An overview of "by Brakhage"

[MacGuffin]

I just purchased Stan Brakhage's DVD set last week, and just received it in the mail today. I decided that another rental of it would simply not be sufficient enough to provide me with the time I need to not only comprehend the man's works included in this set, but to comprehend the man himself. In this thread, I will share with you my interpretations of Brakhage's movies after watching them multiple times and after listening to Brakhage's thoughts on his movies and explanations of them, as well as reading Fred Camper's. Anyways, I hope you all enjoy this thread.

Please note that the progress can also be followed at my blog (http://staticshotcinema.blogspot.com) .

Updates:

April 10

Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse

April 11

Mothlight
The Garden of Earthly Delights

[MacGuffin]

Disc 1:

[MacGuffin]

Disc 2:


Mothlight (Stan Brakhage, USA, 1963)

While it's probably Brakhage's most unappealing movie visually in the set or otherwise, it is nonetheless, likely one of the more intriguing experiments included in the set. The movie simulates the life of a moth on the screen using the remains of dead moths and other debris that Brakhage found attached to a light bulb. It was made without a camera by attaching two pieces together of the same kind of tape used to create film and placing the debris between the two pieces of tape. Aside from that, there's probably not a whole lot more to make of this, except for the inevitable comparisons between the moth and humanity.

The Garden of Earthly Delights (Stan Brakhage, USA, 1981)

A superior companion piece to Mothlight, and also a reference to the panel painting by Hieronymus Bosch, the movie takes the same approach as Mothlight, but instead is a much richer piece visually with two separate layers of more collected material (it's too easy by looking at the movie to conclude this is hand scratched, but research astonishingly tells me that this is inaccurate) depicting the growth of a garden, which, as Mothlight could, be meant to represent our growth as humanity. As the movie progresses, from one layer to two, the rapid editing becomes more urgent until we're left once again with one layer.

Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse (Stan Brakhage, USA, 1991)

Brakhage illuminates the screen with multiple layers representing the bridge between being awake and being asleep as well as watching television; often at the same time. A layer of the negatives from manipulated television footage is overlapped by Brakhage's beautiful handpainting to represent what it may be like watching television while falling asleep onsceen. In doing so, Brakhage often emulates fade outs, strobing, and a mirror image effect that moves horizontally onscreen at a rapid pace. This is truly a brilliant film where haunting new images present themselves with each viewing.

[origami_mustache]

Disc 2:

Delicacies of Molten Horror Synapse (Stan Brakhage, USA, 1991)

Brakhage illuminates the screen with multiple layers representing the bridge between being awake and being asleep as well as watching television; often at the same time. A layer of the negatives from manipulated television footage is overlapped by Brakhage's beautiful handpainting to represent what it may be like watching television while falling asleep onsceen. In doing so, Brakhage often emulates fade outs, strobing, and a mirror image effect that moves horizontally onscreen at a rapid pace. Made while Brakhage was in the hospital, this is truly a brilliant film where haunting new images present themselves with each viewing.

I've been wanting to see more from Brakhage, Anger, and others since I took an experimental film class a last year. This sounds great, I love this kind of thing.

[MacGuffin]

I've been wanting to see more from Brakhage, Anger, and others since I took an experimental film class a last year. This sounds great, I love this kind of thing.

Awesome. I am a fan of Kenneth Anger's movies as well. In fact, Eaux d'artifice might make my top 25. Puce Moment is great too, but I haven't seen the second DVD set recently released.

[origami_mustache]

Awesome. I am a fan of Kenneth Anger's movies as well. In fact, Eaux d'artifice might make my top 25. Puce Moment is great too, but I haven't seen the second DVD set recently released.

I've only seen Fireworks, Rabbit's Moon, and Scorpio Rising from Anger, and enjoyed them all.

[balmakboor]

Awesome. I am a fan of Kenneth Anger's movies as well. In fact, Eaux d'artifice might make my top 25. Puce Moment is great too, but I haven't seen the second DVD set recently released.

I think Puce Moment and Kustom Kar Kommandos are two of the most purely delightful films. I've watched each maybe 25 times (thanks to their being so short). I think his greatest works are Inaugaration of the Pleasure Dome, Scorpio Rising, and Lucifer Rising. The first took me a while (about five viewings). The other two were instant pleasures.

By Brakhage is a great set. Easily my most cherished DVD. My favorites are The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes and Love Song. The two couldn't be more different, but they represent his ultimate acheivements down two paths taken.

