list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around El Topo on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/El_Topo/56544/default.aspx Title: El Topo
Year: 1970
Director: Alejandro Jodorowsky
Plot: This violent and allegorical Mexican western attracted a cult following in its day. It is the story of El Topo, a gunslinger who sets out for revenge against the outlaws who slew his wife. He ends up getting his revenge and saving the life of a woman who is being terrorized by bandits. She leads El Topo (which means "the Mole" in English) on a search for the region's top four gunfighters. But before they set off, Topo leaves his young son in a monastery. He and the woman hook up with another female and begin their search. During one battle, El Topo is wounded and the women leave him to die. His comatose body is found by a strange group of cave dwelling people who take him to their subterranean home. He does not wake up for many years. When he does, he is enlisted to help the clan dig an escape tunnel. Later they come to a tiny town where the residents belong to a weird religious cult and El Topo's son has become a monk. The townsfolk are terrorized by a sadistic sheriff. When the clan members come into the town, the stage is set for a blood-soaked tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 13
Number of Lists: 15
Number of blog posts: 46
Number of discussion threads: 3
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:51 GMTEl Topo1970Alejandro JodorowskyThis violent and allegorical Mexican western attracted a cult following in its day. It is the story of El Topo, a gunslinger who sets out for revenge against the outlaws who slew his wife. He ends up getting his revenge and saving the life of a woman who is being terrorized by bandits. She leads El Topo (which means "the Mole" in English) on a search for the region's top four gunfighters. But before they set off, Topo leaves his young son in a monastery. He and the woman hook up with another female and begin their search. During one battle, El Topo is wounded and the women leave him to die. His comatose body is found by a strange group of cave dwelling people who take him to their subterranean home. He does not wake up for many years. When he does, he is enlisted to help the clan dig an escape tunnel. Later they come to a tiny town where the residents belong to a weird religious cult and El Topo's son has become a monk. The townsfolk are terrorized by a sadistic sheriff. When the clan members come into the town, the stage is set for a blood-soaked tragedy. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide13Tag Target (>10)154633http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/s56544.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/El_Topo/56544/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/blogs/leeroy711/archive/2009/6/29/42849.aspx Post By: leeroy711
Post To: leeroy711 Blog
Post Date: 6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM
Body: I’m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven’t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I’ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let’s take a look. The oldest film I’ve seen this year was 1947’s Out of the Past. I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I’ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace & Love Emery.
]]>Mon, 29 Jun 2009 19:33:51 GMTleeroy711leeroy711 Blog6/29/2009 3:33:51 PM I’m writing this to take a moment and reflect on my past 6 months in film viewing. At the beginning of the year, I set a goal of watching 200 films I haven’t previously seen in 2009. Today, I am relieved to report that with the 6th month of the year ending, I have just finished watching my 100th film. I decided to create a list of the films I’ve seen so I could better keep track of them. Also, because this is an attempt to expand my film knowledge as a whole, I like to be able to sort them by release year, my rating, and the country the originated. This way I can more clearly see any gaping holes in my choices of films. So with all of that in mind, let’s take a look. The oldest film I’ve seen this year was 1947’s Out of the Past. I have to say, I’m kind of disappointed in myself. I think I generally gravitate towards older films but to see that this is the oldest I’ve seen this year is somewhat shocking. I've only seen 2 films from the 40s this year. By Decade:1940s - 2 films 1950s - 10 films 1960s - 12 films 1970s - 12 films 1980s - 7 films 1990s - 1 film 2000s - 56 films So, as you can see, over half of the movies I've