The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Friday, March 26, 2010 - 7 AN A2 FILM FESTIVAL WEEKEND A tribute By KAVI SHEKHARPANDEY Daily Film Editor In a rare public appearance, legendary avant-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger will be in Ann Arbor Saturday night for a tribute to his work, capping off the 48th An Evening with annual Ann Arbor Film Festival. Kenneth Anger The event, fund- Tomorrow at ed through a grant 7:30 p.m. given to the festi- val by the Academy Michigan Theater of Motion Picture Tickets from $7 Arts & Sciences, will begin with a selection of Anger's short films - "Fireworks" (1947), "Rabbit's Moon" (1963) and two of his most famous works in "Scorpio Rising" (1963) and "Kustom Kar Kommandos" (1968). After the film showcase, Anger will be present for a conversation with New York film critic Dennis Lim and a Q&A with the audience. To put the significance of this appear- ance into context, Kenneth Anger at an avant-garde film festival is like George Lucas making an appearance at a "Star Wars" convention. Local academics and experimental film enthusiasts are prob- ably as giddy as "Star Wars" fanboys were as they waited to see "The Phantom Men- ace" for the first time. Anger's career began in the 1940s, first gaining notice for his short film "Fire- works." "('Fireworks') is a remarkable iteration of the so-called 'trance films' of avant- garde filmmaking practices, which often focus on a dreaming figure," said Christo- pher Hanson, a visiting lecturer in Screen Arts and Cultures. "Even for such an early film, 'Fireworks' demonstrated a remark- able mastery of film language." "Anger's cinematic vocabulary contin- ued to develop technically and lyrically throughout his career, with 'Scorpio Ris- ing' becoming one of his most famous films and a sensation on the underground film circuit and a beautiful document of the counterculture of the '60s," Hanson added. "Scorpio Rising" was an important step in American counterculture, utiliz- ing a popular soundtrack and exploring to Anger the biker subculture years before "Easy Rider" (1969) did the same and began the New Hollywood movement. While Anger was undoubtedly signifi- cant in the '60s and '70s, he has continues making films to this day, and his films are studied extensively in classrooms across the country. "(Anger) operates in a unique space in the U.S., as both his films and written work directly engage with the relation- ship between Hollywood and avant-garde filmmaking practices," Hanson said. This bridge between Hollywood and experimental films has also been proven by Kenneth Anger's strong influence on several notable contemporary Hollywood directors, including Gus Van Sant, Martin Scorcese and David Lynch. In one such illustration, "Scorpio Rising" features a montage of a bikers putting on their biker clothes - black tank top, leather jacket and aviators - hauntingly set to Bobby Vinton's song "Blue Velvet," a juxtaposi- tion Lynch would later emulate in his 1986 film "Blue Velvet." While Anger's films would certainly be interesting to watch under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs - see his 1954 film "Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome" in particular - they all have deep, under- lying themes, especially that of homo- eroticism. Giving credit to a true film legend. "To me, Anger's work is particularly lyrical in his explorations of sexuality and identity," Hanson said. "His films often unveil subcultures within the countercul- ture in a brilliantly layered and composi- tionally complex visual fashion, while at the same time are equally rich with sym- bolic and poetic beauty." In the world of avant-garde film, Ken- neth Anger is a rock star. He's the highly anticipated highlight for the remainder of the Ann Arbor Film Festival and will be present for you to gaze upon his legacy, whether you worship his work or just want to experience the craft of a genius. Wisdom from Tommy Wiseau Director of infamous cult classic 'The Room' shares his creative vision By DAVID WATNICK Daily Arts Writer Though many a laugh has rolled at his expense, Tommy Wiseau is a resilient man. Consider: His notoriety stems TommyWiseafs entirely from his life's work, 2003's 'The Room' "The Room," an Tonight and incoherent melo- tomorrow at drama which he midnight wrote and directed straight into the State Theater running for the Tickets $6 worst film of all time. As if that strange form of infamy isn't bad enough, Wiseau has even