The great thing about underground films these days is that they are the last and final place where cinema can still be mysterious. They are the antidote to today’s mainstream movies that, on all technical fronts — from the scriptwriting to the CGI effects — craft nitpickishly logical worlds down to the nano pixel, allowing audiences to leave the magic of their own imagination at home when they go to the theater.
For the past 22 years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has been programming films — both shorts and features — that miraculously asks audiences to bring their own imaginations with them to interact with the imagery conjured up by cinematic magicians. At the fest’s most recent edition on May 13-17, 2015, two extremely different short films perfectly typify the kind of enigmatic cinematic experience that make the viewing of underground movies so invigorating.
Echoes, by Winnipeg-based filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson, is the stunningly...
For the past 22 years, the Chicago Underground Film Festival has been programming films — both shorts and features — that miraculously asks audiences to bring their own imaginations with them to interact with the imagery conjured up by cinematic magicians. At the fest’s most recent edition on May 13-17, 2015, two extremely different short films perfectly typify the kind of enigmatic cinematic experience that make the viewing of underground movies so invigorating.
Echoes, by Winnipeg-based filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson, is the stunningly...
- 5/18/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 22nd annual Chicago Underground Film Festival presents five days of devastating celluloid provocations on May 13-17 at the Logan Theatre.
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
The fest kicks off on May 13 with the incredibly haunting short film Echoes by Jaimz Asmundson and the Filipino romantic crime drama Ruined Heart: Another Lovestory Between a Criminal and a Whore by the single-named director Khavn.
Highlights of the fest include the new slacker-ific comedy by Lev Kalman and Whitney Horn, L for Leisure; the Spanish socio-political documentary Speculation Nation by Bill Brown and Sabine Gruffat; the pastoral friendship drama For the Plasma by Bingham Bryant & Kyle Molzan; and the joyful pop doc Living Stars by Gastón Duprat and Mariano Cohn.
There are also loads of un-missable short films, such as the gritty modern film noir Bite Radius by Spencer Parsons; and amazing new films by Jennifer Reeder (Blood Below the Skin), Zachary Epcar (Under the Heat Lamp...
- 5/11/2015
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 9th annual Montreal Underground Film Festival is three nights of short experimental films from around the world and one after-fest feature film the following early afternoon. It runs May 22-25 at the Bar Populaire for the Opening Night festivities, then at the microcinema at 6029A Ave. du Parc for the rest of the fest.
Opening Night consists of two short film compilations and will feature animation by Ben Popp, sci-fi by Brian Lonano, an experimental short by Neil Ira Needleman and lots more.
Other shorts blocks of the festival are broken up by subject, such as experimental documentaries, horror(ish) films, personal works, meditations on water, and other intriguing concepts.
Some films to look out for are Lori Felker‘s naturally electric music video, Scattered in the Wind; Dan Browne‘s epic lifetime amalgamation of images, Memento Mori; Joseph Christiana‘s hair-raisingly eerie Meat Cycle; a new collaborative piece between Karen and Jaimz Asmundson,...
Opening Night consists of two short film compilations and will feature animation by Ben Popp, sci-fi by Brian Lonano, an experimental short by Neil Ira Needleman and lots more.
Other shorts blocks of the festival are broken up by subject, such as experimental documentaries, horror(ish) films, personal works, meditations on water, and other intriguing concepts.
Some films to look out for are Lori Felker‘s naturally electric music video, Scattered in the Wind; Dan Browne‘s epic lifetime amalgamation of images, Memento Mori; Joseph Christiana‘s hair-raisingly eerie Meat Cycle; a new collaborative piece between Karen and Jaimz Asmundson,...
- 5/19/2014
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
So, I was on vacation last week and ill this week, so our links are kinda spotty…
This week’s Must Read: Jaimz Asmundson goes into great detail on the making of his amazing film The Magus, which he made in collaboration with his father, artist C. Graham Asmundson. Even if you haven’t seen the film — and you can here — the making of article is a fantastic insight into artistic process and choices one must make as a filmmaker.Electric Sheep reports on the Trent Harris retrospective at the 20th annual Raindance Film Festival, describing how his films “all easily engage the audience.”Jon Jost continues to up the ante in his efforts to get Ray Carney to return the films of Mark Rappaport to the filmmaker, saying he’ll start an online petition if Carney doesn’t step up.Donna k., like us, has been under the weather,...
This week’s Must Read: Jaimz Asmundson goes into great detail on the making of his amazing film The Magus, which he made in collaboration with his father, artist C. Graham Asmundson. Even if you haven’t seen the film — and you can here — the making of article is a fantastic insight into artistic process and choices one must make as a filmmaker.Electric Sheep reports on the Trent Harris retrospective at the 20th annual Raindance Film Festival, describing how his films “all easily engage the audience.”Jon Jost continues to up the ante in his efforts to get Ray Carney to return the films of Mark Rappaport to the filmmaker, saying he’ll start an online petition if Carney doesn’t step up.Donna k., like us, has been under the weather,...
- 10/14/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 7th annual Wndx Festival of Moving Image, in addition to the fest’s usually fantastic lineup of new experimental film and video, is presenting a virtual smorgasbord of special events. So, be on the look out for them as they completely take over the city of Winnipeg on Sept. 26-30.
