13 Most Beautiful…Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests

Between 1964-1966, Andy Warhol shot nearly 500 brief silent “screen tests” of visitors whom he believed to have “star quality” in his New York Factory. The subjects were placed in front of a mounted camera and filmed for roughly four minutes as they sat, often motionless. Some of these tests were included in Warhol compilation films, but those in 13 Most Beautiful…Songs for Andy Warhol's Screen Tests hail from a project commissioned by the Andy Warhol Museum and the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for an exhibition at the 2008 Pittsburgh International Festival of Firsts (before later touring the U.S. and Canada). The baker's dozen (with many Warhol regulars) includes Ann Buchanan, Paul America, Edie Sedgwick, Billy Name, Susan Bottomly, Dennis Hopper, Mary Woronov, Nico, Freddy Herko, Richard Rheem, Ingrid Superstar, Lou Reed, and Jane Holzer, with filmed sessions backed by new songs performed by Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips (formerly of Luna), with the exception of Reed and Nico's clips (featuring covers of Velvet Underground and Bob Dylan tunes). This melding of images and music will likely strike Warhol fanciers as an important “new” work of art, nicely showcased here in a lavish presentation, with the DVD (featuring multiple menu options) encased in what amounts to a hardbound book that includes stills, descriptions of the subjects, introductory essays, and information on the score. Essential for modern art collections and Warhol completists, but also likely to appeal to more adventurous viewers, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)