Thursday, March 24, 2011

13 Most Beautiful . . .



















Digging 13 Most Beautiful... Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests (2009), with tailored ambient soundtrack by Dean & Britta (including a Velvet Underground adaptation).

It's stunning how two to four minutes in front of a camera mutely doing not much of anything actually seems to reveal about persona and personality.

What I hadn't realized prior to screening this: the screen tests are slowed down versions of "reality," not played back in actual speed. However, you can bring them up to "real life" motion by fast forwarding. You can learn yet more about radiant human gestures by speeding them up even beyond that.

Technique -- really great. The peeps include the late Dennis Hopper, Nico (a real pisser), Ann Buchanan, Edie Sedgwick (blink-blink), Billy Name, Susan Bottomly, Mary Woronov and Ingrid Von Scheven. Also, see Lou Reed drink a Coke and Baby Jane Holzer brush her teeth. Then compare with commercial advertisements.  



Today's Rune: Defense.

2 comments:

Adorably Dead said...

That's just awesome. Although I feel slightly out of the loop because I don't know who any of those people are. Than again, I am 25 years old, so maybe that's ok,lol.

Erik Donald France said...

Hey AD, thanks for the comment! Some of those peeps are mostly Warhol Factory folks, not household names even then.