By Brakhage: An Anthology, Volume Two
In Criterion’s first volume of the anthology By Brakhage, we brought twenty-six astonishing works by the avant-garde film pioneer Stan Brakhage to home video for the first time. Now, in this second installment, we are proud to present thirty more of Brakhage’s visionary creations, from 1950s films to his final work, from 2003, curated by his wife, Marilyn Brakhage. Highlights of this collection include the war meditation 23rd Psalm Branch; hand-painted films from Persian Series; The Wonder Ring, made for a commission by Joseph Cornell; the autobiographical Scenes from Under Childhood, Section One; and the found-footage film Murder Psalm.
Special Features
SPECIAL EDITION THREE-DVD SET:
- New high-definition digital transfers of all thirty films:
Disc One Program 1: 1955–67 THE WONDER RING 1955 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE DEAD 1960 • 10 minutes, 21 seconds • 16 mm • Silent TWO: CREELEY/MCCLURE 1965 • 3 minutes, 11 seconds • 16 mm • Silent 23RD PSALM BRANCH 1967 • 66 minutes, 47 seconds • 8 mm • Silent Program 2: 1967–76 SCENES FROM UNDER CHILDHOOD, SECTION ONE 1967 • 23 minutes, 46 seconds • 16 mm • Silent/Monaural THE MACHINE OF EDEN 1970 • 10 minutes, 45 seconds • 16 mm • Silent STAR GARDEN 1974 • 20 minutes, 58 seconds • 16 mm • Silent DESERT 1976 • 10 minutes, 7 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent Disc Two Program 3: 1972–82 THE PROCESS 1972 • 8 minutes, 1 second • 16 mm • Silent BURIAL PATH 1978 • 8 minutes, 2 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent DUPLICITY III 1980 • 22 minutes, 18 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE DOMAIN OF THE MOMENT 1977 • 14 minutes, 33 seconds • 16 mm • Silent MURDER PSALM 1980 • 16 minutes, 24 seconds • 16 mm • Silent ARABIC 12 1982 • 17 minutes, 1 second • Super 8 mm • Silent Program 4: 1989–90 VISIONS IN MEDITATION #1 1989 • 16 minutes, 19 seconds • 16 mm • Silent VISIONS IN MEDITATION #2 (MESA VERDE) 1989 • 16 minutes, 9 seconds •16 mm • Silent VISIONS IN MEDITATION #3 (PLATO’S CAVE) 1990 • 16 minutes, 36 seconds • 16 mm • Monaural VISIONS IN MEDITATION #4 (D. H. LAWRENCE) 1990 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds • 16 mm • Silent Disc Three Program 5: 1982, 1992, 1994 UNCONSCIOUS LONDON STRATA 1982 • 22 minutes, 15 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent BOULDER BLUES AND PEARLS AND . . . 1992 • 22 minutes, 24 seconds • 16 mm • Monaural THE MAMMALS OF VICTORIA 1994 • 34 minutes, 9 seconds • 16 mm • Silent FROM: FIRST HYMN TO THE NIGHT—NOVALIS 1994 • 2 minutes, 52 seconds • 16 mm • Silent Program 6: 1995–2003 I TAKE THESE TRUTHS 1995 • 17 minutes, 44 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE CAT OF THE WORM’S GREEN REALM 1997 • 14 minutes, 10 seconds • 16 mm • Silent YGGDRASILL: WHOSE ROOTS ARE STARS IN THE HUMAN MIND 1997 • 16 minutes, 58 seconds • 16 mm • Silent “. . .” REEL FIVE 1998 • 14 minutes, 6 seconds • 16 mm • Stereo PERSIAN SERIES 1–3 1999 • Total run time: 5 minutes, 54 seconds • 16 mm • Silent CHINESE SERIES 2003 • 2 minutes, 18 seconds • 35 mm • Silent
- Brakhage on Brakhage, three video encounters with the filmmaker
- For Stan, a 2009 short film by Stan Brakhage's wife, Marilyn Brakhage
- Two segments from a 1990 video interview with Brakhage for the Boulder Arts Commission
- Footage from Brakhage’s Sunday salons at the University of Colorado
