The UCLA Film Archive has restored a number of avante-garde filmmaker Kenneth Anger's rare early films, and they've just been released on a new DVD which also includes commentary by Anger. Snip from description:
Scores of Anger fans have previously persevered through horrid rented VHS copies of these films, due to their inimitable beauty and strangeness. Anger is renowned for filmic experimentation that portrays invented occult or druggy subcultures while formally rejecting conventions of blockbuster filmmaking.
Link to product info.
Disinfo.com has an extensive page on Anger here with tons of links to his work on the web. (thanks, Gordasm)
Reader comment: Mike Lyon of the Walker Art Center says,
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Kenneth Anger at a Walker Art Center retrospective on the eve of the DVD release, and purchased the camera that he used to film Fireworks! Details are at my blog: Link.
I also had the opportunity to have lunch with Dr. Anger, and he talked at length about the DVD release – namely, that he hasn't seen a penny from Fantoma for the release, and that they hired a man who is in an active and lengthy personal feud with Dr. Anger to write the notes in the packaging! Also, Dr. Anger had colon surgery on February 23rd and I have yet to hear about his condition – hopefully his recovery is going well and Fantoma will eventually pay him the money that he is due, which he needs to pay his medical bills.
