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Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Alan Rudolph, 1985 (short version)
As discussed in the comments to the last blog entry, I wrote a 40-page monograph on Alan Rudolph back in 1985, which was to be included in a book coordinated with the "10 to Watch" series in that year's Toronto Festival of Festivals (now the Toronto Film Festival). The book project fell through, and the monograph was never published. However, a much shorter version of the monograph was used in a booklet that was handed out at the festival. Someday I'll probably go to the effort of scanning the long document and putting it online; for now, here are parts one and two of the short document.
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4 comments:
Ah, thanks for this. I've bookmarked it and will read it later tonight. There's a real scarcity of material on Rudolph's work, so I really can't wait...
(and please do scan the longer version when you can.)
Holy catfish, Batman! Had no idea that Alan Rudolph was Oscar Rudolph's son. Oscar R did the maybe best Batman episode ever (A Piece of the Action/Batman's Satisfaction), guest starring the Green Hornet.
This is a very informative article, with much to think about. The comments on Rudolph's camera movements are especially fascinating. Will be looking for Remember My Name, and other Rudolph works.
Remember My name is very hard to find I've noticed. I adore most of Rudolph's work and that is the only one I have not seen (save the early pseudo-grindhouse stuff).
I miss his active presence in film production and wonder what is going on (all sources of funding dry out?). It's hard to imagine that he has no resources left as Secret Lives of Dentists was one of his best received films ever. Still, it was one of his weakest in my opinion, lacking the kind of edgy urgency most his other work trades in (give me the critically reviled Love at Large or even Trixie any day). I will admit that I recently re-watched Breakfast of Champions and, imho, it still doesn't work. Wish I could say it did. It seems misconceived from the get go.
Equinox, meanwhile, is one of the most under-rated films ever. His framing and expressive use of close-ups on faces never evoked more.
And yes, Dan, please scan the rest of your essay when you get the chance. Thanks.
Nathaniel – the “pseudo-grindhouse” stuff is kind of interesting. Rudolph prefers the first one, Premonition, which was his own project; but I think I like the commissioned Terror Circus more, even though it would be too kind to call the material hopeless. He seems heavily influenced by Altman at that point, and it’s surprising how much Altmanesque ambience he manages to impose on the lurid proceedings.
Remember My Name is scarce indeed. It played NYC when the Museum of the Moving Image had a Rudolph retro in May 2000; I had heard that no prints existed, but one turned up for that series. It was released on VHS long long ago.
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