Body Magic – Javier Morales and John Michael Boling

bodymagic
Body Magic (2007, 26MB, 2:25 min.)

From the old gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooogle.com
Music by Javier.

David Olmos//José M. Sánchez-Verdú – Paisajes del placer y de la culpa

Paisajes del placer y de la culpa #1
Paisajes del placer y de la culpa #1 (2008, 119MB, 7:49 min)

Paisajes del placer y de la culpa #1
Paisajes del placer y de la culpa #2 (2008, 74MB, 4:52 min)

José M. Sánchez-Verdú is a Spanish composer who creates richly textured and
sensuous music in an uncompromisingly contemporary idiom.
His richness is no frippery but properly fought for and won.
Here is a short movie, in two parts, made by David Olmos, about whom I can find
no information whatsoever, which blends a fictional narrative with footage of
an orchestral performance of one of Sánchez-Verdú’s works
Paisajes del placer y de la culpa – Landscapes
of Pleasure and Guilt.
The film is undoubtedly skillfully made but I remain slightly agnostic
about its premise or even necessity; however no such doubts about some
of the most extraordinary music of recent years.
I grabbed the film from YouTube and as you can see the image quality isn’t great
although in some ways the graininess appeals and seems apposite to the subject.

Samuel Beckett – Quadrat I + II

quadrat1
Quadrat I + II (1981, 4.3MB, 1:04 sec.)

Quad (Play), by Samuel Beckett.

Bob Ross is alive. The Joy of Painting..

miron_bilski
Bob Ross is alive (2008, 22MB, 2:50 min.)

joy_painting
The Joy of Painting (2008, 15MB, 5:45 min.)

Bob Ross came to prominence as the creator of ‘The Joy of Painting’,
a program on public television in the US. Here are a couple of great parodies
that poke fun at Bob and his calm and enduring nature.
Top is from Dutch filmmaker Miron Bilski (from the viral video award)
Bottom is from artists Max Kotelchuck and Peter Nowogrodzki.

Jon Rafman – Ad-Vice for a Prophet


Ad-Vice for a Prophet (2005, 78.6MB, 6:59 min)

I wrote the text below in, I think, 2008.
[In case you didn’t notice we’re intermittently re-posting stuff previously
posted on weekends in line with our 5 day a week current policy
– it also takes a bit of the pressure off which, two old guys,
we feel, we feel].
Since then Rafman has gone on to achieve a measure of well deserved
celebrity, showing at the Saatchi Gallery in London amongst other
prestigious venues, especially with his
9 eyes of google street view
I notice the piece we feature here no longer appears on his CV or website.
A shame – it has many merits – not least of which is an embryonic
version of the sensibility which underpins his more current work
although I entirely understand why artists occasionally attempt
to take a broom to old work.

Great piece by Jon Rafman.
I love the refusal to commit to a tone, the playfulness & humor, the wistfulness &
sometimes the vaguest air of menace too.
There’s a curious feel. An air of detachment, as if nothing can be said
directly but that everything is mediated & distanced by the act of editing
and presenting, serving up, (as with the ads).
The whole thing feels haunted by movie history.
I’m curious to know whether this is all found footage, whether some of it is
original or what.

Anyway, tremendous. Lots of other interesting
work on his site.

The One That Got Away – Marisa Olson

olsonidolstill
The One That Got Away (2005, 19MB, 9:02 min.)


In the Fall of 2004,Marisa Olson gained worldwide attention
while training to audition for American Idol

John Cage – 4:33

john cage
John Cage – 4:33 (2004, 47MB, 9:23 min)

Wonderful video of the BBC Symphony Orchestra under
Lawrence Foster giving a performance of John Cage’s
notorious/ provocative/seminal/epoch-making 4:33.

