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Nabaza.net-The MarketPlace - The Films of Kenneth Anger, Vol. 1
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List Price: $20.98
Our Price: $49.98
Availability: N/A
Manufacturer: Fantoma
Starring: Kenneth Anger
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0695026704829
Format: Black & White
Label: Fantoma
Manufacturer: Fantoma
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Fantoma
Region Code: 0
Release Date: 2007-01-23
Studio: Fantoma
Theatrical Release Date: 2006
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Editorial Reviews:
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Cinematic magician, legendary provocateur, author of the infamous HOLLYWOOD BABYLON books and creator of some of the most striking and beautiful works in the history of film, Kenneth Anger is a singular figure in post-war American culture.
A major influence on everything from the films of Martin Scorsese, Rainer Werner Fassbinder and David Lynch to the pop art of Andy Warhol to MTV, Anger's work serves as a talisman of universal symbols and personal obsessions, combining myth, artifice and ritual to render cinema with the power of spell or incantation.
Covering the first half of Anger's career, from his landmark debut FIREWORKS in 1947 to his epic bacchanalia INAGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME, Fantoma is very proud to present the long-awaited first volume of films by this revolutionary and groundbreaking maverick, painstakingly restored and presented on DVD for the first time.
Contains the films:
Fireworks (1947)
Puce Moment (1949)
Rabbit's Moon (1950, the rarely seen original 16 minute version)
Eaux d'Artifice (1953)
Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954)
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating: 
Summary: In Xanadu did Kenneth Anger...
Comment: Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (Kenneth Anger, 1966)
So I finally sat down and watched Kenneth Anger's Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, a 38-minute short that sits on Jonathan Rosenbaum's list of the best 1000 films ever made. And I had no earthly idea what I was seeing. So I watched it again. And pretty soon I found myself getting into the same vibe with Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome that I did with Begotten about ten years ago-- no matter how many times I watch it, I cannot exorcise it from my head. Unlike Begotten, which I consider one of the ten best movies ever made, I can't tell yet whether I actually like Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome, but it's certainly stamped itself as unforgettable.
There's no use in relaying any sort of plot; if there is one, I still haven't found it. It is, instead, a set piece; an overlord of some sort has a gathering planned. The guests arrive. We meet them, get to know each one a bit. And then, something happens. What? I've no idea. And given the number of times I've watched this-- and Anger's lack of distorting techniques such as those used by Merhige-- that's saying something. Oh, and did I mention that the whole thing has, as a soundtrack, a Leos Janacek mass?
Honestly, I'm not sure I can tell you anything of substance about this movie. It's brilliantly shot; I am of the suspicion that a number of acid-trip-style sequences from later films (Psychomania and Easy Rider certainly come to mind) were strongly influenced by this movie. That alone should be reason for film buffs to seek it out. For the casual movie fan, though? I do suspect that the average Joe would look at this, wonder what's going on for a couple of minutes, and reach for the remote. But it is worth looking into; you may find yourself obsessed. ***
Customer Rating:
Summary: Fantomas' DVDs have absolutely solidified my appreciation of Anger as a filmmaker.
Comment: This review is for Volumes I and II. I had seen most of these films before on VHS, and my response was lukewarm. I found them intriguing, but I wasn't really enthusiastic.
What a difference this presentation makes!
Looking crisp and vibrant, these films now sparkle like luminous celluloid gems, and, watching in chronological order, you can see that a strong style is present from the beginning, and you can also watch as Anger's craft and technique develop. The extra material (which I only exposed myself to after watching the films fresh again) provide context and a lot of added value - but the glittering transfers of these visually exciting little treasures are the real star here.
I was never a huge fan of 'Fireworks,' which I realize predates the film work of Genet and Cocteau. The influence is undeniable, but 'Un Chant d'Amour' is still the king of this sort of thing, as far as I'm concerned, for its sheer expressiveness. That said, I got more out of 'Fireworks' for being able to actually SEE it. 'Fireworks' and 'Puce Moment' are interesting (maybe even endearing) little DIY mood pieces, but they can only hint at what's coming.
