From: Timoleon Wilkins (email suppressed)
Date: Wed Mar 01 2006 - 21:36:04 PST
It struck me that someone (not me) might want to write a
>letter calling attention to the fact (often discussed on this list) that
>many of the films represented on the dvds they mention are available for
>rent as FILMS, etc...
>
>The article, "DVD Access to the Avant-Garde" is available online at this
>address:
>
>http://chronicle.com/temp/email2.php?id=ZmjVrvnDHyw4ypkrJpp84z2zXqWcrfZh
Yes this is quite an interesting article, written by another hapless victim
of the Cult of the Digital Future (the glazed look in their eyes and robotic
enthusiasm is getting tiresome). Yet, even as I do see the benefit of DVD
releases of rare films, I feel there's more to the lack of enthusiasm for
actual celluloid than just faded prints or scratches (there seems to be a
general rejection of BEAUTY throughout the culture). And the article DOES
make mention of ALL those terribly unpleasant film prints, (reminds me of
those 40 yr old Kodachrome prints of Will Hindle's--they make my STOMACH
TURN, how bout you?)...all this quite dismissively near the name of Canyon
Cinema. I (seriously) resent the implication...having worked at Canyon as a
film inspector and as Board President I can say there is no publicly
circulating film collection handled more meticulously. (Literally, every
frame of every film is accounted for after every rental.) Too much tragedy
and trembling over celluloid is life-negating; film exists to be seen, used,
and even abused (with utmost reverence), damn it anyway.
Timoleon
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For info on FrameWorks, contact Pip Chodorov at <email suppressed>.