watched this year have been released in the within the past 9 years. I would chalk some of that up to availability plus a general attempt to stay current and up to date. I did find it pretty odd that I have only seen one film this year from the 90s. (To Live 1994) I grew up in the 90s, I fell in love with film in the 90s. Maybe that well is simply drying up. So in summary, the rest of my year needs to include more films from the 40s and prior and a few more from the 90s. By Country: Australia - 1 film Belgium - 1 film China - 3 films Czechoslovakia - 1 film France - 4 films Germany - 1 film Italy - 4 films Japan - 11 films Mexico - 2 films Romania - 1 film South Korea - 3 films Spain - 3 film Sweden - 1 film United Kingdom - 3 films United States - 61 films. Okay, so again it seems that the majority of films I've seen are some of the most readily available (domestic). Interestingly also, the 11 Japanese films I've seen this year are from only 3 directors (Miike, Suzuki and Kurosawa) 6 of the 11 are Seijun Suzuki movies. I love his films and I'm not going to stop watching them. I discovered Argentinian filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowski films this year (Mexico), thanks to Mycomplex. The Holy Mountain was good but I loved El Topo. Of the 4 Italian films I watched, 3 were from Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita, Amarcord and La Strada) My favorite of the 3 and of all Fellini films is now La Strada. I watched the other 2 films in Park Chan-Wook's vengeance trilogy and I actually think Lady Vengeance may be the best of the 3. Last year, I devoted much more time to European film without much of an affinity for Asian cinema. This has changed this year. I am much more interested in Korean films lately. I think it just took me a little while to assimilate myself to thier style. I have also been able to scratch a few films off my "Classics I have no excuse for not having seen" list. I am now very happy to report that I have seen and enjoyed Vertigo, Sunset Boulevard and 12 Angry Men. Wow, that's embarrassing. Especially with the 12 Angry Men, but let me explain.... (excuse alert) I was always pretty convinced I would love this film. But when I am already that familiar with an iconic film that I've never actually seen, it takes a lot to want to actually put it on and sit through it. That being said, upon finally watching it, I immediately felt pretty stupid for letting such an incredible film slip by for that long. Notable 5: I'm going to conclude this post with a list of 5 films that I probably had the best time with so far this year. 1. La Strada - This is my most recent viewing. I've liked other Fellini films but none of his had such an enjoyable character as Gelsomina. I think she gave this film an entry point that I haven't previously experienced with his films. 2. Synecdoche, New York - I can't really describe how much I loved this film. It hit all the right notes for me and I probably only understood about half of it the first time. Monty (Mycomplex) told me that Charlie Kaufman may be the best American screenwriter alive today and I would have to second that. I would add that as much as I loved his work portrayed by Jonze and Gondry, I think this is his best film. He never over-exaggerated the outrageous things that happen, he just let them play out. Never even asking you if you were on board. 3. Let The Right One In - You know, the teenage vampire movie.... No, not that one, the good one. I don't have a lot to say about this one. It really is as good as you've heard. If you haven't yet, watch it. 4. Detective Bureau 2-3: Go Hell Bastards - By far, the best title of a movie I've seen in a long time. This is one of Seijun Suzuki's lesser known movies and I had one hell of a good time with it. If you liked Branded to Kill or Tokyo Drifter, this is a great watch along those same lines. 5. Lady Vengeance - As I said before, this is probably my favorite of the Vengeance Trilogy. It was just as aesthetically brilliant as Oldboy but I think it's 3rd act gave this film the heart that was missing in the previous 2. Well, that should just about do it. I now have just about 186 days to watch another 100 films. In case your not to good with the numbers, that works out to an average of 1 film every 1.86 days. I'm not sure how I'm gonna do it but it shall be done. Recommendations are more than welcome...... Peace & Love Emery. http://www.spout.com/blogs/ibetolis/archive/2008/10/16/36424.aspx Post By: Ibetolis
Post To: Film for the Soul
Post Date: 10/16/2008 8:02:04 PM
