A Hollis Frampton Odyssey (The Criterion Collection) [DVD]

I am glad that Criterion has assembled a Hollis Frampton anthology. Over the last quarter century I have had only a few chances to see his movies. Screenings of experimental cinema are scarce. When I watched them, I found Frampton's movies difficult and in need of repeated viewing. It is good that they are accessible, and in the excellent condition that Criterion is known for.The movies themselves challenge the viewer. Frampton has some basic topics he likes to address: the material work of movies and moviemaking, forms of human experience and perception, the promises and disappointments of arcane knowledge. He likes to push the audience past the point of comfortable viewing. It an approach to film making that is directly related to the approach of conceptual artists, and it has the same effects. The experience of watching his movies, even short ones, can be confusing and stretch concentration past its limits.There was a burst of creative film-making in New York beginning in the late 50s and running through the early 80s. For two generations, artists like Bruce Connor and Michael Snow, Lou Reed and Andy Warhol, Beth B and Richard Kern made movies that refused to let the audience sit comfortably in a dark room watching familiar projected images. Hollis Frampton is is one of the most important of those artists. By assembling this small collection, Criterion has made it a little easier to understand this difficult but important film maker.

There seems to be two kinds of film buyers: those that have a good idea of what they like and can tell from synopses and reviews whether something will be for them, and those who like to cast their line out and see what they might find. For those latter kind, A Hollis Frampton Odyssey might be a disaster of rather comic proportions, but for the people who come to it with some idea of where they're going, they might find a wonderful surprise. Expect to be challenged to the utmost of your intellectual faculties. Frampton may even evince some kind of sadomasochistic verve in torturing his audience, but hey, no pain, no gain. Challenging, delightful, witty, confusing, hypnotic, beautiful are all adjectives that I think may apply. So now you know, the rest is up to you.

Really excellent collection of surreal films. If you're a fan of the man himself, then you won't be disappointed.

Good price for a good collection.

After much anticipation, I received this item two days ago and have made my way through most of the films it contains. While it's not fair to compare two different artists, my previous experience with experimental film came through Criterion's "By Brakhage," a collection of the films of Stan Brakhage. Whereas Brakhage's films are often loaded with engaging visual material, Frampton's films, however lofty their intellectual conceits, are often far less visually stimulating. The product description describes the work as "thrilling" and "captivating." Almost without exception, this isn't true. "Carrots and Peas," for example, culminates with a five minute static shot of, well, carrots and peas, with a backwards vocal playing in the background. "Lemon" is nothing but a single shot of a lemon being very subtly lit from different angles. Interesting in concept, but watching it is a different matter. There are highlights - "Surface Tension" features a hyper-speed walk through New York and an interesting shot of a goldfish, and the "Magellan" films are sporadically interesting.I realize I open myself up to ridicule from genius film historians who will snort derisive laughter at my inability to "get it," and who will gleefully explain why these films are the greatest things since the invention of the motion picture. And that's fine. This isn't for them - it's for the adventurous home viewer who is considering a purchase of "Hollis Frampton." To each his own, but I can see this one gathering all sorts of cobwebs on my shelf for years to come. If you took a shot on "Brakhage" and found yourself pleasantly surprised, you may still find "Frampton" dry as dust. 35 minutes into "Zorns Lemma," you'll either be pleasantly hypnotized or itching to switch it off altogether. It doesn't matter how brilliant a film is if it's not engaging or remotely entertaining. My suggestion would be to check out as many of the films as you can on YouTube before making a purchase.

First off I'm going to note that, and this may have been the artist's intent, but one film which has narration appears to be out of sync with the imagery being shown? Maybe that's a purposeful element meant to be a metaphor or something, however.Awesome collection of work from an interesting experimental artist! I've found that, for me, the best way to digest this almost four-and-a-half-hour set has been to just watch one or two at a time and consider them, vs trying to power through the entire thing in one sitting.

Hollis Frampton's films are certainly not for everyone. In fact, Nostalgia and Zorns Lemma are the only ones I got any real "enjoyment" out of (make no mistake, I'm glad I saw everything). I would strongly encourage you to check out some of Frampton's work on Youtube before you buy this set.The video quality on these films varies quite a bit. The earlier films look a bit rough, but Zorns Lemma, Nostalgia and The Magellan Cycle all look quite good. Criterion, I'm sure, has done the best they could with what they had.Sound quality fairs the same. Many of these films lack a soundtrack, but when it's present, sound effects and dialogue come across well.The extras are actually a fairly big draw to the set. Most of the films come with remarks by Hollis Frampton himself. He doesn't have the most engaging delivery, but his comments are interesting and provide some much needed insight into these films. A 20-minute interview with Frampton included, as well as a lecture by Frampton narrated by Michael Snow, and a collection of product labels designed by Frampton.A terrific set, but not for the unconverted.