more diffi- culty expressing himself in person than he does on screen. Still, he remains unflinch- ingly committed to filmmaking, art and the betterment of humanity. In anticipation of this weekend's mid- night screenings of "The Room" for the Ann Arbor Film Festival, the Daily had the rare pleasure of talking with Wiseau. In the end, it was difficult to say which was more salient: his passion or his eccentricity. "'The Room' was designed by me for American people - to enjoy it," Wiseau explained emphatically as he raced through the back story of his film's mysterious con- ception. He took the road less traveled, but with the final product - a disjointed, dysfunc- tional, junkpile with sub-soap opera acting - Wiseau got his wish. Priding himself as an auteur, though, he of course doesn't see it that way. "It was not just an accident. It was not a coincidence. I don't believe in that kind of stuff - I believe in creativity," he sermon- ized, simultaneously admitting his aware- ness of prevailing perceptions of the film and attempting to dispel such damning notions. Embracing the popularity of "The Room" among midnight audiences, Wiseau sports an admirable pride in his work and his mis- sion. In the process, though, he blurs the Tommy Wiseau (right) has met almost everyone in Hollywood. line between loveable loser and delusional egomaniac. After all, he fired cast and crew members en masse multiple times during the course of production. "How dare these people strike against 'The Room' during production?," Wiseau wondered out loud. His tone was far less innocent than it had been when he explained the source of his creative convic- tion just moments before, saying, "That's where art comes from - to create a better society for people." Between these comprehensible (if trite) inspirational quips about the power of arts in society, Wiseau had a tendency to spew adorable non sequiturs in ample doses. "It's not 'A Room,' it's 'The Room!,' " he insisted at one point, a healthy defiance audible in his accented voice. "For your information, I've met every- body in Hollywood - almost," he revealed as he prepared to address his decision to include nudity in "The Room." As the conversation endured through his eternal soliloquies, Wiseau became more and more eager to discuss the ever-present symbolism with which he adorned "The Room." "What does a red dress represent?," Wiseau questioned. "Well, it represents blood. What does blood represent? Survival, life, eternity for human beings." That was his justification for the seem- ingly inconsequential red dress costume worn by female lead Lisa (Juliette Danielle). It was but the first of many wildly unpre- dictable claims. "The plastic is chemical! The chemical is very bad for human beings," he warned, alluding to the conspicuous presence of framed pictures of plastic spoons which dot the titular set of "The Room." "I'm not against a plastic spoon! Con- trary, I love it! Because, you see, that's a part of our survival here in America. And with that, Wiseau again hinted at what seems tobe the unifying aspiration in all his efforts: to positively impact America. He may seem naive and delusional, butas he forges on with his craft in the face of criti- cism, mockery, and straight-up bashing, it's hard not to root for him. His technique may be wholly unformed, but the idea of stifling his abundant creative energy seems plainly criminal. Luckily for Wiseau and his fans, the fluke success of "The Room" only fuels his ambi- tions. "It will affect everyone in America," he guarantees of his next feature proj- ect, which he hopes to complete within six months. For now, though, he remains famous for "The Room," and deservedly so. "You can talk about 'The Room' with fans for the rest of your life," Wiseau promised. "And guess what - you'll still be talking." A night of the surreal with Dr. Strangeloop and Flying Lotus By SHARON JACOBS Assistant Arts Editor "Strange loop" is the technical term for an endlessly rising or falling sequence - like the M.C. Escher litho- graph Draw- ing Hands, "2010:(or) How the rock- 1 Leamedto Stop paper-scis- sors game or Worrying and the novelty Love Technological song "I'm My Own Grand- Singulamy'With paw." It's Dr. Strangeloop also a focal point for the Tonight at 6:45 p.m. art - and Michigan Theater name - of Ticketsfrom $7 Dr. Strange- loop, a VJ who will be performing his experimental audiovisual work this evening as part of the Ann Arbor Film Festival. "(My art) is some trans-cultural beast