Episode #59 - Brian Darr (The End)

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"I like being able to walk down the street and see all these hints of a movie that I've loved.'

From the ghostly fog of Vertigo to the vigilante ethos of Dirty Harry to the geometric paranoia of Zodiac, San Francisco has been a curious site for the movies. It's also an amazing land for cinephilia, and Brian Darr, a writer, programmer, and curator of the blog Hell on Frisco Bay, has made it his mission to trace how cinephilia continues to thrive through the city's repertory, experimental cinemas, and beyond. Brian traces his cinephilia from middle America to Thailand and back to San Francisco, slowly expanding his canon along the way. From there, the two discuss the way the city grew as an alternative to Hollywood, its use for both commercial and art filmmakers, and how the city grew such a reputation for celebrating the cinema of yesteryear. Finally, Brian brings in beat poet Christopher MacLaine's 1953 film The End, which presents both an apocalyptic discourse of living at the end of days, but also presents new ways of thinking and watching cinema.

0:00-2:16 Opening

3:02-51:32  Deep Focus -Brian Darr

52:40-54:56 Mubi Sponsorship - Blondes in the Jungle and Once Upon A Time in Anatolia

56:33 -1:15:10 Double Exposure - The End (Christopher MacLaine)

1:15:13-1:16:46 Close

Read Brian Darr at his blog, Hell on Frisco Bay. You can also read him at Senses of Cinema and Keyframe Daily.
Maclaine's The End is available on Treasures IV: American Avant-Garde Film, 1947-1986. You can also watch the first 10 minutes here.

Special Episode - NYFF's Views from the Avant-Garde (James Hansen)

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With over 200 films spread over 40+ programs, how does one even begin to approach the New York Film Festival's Views from the Avant-Garde, especially someone as novice as Peter? Well, the only way is to dive in head first, as he did this year, and now brings on experimental film expert James Hansen to talk through approaches to these truly unique films. The two dish it out on canonical artists like Luther Price, Peter Hutton, and Nathaniel Dorsky, and rhapsodize about other favorites they've found along the way, including Peter's favorite film of the festival - a stop motion rock opera set to Dark Side of the Moon. Finally, they finish off with an appropriate feature, Stephanie Barber's Daredevils, which engages viewers in how to think about new ways to take risks and see things differently. (Make sure to check the notes below for a handful of excellent links to writings and videos of the various films). 

0:00-8:00 Opening / Approaching the Avant-Garde

9:24-17:49 Luther Price
24:07-32:20 Landscapes, Peter Hutton, and Three Landscapes
32:20-37:52 Nathaniel Dorsky
38:51-48:26 Jodie Mack and Dusty Stacks of Mom
53:26-1:08:25  Stephanie Barber's Daredevils

1:08:27-1:10:24 Close / Outtake 

Read James Hansen's work on Out 1 Film Journal. 

Follow James on Twitter.