The fun kicks off on Sept. 26 with the debut of “Situated Cinema,” a roving microcinema created by Thomas Evans and Craig Rodmore that will screen at different venues throughout the entire festival. The opening night will take place at Raw Gallery and feature five films curated by Solomon Nagler that will connect viewers with their environment. The filmmakers presenting work at this unique screening experience are Heidi Phillips, Alexandre Larose, Caroline Monnet, Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof and Alex MacKenzie.
Another fantastic multi-part special event at Wndx will be hosted by underground film historian Jack Sargeant, the world’s foremost authority on Beat Cinema.
The fun kicks off on Sept. 26 with the debut of “Situated Cinema,” a roving microcinema created by Thomas Evans and Craig Rodmore that will screen at different venues throughout the entire festival. The opening night will take place at Raw Gallery and feature five films curated by Solomon Nagler that will connect viewers with their environment. The filmmakers presenting work at this unique screening experience are Heidi Phillips, Alexandre Larose, Caroline Monnet, Izabella Pruska-Oldenhof and Alex MacKenzie.
Another fantastic multi-part special event at Wndx will be hosted by underground film historian Jack Sargeant, the world’s foremost authority on Beat Cinema.
- 9/24/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The Magus, directed by Winnipeg filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson and starring his father C. Graham Asmundson, is one of the most original, imaginative and visually innovative short films of the last several years.
In it, the elder Asmundson, an artist in real life, descends into his hidden studio that is located under an impossible amount of levels beneath the city streets. Safely ensconced in his brightly light lair, he becomes a blur of motion striking paint across his immense canvases. Eventually the frenzy created by his artwork opens up doorways to other wondrous dimensions made of color and dark fantasy.
The Magus is a thoroughly modern film that carries on the transgressive tradition of illuminating Satanic ritual on film, such as those found in the films of Kenneth Anger.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film originally reviewed The Magus way back in January 2011 describing it as “a vision that is extraordinarily startling,...
In it, the elder Asmundson, an artist in real life, descends into his hidden studio that is located under an impossible amount of levels beneath the city streets. Safely ensconced in his brightly light lair, he becomes a blur of motion striking paint across his immense canvases. Eventually the frenzy created by his artwork opens up doorways to other wondrous dimensions made of color and dark fantasy.
The Magus is a thoroughly modern film that carries on the transgressive tradition of illuminating Satanic ritual on film, such as those found in the films of Kenneth Anger.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film originally reviewed The Magus way back in January 2011 describing it as “a vision that is extraordinarily startling,...
- 7/10/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Strange Beauty Film Festival
2013 will be starting off with a bang when the 4th annual Strange Beauty Film Festival rocks the Manbites Dog Theater in Durham, North Carolina on January 24-26.
Strange Beauty is a short films only festival that has two requirements. One: Films have to be 30 minutes long or less. Two: Films must be “strangely beautiful.” But, what does that mean exactly? In the fest’s words, they show:
Short fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, underground, funky, and otherwise wholly unclassifiable works that lie somewhere between terrifying normality and sublime fever dreams. We’re looking for movies that strike a nerve, shake us up, come back to haunt us.
Last year’s Strange Beauty is the first one we listed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film and we were thrilled to include it in our roster of fests we cover, especially with its powerhouse lineup of filmmakers.
2013 will be starting off with a bang when the 4th annual Strange Beauty Film Festival rocks the Manbites Dog Theater in Durham, North Carolina on January 24-26.
Strange Beauty is a short films only festival that has two requirements. One: Films have to be 30 minutes long or less. Two: Films must be “strangely beautiful.” But, what does that mean exactly? In the fest’s words, they show:
Short fiction, documentary, experimental, animation, underground, funky, and otherwise wholly unclassifiable works that lie somewhere between terrifying normality and sublime fever dreams. We’re looking for movies that strike a nerve, shake us up, come back to haunt us.
Last year’s Strange Beauty is the first one we listed on Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film and we were thrilled to include it in our roster of fests we cover, especially with its powerhouse lineup of filmmakers.
- 7/6/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
As the world turns, these are the hellish days of our lives. In Aaron Zegher‘s excellently crafted and executed short film Chaos Theory, several tableaux of domestic bliss slowly degenerate into madness, death and more with each rotation of the camera.
Chaos Theory was created for the Wndx Festival of Experimental Film and Video One-Take Super-8 Event that they hold every year and which previously spawned the acclaimed music video Goths on the Bus by Karen and Jaimz Asmundson. Apparently, it’s a really great breeding ground for well-thought-out, creative works.
Given the limitations of the One-Take event — meaning Zeghers could only use one roll of film — this is a fairly short film at less than three and a half minutes, but the filmmaker really packs in a lot of action. The real joy in watching the film is anticipating how each scenario is going to change with each revolution,...
Chaos Theory was created for the Wndx Festival of Experimental Film and Video One-Take Super-8 Event that they hold every year and which previously spawned the acclaimed music video Goths on the Bus by Karen and Jaimz Asmundson. Apparently, it’s a really great breeding ground for well-thought-out, creative works.
Given the limitations of the One-Take event — meaning Zeghers could only use one roll of film — this is a fairly short film at less than three and a half minutes, but the filmmaker really packs in a lot of action. The real joy in watching the film is anticipating how each scenario is going to change with each revolution,...