Wheeler Winston Dixon – Serial Metaphysics

Serial Metaphysics
Serial Metaphysics #1 (1984-86, clip, 6.4MB, 1:08 min)

Serial Metaphysics
Serial Metaphysics #2 (1984-86, clip, 5.9MB, 1:08 min)

Wheeler Winston Dixon is now a professor of film studies
at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Before he did that he made
a lot of (on the evidence of these clips & others) really great short movies.
In particular these two clips from Serial Metaphysics, apparently almost
entirely constructed from TV ads, whet the appetite for a viewing
of the whole twenty minutes.
Dixon conjures fever dream magic from commercial banality.
Check in particular the end sequence of clip one:
David Lynch eat your heart out.

The World's Largest TV Studio

shamberg
The World’s Largest TV Studio (1972, 17.2MB, 7:10 min.)

A historic piece of political video from
the 1972 Miami Democratic Convention, this excerpt featuring an interview
with Michael Shamberg, author of Guerilla Television & founder member of Top Value
Television
. (Also founder of Raindance & subsequently big shot Hollywood Producer).

Found in the broadcasting section of the Southwest Museum of Engineering Communications
and Computation
, which is actually stuffed with goodies.

Buffies – First Season

Buffies First Season
Buffies – First Season (2002, 5.4MB, 1 min.)

Winsome bit of conceptual candyfloss from Chuck Jones in 2002.
One of his isolation studies, this piece comprises
‘Every utterance of the word ‘Buffy’ made during
the first season of ‘Buffy The Vampire Slayer’,
totaling nearly one minute.’

William Wegman & Steve Martin

William Wegman & Steve Martin
Martin on Wegman (1999, 3.75MB, 2:09 min.)

The introduction to the identity program from the PBS series
Art in the 21st Century in which host Steve Martin is featured
in this charming and quirky video by the artist William Wegman.

Robert Ashley/John Sanborn/Kit Fitzgerald

excerpt from Word Music Fire
excerpt from ‘Word Music Fire’ (1981, 8.7MB, 7:45 min)

Found at newmusicbox ,which also has lots of interesting interview footage
with the composer. Despite the low quality of this clip, it suffices to indicate
what a thrilling piece of work this (originally made for TV by Channel 13/WNET)
must be in its entirety.
I’ve been a bit of an Ashley agnostic until now, but this has really whetted my appetite
for more.
Partly it’s that, music aside, the vid by John Sanborn in collaboration with
Kit Fitzgerald
is so great.

The Internet – Aaron Valdez

the_internet
The Internet (2006, 5.3MB, 1:03 min.)

2006 report from Valdezatron Industries technology department.
from Aaron Valdez.

Guli Silberstein – Beach

guli_beach
Beach (2009, 64 MB, 4:57 min.)

“A happy family is shown on a beach in Tel Aviv, as 100 km away a girl runs
from the bombardment of a beach in Gaza. It’s a reality where tranquility may
turn into horror in an instant. The conflicting scenes on a TV on the blink raise
the impossibility of accepting an absolute picture of a reality.”
By Guli Silberstein.

Herbert Wentscher – All For the Best

alles_bestens
All For the Best

molotov_alva

Amazing

Amazing
Amazing (2005, 4.1MB, 2:02 min.)

I found this in my DVblog to-do folder & embarassingly
I can’t remember when or from where I downloaded it.*
If anyone can oblige please mail us.
Anyway, it made me laugh quite immoderately.

* Update -the splendid Sam Renseiw rides to the rescue with
this link.

Derek Larson – Blank State

tootsie
Tootie (2010, 7 MB, 51 sec.)

danny_tanner
Danny Tanner (2010, 11 MB, 1:14 min.)

boss
Boss (2010, 12 MB, 1:18 min.)

Derek Larson is concerned with “working with his hands” in the sculptural space
inside video and in blurring the lines between social and media spaces.
He describes his intention to close his videos in a “culturally dependent,
feedback-loop” and, as a sculptor, is attracted to video’s infinite reproducibility.
His works appropriate the methodologies and deadpan humor of tactical media while
drawing a focus on its formal qualities and relationships in lieu of fixed and pointed content.”
LOUIS V. E.S.P.