Body: As voted by the Film for the Soul community.No. 18 - El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970)Ranked #688I'm not God, I'm a man - El TopoDressed head to toe in black leather, accompanied by a naked seven year old boy (Brontis Jodorowsky), El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky) rides into shot on a horse. Shielded by an umbrella, protecting himself from the searing heat of the desert sun, he instructs the child to bury a portrait of his mother and his favourite toy because 'now, you are a man'. It's an unnerving and surreal opening to what proves to be a visual assaulting, ultra-violent acid-western, dripping with religious allegories, pretentious, sardonic dialogue, adorned with freaks and body transgression. Labeled the first 'midnight movie', El Topo became a cult favourite with the hipster, bohemian crowd of its day, gaining a word of mouth reputation, it somehow captured the spirit, an ideal, a certain moment in time and played it out in a bizarre, but totally bewitching, style.The film doesn't lend itself to easy translation, playing, as it does, on shocking visuals, symbolism, mysticism, mind-bending sound effects, cartoonish, often disturbing violence, spoof and homage. El Topo can really be separated into two chapters, the first finds El Topo, accompanied by his son, seeking vengeance for a village, where the inhabitants have been mercilessly slaughtered. A blood strewn street lined with the remains of people and animals, lie scattered, some with the guts hanging out, walls are stained the colours of crimson and claret, whilst a red river, the blood of the innocents, trickles through the village. This alarming scene, with it's uber-violent mise-en-scene, is at the heart of what makes El Topo such a contradictory experience; the feeling of revulsion goes hand in hand with admiration, nausea, disbelief and amazement, it's a true battle of the senses as to what feeling you should go with first.El Topo tracks town the murderers, a stereotypical bunch of bandits, who we witness, randomly shooting people, taking refuge in a monastery and harassing their Franciscan monk hostages; lewd sexual gratuity and religious symbolism run tandem throughout Jodorowsky's pseudo-philosophical tome. El Topo castrates the leader of the group, a generalissimo figure, full of pomposity and pout, then rescues the now dead leader's woman, Mara before leaving his son with the monks and taking up his spiritual quest to kill the 'four masters of the gun'. Despite the surreal nature of these events within this imaginary realm, Jodorowsky plays it for real and through an array of accomplished camera work, editing, visual and audio techniques, is able to add a viable touch of 'realism', to this otherworldly environment.The second half witnesses a re-birth, a resurrection if you will, of our protagonist, after his near death at the end of the first chapter. Saved by a bunch of social outcasts disfigured by rampant incest, now cave dwellers, El Topo reawakens, wearing robes resembling the garb of Buddhist monks, sitting in the lotus position, white bearded and humbled. It's just one of a plethora of religious allegories, assembled and taken from a number of religions, myths and fables, that are thrown together into a melding pot and, although aesthetically arresting, do nothing for any sort of semblance or coherence for the casual viewer. Yet this was the intension, El Topo is akin to a spiritual journey, for both the audience and lead protagonist, which through the violent actions and recriminations of the first half, he awakens enlightened and ready to change the world for the better through his rebirth.It's this sense of spiritual identity, an awakening, that seems to be a preoccupation for Jodorowsky, bombarding the viewer with an endless stream of symbolism, aphorisms and mysticism. El Topo literally means 'the mole' and the film opens with a voice over stating that "the mole spends its live digging tunnels, trying to find its way to the sun, but when it finally emerges from the darkness, the sunlight blinds the poor creature". The opening summation spells out our protagonists attempted spiritual quest; his journey to find enlightenment through fighting, and killing, the four masters of the gun, his messiah like death and re-birth, the task he sets himself to help the disfigured and the deformed only to find the world corrupted and beyond approach before his own self-sacrifice.El Topo is by far a subtle piece of work, heavy handed, with it's tongue firmly set in cheek, some of the set-pieces and symbolism are