- 3/27/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This Week’s Must Look: The Strange Beauty Film Festival, held last month in Durham, North Carolina, sent love letters to the numerous Winnipeg, Manitoba filmmakers who screened work there. What an incredibly lovely gesture! Some of the recipients include many Bad Lit faves, such as Jaimz Asmundson, Leslie Supnet and Aaron Zeghers.Plazm has a lengthy interview up with Portland area filmmaker Vanessa Renwick about her career, specifically about how she’s incorporated the city into it and vice versa.Robert Maier has photographic evidence of a violent scene cut out of Polyester, featuring Divine being mauled by members of the press. Also, a production office photo at the same film.In anticipation of the upcoming Hollis Frampton DVD by Criterion, Making Light of It has scanned and posted Scott MacDonald’s interview with him in A Critical Cinema.Documentary filmmaker Jessica Oreck has started a new short film project: Mysteries of the Vernacular.
- 3/11/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
View clips from many of the beautiful short films that will be screening at the 3rd annual Strange Beauty Film Festival, which will be held at the Man Bites Dog Theater in Durham, Nc on Feb. 16-18. To see the full list of the films playing at the fest, please check out the lineup on Bad Lit.
Some of the clips pulled for the preview trailer look absolutely gorgeous, making us wonder exactly which films they were pulled from. The only one we can positively identify is artist C. Graham Asmundson doing his thing in the fantastic short film The Magus, directed by Jaimz Asmundson.
Looks like it’s going to be a fun festival!
Some of the clips pulled for the preview trailer look absolutely gorgeous, making us wonder exactly which films they were pulled from. The only one we can positively identify is artist C. Graham Asmundson doing his thing in the fantastic short film The Magus, directed by Jaimz Asmundson.
Looks like it’s going to be a fun festival!
- 2/8/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 3rd annual Strange Beauty Film Festival unspools on Feb. 16-18 with three nights, and one afternoon, of great underground short films from all over the world. The fest screens at the Man Bites Dog Theater in Durham, Nc.
First, Strange Beauty’s home state of North Carolina is properly represented with several short films, such as Jim Kellough’s Red Rocks, Josh Gibson’s Kudzu Vine, Heather D. Freeman’s Pennipotens, Charlotte Taylor’s The Edge of Summer and several more.
Plus, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is heavily represented by Leslie Supnet‘s Spectroscopy, Kevin Kelly’s 367 Years in Montreal, Aaron Zegher has two films in the fest: I See a Light and The Story of Thomas Edison; and Winnipeg expat Clint Enns will screen Connecting With Nature. However, most exciting on the Winnipeg front is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s thoroughly amazing The Magus, which was the 2nd...
First, Strange Beauty’s home state of North Carolina is properly represented with several short films, such as Jim Kellough’s Red Rocks, Josh Gibson’s Kudzu Vine, Heather D. Freeman’s Pennipotens, Charlotte Taylor’s The Edge of Summer and several more.
Plus, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada is heavily represented by Leslie Supnet‘s Spectroscopy, Kevin Kelly’s 367 Years in Montreal, Aaron Zegher has two films in the fest: I See a Light and The Story of Thomas Edison; and Winnipeg expat Clint Enns will screen Connecting With Nature. However, most exciting on the Winnipeg front is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s thoroughly amazing The Magus, which was the 2nd...
- 1/24/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Choosing Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film’s 2011 Movie of the Year came down to a near dead heat. There were two movies that came out this year filled with such grand ambition, artistry and skill that the decision almost came down to a tie before ultimately settling on the singular Movie of the Year tradition.
That movie this year is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a spectacular triumph of uncompromising vision, extreme daring and intimate personal expression. There was simply no other film like it this year — underground or otherwise — and its only rival of sheer audacity of the past several years was last year’s Movie of the Year pick, Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then.
And yes, I did say there was almost a tie this year. The first runner-up is a film that achieved greatness for several different reasons than Profane‘s accomplishments.
But, before I get to that close runner-up,...
That movie this year is Usama Alshaibi‘s Profane, a spectacular triumph of uncompromising vision, extreme daring and intimate personal expression. There was simply no other film like it this year — underground or otherwise — and its only rival of sheer audacity of the past several years was last year’s Movie of the Year pick, Gravity Was Everywhere Back Then.
And yes, I did say there was almost a tie this year. The first runner-up is a film that achieved greatness for several different reasons than Profane‘s accomplishments.
But, before I get to that close runner-up,...
- 12/20/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Rescued from the jaws of limbo, the Denver Underground Film Festival comes roaring back to life for three days of short films and one intense feature-length documentary. The fest runs Nov. 11-13 at the Unitarian Society of Denver.
The feature doc screening on the fest’s last night is Iconoclast, Larry Wessel’s epic profile of musician and artistic rabble-rouser Boyd Rice.
The rest of the fest is an eclectic mix of short films, including programs devoted to contemporary Spanish and Canadian cinema, plus a look back at profiles of Andy Warhol caught on film by Jonas Mekas and Stephen Dwoskin.
