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By Brakhage: An Anthology: The Criterion Collection
Stan Brakhage is considered the most influential director of the experimental cinema movement, and his work prodigiously overflows with the elliptical aesthetics and masturbatory intellectual rationalizations common within that genre. Brakhage displays in the 26 (mostly) short films included in this two-disc retrospective of his work a skill for inventing effective new visual approaches to filmmaking and a knack for dragging them out to boring extremes. Included is Brakhage's most famous (and best) work, the epic Dog Star Man, as well as his interesting Mothlight, several hand-painted films, and more. All of the films herein are featured with new, high definition 1.33:1 OAR full-frame transfers (from 16mm sources) and, when not silent, original monaural audio. Each of the two discs includes a 2002 video interview with Brakhage, and all but a few of his films also include audio interviews by Brakhage discussing the individual works. The liner notes include an essay by Brakhage expert Fred Camper. Dual-DVD keep-case.
—Gregory P. Dorr
