Mission 4

Editor's Note: "Mission 3" was potentially the greatest to date, but alas, was rendered a mute-- deaf and dumb to a world that could never contain it. No plans have been made to release this "failed" mission, although an archive of the complete 60 min VHS does exist in the known world and is available upon special request.

"Mission 4" was a grind, slow to develop but full on tenacious, spunk-soaked tremor. It proved the most prolific mission to date, producing 10 phases in 60 min, eight of which are now available on the Internet (Phases 2 & 10 omitted as of this writing). This mission was completed Monday, October 11, 2010, but it's release had been delayed until the conclusion of the 19th Hot Springs Documentary Film Festival. Entitled: "Please Don't Forget," this mission odes it's future to the past, rimming the realm of subconscious inevitability. The true truth lies in its analog stream of polarized magnetism; though venture not too near, as even your dulled liquid crystal display may have the power to pull a lost soul into it's void. Please Don't Forget:

Medio Mutante

Wow, just discovered one of my favorite bands making AMAZING videos.

Medio Mutante.

After a recent cross-country road trip these folks became top picks. Danceable yet chillable. Something that could be repeated almost to an eternity without getting repetitive or stale. Hypnotic. Fun. Mind expanding. Yes, something I enjoy for sure.

So here I look and they are doing some CINEPLOSION type moves, and I'm like,,,, whAAAAAaaaaaaa?!??????!????????!????

Geez, fellas... all us other experimental vid folks gotta up the game and hitch up the britches! Lordy!

Mission Two

Mental Mission completed it's second visual assignment on Wednesday, October 15. This proved to be a very difficult and taxing mission. The electronic vortex had somehow shifted, and our instruments struggled to maintain. Fortunately, out team made it out stroke-free, and caught several rare glimpse of eye twitched underside.

The full Mission Two, entitled= "Remember, I Love You," is estimated at one hour in length. A segment of this mission is thought to be lost-- perhaps hiding midway through a soap opera tape purchased at one Mt. Ida Thrift Shop--or perhaps gone the way of the wind for the sake our our own mischief . Either way, a somewhat more subdued and intense version, pounding in it's repetitive bland madness, has been collected and salvaged.

Now available on the Internet are three short clips from this mission. "Phase 1" is essentially a title card. instilling a sense of urgency in what must be done, and must be transmitted into your own Mind. Remember you must. Remember you must. Remember you must. Your mind and mine are now connected. For now until the end of time. "Phase 2" may be one of the more mentally unstable episodes to date. A moment of violence, cut and sealed. A loveable man slain by procedure, entombed by his own vain public entity. "Phase 3" is a momento from your heart to mine, from mine and then back again. Who are we without partners? Ah, not a "we," but a lonely one. Remember, I Love You:

Mental Mission

CINEPLOSION has officially organized a "Mental Mission" away team for special assignments. With each mission, the team will attempt a journey to the center of the mind; to find a place were time, space and dimension is a state of mind, merely an electronic wormhole away from reality.

On September 9, 2010, "Mental Mission" completed it's first mission, entitled, "Happy Birthday, Miss Arkansas." The mission was undertaken at the Exchange underground music venue in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas, as an experimental pilot voyage in preparation for public exhibitions.

Three short phases from this mission are now available through the Internet. A full 30 minute VHS version is available in very limited runs upon request.

Minneapolis update

Bearded Child Film Festival made a special appearance at an undisclosed location this past Saturday. The lineup included Phil chambliss' "The Paster and the Hobo," Jon Ennis' "Radio Active Beaver, Episode 1" and Matthew Silver's new work, "Love Comes Out of the Butt." The event celebrated 10 Years of the Bearded Child Film Festival featured CINEPLOSION live projections and live music from the Minneapolis underground, while encouraging spectators to dress in all white.

As a stoogie old avant-gardist, rarely does anything brick-shitting cross my desk. Well if I had a brick to shit it would be gladly passed, as MIKE ETOLL appeared on the scene and handed over a disk of brand new 2010 films. Wow, these unseen works knocked me flat with insane logic and the mental musings of a maniac. Somewhat similar to the work of Montreal's Volatile Works Collective and the Buharov Brothers of Hungary, mixed with a touch of Guy Maddin and maybe even Don Hertzfeldt. My word. Etoll is also said to have won a recent Jerome Foundation grant, which is a true tryumpt for Minnesota's grant community. The Jerome also funded Jason Wade's work-in-progress, Stabber, and makes me calm and elated for the future. Hopefully CINEPLOSION will get it's act together and release the work of these artists in the near future

With each visit to Minneapolis, I also forget how bad-ass the films of TREVOR ADAMS have become. Troll Eyes kicked me in the rear and made me wake up to this guy. Along with mega-genius BRYCE BEVERLIN and others, there is a scene here of artists that should be known and one day probably will-- whether it takes 100 days or 100 years.

Special thanks to JOSEF CARL BERNS for setting this all up, and to all the dedicated Grand Rapidians that showed to support-- it definitely made my day to know that Bearded Child has remained in the minds and makes me want to fire up this beast and role.