- Audio recordings of two lectures by Brakhage, one from the Beckwith Lecture Series and one on Gertrude Stein's poem Stanzas in Meditation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring program notes by Marilyn Brakhage, film capsules by Brakhage expert Fred Camper, and an essay on the films' preservation by Mark Toscano of the Academy Film Archive
New cover by Sarah Habibi
Available In
Collector's Set
Special Features
SPECIAL EDITION THREE-DVD SET:
- New high-definition digital transfers of all thirty films:
Disc One Program 1: 1955–67 THE WONDER RING 1955 • 5 minutes, 34 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE DEAD 1960 • 10 minutes, 21 seconds • 16 mm • Silent TWO: CREELEY/MCCLURE 1965 • 3 minutes, 11 seconds • 16 mm • Silent 23RD PSALM BRANCH 1967 • 66 minutes, 47 seconds • 8 mm • Silent Program 2: 1967–76 SCENES FROM UNDER CHILDHOOD, SECTION ONE 1967 • 23 minutes, 46 seconds • 16 mm • Silent/Monaural THE MACHINE OF EDEN 1970 • 10 minutes, 45 seconds • 16 mm • Silent STAR GARDEN 1974 • 20 minutes, 58 seconds • 16 mm • Silent DESERT 1976 • 10 minutes, 7 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent Disc Two Program 3: 1972–82 THE PROCESS 1972 • 8 minutes, 1 second • 16 mm • Silent BURIAL PATH 1978 • 8 minutes, 2 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent DUPLICITY III 1980 • 22 minutes, 18 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE DOMAIN OF THE MOMENT 1977 • 14 minutes, 33 seconds • 16 mm • Silent MURDER PSALM 1980 • 16 minutes, 24 seconds • 16 mm • Silent ARABIC 12 1982 • 17 minutes, 1 second • Super 8 mm • Silent Program 4: 1989–90 VISIONS IN MEDITATION #1 1989 • 16 minutes, 19 seconds • 16 mm • Silent VISIONS IN MEDITATION #2 (MESA VERDE) 1989 • 16 minutes, 9 seconds •16 mm • Silent VISIONS IN MEDITATION #3 (PLATO’S CAVE) 1990 • 16 minutes, 36 seconds • 16 mm • Monaural VISIONS IN MEDITATION #4 (D. H. LAWRENCE) 1990 • 17 minutes, 41 seconds • 16 mm • Silent Disc Three Program 5: 1982, 1992, 1994 UNCONSCIOUS LONDON STRATA 1982 • 22 minutes, 15 seconds • Super 8 mm • Silent BOULDER BLUES AND PEARLS AND . . . 1992 • 22 minutes, 24 seconds • 16 mm • Monaural THE MAMMALS OF VICTORIA 1994 • 34 minutes, 9 seconds • 16 mm • Silent FROM: FIRST HYMN TO THE NIGHT—NOVALIS 1994 • 2 minutes, 52 seconds • 16 mm • Silent Program 6: 1995–2003 I TAKE THESE TRUTHS 1995 • 17 minutes, 44 seconds • 16 mm • Silent THE CAT OF THE WORM’S GREEN REALM 1997 • 14 minutes, 10 seconds • 16 mm • Silent YGGDRASILL: WHOSE ROOTS ARE STARS IN THE HUMAN MIND 1997 • 16 minutes, 58 seconds • 16 mm • Silent “. . .” REEL FIVE 1998 • 14 minutes, 6 seconds • 16 mm • Stereo PERSIAN SERIES 1–3 1999 • Total run time: 5 minutes, 54 seconds • 16 mm • Silent CHINESE SERIES 2003 • 2 minutes, 18 seconds • 35 mm • Silent
- Brakhage on Brakhage, three video encounters with the filmmaker
- For Stan, a 2009 short film by Stan Brakhage's wife, Marilyn Brakhage
- Two segments from a 1990 video interview with Brakhage for the Boulder Arts Commission
- Footage from Brakhage’s Sunday salons at the University of Colorado
- Audio recordings of two lectures by Brakhage, one from the Beckwith Lecture Series and one on Gertrude Stein's poem Stanzas in Meditation
- PLUS: A booklet featuring program notes by Marilyn Brakhage, film capsules by Brakhage expert Fred Camper, and an essay on the films' preservation by Mark Toscano of the Academy Film Archive
New cover by Sarah Habibi
Credits
- Director
- Stan Brakhage
