise bit. Really excellent stuff, though I did want to ask why Adam Lanza was framed in the first bit. Maybe it’s something that’s over my head, but I didn’t see the correlation. I know you were inspired by Kip Kinkel before, so why Lanza? Is it a similar thing? Or was it Zac’s idea?
Also, I read a bit of Alice’s novel draft today. It was some really excellent stuff about hamsters and dicks and stuff. If she continues the quality of writing, I think she might make a really great read. I’m shilling it here for her because she won’t, but I think she’s on some really genius stuff right now, and I hope to get the pleasure of reading all of it.
Anyway, have a good one! Peace.
Hey Dennis – Wonderful films here, some real mind-benders. That Jenni Olson was new to me, so thanks especially for that one.
I’ve been scarce, buried in work, writing, music, film programming, and (alas) health stuff. Prepping to teach full-time this year – film history and screenwriting – which starts next week.
Lots of updates: My experimental film series got cancelled, then revived at the last minute. Now frantically programming the 2nd season. Band just released two new EPs digitally – by far the best things we’ve done – and a vinyl album is coming soon. Plus I finally got a new lit agent.
Love to catch up sometime soon via Zoom. By any chance, are you around on Monday, Sept 1st?
Hope you are well and Zac too!
Hey, There’s a strong argument that Trecartin’s trilogy comp is his best work, but I honestly think after seeing almost everything which I can find, that he doesn’t really have an off moment. Trecartin was interviewed in a book I read recently, ‘What Artists Wear’ by Charlie Porter. He talked about how the clothes the actors wear are generally just stuff from goodwill and places, and I think he collages all these cultural artefacts and random things to create this huge fluid mass where all these binaries fuse together. I could go on of course.
Owen Land looks like someone I should explore. I really like that hypnotic, static but flickery kind of filmmaking that may be liable to give someone a fit. I’m also really drawn to glitchiness (in music as well), it scratches some sort of finicky itch I may have now and again, Peter Tscherkassky, for example, who I love the work of.
You and Zac are planning on making your own home haunt next year? Amazing! Do you think the ‘RT’ set gave you any new insight on how to go about that/make a great haunt?
Yeah, Halloween makes everything better. I’m a sucker for a party/costume shop and normally take my annual tour of them when I can sense the season is coming. I have so much junk around me from places like that but it fills me with joy. I’ll see what’s happening this year, I might go to the London Dungeon at some point. I actually almost applied for a job there but you needed an actors portfolio and everything. Putting on costumes and being a menace to society sounded good in concept anyway.
*Poof* Its hilarious you say that cause clearly I’m so sensitive and complex it’s literally a full time job being me I love it. Im sick right now but getting better by the second and it’s literally from smoking im devastated I have to quit and go back to my straight edge roots which is honestly just gonna make me so sexy when I dont do drugs or drink but definitely do poppers for sex stuff that seems like a fair trade. I have post nasal drip and my lungs hurt sorta its wild send healing vibes please. Ah yes so the culmination of my “White Hot Room” anecdotes have lead me to the Law of assumption and how that’s literally how I operate naturally I just say I’m the best and like I am and life acts accordingly honestly. Anything I’ve done successfully has always started with blind faith blonde ambition and some semi sinister high level thinking and autistic pattern recognition so I definitely have a winning formula now. Omg when has smoking turned against you if it ever has my body is resilient until its not and when I get sick its so rare I literally don’t know what to do its hilarious this low grade fever is a burning up all the bad germs and also making me kinda wanna cry haha so ill be brb I have to sleep upright cause of the nasal drip wish me luck and rest haha. Oh thats good I learned that to this summer I used to hate being hot but once you are and just get over the feeling being sweaty feels freeing and enlivening and sweat is kinda sexy by itself. Anyways I took some aspirin so my fever was literally going down as I typed this I feel so good I gotta go to bed bye! Ttylxoxo.
Saving these for an upcoming layover. I like short films. Usually when I screen a particularly dark movie for my friends I do some music as an aperitif and then a short film as a digestif so that they’re not left with death or whatever as the last thing they see before sleeping. ‘God knows I need to be destroyed’ is an all-timer of a phrase. It’s going to become one of those things I say to myself when I do my laundry, like ‘Fatima in the distance’. Speaking of laundry, it’s time to go wash and iron. I think this is the summer I’ve begun to be successful with approximating a style that’s flattering to me, but we’ll see how I feel about that in five years when I’m older and hopefully wiser. I like the idea of you having undersocks so that you can wear whatever socks you want.