Some mind-blowing short films to look out for are Jaimz Asmundson’s stunning portrait of his artist father, C. Graham Asmundson, The Magus and Greg Hanson & Casey Regan’s ass-kicking nunsploitation flick, Thy Kill Be Done.
The full lineup of films at the Denver Underground Film Festival is below.
The feature doc screening on the fest’s last night is Iconoclast, Larry Wessel’s epic profile of musician and artistic rabble-rouser Boyd Rice.
The rest of the fest is an eclectic mix of short films, including programs devoted to contemporary Spanish and Canadian cinema, plus a look back at profiles of Andy Warhol caught on film by Jonas Mekas and Stephen Dwoskin.
Some mind-blowing short films to look out for are Jaimz Asmundson’s stunning portrait of his artist father, C. Graham Asmundson, The Magus and Greg Hanson & Casey Regan’s ass-kicking nunsploitation flick, Thy Kill Be Done.
The full lineup of films at the Denver Underground Film Festival is below.
- 11/11/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Incite is the best publication about experimental media in the world and, for issue #3, publisher Brett Kashmere is promising to pull out all the stops. This latest edition will contain over 160 pages of articles and art, including 20 full color images, all of which has been created and contributed by over 25 leading media artists, filmmakers, writers, curators and scholars in North America.
To bring all this awesomeness to fruition, Incite is raising funds via Kickstarter to cover publication costs. Each issue of Incite is simply more incredible than the last, so this is a really exciting opportunity to help create what promises to be a significant piece of experimental media history.
The Incite Kickstarter campaign is offering tons of great incentives, too, including a poster by Michael Betancourt, DVDs of experimental video and a silkscreened portrait of late filmmaker George Kuchar by artist Leslie Supnet. So, in addition to Incite #3, you...
To bring all this awesomeness to fruition, Incite is raising funds via Kickstarter to cover publication costs. Each issue of Incite is simply more incredible than the last, so this is a really exciting opportunity to help create what promises to be a significant piece of experimental media history.
The Incite Kickstarter campaign is offering tons of great incentives, too, including a poster by Michael Betancourt, DVDs of experimental video and a silkscreened portrait of late filmmaker George Kuchar by artist Leslie Supnet. So, in addition to Incite #3, you...
- 10/29/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 14th annual Antimatter Film Festival in Vancouver, BC, Canada is an epic 9-day event of expanded cinema performances, feature-length documentaries an a ton of experimental short films and festivals.
There are seven feature documentaries screening including Marie Losier‘s hit The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye, a profile of the pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge; and Chris Metzler & Lev Kalman’s popular Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, about the legendary ska punk band. Plus, there’s Adele Horne’s And Again and more.
On the expanded cinema front, Antimatter welcomes retrospectives of Kerry Laitala, who will be presenting a selection of her 3D light and motion experiments; and Roger Beebe will screen a series of multi-projector performances.
As for the short films, the real highlight of the fest is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s trippy and powerful The Magus, a fictional/documentary hybrid of his father’s Satanic painting process.
There are seven feature documentaries screening including Marie Losier‘s hit The Ballad of Genesis & Lady Jaye, a profile of the pandrogenous entity, Breyer P-Orridge; and Chris Metzler & Lev Kalman’s popular Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone, about the legendary ska punk band. Plus, there’s Adele Horne’s And Again and more.
On the expanded cinema front, Antimatter welcomes retrospectives of Kerry Laitala, who will be presenting a selection of her 3D light and motion experiments; and Roger Beebe will screen a series of multi-projector performances.
As for the short films, the real highlight of the fest is a screening of Jaimz Asmundson‘s trippy and powerful The Magus, a fictional/documentary hybrid of his father’s Satanic painting process.
- 10/12/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Raw, half-naked violence explodes across the screen in a gritty tableaux of sweaty brutality in Guy Maddin‘s short film Sissy-Boy Slap-Party, a film for which a title was never more accurate. Sailors in repose on an island paradise seemingly have no worries of war or danger — until a playful gesture is interpreted as an act of willful aggression. Soon, the innocent act of slight slapping becomes a relentless and unforgiving orgy of open-palmed face-smacking.
Sissy-Boy Slap-Party lends itself easily to comparison’s to Jack Smith’s legendary Flaming Creatures, from the loose plot structure to the washed-out exposures to the faux B-movie set and costuming to the homoerotic action. But, the film really takes a departure from its inspiration through Maddin’s ecstatic and frantic editing when the slap party begins in earnest.
The film has a terrific rhythm to it as Maddin speeds up the editing to hyperkinetic speeds,...
Sissy-Boy Slap-Party lends itself easily to comparison’s to Jack Smith’s legendary Flaming Creatures, from the loose plot structure to the washed-out exposures to the faux B-movie set and costuming to the homoerotic action. But, the film really takes a departure from its inspiration through Maddin’s ecstatic and frantic editing when the slap party begins in earnest.
The film has a terrific rhythm to it as Maddin speeds up the editing to hyperkinetic speeds,...
- 9/30/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Winnipeg filmmaker Jaimz Asmundson‘s quasi-documentary portrait of his artist father C. Graham Asmundson, The Magus, has won an Artistic Contribution award for International Short Film at the I Festival Lume de Cinema, which was held on July 15-23 in Sao Luis, Brazil.