[MacGuffin]

I added Mothlight and The Garden of Earthly Delights.

[origami_mustache]

I'll probably be renting the Anger and Brakhage sets soon. I've wanted to watch them for a while now, and this thread has finally motivated me to follow through haha.

[MacGuffin]

I'll probably be renting the Anger and Brakhage sets soon. I've wanted to watch them for a while now, and this thread has finally motivated me to follow through haha.

Nice, I'm glad. I'll probably watch Dog Star Man tomorrow, and hopefully write some stuff on the movies I watched in the meantime. I can't wait to compare thoughts on the movies.

[balmakboor]

I posted my By Brakhage thoughts on blogcritics.org today. The link to my BC Writer's page is in my sig.

[origami_mustache]

I finished disc 1 of the By Brakhage Anthology. I'll respond with my thoughts once you cover these films, and I'll be watching disc 2 this weekend.

[balmakboor]

I finished disc 1 of the By Brakhage Anthology. I'll respond with my thoughts once you cover these films, and I'll be watching disc 2 this weekend.

This thread is moving way too slowly for my taste so I thought I'd "bump" it with a comment. You say you finished disc 1, but I hope you go on to periodically revisit it (as well as disc 2). I've owned the set since its day of release and don't feel I'll ever be finished with any of it. I keep compulsively pulling it back off the shelf and re-watching parts, always finding something new to love. I even keep re-watching the interview. I almost never repeat bonus materials. I often don't even watch them once.

Brakhage was a great artist who has gradually worked his way into my soul.

[Qrazy]

Brakhage was a great artist who has gradually worked his way into my soul.

Fuck 'im. He deserved to die and I hope he burns in hell!

[balmakboor]

Fuck 'im. He deserved to die and I hope he burns in hell!

Honestly, I don't even know how to reply to such a remark, even if it was worthy of one.

[origami_mustache]

I think Puce Moment and Kustom Kar Kommandos are two of the most purely delightful films.

By Brakhage is a great set. Easily my most cherished DVD. My favorites are The Act of Seeing With One's Own Eyes and Love Song.

I don't share your affection for Kustom Kar Kommandos. It just struck me as tacky eroticism.

I ultimately liked The Act of Seeing With One's Eyes, but the film is so intensely graphic to the point where it became very hard for me to continue watching. I liked it though because it left me with many questions. Should the body be considered a sacred object or is it just a temporary vessel? Who were these people, and is the autopsy and our viewing of this a form of trespassing?


You say you finished disc 1, but I hope you go on to periodically revisit it (as well as disc 2). I've owned the set since its day of release and don't feel I'll ever be finished with any of it. I keep compulsively pulling it back off the shelf and re-watching parts, always finding something new to love. I even keep re-watching the interview. I almost never repeat bonus materials. I often don't even watch them once.

Brakhage was a great artist who has gradually worked his way into my soul.

Well I just rented it, but I really loved this anthology, so perhaps I will purchase it eventually.

The Dante Quartet, Mothlight, Stellar were among my favorites on the second disc, along with many others and I loved the "Remarks" tracks that accompanied most of the films. Really there were only a couple of films out of the 26 that I didn't care for.

[balmakboor]

I don't share your affection for Kustom Kar Kommandos. It just struck me as tacky eroticism.

I ultimately liked The Act of Seeing With One's Eyes, but the film is so intensely graphic to the point where it became very hard for me to continue watching. I liked it though because it left me with many questions. Should the body be considered a sacred object or is it just a temporary vessel? Who were these people, and is the autopsy and our viewing of this a form of trespassing?

The Dante Quartet, Mothlight, Stellar were among my favorites on the second disc, along with many others and I loved the "Remarks" tracks that accompanied most of the films. Really there were only a couple of films out of the 26 that I didn't care for.

While I understand that there are some problems with the transfer, I really am taken by the way the camera caresses the car and the men's bodies in KKK along with a seeming perfect music selection.

Your interpretation of The Act of Seeing... is very much like my own. Did you read my thoughts in my review?

I agree that the Remarks audio tracks are a nice touch as well as the interview. I think the whole package is the definition of what a dvd should be.

[origami_mustache]

Your interpretation of The Act of Seeing... is very much like my own. Did you read my thoughts in my review?

I agree that the Remarks audio tracks are a nice touch as well as the interview. I think the whole package is the definition of what a dvd should be.

Yes, well said and I think that is so great, that your daughter enjoys these films...I also had similar reactions to Window Water Baby Moving.