Masterworks of American Avant-Garde Experimental Film 1920-1970

A total of 37 classics of avant-garde and experimental filmmaking from the 1920s through the 1970s are collected in this new anthology curated by film historian Bruce Posner. Despite the title, not all are American films—Fernand Léger's Ballet Mechanique (1924) and Marcel Duchamp's Anemic Cinema (1926), which both play with the graphic elements of film, are from France—but overall the compilation represents some of the most influential American experimental films over a 50-year period, illustrating changing modes of expression over the decades. The early Manhatta (1920)—a lovely portrait of New York City—and A Bronx Morning (1931) emphasize the poetry and beauty of the city. Abstract animation is employed in An Optical Poem (1937) and Tarantella (1940), while Maya Deren's Meshes of the Afternoon (1943) uses symbolism and dream imagery, and modern art informs Evolution (1954) and Hurry, Hurry! (1957). Also including films from prolific avant-garde filmmakers Bruce Baillie, Jonas Mekas, Lawrence Jordan, and Stan Brakhage, nine of the films featured here are part of the Library of Congress's National Film Registry list. While many fine anthologies of experimental and avant-garde films have previously appeared, this collection features HD transfers of every title (including two newly restored editions mastered in 2K). Many of the silent films also have newly-composed and/or recorded scores, while an accompanying booklet contains credits and notes on the films and filmmakers. Recommended. (S. Axmaker)