The 12-minute film ostensibly documents the artistic process of the elder Asmundson, as he descends far underneath the city streets into a hidden studio. Safely ensconced in his private retreat, the artist begins dramatically painting abstract images onto enormous canvases while the audiences slowly begins to understand that they are watching a magic ritual.
As the film’s pace begins to race furiously, the paintings explode across the screen, revealing hidden worlds in their midst.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed the movie earlier this year, saying:
Film as Satanic ritual has never really evolved into a full-fledged subgenre even with the still continuing interest...
The 12-minute film ostensibly documents the artistic process of the elder Asmundson, as he descends far underneath the city streets into a hidden studio. Safely ensconced in his private retreat, the artist begins dramatically painting abstract images onto enormous canvases while the audiences slowly begins to understand that they are watching a magic ritual.
As the film’s pace begins to race furiously, the paintings explode across the screen, revealing hidden worlds in their midst.
Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film reviewed the movie earlier this year, saying:
Film as Satanic ritual has never really evolved into a full-fledged subgenre even with the still continuing interest...
- 7/28/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Kind of a short list this week. Not sure why that is, but what I can say is that there are some really great articles linked to below.
Underground figures invaded mainstream newspapers this week. First, the Alexandria Gazette Packet has a very lovely profile of the legendary Mink Stole.Then, the Vancouver son profiled bad boy pornographer and avant-garde troublemaker Bruce Labruce.Now you can download the amazing soundtrack to Jaimz Asmundson’s trippy short film The Magus.Mark Savage has tons of great photos from his latest naughty production, the awesomely titled Pond Scum, which looks very classic transgression-ish just from the pictures of star Renae Boult.I always really enjoy reading Bill Plympton’s reviews of classic animated films. They’re usually very brief, but direct and insightful. Most recently, he checked out and loathed The Great Mouse Detective.Jack Sargeant has a nice, short write-up of...
Underground figures invaded mainstream newspapers this week. First, the Alexandria Gazette Packet has a very lovely profile of the legendary Mink Stole.Then, the Vancouver son profiled bad boy pornographer and avant-garde troublemaker Bruce Labruce.Now you can download the amazing soundtrack to Jaimz Asmundson’s trippy short film The Magus.Mark Savage has tons of great photos from his latest naughty production, the awesomely titled Pond Scum, which looks very classic transgression-ish just from the pictures of star Renae Boult.I always really enjoy reading Bill Plympton’s reviews of classic animated films. They’re usually very brief, but direct and insightful. Most recently, he checked out and loathed The Great Mouse Detective.Jack Sargeant has a nice, short write-up of...
- 7/24/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Winnipeg’s esteemed Wndx Festival of Film and Video Art has just opened up the registration process for this year’s edition of their popular One Take Super 8 Event. Wndx is only accepting 25 submissions, so if you’re interested in participating, you better hustle. The Event is open only to Manitoba residents.
Here’s how it works: Send in your registration form by Aug. 12, along with a $60 entry fee. That fee covers the cost of 1 cartridge of Super 8 film, the use of a Super 8 camera for one day, film processing services and an HD video transfer of your finished movie. (If you use your own cartridge, the submission fee is only $45.)
From Aug. 19 to Sept. 8, you’ll have the opportunity to pick up your film cartridge, and camera if you need it, from the Winnipeg Film Group. Then, you’ll shoot your film with no editing and no...
Here’s how it works: Send in your registration form by Aug. 12, along with a $60 entry fee. That fee covers the cost of 1 cartridge of Super 8 film, the use of a Super 8 camera for one day, film processing services and an HD video transfer of your finished movie. (If you use your own cartridge, the submission fee is only $45.)
From Aug. 19 to Sept. 8, you’ll have the opportunity to pick up your film cartridge, and camera if you need it, from the Winnipeg Film Group. Then, you’ll shoot your film with no editing and no...
- 7/14/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This week’s Must Read is actually a series of articles. Cineflyer is reprinting and transcribing articles from the first 2007 edition of The Moose, the newsletter of the Winnipeg Film Group. Here’s a scan of the cover. The issue included movie reviews by Darryl Nepinak and Mike Maryniuk’s top 10 Wfg films. Plus, there’s filmmaking tips by Cecilia Araneda and Heidi Phillips. An article by King of the Internet, Jaimz Asmundson. Guy Maddin interviews his favorite filmmaker, Guy Maddin.Heavy Metal Parking Lot hits the big time with a profile in the Wall Street Journal, of all places!Did you know Chicago’s Facets had a Tumblr blog? We didn’t, but now we do. Go bookmark.Plus, on the Facets blog, Gregory Hess reviews Steven Soderbergh’s “lost” film Kafka, which is only available on VHS. That’s weird.Speaking of Chicago, the Tribune spotlights two homegrown...
- 7/10/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
This week’s Absolute Must Read is a letter Hollis Frampton wrote to MoMA regarding a planned retrospective of his work in 1973. The hitch: The museum wanted Frampton to give them his films for free. Too bad he’s not still alive because we need more letters like this written, especially in today’s “free” internet culture. My favorite line: “I leave it to your surmise whether [Maya Deren's] life might have been prolonged by a few bucks.”In case you missed it on Bad Lit, Jonas Mekas reprinted the very informative and insightful comment he left here on his own website. Good stuff on the demise of his Movie Journal column.If you can name the three dudes and know where they’re sitting in this photograph, then you are a 100% underground film nerd. (And, yes, I canChris Hansen continues his production diary for his film An Affair. Day Three found...