Special events in MINNEAPOLIS!

CINEPLOSION coming to MINNEAPOLIS:

Saturday, Aug 28 @ HEXAGON
CINEPLOSION live video projections:
* Music by KITTY RHOMBUS, HAWKS & OXEN,
* FUNERAL and the TWILIGHT, CEMETERY IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY

Saturday, Sept. 4 @ MEDUSA
BEARDED CHILD FILM FESTIVAL presents:
* Ultra-underground video works never before seen in Minnesota!
* Live video by CINEPLOSION & special guests!
* Mayhem & General Malarkey!

Public Record, 1999-2017

For public record, films by Dan Anderson, 1999-2013
(Not including live performances)

Patas Monkey Revolt- 1999 (Montgomery Klinefelter w/Cri Du Chat)
Raw juvi-terror from the core of your inner being. Edited on two vcr's. Screened at the Really Independent Video Festival, Duluth, MN, 1999. VHS

En La Caja- 2000, 9min (Spanish, no subtitles) (Doug Hawkinson, Dan Anderson)
Two young spanish men dispute the ownership of a suit. Hi-8 video.

Emancipation- 2001, 11min (Montgomery Klinefelter)
Abraham Lincoln its driven to delirium by the insufferable, John Wilkes Booth, is an emancipation of Self. Hi-8 video.

The Little Business Man- 2002, 24min (as Montgomery Klinefelter, w/Montgomery Kedge)
A young man collapses into his own mind, in a paranoid transgression. Hi-8 video.

Time for Bed- 2002 (Montgomery Klinefelter)
Heartbreak of misplaced romance. miniDV.

Auto Domestication- 2003
Battle between the Id and Superego. Man Vs. Nature, super 8mm film. (on video)

Tea Party- 2003, 11min.
16mm film (edited on film, on video)

Cookies for Satan- 2004, 11min, Experimental Narrative (Dan Anderson)
Staring Aaron Coady (Sharon Needles), Shad Thompson, Brittany Gould (Married In Berdichev), Douglas Hawkinson. A man encounters the subconscious reality of his past, present and future.

The Joy of Leisure- 2004, 6min. Experimental (Dan Anderson)
Hand Processed Ektachrome 16mm color film. (Available on 16mm for screenings)

On Vacation- 2005, 6min. (Dan Anderson)
Two wealthy businessman (one man, one dog) take a vacation through Middle America. super 8mm (on video)

Idle Hours- 2008, 11min., Experimental Documentary (Dan Anderson)
Journey to Montevideo and Buenos Aires. super 8mm film (on film available)

Your Love So Cold- 2010 (music video w/William Blake Watson)

Sports on Fire- 2010 (Bobby Missile, Dan Anderson)

Bird Nest- 2010 (Bobby Missile, Dan Anderson)

Emptiness in My Heart- (w/Zak Solo, Bobby Missile)

Smithereens- 2010 (music video, Gay Beast w/Daniel Luedtke. Bobby Missile, Dan Anderson)

Food City- 2013, 11min (Dan Anderson)
Realities collide within the whirling vortex of a small Southern town. miniDV.

Daytime '1990- 2014 (Dan Anderson)
A remix of daytime television from late December 1990. VHS.

Majestic, 'o to Thee- 2017, 5min, super 8mm (Dan Anderson)
Experimental documentary chronicling the final days of the Majestic Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Hope- 2017, 9-12 minutes, super 8mm (Dan Anderson)
An experimental documentary of the 2016 Hope Watermelon Festival in Hope, Arkansas.

Paris and the Caveman- 2017/2018, 16 minutes, 16mm and Super 8mm
Featuring Matthew Silver, with live music score by Fjord.

For purchase, screenings or synopsis, contact: bcfilmfest@gmail.com

Underground/DIY Culture- The Emotron

While you'll be hard-pressed to find a classic "rave" outside Salt Lake City in 2010, underground DIY music and preforming arts venues remain-- and have thrived under the radar for the better part of a decade. Essentially, an underground or "house" show is an event that is all ages, typically BYOB, and typically a $5 donation or whatever you can afford. House shows stem from punk culture, allowing patrons and performers to rock and be rowdy without prejudice or limitations. Somewhere around the 2000/5, indie/hipster types began to redefine the definition of a house show, and it began to morph into more artsy type of entertainment.

What separates underground venues from alternative bars, dance clubs and non-profit arts spaces? Perhaps the main distinction is that the venue, by definition, is "illegal." These types of venues must rely on word of mouth, fliers and handouts-- and in more recent years, text messaging and the Internet. They cannot advertise openly, or risk a shut down by local city officials. However, as an illegal venue, virtually anything goes as a performer. An act can truly reach the boundaries of their craft, without worry. What are people gunna do, call the police?!