bombastic to say the least. The 'eye set in the pyramid' banners that adorn the vastly wealthy and chubby peopled town during the film's second half, are obviously taken from the American dollar in an attempt to lampoon the United States, which depicts a society ravished by opulence and arrogance. A church claiming miracles in a rigged game of Russian roulette, is blatantly shouting down at organised religion and depictions of rape and bawdy sexual innuendo (phallus shaped rocks, vaginal shaped fruit) are cumbersome to say the very least.The sheer number of ideas and images on display can be slightly overwhelming and in the effort to impress and inspire, it sometimes fails to translate to the screen. If I'm honest I really don't know where I stand with it, sometimes I found it pretentious and preachy, whilst at other times it was lyrical and exciting. What we're supposed to make of it all, only Jodorowsky knows, or does he? Jodorowsky is something of a personality, infamous for the odd pretentious quote and for self-aggrandising, maybe he summed it up best when he claimed "most directors make films with their eyes; I make films with my testicles". Which neatly sums up my experience of watching El Topo better than any conclusion could claim to do, so, with that, I shall take my leave.El Topo TrailerPrevious 'Watching the 1000 Greatest Films' posts - No. 17 - Distant Voices, Still LivesNo. 16 - Bridge on the River KwaiNo. 15 - Pat Garret and Billy the Kid Originally posted on:Film for the Soul
]]>Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:02:04 GMTIbetolisFilm for the Soul10/16/2008 8:02:04 PMAs voted by the Film for the Soul community.No. 18 - El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1970)Ranked #688I'm not God, I'm a man - El TopoDressed head to toe in black leather, accompanied by a naked seven year old boy (Brontis Jodorowsky), El Topo (Alejandro Jodorowsky) rides into shot on a horse. Shielded by an umbrella, protecting himself from the searing heat of the desert sun, he instructs the child to bury a portrait of his mother and his favourite toy because 'now, you are a man'. It's an unnerving and surreal opening to what proves to be a visual assaulting, ultra-violent acid-western, dripping with religious allegories, pretentious, sardonic dialogue, adorned with freaks and body transgression. Labeled the first 'midnight movie', El Topo became a cult favourite with the hipster, bohemian crowd of its day, gaining a word of mouth reputation, it somehow captured the spirit, an ideal, a certain moment in time and played it out in a bizarre, but totally bewitching, style.The film doesn't lend itself to easy translation, playing, as it does, on shocking visuals, symbolism, mysticism, mind-bending sound effects, cartoonish, often disturbing violence, spoof and homage. El Topo can really be separated into two chapters, the first finds El Topo, accompanied by his son, seeking vengeance for a village, where the inhabitants have been mercilessly slaughtered. A blood strewn street lined with the remains of people and animals, lie scattered, some with the guts hanging out, walls are stained the colours of crimson and claret, whilst a red river, the blood of the innocents, trickles through the village. This alarming scene, with it's uber-violent mise-en-scene, is at the heart of what makes El Topo such a contradictory experience; the feeling of revulsion goes hand in hand with admiration, nausea, disbelief and amazement, it's a true battle of the senses as to what feeling you should go with first.El Topo tracks town the murderers, a stereotypical bunch of bandits, who we witness, randomly shooting people, taking refuge in a monastery and harassing their Franciscan monk hostages; lewd sexual gratuity and religious symbolism run tandem throughout Jodorowsky's pseudo-philosophical tome. El Topo castrates the leader of the group, a generalissimo figure, full of pomposity and pout, then rescues the now dead leader's woman, Mara before leaving his son with the monks and taking up his spiritual quest to kill the 'four masters of the gun'. Despite the surreal nature of these events within this imaginary realm, Jodorowsky plays it for real and through an array of accomplished camera work, editing, visual and audio techniques, is able to add a viable touch of 'realism', to this otherworldly environment.The second half witnesses a re-birth, a resurrection if you will, of our protagonist, after his near death at the end of the first chapter. Saved by a bunch of social outcasts disfigured by rampant incest, now cave