- 6/12/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Mike Everleth, editor of Bad Lit: The Journal of Underground Film, was recently interviewed by film journalist Kenton Smith for Uptown Magazine, a weekly arts & news publication based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
Mike was questioned about the extensive experimental film scene based in Winnipeg, which he writes about with some regularity on Bad Lit. Winnipeg filmmakers such as Jaimz Asmundson, Clint Enns, Leslie Supnet, Heidi Phillips, Deco Dawson, Noam Gonick and more have all been reviewed and have had their films embedded on Bad Lit. Plus, the site regularly reports on Winnipeg-based film festivals such as Wndx and Plastic Paper.
Although Winnipeg is usually described as a “small” city, it does have an unusually large and intense concentration of experimental filmmakers that one might be more accustomed to finding in large U.S. cities like NYC, San Francisco and Chicago.
It’s a fairly long interview, so go check it out!
Mike was questioned about the extensive experimental film scene based in Winnipeg, which he writes about with some regularity on Bad Lit. Winnipeg filmmakers such as Jaimz Asmundson, Clint Enns, Leslie Supnet, Heidi Phillips, Deco Dawson, Noam Gonick and more have all been reviewed and have had their films embedded on Bad Lit. Plus, the site regularly reports on Winnipeg-based film festivals such as Wndx and Plastic Paper.
Although Winnipeg is usually described as a “small” city, it does have an unusually large and intense concentration of experimental filmmakers that one might be more accustomed to finding in large U.S. cities like NYC, San Francisco and Chicago.
It’s a fairly long interview, so go check it out!
- 6/2/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 6th annual Montreal Underground Film Festival presents 3 nights of wild and wooly short films from around the world at various venues around the city on May 12-14.
The fest kicks off with a lineup of 8 short films, plus the World Premiere of Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare’s Main Attraction, about a magician and his resident freaks fending off an eviction from their home. DeGiglio-Bellemare is a member of the Montreal media arts collective Volatile Works and features special effects by underground artist Rick Trembles and Andy Mauro. Also in the Opening Night kick-off is the not-to-be-missed hilarious music video Goths! On the Bus by Karen & Jaimz Asmundson.
Then, the fest continues on the 13th and the 14th with several programming blocks of short films hailing from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Finland, the U.K. and other countries.
Some standouts in the fest include Zachary Epcar‘s...
The fest kicks off with a lineup of 8 short films, plus the World Premiere of Mario DeGiglio-Bellemare’s Main Attraction, about a magician and his resident freaks fending off an eviction from their home. DeGiglio-Bellemare is a member of the Montreal media arts collective Volatile Works and features special effects by underground artist Rick Trembles and Andy Mauro. Also in the Opening Night kick-off is the not-to-be-missed hilarious music video Goths! On the Bus by Karen & Jaimz Asmundson.
Then, the fest continues on the 13th and the 14th with several programming blocks of short films hailing from Canada, the U.S., Germany, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Finland, the U.K. and other countries.
Some standouts in the fest include Zachary Epcar‘s...
- 5/11/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Big batch of festivals open for submissions:
Lausanne Underground Film Festival
The Lausanne Underground Film Festival is one of the most epic underground fests on the planet, taking place every year in Switzerland and featuring an enormous mix of avant-garde, experimental and outlandish films from all over the world.
This year mark’s Luff’s 10th anniversary and promises to be a real doozy. It will take place on Oct. 15-23 and, as always, it’s completely free for filmmakers to enter. They’re looking for short films and features in the categories of documentary, animation and experimental and a brief explanation of what they’re actually looking for is as follows:
Luff focuses on all independent film or video creations, on innovative small budgets, on offbeat, daring, surprising and shocking visions. We look for films that have something to show and to say.There is no constraint, no censorship,...
Lausanne Underground Film Festival
The Lausanne Underground Film Festival is one of the most epic underground fests on the planet, taking place every year in Switzerland and featuring an enormous mix of avant-garde, experimental and outlandish films from all over the world.
This year mark’s Luff’s 10th anniversary and promises to be a real doozy. It will take place on Oct. 15-23 and, as always, it’s completely free for filmmakers to enter. They’re looking for short films and features in the categories of documentary, animation and experimental and a brief explanation of what they’re actually looking for is as follows:
Luff focuses on all independent film or video creations, on innovative small budgets, on offbeat, daring, surprising and shocking visions. We look for films that have something to show and to say.There is no constraint, no censorship,...
- 4/27/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Been meaning to link to this for a few weeks now, but Rupert Owen has posted up the slides from a talk he gave about starting a viable streaming video business. Of course, these would be much better with Owen talking along with them, but still very interesting to flip through and gives much to think about.News worth rejoicing over: Waylon Bacon’s putting together a compilation DVD of his amazing short films. He picked the best picture for the cover, too.Felix Vasquez Jr. of Cinema Crazed recently interviewed two of my favorite documentary people, Vic Zimet and Stephanie Silber of Random Lunacy fame.For the L Magazine, Mark Asch has a quick round-up of some of this year’s SXSW films, including the much anticipated The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye by Marie Losier. Asch says it’s “as intensely familiar to the doc’s core...