Unfortunately, house/DIY venues are rare to last more than a few shows before a shut-down occurs. Very similar to the old prohibition days of the speakeasies. Additionally, they are usually run by younger folk that move from year-to-year, and if the core moves, the venue often dies. Some prominent DIY venues that have lasted some time include Monkey Mania and later Rhinoseropolus in Denver, Medusa in Minneapolis, and The Exchange in Arkansas. San Francisco is home to the infamous traveling military bus, large enough to host bands, and traveling where the police are not. Mierda Verde in Madison, WI was once a model warehouse venue, before Rich Albertoni and "The Isthmus" shut it down for good. Virtually every state has at least one DIY venue of some kind, but you gots to go out and find it!

***

Performers at these venues are generally too outlandish or forward-thinking for the average crowd, and tour from house to house, warehouse to warehouse, making between $30-80 for an average gig. They are true mavericks of the road, and true artists of our times. Recently, I caught "The Emotron" in Hot Springs National Park, AR. He brings a show presence that is raw, primal and intensely "human." The show began with an "origin of life" style insect video, broadcast over 10 television sets surrounding a fenced-in nest. At an introductory climax of the video, The Emotron emerges, much like the first evolutionary fish from the sea. He could be Gollum's sleazy uncle, singing karaoke at your grandpa's VFW club. But, rather, he is at your local DIY club, vomiting and bellowing over maybe two dozen young hip culture vultures who, like it or not, are getting their minds permanently blown.

Hooray for Culture!

Analog Explosion

cinePLOSION!!! produced three analog short film experiments between Dec.'09-March'10. They were all completed without computers, with the exception of transferring them to be seen here, and some minor edits by William Blake Watson on "Your Love So Cold."

"Sports on Fire"
visuals: Dan Anderson, script: Bobby Missile, music:Bobby Missile/Anna Wingfield.


"Bird Nest"
visuals: Dan Anderson, script: Bobby Missile, music: Bobby Missile


"Your Love So Cold"
visuals/direction: Dan Anderson, music/editing: William Blake Watson

cinePLOSION!!!

cinePLOSION!!! is a multi-media visual dance party. It is an offshoot of the Bearded Child Traveling Film Festival. The idea is to present experimental film and live media in a way that is interactive and fun. Traditionally, experimental film has been shown in underground venues where the audience sits and watches in a darkened space of some kind.

However, in the 1960s and 70s film began to merge with the party culture of the time. Andy Warhol was one of the first innovators, with his "Exploding Plastic Inevitable." He would project 16mm film footage of The Velvet Underground over the band playing live, often wheeling the projector closer and farther from the stage in a cart to change the aspect of the projection. One of their most noted performances was at the 1967 Ann Arbor Film Festival in Michigan, just before Warhol & Nico's widespread fame. He was also one of the first to produce double projection movies, in which two projections would be shown side-by-side via two separate projectors. "Chelsea Girls" is his most famous double projection.

During the 60s/70s era, "liquid slides" and other psychedelic visual projections were common place at parties and alternative club settings. These ideas originated from the magic lantern shows, which date back to the mid/late 1800s. A magic lantern was essentially a slide image "shadow" that could be manipulated in various ways by a skilled illusionist. Today, artists such as Ken Jacobs and Courtney Hopkins have used magic lantern techniques in academic and other cultural settings. Jacobs' "Nervous Magic Lantern" is said to produce a 3D image that can be observed even with one eye closed. (traditional 3D requires the perception of two eyes for full effect.) The flicker image of this work is also cautioned as potentially inducing epileptic seizures.

Today's premiere multi-visual traveling performers include Projexorcism, Bill Brown/Sabine Gruffat, Roger Beebe and Potter-Belmar Labs. Holiganship has traveled extensively with animated visuals, while Animal Charm pioneered VHS mixing in the early 90s.

The current version of cinePLOSION!!! is completely computer free, utilizing dated video mixers, security camera, and feedback loops. Performances began in Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas in Feb. 2009 (sans one 2005 showing at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI). The the visuals are manipulated by Dan Anderson (your author), and a rotating mix of collaborators that have included Bobby Missile, Shane English, William Blake Watson, Micheal Shaefer, and others. Below are a few samples of performances:

First Show, Feb. 09 at Low Key Arts:


No Funeral, March '10 at the Exchange:


Blue Screen Skyline, May '10 at Low Key Arts:


Free form projection, May '10 at Low Key Arts:

Cookies for Satan

This is just a clip from a flick called "Cookies for Satan." This was about 2003/4, 11minutes, shot on super8mm. Some video in the full short. The actual movie is composed of three "nightmares" that the main character encounters while suffering from a severe "reality attack."

This may have been the most memorable clip, but the other scenes have full cryptic intensity as well.
Hope to release on cinePLOSION!!! some day, with five similar film shorts never posted online.
Premiered at Cinema Nova in Brussels, Belgium. Later showed at the Brainwash Movies Fest in Oakland, CA.

Notice that Sharon Needles is featured, and is now a bit of an online drag celebrity. Look up the name on youtube-- truly underground and hilarious.