from the future that can't be controlled," Strangeloop wrote in an e-mail interview with the Daily. He cites diverse sources Terence McK- enna, Aldous Huxley and Leigh J. McClosky as influences. Tonight marks the world premier of Strangeloop's "avant-garde sci-fi epic" called "2010: (or) How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Technological Singularity." The piece, like Strange- loop himself, takes its titular cues from the work of filmmaker Stanley Kubrick. "(2011 where a: within wrote. " dental m laptop,a tating a Pretty o Even that Str. the piec tion will before.7 ing visu pany mi composi the crea onscreer "I've he wrot me visio evoke m But t A Cc his owi premier. perform feeder 1 hip-hop, Lotus. F Francisc 0) is about a dystopia present sity, Strangeloop and Flying Lotus are n AI-God-Thing is imprisoned hardly strangers to joint shows. its own Ego," Strangeloop "People have frequently asked me It discovers a sort of transcen- after sets how we synched all the aedia living within an archaic audio and the visuals, and when I tell nd begins to ingest it, facili- them its real-time / improvisation, spiritual evolution for the AL they don't believe it," Strangeloop ut-there stuff." wrote of the frequent "telepathic link- more "out-there" is the fact ups" between him and Lotus. angeloop will be performing Strangeloop admits that his work is e live, so this specific produc- vastly different from traditional cin- have never been experienced ema; his preferred descriptor is "free." Traditionally, VJs make mov- "Live visuals are kind of the wild- als in real time to accom- west of cinema, the rules are being usic - sometimes their own written as it is happening," he wrote. tions. In Strangeloop's case, "I mean, what do you call it when you live processes for music and make a live-feed turn into a feedback n visuals are inseparable, loop of itself then fractal-ize into always been cross-sensorial," kaleidoscopic iterations?It made cin- e. "I make music which gives ema fun again for me ... sometimes 'ns, and I have visions which it's just an eruption of imagery and usic for me." ideas." he music evoked isn't always Despite working in a medium that is inescapably technological, Strange- loop explores patterns and feelings that are fundamental to humanity and the world around us. This paradox " -of using the complex to describe the S implici ty. simple feeds back into the concept of the strange loop. And while it can cer- tainly be mindblowingly "out-there," n: Following the 15-minute Strangeloop's work is undoubtedly e of "2010," Strangeloop will evocative and thought-provoking. visuals alongside his Brain- So what can we expect from labelmate and experimental Strangeloop's performance tonight? /electronica musician Flying There's no way to tell, but the art- riends since their days at San ist can promise "some definite mind- o's Academy of Art Univer- fuxing." By JOSHUA BAYER Daily Arts Writer Whatever happens when left-field hip-hop artist Flying Lotus and avant-garde animated film "Heaven & Earth Magic" collide tonight at "Heaven & Earth the Ann Arbor Film Festi- Mancwith val, logic will not be a pre- siding factor. Fying Lotus Harry Smith, the mas- termind behind the 1962 Tonightat7 p.m. film "Heaven & Earth Michigan Theater Magic," led an incredibly Ticketsfrom 7$ .eclectic lifestyle until his death in 1991, compiling the Anthology ofAmeri- can Folk Music in 1952, creating his own set of tarot cards and directing a number of experi- mental films. "Heaven & Earth Magic" is certainly a mark- er of Smith's bohemian existence. The film is 66 minutes of cutout animation, consisting of the extended, dreamlike interplay between vari- ous recurring objects against a black backdrop. With heavy Surrealist and Dada influences, the film is lucid but utterly random. One sequence features a glorified stick figure pulling a water- melon out of a sarcophagus and placing it on a postcard depicting more watermelons, while a cat sits and watches. "Heaven & Earth Magic" strikes an uncanny balance between childlike naivety and ghastly morbidity, conflating images of death and bru- tality in a winkingly cartoonish manner. At one point, an aristocratic-looking lady is smashed multiple times by a child with a hammer, chang- ing shape with each blow until she becomes a writhing crane-like appendage on a dentist's chair and is injected with a mammoth syringe. And skeletons crop up all over the place as the film's creatures move freely between states of life