- 3/20/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Usama Alshaibi’s Profane debuted in Berlin last week and the film already garnered a review by Ceven Knowles. To be honest, I haven’t read it yet because I’m waiting to see the film first without preconceptions. But, I think it’s a positive write-up.Actually, there are lots of write-ups coming from the Berlinale. On Electric Sheep, Pamela Jahn and Alison Frank review films Road to Nowhere, The Devil’s Double, Tomboy and Dance Town.Robert Koehler has several write-ups. First, he says Miranda July’s The Future isn’t good, but Marie Losier’s The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye is excellent. Then, this round-up of several films makes the fest sound pretty dismal overall.Kinemastik reviews some Berlinale short films.Clint Enns has a completely excellent review of Jaimz Asmundson’s phenomenal short film The Magus, cluing us in on many of the fine...
- 2/20/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Film as Satanic ritual has never really evolved into a full-fledged subgenre even with the still continuing interest in the work of Kenneth Anger. But, every once in awhile, one will come across a great underground movie that treads heavily in the dark arts.
Jaimz Asmundson‘s The Magus is one of those films.
The film documents an actual ritual: The artistic process of the filmmaker’s father, C. Graham Asmundson. Graham awakens, drags on a cigarette, fixes some coffee, applies a few strokes to a painting in his kitchen, showers, then heads out for a day of serious work.
The opening is quite banal. It’s straight vérité, unilluminating, dingy documentary footage. No voiceover. No talking to the camera. We only know Graham is an abstract artist of some kind thanks to that painting he fiddles with and various little paintings and art books strewn about his messy apartment.
Jaimz Asmundson‘s The Magus is one of those films.
The film documents an actual ritual: The artistic process of the filmmaker’s father, C. Graham Asmundson. Graham awakens, drags on a cigarette, fixes some coffee, applies a few strokes to a painting in his kitchen, showers, then heads out for a day of serious work.
The opening is quite banal. It’s straight vérité, unilluminating, dingy documentary footage. No voiceover. No talking to the camera. We only know Graham is an abstract artist of some kind thanks to that painting he fiddles with and various little paintings and art books strewn about his messy apartment.
- 1/11/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
“Ho Ho … What the hell is this?”
If that’s the type of reaction you want to get out of somebody — or everybody! — on your Christmas list, then pick something out of this collection of bizarro movies, gross-out flicks and mind-bending reads.
The New Underground Classics
Altamont Now, dir. Joshua von Brown
Chosen as Bad Lit’s 2008 Movie of the Year, this balls-out, punk-rockin’ apocalypse comes firing at you like a nuclear missile. (Seriously, it was filmed in an actual missile silo.) Part social commentary, part fame whore busting, part punk rock musical — and all freakin’ hilarious! (Review)
Every Other Day Is Halloween, dir. C.W. Prather
Screw Santa. Who you’ll really want to see on Christmas is Count Gore De Vol, Washington D.C.’s beloved TV horror host who for years thrilled late night viewers with scares and laughs before taking his act online for the whole world to enjoy.
If that’s the type of reaction you want to get out of somebody — or everybody! — on your Christmas list, then pick something out of this collection of bizarro movies, gross-out flicks and mind-bending reads.
The New Underground Classics
Altamont Now, dir. Joshua von Brown
Chosen as Bad Lit’s 2008 Movie of the Year, this balls-out, punk-rockin’ apocalypse comes firing at you like a nuclear missile. (Seriously, it was filmed in an actual missile silo.) Part social commentary, part fame whore busting, part punk rock musical — and all freakin’ hilarious! (Review)
Every Other Day Is Halloween, dir. C.W. Prather
Screw Santa. Who you’ll really want to see on Christmas is Count Gore De Vol, Washington D.C.’s beloved TV horror host who for years thrilled late night viewers with scares and laughs before taking his act online for the whole world to enjoy.
- 12/6/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
It’s been a big week — and not quite in a good way — for Richard Wolstencroft of the Melbourne Underground Film Festival, whose home was raided by Australian police looking for banned film L.A. Zombie. It’s a situation that sucks because it’s happening at all, but good because it’s bringing attention to archaic Australian censorship. The story was written up everywhere from the New York Times to The Advocate. Nicest of all, though, was a personal letter of support from Noah Cowan of the Toronto International Film Festival, which screened the film earlier this year. Jay Hollinsworth created a simply amazing poster mashup of one of the most hackneyed visual cliché’s of all time: Looking down a foreshortened gun barrel. Great job, Jay! Oscars.org has video highlights from the Governor’s Awards, including tributes to Jean-Luc Godard from Haskell Wexler, Vincent Cassel, Phil Robinson and more.
- 11/21/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Two very different underground film festivals of size, scope and types of films screened are currently open for submission. Plus, one has a final deadline that’s very close — which I’m listing second — and one that has a final deadline a few months away — which I’m listing first.
I’m listing the one with the longer deadline first because it’s the granddaddy of all currently running underground film festivals: The 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival will be running in the Windy City next June. (Exact dates Tba.)
