Date: Wed, 29 May 1996 22:24:40 -0400
From: Michael Betancourt <mwb2-AT-mosquito.com>
Subject: Re: David Lynch


>>Generally the now-better-known French Films of this time almost all 
>have a
>>touch of the surreal, if not being almost entirely surrealist. Has 
>anyone
>>else seen "The seashell and the clergyman" (for example) [Dulac, 
>1928]?
>>
>No, I haven't seen that one, although I've read about it. I have seen 
>L'age d'or, which I didn't feel was anywhere near Le Chein Andalou, but 
>perhaps seeing it on a VCR-TV wasn't the  best way to go.

L'age d'or is more of a political "documentary" than a surrealist film ini
my opinion.

Joseph Cornell's films are closer to what I'd think of as a filmed
surrealism, perhaps even more than Andalou, which while good I've always
felt fell a little short, mostly in the few scenes in the apartment (the one
with the dead donkeys). For the most part these strike me as more silly and
less surreal than the rest of the piece. I didn't get this impression with
Rose Hobart (for example).

>Another very interesting group of films, which are usually discussed as 
>being surrealist, was the vampire-cycle made in France by Jean Rollin. 
>I've only seen one of these, in a miserable print, and I couldn't say 
>much for its techniqual achievements, but some of the imagery was 
>inspired ( a bat, upside down on a womans pubic area drinking menstrual 
>blood)...

I'll have to see if I can find a copy (video) of that. I've heard of this
cycle, but not seen any of it. 

-- Michael Betancourt
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