I recently wrote a brief piece about the dearth of true underground movies in today's scene. Or at least my lack of awareness of anything coming out that would fit the bill. I challenged Horror Drive-In readers to point out anything that might fit the bill, but I got no responses. I only heard from those that agree with my assessment.
Hopefully there are some readers that are interested in the genuine thing. Those that have seen the early John Waters movies. That own the awesome Fantoma Kenneth Anger DVDs. The ones that have seen Nick Zedd and Richard Kern. Seen a lot of the higher profile stuff, but still hunger for more. It is to those that I recommend the documentary, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis.
Relatively few are aware of Jack Smith and fewer still have seen any of his work. He's always been a bit of a mysterious figure. His most famous (or infamous) film is undoubtedly Flaming Creatures. Made in 1962, Flaming Creatures has a history of controversy. Long banned in many states, it has been nearly impossible for most to see. Flaming Creatures was deemed obscene by moral watchdogs. Still, curious parties are able to track down a copy of it, provided that they are tenacious enough. I have a bootleg DVD-R of it in my collection.
But what of the man behind the scandals? What of this Jack Smith? The answers are in the riveting documentary, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis.
The film is a portrait of a delightfully eccentric man who didn't fit in with the mainstream of society. Endlessly creative, yet socially awkward, Smith lurked beneath the surface of the contemporary art world, making films and taking photographs of misfits, for misfits. His work broke barriers and influenced a generation of other oddball artists, but it seemed as if he was destined to be destitute and to leave this world too soon. In fact, he appeared to eschew any form of success.
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis is peppered with audio and visual clips of Smith as well as his work, and it also features commentaries from counterculture personalities like Andy Warhol, Mary Woronov, John Waters, Nick Zedd, Taylor Mead, Holly Woodlawn, Jonas Mekas and many others.
If you have preconceived notions or prejudices about sexuality, I do not recommend Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis to you. If you have clearly defined ideas of what is and what isn't art, I do not suggest you see it. But if you admire outsider art and like seeing stories of blazingly original and courageous individuals, I heartily urge you to see this amazing, heartbreaking documentary.
Hopefully there are some readers that are interested in the genuine thing. Those that have seen the early John Waters movies. That own the awesome Fantoma Kenneth Anger DVDs. The ones that have seen Nick Zedd and Richard Kern. Seen a lot of the higher profile stuff, but still hunger for more. It is to those that I recommend the documentary, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis.
Relatively few are aware of Jack Smith and fewer still have seen any of his work. He's always been a bit of a mysterious figure. His most famous (or infamous) film is undoubtedly Flaming Creatures. Made in 1962, Flaming Creatures has a history of controversy. Long banned in many states, it has been nearly impossible for most to see. Flaming Creatures was deemed obscene by moral watchdogs. Still, curious parties are able to track down a copy of it, provided that they are tenacious enough. I have a bootleg DVD-R of it in my collection.
But what of the man behind the scandals? What of this Jack Smith? The answers are in the riveting documentary, Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis.
The film is a portrait of a delightfully eccentric man who didn't fit in with the mainstream of society. Endlessly creative, yet socially awkward, Smith lurked beneath the surface of the contemporary art world, making films and taking photographs of misfits, for misfits. His work broke barriers and influenced a generation of other oddball artists, but it seemed as if he was destined to be destitute and to leave this world too soon. In fact, he appeared to eschew any form of success.
Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis is peppered with audio and visual clips of Smith as well as his work, and it also features commentaries from counterculture personalities like Andy Warhol, Mary Woronov, John Waters, Nick Zedd, Taylor Mead, Holly Woodlawn, Jonas Mekas and many others.
If you have preconceived notions or prejudices about sexuality, I do not recommend Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis to you. If you have clearly defined ideas of what is and what isn't art, I do not suggest you see it. But if you admire outsider art and like seeing stories of blazingly original and courageous individuals, I heartily urge you to see this amazing, heartbreaking documentary.
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