dwellers, El Topo reawakens, wearing robes resembling the garb of Buddhist monks, sitting in the lotus position, white bearded and humbled. It's just one of a plethora of religious allegories, assembled and taken from a number of religions, myths and fables, that are thrown together into a melding pot and, although aesthetically arresting, do nothing for any sort of semblance or coherence for the casual viewer. Yet this was the intension, El Topo is akin to a spiritual journey, for both the audience and lead protagonist, which through the violent actions and recriminations of the first half, he awakens enlightened and ready to change the world for the better through his rebirth.It's this sense of spiritual identity, an awakening, that seems to be a preoccupation for Jodorowsky, bombarding the viewer with an endless stream of symbolism, aphorisms and mysticism. El Topo literally means 'the mole' and the film opens with a voice over stating that "the mole spends its live digging tunnels, trying to find its way to the sun, but when it finally emerges from the darkness, the sunlight blinds the poor creature". The opening summation spells out our protagonists attempted spiritual quest; his journey to find enlightenment through fighting, and killing, the four masters of the gun, his messiah like death and re-birth, the task he sets himself to help the disfigured and the deformed only to find the world corrupted and beyond approach before his own self-sacrifice.El Topo is by far a subtle piece of work, heavy handed, with it's tongue firmly set in cheek, some of the set-pieces and symbolism are bombastic to say the least. The 'eye set in the pyramid' banners that adorn the vastly wealthy and chubby peopled town during the film's second half, are obviously taken from the American dollar in an attempt to lampoon the United States, which depicts a society ravished by opulence and arrogance. A church claiming miracles in a rigged game of Russian roulette, is blatantly shouting down at organised religion and depictions of rape and bawdy sexual innuendo (phallus shaped rocks, vaginal shaped fruit) are cumbersome to say the very least.The sheer number of ideas and images on display can be slightly overwhelming and in the effort to impress and inspire, it sometimes fails to translate to the screen. If I'm honest I really don't know where I stand with it, sometimes I found it pretentious and preachy, whilst at other times it was lyrical and exciting. What we're supposed to make of it all, only Jodorowsky knows, or does he? Jodorowsky is something of a personality, infamous for the odd pretentious quote and for self-aggrandising, maybe he summed it up best when he claimed "most directors make films with their eyes; I make films with my testicles". Which neatly sums up my experience of watching El Topo better than any conclusion could claim to do, so, with that, I shall take my leave.El Topo TrailerPrevious 'Watching the 1000 Greatest Films' posts - No. 17 - Distant Voices, Still LivesNo. 16 - Bridge on the River KwaiNo. 15 - Pat Garret and Billy the Kid Originally posted on:Film for the Soul http://www.spout.com/blogs/kowalski76/archive/2008/10/11/36193.aspx Post By: Kowalski76
Post To: Rebellious Celluloid
Post Date: 10/11/2008 2:20:09 PM
Body: I left my sofa having experienced the most surreal filmic experience of my life. I thought 'Tommy' was strange until I saw El Topo.A lone gunman wanders through the desert with only his son for company. He is on a quest to find the four greatest Zen master gunmen of the West. After one duel takes its toll the gunslinger is left for dead. He is saved by a group of misfits who live underground. He resides inside this cavernous tomb for many years as he learns the meaning of peace. Digging a tunnel from his underground prison, he leads the subterranean dwellers on a bid for a new life but soon realises that violence is the only way for him to find a truly peaceful existence.El Topo can be best described as a psychedelic head trip western. It's modelled on the spaghetti westerns of the late sixties, but that does not mean you should expect a Leone clone.Four thousand buckets of fake blood were used during this film, its imagery is steeped in the occult, sufism and the bible. The desert scenes very much reminiscent of Salvador Dali's artwork.Its director 'Alexandra Jodorowsky's' mind is not one I felt at ease attempting to get inside, but I'll go as far to say that Jodorowsky (El Topo) is resemblant of Christ on a blood bathed mission to resurrection. Weird, but engrossing enough to make me watch again.