It isn't until 'Rabbit's Moon' that we see a more polished filmmaker begin to emerge, but 'Eau d'Artifice' is where I really found myself getting on board, and by the time we arrive at the Pleasure Dome I am hooked.
'Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome' is actually, probably, my favorite of Anger's films, and the vibrancy of the transfer here had me transfixed and intoxicated. At first it seemed a bit dark, but as the film went on it seemed probable that the high contrast was intentional - the blacks are as deeply saturated as the colors, and it's all something to behold.
Yes, it's all done on a shoestring, using whatever happens to be around. That actually makes it even more fascinating. It is often very difficult to sort out whether Anger is doing something very modest, but doing it spectacularly, or doing something spectacular very modestly. The certain thing is that he can achieve the spectacular on very modest means, while the current crop in Hollywood can spend spectacular amounts of money producing dull and mediocre banality. That's really something, the ability to produce wonder from (or to find it in) the commonplace (which is where it must exist).
I might as well insert my disclaimer here that if you have no interest in the history of cinema or in avant garde cinema you probably won't be interested in the slightest, and could easily find yourself wondering why all the fuss over someone's bizarro old home-movies. One of the things that makes these films intriguing for me is that they ARE NOT Hollywood, and at the same time they GENUINELY ARE Hollywood - in the most real sense. The sensibility, the physical location, the iconography... Anger occupies a place that I don't think anyone else does.
Volume II starts off with 'Scorpio Rising,' far more interesting and enjoyable than the last time I saw it, but by this time I'm into Anger's groove, and I don't need anything but the archetypes, the symbols, the images... Now I can see why it's famous: it's about a mythology being invented with images.
I hadn't seen 'Kustom Kar Kommandos' before, but this little fragment is another favorite in the set. You can smell the paint and chrome. You can taste it, too, and it tastes like Kandy. Very nice, and one of the most irresistibly sensual bits of film I've seen in a long time.
'Invocation Of My Demon Brother' is the jerry-rigged mirror of the later, far more polished 'Lucifer Rising' - and 'Lucifer' (featuring a wonderful made-in-prison score by Bobby Beausoleil) looks and sounds great here. The image is a bit soft, but that appears to be inherent in the source elements. It doesn't detract from the experience at all, hypnotic, for those who can get into it.
We also get a shorter, very different version of 'Rabbit's Moon' and a look at the artwork of the man who founded the religion Thelema - which has strongly influenced the visuals of a lot of these films, so much so that watching them is like thumbing through a Tarot deck based in 20th century symbology.
All of the films have informative commentaries by Anger, who remains silent when he has nothing to say, and can actually get away with describing the action onscreen, because the action is so often an obscure expression. Angers' synopses in the included booklets are also helpful in this respect - but, as I said, I watched these films without all of that deliberately the first time. I wanted to make sure that they stood up on their own as cinema without any context or explanation, and they do.
The booklets are quite good, featuring snippets and appreciations, etc., and there is a very nice alternate music track for 'Invocation.' All in all I have to say that the folks at Fantomas have outdone themselves, and this is one case where a DVD release has really given me an appreciation of an important filmmaker that I can't say I had before. These discs are stunning.
When I made these purchases I wondered how happy I would actually be with them, given my previously so-so response to Anger's work. My feeling now is that it was money VERY well spent, and that the reevaluation was worthwhile, enlightening and a real joy all around.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Most Influential Filmmaker You've Never Heard Of
Comment: To the general public Kenneth Anger (born Kenneth Anglemyer in 1927 California) is probably best known for the book HOLLYWOOD BABLYON, which chronicles the less savory side of America's favorite "golden age" stars. But in fine arts circles Anger is best known for short films that mix lushly beautiful imagery with an often unsettling atmosphere--and while they have been seldom seen outside art house theatres and colleges, they have extremely influential over the years. Until quite recently the only way to see an Anger film was on the big screen or in really bad video tape transfers. Fortunately, UCLA has restored many of Anger's films and they are now available in near-pristine condition on DVD.
