Most people probably know documentarian Les Blank (1935-2013)—if they do at all—for his 1982 masterpiece Burden of Dreams, a chronicle of the travails that Werner Herzog faced while making Fitzcarraldo. But feature-length films were a rarity for Blank; his real forte lay in his wonderful shorts, 14 of which—made between 1968-1995—are included in this superb collection. Many focus on musicians—bluesmen Lightnin' Hopkins (The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins) and Mance Lipscomb (A Well Spent Life), zedeco master Clifton Chenier (Hot Pepper), country fiddler Tommy Jarrell (Sprout Wings and Fly), painter-singer Gerald Gaxiola (The Maestro: King of the Cowboy Artists), and Afro-Cuban percussionist Francisco Aguabella (Sworn to the Drum); others celebrate food, whether it be garlic (Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers), Cajun cuisine (Spend It All), or Creole cooking (Yum, Yum, Yum!); and some concentrate on “happenings,” like Mardi Gras in New Orleans (Always for Pleasure), polka parties (In Heaven There Is No Beer?), or a 1967 Easter “love-in” in L.A. (God Respects Us When We Work, But Loves Us When We Dance). But those divisions are only approximate, since all of Blank's various interests spill over into each film, creating intoxicating, evocative portraits of places and cultures while also offering joyously appreciative tributes to persons, events or regions. And occasionally Blank takes a delightful detour, questioning conventional ideas about beauty, for example, in Gap-Toothed Women. At once structurally loose yet so carefully calibrated that they never become amorphous, Blank's films are reflective of the truly singular cinematic vision of a landmark documentary filmmaker. Presented in digitally restored boxed DVD and Blu-ray sets, Les Blank: Always for Pleasure features plentiful extras, including outtakes, bonus shorts, comments (from friends, family, and colleagues), appreciations by Herzog and Taylor Hackford, a new interview with Gaxiola, an excerpt from an in-progress documentary about Blank by his son Harrod and Gina Leibrecht, and a lavishly illustrated 57-page booklet. An essential acquisition, this is highly recommended. Editor's Choice. (F. Swietek)
Les Blank: Always for Pleasure
Criterion, 563 min., not rated, DVD: 5 discs, $124.95; Blu-ray: 3 discs, $124.95 Volume 30, Issue 1
Les Blank: Always for Pleasure
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