Film recommendation of the month: Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973). Still haven't seen his El Topo (unless multiple viewings of Greaser's Palace counts) but it just moved up my list. Mountain is the ultimate artist's movie--a staggering amount of work went into sets, costumes and props that are seen briefly and never again. Contentwise it fits the Alfred Jarry transgressive mold--much nudity, violence and swipes at church pieties. But it also parodies new age seekers of wisdom--the characters who announce their occupations and planets ("My planet is Uranus" etc) in a series of brilliant mini-biographies that are the heart of the movie. Their goal is to ascend the Holy Mountain with their mysterious guide The Alchemist (played by Jodorowsky) and displace the Nine Immortals--cowled figures sitting at a table like figures from Dali's Last Supper. The first 20 minutes or so of the movie presents a completely plotless succession of absurdist activities and tableaux, such as the "Toad and Chameleon theatre" featuring those critters dressed as soldiers and clerics, flipping around a tabletop in a chaotic "holy war." The rest veers between Bunuel (and occasionally Monty Python) surrealism and a kind of "60s swingers" vibe of polymorphous sexual antics, constantly changing course and subverting itself. Completely refreshing, and very likely something that could only have been made in the early '70s, before religious scolds of every denomination achieved a stranglehold on our discourse.
Saw El Topo before Holy Mountain. El Topo appears to be more cohesive. Holy Mountain is much more ambitious and achieves something that is akin to making surrealist portraits or paintings with the film format.
One of the most favorite scenes is the entrance of the main character into the lair of the alchemist. Used some of it for VJ'ing during Glomag's rendition of 'Oye Com e Va' at Mutek because it sort of resembled a live action rendition of a video game.
Not sure if noted that he is working on a new film. Saw some sketches of sets. One of them was a huge half buried head of Jesus amongst construction paraphernalia. One of the comments was from this post (cannot remember the exact site... DVD release related) said that he did not believe the report as he had had his hopes shattered multiple times from such heresay. If it is true then it would appear that Alexander may be succeeding in prying off said stranglehold. It's about time too.
Jodorowsky's comics are great too. I highly recommend "The Incal" and "The Metabarons" as well as "Technopriests". Published by Humanoids/DC Comics. Awesome!!!!!
I second the recommendation of The Incal. One of my all time favorite comics.
I saw Santa Sangre when it came out and was fairly blown away--Topo is one of those things I keep missing for whatever reason. Thanks for the recommendations on the comics, I will check them out.
I know he worked on and was fired from Dune--I'd be curious to know how much of his conception survived in the Lynch.
thanks, i liked Sante Sangre a lot.....will try to watch the others
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Film recommendation of the month: Alejandro Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain (1973). Still haven't seen his El Topo (unless multiple viewings of Greaser's Palace counts) but it just moved up my list. Mountain is the ultimate artist's movie--a staggering amount of work went into sets, costumes and props that are seen briefly and never again. Contentwise it fits the Alfred Jarry transgressive mold--much nudity, violence and swipes at church pieties. But it also parodies new age seekers of wisdom--the characters who announce their occupations and planets ("My planet is Uranus" etc) in a series of brilliant mini-biographies that are the heart of the movie. Their goal is to ascend the Holy Mountain with their mysterious guide The Alchemist (played by Jodorowsky) and displace the Nine Immortals--cowled figures sitting at a table like figures from Dali's Last Supper. The first 20 minutes or so of the movie presents a completely plotless succession of absurdist activities and tableaux, such as the "Toad and Chameleon theatre" featuring those critters dressed as soldiers and clerics, flipping around a tabletop in a chaotic "holy war." The rest veers between Bunuel (and occasionally Monty Python) surrealism and a kind of "60s swingers" vibe of polymorphous sexual antics, constantly changing course and subverting itself. Completely refreshing, and very likely something that could only have been made in the early '70s, before religious scolds of every denomination achieved a stranglehold on our discourse.
- tom moody 6-12-2007 8:22 pm
Saw El Topo before Holy Mountain. El Topo appears to be more cohesive. Holy Mountain is much more ambitious and achieves something that is akin to making surrealist portraits or paintings with the film format.
One of the most favorite scenes is the entrance of the main character into the lair of the alchemist. Used some of it for VJ'ing during Glomag's rendition of 'Oye Com e Va' at Mutek because it sort of resembled a live action rendition of a video game.
Not sure if noted that he is working on a new film. Saw some sketches of sets. One of them was a huge half buried head of Jesus amongst construction paraphernalia. One of the comments was from this post (cannot remember the exact site... DVD release related) said that he did not believe the report as he had had his hopes shattered multiple times from such heresay. If it is true then it would appear that Alexander may be succeeding in prying off said stranglehold. It's about time too.
- ilan katin (guest) 6-12-2007 10:02 pm
Jodorowsky's comics are great too. I highly recommend "The Incal" and "The Metabarons" as well as "Technopriests". Published by Humanoids/DC Comics. Awesome!!!!!
- Thor Johnson (guest) 6-12-2007 10:39 pm
I second the recommendation of The Incal. One of my all time favorite comics.
- adrien (guest) 6-13-2007 1:02 am
I saw Santa Sangre when it came out and was fairly blown away--Topo is one of those things I keep missing for whatever reason. Thanks for the recommendations on the comics, I will check them out.
I know he worked on and was fired from Dune--I'd be curious to know how much of his conception survived in the Lynch.
- tom moody 6-13-2007 2:57 am
thanks, i liked Sante Sangre a lot.....will try to watch the others
- Skinny 6-13-2007 5:17 pm