the cremaster cycle

[Sal]

Ghostboy - This cinephile I talk to at another board lives in NY, so maybe he got his information from the Guggenheim.  I'll ask him specifically.

I saw 1 and 2 tonight, the latter of which I really really enjoyed.  The first I couldn't really stand.  Nothing I'd watch again, in other words.  But the second had a lot going for it and left me very satisfied.  The Gilmore sequence particularly, as well as Houdini's confrontation with Fay.  I suppose it's not coincidental these were the most "cinematic" in the systems.    More importantly though, it was very emotionally evocative, and it ran the gamut from fear to wonder to hope.  And the use of sound in these are just terrific.  Really inspiring, as in my previous efforts on shorts I've focused a lot of my attention on ambient sound which, while subtle, have determingly powerful impact as a whole.  Sound is definitely negated in most productions.  Glad to see it had such fruition here.  I suppose it's only fair that it could be more outstanding since it's often more cerebral than the visuals.

[Ghostboy]

I saw the last two installments last night. 4 is basically the masculine equivalent of 1. It has more going on, but it's also the most amateurish (makes sense, since it was the first one made). Like 1, the symbolism is really easy to decipher.

5 is very beautiful and very subdued. The first half of it is primarily an opera -- it reminded me slightly of the Club Silencio sequence in Mulholland Drive. Barney was still using DigiBeta when he made this one, so the images aren't as sharp as in 2 and 3, but it still has an incredibly rich tone to it (it was shot in Budpaest, which definitely adds a lot). The climactic image is a rather obvious metaphor for sexual release, but it really works -- it's one of the most striking moments in the whole series.

Watching the films in numeric sequence is interesting, because even though their production quality varies rather wildly, there is a clear sense of progression. 5 really feels like the conclusion to an epic story...its a gentle, moving ending, and when it was over I felt immensely satsified.

[Sal]

I saw 4 and 5 last night as well, but I liked them a great deal less than I'd hoped to.  I didn't get the same sense of relief or satisfaction when they ended; instead, I was just frustrated.  Even after 5.  The release was fine for me, but the temperal quality of the whole thing refused me the pleasure of experiencing it.  Jumping back and forth between the two key events was almost nauseating.  For that I think Barney would've been more successful if he'd kept it as One Event.  

Also - I'm not sure if Barney is working on strictly symbolic grounds, either.  There's nothing to really evidence it.  He works metaphorically, and he uses his own language through sculpture and art direction to convey information, but in no way can it be possible to break a scene down and go, okay, this is what he's saying if we replace the symbols he uses with specific things.  I really like that.

[Ghostboy]

in no way can it be possible to break a scene down and go, okay, this is what he's saying if we replace the symbols he uses with specific things.

I think that's true to an extent. I think 1 and 4 are totally obvious, but there are still wild cards like the three fairies sitting on the roof in 4. I understood 2 for the most part, but it helped having a knowledge of Gary Gilmore going in. 3 I was able to follow, but didn't understand -- but as I said, I had a friend who knows basically everything about Masonic history, and he was able to interpret almost everything. 5 is the only one I'm in the dark about -- perhaps the ket is in the translation of the opera? Anyway, I think that the films are penetrable, but on most of them it depends on how much you know about certain things. Otherwise, it all comes off as very oblique, but the great thing is that it's still possible to follow the plot, so to speak.

I watched Eraserhead again last night, and noticed that it works the same way. It feels almost totally random in its imagery, but if you know what David Lynch's personal life was like at the time that he made it, you can apply that to the film and it all starts to come together.

[Ravi]

http://www.davisdvd.com/News/daily_news.htm

CREMASTER 3
 
Palm Pictures, through Lions Gate Home Entertainment, will release The Order - From Cremaster 3 on August 26th. Part of artist Matthew Barney's five-part Cremaster Cycle series, the film is making its home video debut. The disc will feature five different camera angles, each with a different Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround audio track. Additionally, look for this release to include a 720p version of the film in Microsoft's Windows Media 9 (as is the case with this format, you'll need at least a 2.4 gigahertz Pentium 4 PC equipped with a fast video card and - naturally - Microsoft Windows Media Player 9). Retail is $29.99.