The fest will be returning to its new — seemingly permanent at this point — home at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The early deadline is really just a few weeks away, but the final deadline is next year. The dates are:
Early Deadline
Dec. 1
Feature: $40
Short: $30
Regular Deadline:
Feb. 1
Feature: $50
Short: $40
Late Deadline:
March 15
Feature: $55
Short: $45
As for what kinds of films Cuff is looking,...
I’m listing the one with the longer deadline first because it’s the granddaddy of all currently running underground film festivals: The 18th annual Chicago Underground Film Festival will be running in the Windy City next June. (Exact dates Tba.)
The fest will be returning to its new — seemingly permanent at this point — home at the Gene Siskel Film Center. The early deadline is really just a few weeks away, but the final deadline is next year. The dates are:
Early Deadline
Dec. 1
Feature: $40
Short: $30
Regular Deadline:
Feb. 1
Feature: $50
Short: $40
Late Deadline:
March 15
Feature: $55
Short: $45
As for what kinds of films Cuff is looking,...
- 11/16/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
It’s lucky 13 for the Antimatter Film Festival in Victoria, BC. That is, their 13th annual fest is all set to run on Oct 8-16. That’s nine mind-blowing nights of experimental short films, live film performances and culture-shattering documentaries.
The fest kicks off on the 8th with a 16mm screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s classic silent film Battleship Potemkin that will be accompanied by a live soundtrack by DJ-son Bitter Herbs [Jason Flower]. The people’s revolution never sounded so funky! Then, the fest concludes on the 16th with the event “Uzos [Underwater Zombies from Outer Space]” and will feature performances by Ryan Beattie, Atomic Vaudeville, Slut Revolver, Wes Borg and more.
Smooshed between those two events will be the debut feature film by acclaimed ethnographic filmmaker Ben Russell, Let Each One Go Where They May, which documents the amazing recreation of a bold escape made by slaves. Other feature length documentaries screening are: Teen Routines,...
The fest kicks off on the 8th with a 16mm screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s classic silent film Battleship Potemkin that will be accompanied by a live soundtrack by DJ-son Bitter Herbs [Jason Flower]. The people’s revolution never sounded so funky! Then, the fest concludes on the 16th with the event “Uzos [Underwater Zombies from Outer Space]” and will feature performances by Ryan Beattie, Atomic Vaudeville, Slut Revolver, Wes Borg and more.
Smooshed between those two events will be the debut feature film by acclaimed ethnographic filmmaker Ben Russell, Let Each One Go Where They May, which documents the amazing recreation of a bold escape made by slaves. Other feature length documentaries screening are: Teen Routines,...
- 10/4/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Aug. 30
7:30 p.m.
Pacific Cinémathèque
1131 Howe St.
Vancouver, BC
Hosted by: Dim Cinema
What’s Winnipeg, Manitoba most famous for? K-Tel? Hunky Bill’s Perogie Maker? The Green Garbage Bag? Well, yes, it’s the birthplace of all those things, but Winnipeg also has an incredibly rich and diverse filmmaking community. Curators Clint Enns and Leslie Supnet — who are also Winnipeg filmmakers themselves — have gathered an impressive collection of the best that their hometown has to offer.
What unites these films is that their place of origin has definitely influenced their content. Not that these films are about the city specifically, bu they do exhibit the same scrappy lo-fi inventiveness that makes Winnipeg the unique place in the world that it is. It’s the spirit of the “strange humour, hand-crafted experimentation and lo-fi/high-tec conundrums” of the town that will shine through on the screen.
For more info...
7:30 p.m.
Pacific Cinémathèque
1131 Howe St.
Vancouver, BC
Hosted by: Dim Cinema
What’s Winnipeg, Manitoba most famous for? K-Tel? Hunky Bill’s Perogie Maker? The Green Garbage Bag? Well, yes, it’s the birthplace of all those things, but Winnipeg also has an incredibly rich and diverse filmmaking community. Curators Clint Enns and Leslie Supnet — who are also Winnipeg filmmakers themselves — have gathered an impressive collection of the best that their hometown has to offer.
What unites these films is that their place of origin has definitely influenced their content. Not that these films are about the city specifically, bu they do exhibit the same scrappy lo-fi inventiveness that makes Winnipeg the unique place in the world that it is. It’s the spirit of the “strange humour, hand-crafted experimentation and lo-fi/high-tec conundrums” of the town that will shine through on the screen.
For more info...
- 8/25/2010
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Embedded above is, quite possibly, my favorite music video ever. It’s at least the funniest. It’s Karen & Jaimz Asmundson‘s Goths! On the Bus!, which I’m calling a music video, but it’s really a short film set to an original song, I guess by Jaimz and his wife. And, apparently, based on the true situation of goth kids frequently riding the bus in Canada. Whether or not any of them wear parrots on their shoulders, I don’t know, but this film has so many great bits that you’ll be singing for weeks after watching this — guaranteed.
I promoted this video on Bad Lit’s networking sites a few months ago and never promoted it here on the main site, which was a big mistake. But what reminded me to put it up here is this film was made for last year’s One Take...
I promoted this video on Bad Lit’s networking sites a few months ago and never promoted it here on the main site, which was a big mistake. But what reminded me to put it up here is this film was made for last year’s One Take...
- 8/19/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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