Sacha Baron Cohen – Borat on Politics

Borat on Politics
Borat on politics (2004, 25MB, 3:31 min)

Wiki Borat. More Borat on DVblog.

John Berryman – Dream Song #14

watchingthem
Dream Song #14 (1967, 8MB, 1:43 min)


Life, friends, is boring. We must not say so.
After all, the sky flashes, the great sea yearns,
we ourselves flash and yearn,
and moreover my mother told me as a boy
(repeatedly) ‘Ever to confess you’re bored
means you have no

Inner Resources.’ I conclude now I have no
inner resources, because I am heavy bored.
Peoples bore me,
literature bores me, especially great literature,
Henry bores me, with his plights & gripes
as bad as achilles,

who loves people and valiant art, which bores me.
And the tranquil hills, & gin, look like a drag
and somehow a dog
has taken itself & its tail considerably away
into mountains or sea or sky, leaving
behind: me, wag.

Another Dream Song.
For details see original post

John Berryman – Dream Song #29

watchingthem
Dream Song #29 (1967, 11MB, 2:20 min)

There sat down, once, a thing on Henry’s heart
s

Deaf Swedish Beaver TV

deafswedishbeavertv
Deaf Swedish Beaver TV (2010, 9MB, 1:03 min)

Sooooo un-PC on just soooo many levels
and quite quite wonderful too, a great Lumière from
DVblog’s own Brittany Shoot.

Keith Schofield – 3 Commercials

samsung
Elephants (2008, 9MB, 1:19 min.)

axion-flatheads
Flatheads (2008, 2MB, 30 sec.)

fruit-roll-ups1
Nature (2007, 3.5MB, 31 sec.)

3 commercials for Samsung, Axion and Fruit Roll-Ups
by inspiring director – Keith Schofield.

Verizon – Never Stop Working for You

verizon
Yes (2005, 4.4 MB, 2:25 min)

Couldn’t figure out if this commercial is a spoof or for real.

Eileen Maxson – Tonite (Reprise)

tonite1
Tonite (Reprise) (2009, 13 MB, 3:16 min)

By Eileen Maxson. Exhibited at video_dumbo 2009.

Warhol TV at La Maison Rouge

warholtv
Warhol TV (2009, 40MB, 3:35 min.)

La Maison Rouge in Paris presents an exhibition about Andy Warhol

Egg Meat Cheese – Aaron Valdez

EggMeatCheese
Egg Meat Cheese (2006, 11.6MB, 2:38 min.)

Aaron Valdez brings us this excellently
selected sampler from the American media diet.
(Videoblogging Week 2006, Day 2. Recorded 1:40 AM – 2 AM)

By Mica Scalin.

More School of Athens – Eddie Whelan’s James Burke


James Burke (2009, 168MB 5:53 min)

There’s something -I don’t know –insouciant about these School of Athens folks.
That’s one of the definite links, a kind of throw away, thrown together quality, that teases
because I’d be equally unsurprised to learn that every second was laboured over mightily.
(Think not though, but of course that’s not a criticism. )
Of course the styles of the various “members” differ somewhat too.
Eddie Whelan seems to specialise in a rather garish but fetching pop surrealism.
I like the somewhat in your face and worn at the edges motion graphics as much
as I find genuinely evocative the appropriated beach (eclipse?) footage.
Also, what’s not to like about a movie featuring a minor BBC cult
science reporter of the 80s…
Whelan’s idosyncratic way with spelling engages rather than irritates
which for me at least is a bit of an acid test.
Good.
More from Eddie the Wheel in the next days and weeks.

Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority

NNS
Neighborhood Nuclear Superiority (50’s, 15MB, 1:35 min.)

Stumble upon this funny 50

A Taste Of His Own Medicine

talking asshole
talking asshole (2006, 1.5MB, 35 sec)

William Burroughs thou shouldst be living at custom essays uk this hour!
Not perhaps the most subtle of satires but
highly enjoyable nonetheless.
‘I commend your frontier justice’, or similar, said
a comment on Teddy Stern‘s blog.