Longhorn Reviews » Movies

A moving presence

jade — Fri, 15 May 2009 16:36:04 +0000

a film by Kent De Spain, UT Theatre and Dance faculty member.

Das grosse Lachen = hearty laughter

jade — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:56:17 +0000

Hieronymous Bosch meets Julie Speed, paintings by a Chinese artist who now lives in Munich.

At right, “Kardinal II”; At left, “East Meets West,” collaborative self-portrait with Dietmar Gross

Enclosure. 8

jade — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:52:05 +0000

This DVD contains excellent documentary films of Partch’s music and workplace. Totally fascinating material.

Helvetica

jade — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 17:42:02 +0000

An interesting documentary that provides excellent perspective into this omni-present font’s place in the world.

Dancer in the Dark

Matt — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 17:24:13 +0000

A tragically beautiful mixture of musical theater and cinematography. Bjork stars as a factory worker fighting a losing battle to save her son’s vision. And she sings, too!

The magical life of Long Tack Sam [videorecording]

Matt — Sat, 03 May 2008 14:45:16 +0000

Interesting glimpse into the world during WWI-WWII and especially vaudeville life during this time.

p.s. Great fashions and costumes!

Films & videos

Meg — Thu, 01 May 2008 16:54:45 +0000

Some of the most genuinely enjoyable experimental film and videowork, bar none.

The Holy Modal Rounders–Bound to Lose

Matt — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 15:30:19 +0000

The director answered questions at a recent screening of this film. Wacky guys, wacky times, and Sam Shepard! www.boundtolose.com

Been rich all my life

Matt — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:20:13 +0000

“Meet the Silver Belles, five tap dancers who performed in the 1930s in Harlem at the famed Apollo and Cotton Club. Together again, they’re dancing to standing ovations and sharing stories of the Harlem Renaissance.”

How can you lose?

Ellis Island; Book of Days

Matt — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:00:38 +0000

Two films by one of America’s most interesting composers and performers.

La jetée ; Sans soleil

Matt — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:48:23 +0000

Two landmark films finally on DVD. Extreme exploration of image-making and storytelling.

Who is Bozo Texino? : the epic account of the improbable discovery for the true identity of the world’s greatest boxcar artist

Matt — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 17:43:32 +0000

Here is a great film from a once-local film maker (Bill Daniel) about box-car-writers …. was that the beginnings of graffiti? More at www.billdaniel.net/who_is_bozo_texino/info.

The Well-tuned piano in The magenta lights

Matt — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 18:13:33 +0000

A complete 6-hour performance of La Monte Young’s magnum opus for piano. Not as good a representation as is found on the out of print Gramavision 5CD box, which was stolen from us and which this version replaces, but still exquisitely beautiful piano that just doesn’t end. Also contains video of the performance.
If you like, you can do as I did and put it on on a Sunday afternoon playing through the stereo, leaving the TV off, then you have the option of surprising anyone who doesn’t know that you didn’t just happen to turn on the TV to a piano performance that perfectly matches what’s playing through the stereo…

Norman McLaren. / Collector’s ed.

Meg — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:59:54 +0000

A wonderful 2 DVD set chronicling some of the most beloved film creations of this early master. The films range from aesthetically sublime animations to live dance, but really it all dances. There’s good reason this genre has come to be known as Visual Music.

Roots, Rock, Reggae

Meg — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:57:40 +0000

Do you like reggae? If you do, you have to watch this great video that gives a glimpse of the reggae scene in Kingston, Jamaica. The footage of Trenchtown is revealing, especially contrasted with the luxurious parts of Kingston. Artists interviewed and performing include Jimmy Cliff, Bob Marley, Toots and the Maytals, Jacob Miller & Inner Circle, The Absyinnians, Lee “Scratch” Perry, and Joe Higgs.

Public Memory

Meg — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:06:06 +0000

Discusses the design, meaning and purpose of public memorials built to commemorate wars and tragedies. This documentary asks: why do some memorials move us, why are others forgettable, what do they really mean, and are memorials still relevant today? The program covers a specific group of memorials, including: the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail, the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, the Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Cairn, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and plans for the first African-American lynching monument (the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial), among others. Examines what we can learn from controversial memorials and the many complex issues involved in memorializing the victims of crimes against humanity and terrorism. Great example of Performance as Public Practice.

Perfect Lives: An Opera for Television in Seven Episodes

Meg — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:00:11 +0000

People have called this self-proclaimed “Opera For Television” the first distinctly American opera. John Cage said expressed his favor in an over-the-top fashion, “Who needs the Bible? We have Perfect Lives.” In either case, the sentiment of an enlightening and utterly singular experience is well-placed. You won’t see any of the classical influence here except in its grand scope and ambition. Despite its low video production values, Perfect Lives truly shows a great potential for television accommodating high art, if it isn’t already a perfect fit.