and death. Anything can morph into any- thing else at any point and laws of physics need not apply. Smith was of the mindset that his films should be set to contemporary music and, consequently, his animations have often been accompanied by live scores (Philip Glass and DJ Spooky have both lent their music to his films). Tonight, electronics prodigy Flying Lotus will be premiering his live musical score for "Magic," and it should be an earful. Known pri- marily - but rather anonymously - for having composed the promo music for Cartoon Net- work's "Adult Swim," the great nephew of the late Alice Coltrane has released two equally stellar studio albums (1983 and Los Angeles), and is dropping a third, Cosmogramma featur- ing Radiohead's Thom Yorke, on May 3. Lotus's songs are like shapeshifting hour- glasses, gravitating more toward the cerebral side of hip hop than the bang-yo-head side. His A hallucinatory assault on the senses. beats are spacey without being ambient, hitting hard but scraping along skittishly as if they're on the constant verge of falling apart. And if his penchant for brain-melting noises is manifested at all tonight, then there's no doubt the exhibi- tion will be a hallucinatory assault on the senses. TLC's 'Hoarding' can't tie up loose ends By LINDSAY HURD DailyArts Writer Most people have a favorite item they just can't part with, whether it's a child- hood teddy bear or a favorite shirt. But "Hoarding: Buried Alive" exposes people who Hoardt exceed the sentimental limits and have literally Buried Alive filled their houses with Sundays at endless amounts of junk 10p .. they just cannot give up. The TLC reality show TLC takes a dull peek into the lives of people who never throw anything away. In the series premiere, "Hoarding" follows single man Chris, a Navy veteran and active member of his church who seems to have it all; and Laurie, a grand- mother who has filled up her large cot- tage with crap. Both are aware the habit is crazy and is affecting their families, happiness, health and overall well-being. This obsession with hoarding is a clinical- ly recognized condition, and while TLC's series tries to genuinely help people suf- fering from it, there's no resolution shown for these real people's problems. At the beginning of the premiere, Chris could hardly open his front door and had to crawl over his junk to get to anywhere in his house. He hadn't used his kitchen in at least three years and hid his problem from his family, friends and girlfriend. Laurie started collecting stuff to donate to people in need. Only instead of giving away her things, she has kept everythingto make herself feel more secure. Her addic- tion had gotten so bad that her daughter wouldn't bring her children over. The clean-up team never even cleans anything up. Both contact a psychologist and a pro- fessional organizer to i help sort their stuff and get to the bottom of their addic- tions. At the end of six weeks, Chris made enough progress to walk into his kitchen and Laurie could throw a dinner party. Overall, "Hoarding" draws out these people's problems and bores us to death as nothing happens. There's just an endless amount of junk everywhere that never gets totally cleaned up. Different from other shows about hoarders, this team of experts never actually helps to solve the issue. The only entertaining moments are those revealing how much crap people can actu- ally keep collecting. To see mounds and mounds of stuff piled on top of each other is slightly fascinating, but in a grossed-out kind of way that makes you want to throw out everything you don't need. While the show does reveal why both hoarders have developed the habit, it never does a follow-up with Chris and Laurie at the end of the hour. It fails to deliver the crucial moment where we see whether the hoarders broke their habit. Unlike other reality shows, you never feel connected or excited for the person who finally conquers these fears. For all we know, Laurie's clean dining room could be back to resembling a storage bin and Chris could have bought even more clothes to store in his house. There is no resolution and that sucks. These people have secret lives that affect the way they live, but there is nothing that experts on a TV show can fix. Not only does TLC waste our time, but they pretty much wasted the hoarders' time. "Hoard- ers" basically disgraces and embarrasses its cast and then peaces out, serving only as a reminder that you need to throw out your junk and clean your house.