SOFT ICONOCLASM

The entirety of the para-cinematic network, that is, the public, the industry, DVD’s, amateur filmmaking software, academic & pop criticism, youtube and television, etc… is actively engaged in the practice of image-demystification – in latourian terminology, these elemental forces are working hard and overtime at denying that the fetish object they do/don’t worship, is in fact, a god. The god of cinema once had only two places to hide – in the material of the celluloid made of images that, themselves, remembered prior images, or in the mis-memory or dream of the audience. This Bergsonian metaphysic of the mnemonic (the image-remembrance) gave the cinema much of its power. Now, with its oneiric qualities outsourced and diluted to the ends of the electronic earth, can any art survive such a ruthless demystification?

DON'T TOUCH THE AXE, EUGENE!

 

My End of the Decade Poll

I've polled myself and it was great...

1. Black Dahlia (Brian DePalma)
2. Alexandra (Alexander Sokurov)
3. Wild Grass (Alain Resnais)
4. Bug (William Friedkin)
5. Sex is Comedy (Catherine Breillat)
6. Ne Touchez Pas La Hache (Jacques Rivette)
7. Platform (Jia Zhangke)
8. My Sister Maria (Maximilian Schell)
9. And Now...Ladies and Gentlemen (Claude Lelouch)
10. Twilight Samurai (Yamada Yoji)
11. Mary (Abel Ferrara)
12. Miami Vice (Michael Mann)
13. Triple Agent (Eric Rohmer)
14. La Recta Provincia (Raul Ruiz)
15 & 16.  Ebolusyion / Heremias (Lav Diaz)
17. Spy Game (Tony Scott)
18. The Hire: aka The BMW film (Fincher, et al)
19. L'Intrus (Claire Denis)
20. Welt Am Draht (Rainer Werner Fassbinder)