I second Gene. And also wish to add the other funniest man in the A-G, Tony Conrad.
On 5/23/12 7:44 AM, "Gene Youngblood" <ato...@comcast.net> wrote: > There's a difference between "funny," where you laugh out loud, and > "humorous," where you smile inside. Experimental film/video is almost always > the latter. One consistent exception is George Kuchar. I would argue that > the man who is the subject of his diaries is not only the funniest human > being in the history of the moving image, but is among the funniest in the > history of modern western culture. > > Humor is of course pretty subjective. For me, "Associations" is the > cleverest and most humorous of John Smith's work. Some other > experimentalists who are humorous to greater or lesser degrees would include > Will Hindle's later films, Martin Arnold, Martha Colburn, Joe Gibbons, Tony > Oursler, the early Peter Greenaway, Ernest Gusella, Ant Farm's Media Burn, > Miranda July, Arthur Lippsett, Guy Maddin, Andy Warhol, Mark Rappaport, > > -----Original Message----- > From: David Tetzlaff > Sent: Tuesday, May 22, 2012 10:19 PM > To: Experimental Film Discussion List > Subject: Re: [Frameworks] humorous experimental films > > I'm all for droll humor, but I wouldn't call Wavelength a laugh riot. It's a > long wait before Hollis shows up. I think there's a lot of humor in > Frampton, especially Hapax Legomena 1-3 [(nostalgia), Critical Mass, Poetic > Justice) but it's subtle, and tickles the back of your brain more than > boinking your funnybone. > > Experimental films are rarely 'just' funny. Where you find humor it's often > mixed in a very unstable balance with darkness. "How can I shave when I > can't think of s reason for living?" Cracks me up every time. Cause I've > already been through the angst straight, you know. > > For American films, some that come to mind: > The Geography of the Body, (Willard Maas) which is the rare straightforward > comedy. > The End, (Christopher Maclaine) which is intermittently hilarious and > apocalyptic. > Flaming Creatures (Jack Smith) (it helps if you know it's a comedy going in) > Hold Me While I'm Naked, Sins of the Fleshapoids and other early George and > Mike Kuchar stuff. > Oh Dem Watermelons (Robert Nelson) > Blonde Cobra (Ken Jacobs) again funny parts amidst a darker vision overall > Recreation (Robert Breer) > New Improved Institutional Quality (George Landow aka Owen Land) > > other Breer, Nelson and Landow works also have their share of humor > > Then there are some experimental films that are more 'fun' than funny, such > as Cosmic Ray by Bruce Conner, Roger Beebe's TB/TX Dance, Peace Mandala by > Paul Sharits. > > good luck, (or good yuck) "Let there be rejoicing!" > > djt > > > _______________________________________________ > FrameWorks mailing list > FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com > https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks > > > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 2012.0.2171 / Virus Database: 2425/5016 - Release Date: 05/22/12 > > _______________________________________________ > FrameWorks mailing list > FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com > https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks > _______________________________________________ FrameWorks mailing list FrameWorks@jonasmekasfilms.com https://mailman-mail5.webfaction.com/listinfo/frameworks