THE FILMS OF KENNETH ANGER VOLUME I contains five Anger films: FIREWORKS (1947), PUCE MOMENT (1949), RABBIT'S MOON (1950), EAUX D'ARTIFICE (1953), and INAUGURATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME (1954.) The length of the films vary between about six minutes and half an hour, with FIREWORKS and PLEASURE DOME probably the most widely seen titles. Although each film is quite different, each is similar in that it mixes remarkable images to poetic effect against a highly variable soundtrack--a fact that has made many refer to Anger as "the father of the music video." As the films progress they also tend to acquire a faintly claustrophobic, vaguely creepy quality in a way that is extremely difficult to define.
FIREWORKS originally launched Anger to fame. About fifteen minutes long, like most Anger films it has a dream quality; unlike most Anger films, however, it is very specifically presented as a dream---a young gay man's fantasy about sailors laced with violence and humiliation and touched with Freudian overtones in which Anger makes a time-honored link between semen, blood, and milk. PUCE MOMENT clocks in at about six minutes, a colorful swirl of dancing dresses and a silent-era-like beauty queen who opts for a puce dress before facing the world.
Anger has cut RABBIT'S MOON in several different ways; this particular version runs at about sixteen minutes and features a classic commedia del arte tale touched up with Asian references and played out against 1950s do-wop music that references both night and the moon. Although this is in some ways conventional in the sense that offers a clear story, it is also in some ways one of Anger's more challenging pieces; the pace is very slow and several viewings may be required to see the beauty of the work. EAUX D'ARTIFICE, a remarkably beautiful film running about fifteen minutes, presents us with a European water garden through which a miniature figure strolls to the strains of Vivaldi.
And then there is INAUGRATION OF THE PLEASURE DOME, a truly bizarre, color-saturated film that was apparently inspired by a over-the-top costume party. In this longer piece, which runs about half an hour, Anger plays with mythology and design in a way that recalls Beardsley and the "decadents" of the late 1800s. It is splashy, beautiful, ugly, and psychedelic before the word psychedelic was coined.
Anger is not a filmmaker for everyone. His films are essentially dreamscapes that acquire impact through the repetition and variation of images; there are no "stories," no dialogue, nothing but the visual fused with music. But for those who have an eye for such, he is a remarkable artist. The DVD contains the bonus of an audio track by Anger himself, which is sometimes fascinating and sometimes frustrating---much like the films themselves. Recommended.
GFT, Amazon Reviewer
Customer Rating:
Summary: Happy about Anger
Comment: I was lucky enough to watch some of these films on the big screen earlier this year- with Kenneth Anger in attendance doing a Q&A. The prints are spectacular, the material both inflamatory and (by modern standards) quaint.
I have both volumes.
And at this price? A deal you can't beat.
Customer Rating:
Summary: What was that?
Comment: I mean, I just saw it, and I'm still not sure what I saw. I do know that it's not anything like I've seen before.
These few shorts qualify more as performance art than cinema. The poses and posturings, the exaggerated makeup and costumes, they remind me of silent films. Come to think of it, these are silent or nearly so, except for the musical score. I found Janacek's score for the final piece especially haunting. I don't know whether I like it or not, but I want to hear it again.
The classic silen films never used color, though. Well, "Fireworks" isn't color, "Rabbit's Moon" is largely monochrome if not black and white, and "Eaux D'Artifice" has just a trace of color, just for a moment. "Puce Moment" and "Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome" certainly have color. They come across in eye-popping shades: Cadmium-orange hair, chrome green faces, and diabolic reds, among others. "Inauguration" set its saturated hues against black backdrops, most often, so the brilliant chromaticity would stand forward even more.
Among these pieces, I found "Eaux" the most baffling: a Marie Antoinette figure walking then trotting through a gushing garden of fountains, a moment with a magical fan, then walking away into darkness. These can't be taken as ordinary movies, with plot and characters (or maybe they can). Instead, they're compositions in color, human form, and time (or maybe they aren't). They are certainly enigmatic.
-- wiredweird
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