[Ghostboy]

I just got this today.



Being that it's probably the only bit of the films that I'll ever be able to own (at least until I'm rich), it's great. Unfortunately, this segment isn't really satisfying in its own right, and since the trailer for the whole series is included on the disc, it really makes you wish you were watching a boxed set of all five films. I'll probably watch the trailer more than anything else on the disc.

Barney's commentary track is, perhaps predictably, pretty bland. He mainly just explains what is happening on screen, offering a few explanations here and there to clarify the symbolism. It's a lot like Tim Burton's commentary tracks. Those reclusive introverted artists...you gotta love 'em.

[Sal]

If I can just get the 2nd one I will be wholy satisfied.

[Pedro]

Cremaster is showing in san antonio this weekend.  at the IMAX in 35mm...3rd was deemed too long though...so if i like the others ill buy three.  

somebody go! ill be there

[foray]

Sadly, I've seen only Cremaster 2 & 3, but I saw them back-to-back at the cinema, totalling five hours. So that was a complete mindfuck. Crem 2 was easier to watch for me, as it had the narrative about Gary Gilmore the murderer and Harry Houdini who was supposedly his ancestor. There was even dialogue, wow. Norman Mailer, who wrote the biography of Gary Gilmore, played the part of Houdini, wrapping the the film up nicely at the end. The soundtrack is subliminal, in keeping with the theme of transcendence in the movie.

Crem 3 was a whopper, clocking in at more than three hours. Personally, I found it the whole movie to be all about abjection and meaningless activity. The characters performed utterly precise and elaborate rituals. It was about transcending from the abject. It had some comical moments, too, like the incongruous heavy metal band rival screamfest. Not to mention the 'Order' sequence with nude women parading around a straight-faced Richard Serra. (I wonder how he takes to self-parody.)

Funny how the film almost felt like torture to watch and at the same time was absolutely arresting and mesmerising. It was an enriching experience, not only because one can unpick all the 'hidden meanings' afterward, but also because of the sheer richness of the film's imagery. I can't believe it all came out of a single person's head. I hope to catch the other three films from this Cremaster Cycle.

foray

[foray]

By the way, the woman-alien figure who crawls out of the dirt at the start of Crem 3, was she an anorexic, or was that just digital manipulation? Also, I get how 'she' is supposed to be Gary Gilmore (see the GG initials on her), but I don't understand her getting into the car and getting smashed up by the others. Someone know why?

foray

[Ghostboy]

I'm not quite sure about the car symbolism yet, other than that each one has the emblem of one of the five films on its bumper. The woman, though, is really that skinny. Creepy.

I wish I could go see it on IMAX this weekend...you're lucky, Pedro! I did get to go see the sculpture exhibit at the local Modern Art museum this past weekend -- they purchased one of Barney's major pieces, and it was exciting to see it up close and personal. He's going to be visiting Dallas in January for a special screening of the films, so I hope I get to meet him.

[Pedro]

Well, it's not going to take up the whole screen, as it's 35mm, but it'd still be a little nicer than seeing it at the avreage museum.

[foray]

-- but as I said, I had a friend who knows basically everything about Masonic history, and he was able to interpret almost everything.

Can you share some of what he said?

Anyway, I think that the films are penetrable,

Haha


foray

[Pedro]

seeing it tomorrow night...ill post the reviews when i get back, but im still angry i wont see cremaster 3.  i hear it's the best of the series and ghostboy's  review made me want to see it even more  

[foray]

Oh really. But everyone I've spoken to (artists, curators, profs) about it says that Crem 2 is the best. It certainly is more cohesive and elegant than 3, I think.

foray