]]>Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:20:09 GMTKowalski76Rebellious Celluloid10/11/2008 2:20:09 PMI left my sofa having experienced the most surreal filmic experience of my life. I thought 'Tommy' was strange until I saw El Topo.A lone gunman wanders through the desert with only his son for company. He is on a quest to find the four greatest Zen master gunmen of the West. After one duel takes its toll the gunslinger is left for dead. He is saved by a group of misfits who live underground. He resides inside this cavernous tomb for many years as he learns the meaning of peace. Digging a tunnel from his underground prison, he leads the subterranean dwellers on a bid for a new life but soon realises that violence is the only way for him to find a truly peaceful existence.El Topo can be best described as a psychedelic head trip western. It's modelled on the spaghetti westerns of the late sixties, but that does not mean you should expect a Leone clone.Four thousand buckets of fake blood were used during this film, its imagery is steeped in the occult, sufism and the bible. The desert scenes very much reminiscent of Salvador Dali's artwork.Its director 'Alexandra Jodorowsky's' mind is not one I felt at ease attempting to get inside, but I'll go as far to say that Jodorowsky (El Topo) is resemblant of Christ on a blood bathed mission to resurrection. Weird, but engrossing enough to make me watch again. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/7/19/15312.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 7/19/2007 2:00:47 PM
Body: Aaron Hillis sent me a screener of the film he co-directed, Fish Kill Flea, several months ago. I watched it on a Sunday afternoon, shortly after returning to Queens from a trip to suburban New Jersey, where my boyfriend and I sometimes go to raid forgotten thrift shops and record stores. On that trip, I had picked up a handful of obscure DVDs, including a circa-1936 mystery serial starring Bela Lugosi, a Japanese bootleg of El Topo, and the 2-disc release of Suki Hawley and Michael Galinksi's first two films, Radiation and Half-Cocked. I watched Half-Cocked and Fish Kill Flea back-to-back, and took a chunk of notes considering one film in light of the other, which I never published. Fish Kill is making its New York premiere this weekend, so I thought I'd revisit those notes. I knew very little about either film going in, but it turned out be an accidentally appropriate double feature. Both are anthropological documents in a way, speaking to the idea that subcultures need to be documented before the disappear; both films offer a scrapbook-like vision of scene that no longer exists. Fish Kill Flea is a more literal document, a quietly stylized portrait of the final days of flea market in upstate New York. Half-Cocked, though nominally a fiction film about a gang of kids who steal a van and pretend to be a band on tour in order to mask their getaway, clearly functions as a symbolic gesture of self-preservation on the part of the filmmakers, who were themselves touring indie rockers in the mid-90s. At their core, both films are ultimately about a ragtag group of outsiders who try and fail to live outside the real-world realities of contemporary capitalism. Fish Kill Flea is an elegy, not just for this one flea market, but for the almost-completely-dead American phenomenon of small, self-contained economic systems. The era of small business, mom and pop, one-to-one transactions, independent salesmen leaving their fingerprints on their products and, by extension, their community--that's all vanishing, to be replaced by homogenous big box superstores. In a series of man-on-the-street interviews in Fish Kill Flea, visitors to the soon-to-vanish flea market seem universally confused to hear what's set to replace it. Even if the march of mainstream culture is a foregone conclusion, the question of why the community might need "another Home Depot" seems honestly bewildering. When it comes to the inevitability of mass culture takeover, both films feel like wistful attempts to stop time. Fish Kill is strongest texturally in its montages of still images, in which the film literally functions as a scrapbook. The fact that these stills, in terms of sheer beauty and oddness, eclipse most of the moving imagery in film is fitting: the subject's glory days exist only in still frames. The images could hardly be more evocative--I could imagine a whole film sprouting out of that one shot of the kid cowering from the monkey with the shotgun--but their relationship to the flea market's current fix isn't spelled out. The past is a pastiche, the present is a muddle, and we're able to fill in the blanks with our own lived experience of late capitalism. These are films about doomed micro-economies. Neither the DIY indie rocker nor the flea market vendor needs a lot of money to keep going, but that's part of the problem: neither is able to produce or consume on a scale large enough to fit into contemporary capitalism. And the films themselves circulate within their own micro-economies: produced on shoestrings, exhibited largely at sub-mainstream venues, they're endeavors entered into without hope of profit. As an audience member, I'm of course conscious of the fact that I'm only able to make these connections between the two films because I seek out the kinds of alternative economies--film festivals, suburban indie video stores--that both films both celebrate and exist within. (The fact that I'm fortunate enough to be able make a living making these connections is also amazing, and in fact part of the reason why I'm only writing about this now is that I was working for what is essentially the Home Depot of internet content at the time I saw these films, but that's neither here nor there.) At the end of the day, I'm really a capitalist: I like money, but I also passionately believe in free markets, to the extent that I want to see economies of every scale succeed. If you're in the same boat and you're in New York, do your part by going to see Fish Kill Flea this Saturday at Rooftop Films. For more information, check out the Fish Kill Flea website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Thu, 19 Jul 2007 18:00:47 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com7/19/2007 2:00:47 PM Aaron Hillis sent me a screener of the film he co-directed, Fish Kill Flea, several months ago. I watched it on a Sunday afternoon, shortly after returning to Queens from a trip to suburban New Jersey, where my boyfriend and I sometimes go to raid forgotten thrift shops and record stores. On that trip, I had picked up a handful of obscure DVDs, including a circa-1936 mystery serial starring Bela Lugosi, a Japanese bootleg of El Topo, and the 2-disc release of Suki Hawley and Michael Galinksi's first two films, Radiation and Half-Cocked. I watched Half-Cocked and Fish Kill Flea back-to-back, and took a chunk of notes considering one film in light of the other, which I never published. Fish Kill is making its New York premiere this weekend, so I thought I'd revisit those notes. I knew very little about either film going in, but it turned out be an accidentally appropriate double feature. Both are anthropological documents in a way, speaking to the idea that subcultures need to be documented before the disappear; both films offer a scrapbook-like vision of scene that no longer exists. Fish Kill Flea is a more literal document, a quietly stylized portrait of the final days of flea market in upstate New York. Half-Cocked, though nominally a fiction film about a gang of kids who steal a van and pretend to be a band on tour in order to mask their getaway, clearly functions as a symbolic gesture of self-preservation on the part of the filmmakers, who were themselves touring indie rockers in the mid-90s. At their core, both films are ultimately about a ragtag group of outsiders who try and fail to live outside the real-world realities of contemporary capitalism. Fish Kill Flea is an elegy, not just for this one flea market, but for the almost-completely-dead American phenomenon of small, self-contained economic systems. The era of small business, mom and pop, one-to-one transactions, independent salesmen leaving their fingerprints on their products and, by extension, their community--that's all vanishing, to be replaced by homogenous big box superstores. In a series of man-on-the-street interviews in Fish Kill Flea, visitors to the soon-to-vanish flea market seem universally confused to hear what's set to replace it. Even if the march of mainstream culture is a foregone conclusion, the question of why the community might need "another Home Depot" seems honestly bewildering. When it comes to the inevitability of mass culture takeover, both films feel like wistful attempts to stop time. Fish Kill is strongest texturally in its montages of still images, in which the film literally functions as a scrapbook. The fact that these stills, in terms of sheer beauty and oddness, eclipse most of the moving imagery in film is fitting: the subject's glory days exist only in still frames. The images could hardly be more evocative--I could imagine a whole film sprouting out of that one shot of the kid cowering from the monkey with the shotgun--but their relationship to the flea market's current fix isn't spelled out. The past is a pastiche, the present is a muddle, and we're able to fill in the blanks with our own lived experience of late capitalism. These are films about doomed micro-economies. Neither the DIY indie rocker nor the flea market vendor needs a lot of money to keep going, but that's part of the problem: neither is able to produce or consume on a scale large enough to fit into contemporary capitalism. And the films themselves circulate within their own micro-economies: produced on shoestrings, exhibited largely at sub-mainstream venues, they're endeavors entered into without hope of profit. As an audience member, I'm of course conscious of the fact that I'm only able to make these connections between the two films because I seek out the kinds of alternative economies--film festivals, suburban indie video stores--that both films both celebrate and exist within. (The fact that I'm fortunate enough to be able make a living making these connections is also amazing, and in fact part of the reason why I'm only writing about this now is that I was working for what is essentially the Home Depot of internet content at the time I saw these films, but that's neither here nor there.) At the end of the day, I'm really a capitalist: I like money, but I also passionately believe in free markets, to the extent that I want to see economies of every scale succeed. If you're in the same boat and you're in New York, do your part by going to see Fish Kill Flea this Saturday at Rooftop Films. For more information, check out the Fish Kill Flea website. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/blogs/chesterfilms/archive/2007/5/14/8796.aspx Post By: chesterfilms
Post To: chesterfilms Blog
Post Date: 5/14/2007 9:01:00 PM
Body: Wow, I heard this was a strange film, but this is insane! The first half is the craziest most violent western I have ever seen. The second half is ultra bizarre slapstick. I understood 25 percent of it, but I absolutely loved it! Breathtaking film........but, wow it's so weird.
]]>Tue, 15 May 2007 01:01:00 GMTchesterfilmschesterfilms Blog5/14/2007 9:01:00 PMWow, I heard this was a strange film, but this is insane! The first half is the craziest most violent western I have ever seen. The second half is ultra bizarre slapstick. I understood 25 percent of it, but I absolutely loved it! Breathtaking film........but, wow it's so weird. http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Westerns/190/4059/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 12/6/2006 11:24:15 AM
Body: [quote user="quint"]Just watched El Topo last weekend and I have to throw it in here. I love when westerns go after mythic themes. This has the facade of a western, but maybe all my favorites are just dressed that way. Jodorowsky is a delightful madman to put with Sergio Leone.[/quote] Woah, I've wanted to see that for a while. I've seen a few clips of it. Where did you get it from? I'm sure there's a video store in Chicago that would have it somewhere. Was it dubbed or subtitled or what? I've never seen any of his films, but I know Fando and Lis is on DVD through Netflix. You think I should try with that one first?
]]>Wed, 06 Dec 2006 16:24:15 GMTRisseladaTop 512/6/2006 11:24:15 AM[quote user="quint"]Just watched El Topo last weekend and I have to throw it in here. I love when westerns go after mythic themes. This has the facade of a western, but maybe all my favorites are just dressed that way. Jodorowsky is a delightful madman to put with Sergio Leone.[/quote] Woah, I've wanted to see that for a while. I've seen a few clips of it. Where did you get it from? I'm sure there's a video store in Chicago that would have it somewhere. Was it dubbed or subtitled or what? I've never seen any of his films, but I know Fando and Lis is on DVD through Netflix. You think I should try with that one first? http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_Westerns/190/4055/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: quint
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 12/6/2006 9:48:50 AM
Body: Just watched El Topo last weekend and I have to throw it in here. I love when westerns go after mythic themes. This has the facade of a western, but maybe all my favorites are just dressed that way. Jodorowsky is a delightful madman to put with Sergio Leone.
]]>Wed, 06 Dec 2006 14:48:50 GMTquintTop 512/6/2006 9:48:50 AMJust watched El Topo last weekend and I have to throw it in here. I love when westerns go after mythic themes. This has the facade of a western, but maybe all my favorites are just dressed that way. Jodorowsky is a delightful madman to put with Sergio Leone. http://www.spout.com/groups/Criterion_Collection/Re_Films_that_deserve_the_Criterion_treatment/115/3308/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Criterion Collection
Post Date: 10/18/2006 12:36:37 PM
Body: Oh, I think they should also do some Jodorowsky movies since I've never seen one, but from what I've read they sounds amazing. El Topo or The Holy Mountain.
]]>Wed, 18 Oct 2006 16:36:37 GMTRisseladaCriterion Collection10/18/2006 12:36:37 PMOh, I think they should also do some Jodorowsky movies since I've never seen one, but from what I've read they sounds amazing. El Topo or The Holy Mountain. http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/religion/MemberTagFilms.aspxreligion
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