The Velvet Underground

 

Directed by Todd Haynes, The Velvet Underground is a documentary film about titular avant-garde rock n’ roll band of the 1960s whose music was never commercially successful yet would lay the ground work for a lot of music in the years to come. The film explores the music and art scene they were in as they were the house band for Andy Warhol and his world where they would create four influential studio albums from 1967 to 1970 that never sold a lot of records but influenced so many. The result is a ravishing and exhilarating film about one of the greatest bands of the 20th Century.

Formed in 1964 by Lou Reed and the Welsh musician John Cale that would later include Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker, the Velvet Underground was a band that were part of Andy Warhol’s art scene known as the Exploding Plastic Inevitable as the band would also include the German model/actress Nico. Through four studio albums from 1967 to 1970, the band would make music that was considered dangerous, avant-garde, and extreme in comparison to the music in the American west coast as they were never commercial successful initially. Yet, the music they made as well as some of the solo recordings from Reed, Cale, and Nico would prove to be influential to many as it laid the ground work for punk, post-punk, alternative music, indie, noise-pop, and all kinds of music.

The film chronicles not just the band’s formation but also the art culture they were in that also included forms of art, cinema, and music as if it was a scene onto its own. Featuring interviews with surviving members John Cale and Maureen Tucker as well as Lou Reed’s sister Merrill Reed Weiner and Sterling Morrison’s widow Martha plus several of Reed’s childhood friends, actress Mary Woronov, musicians Jackson Browne and Jonathan Richman, music industry figure Danny Fields, film historian Amy Taubin, avant-garde artist La Monte Young, filmmaker John Waters, and experimental filmmaker Jonas Mekas in one of his final interviews before his passing in January 2019. The film doesn’t showcase the art world as well as the emergence of avant-garde music in the 1960s that was prevalent in New York City. It also showed the background of its four core members with Reed and Cale being the two dominant forces as the former lived in suburbia following a move from the city as Merrill said it affected him emotionally. Cale was from a small town in Wales where he had a grandmother that hated the English and hated the fact that her daughter married an Englishman and Cale didn’t learn English until he was 7.

The film also talked about Reed’s struggle to succeed as he did have bits of minor success where, through audio archives, he claimed that the one royalty check he had for less than $3 was more than everything he made when he was with the Velvet Underground. Cale talked about how he met Reed and they were part of a band called the Primitives where they had local success in Long Island with a song called The Ostrich though it was clear that Reed wanted to do more as the songs he was writing were much darker such as Heroin. Cale would play a role in helping those songs develop even though he barely knew how to play bass and guitar as he was more accomplished in piano and viola with his classical background. The two would bring in Sterling Morrison whom Reed knew back in Syracuse while Morrison brought in Maureen Tucker after original drummer Angus MacLise left the group. Much of the film’s first half is about their formation and how they became part of Andy Warhol’s social circle where they were the house band at his home base known as the Factory.

The first half talked about how Nico came into the group as she was known largely as a model/actress that was part of Warhol’s circle as she was used mainly as someone the band could bring in to help give them visibility. Yet, Nico proved to be a vital contributor to the band despite only being in the band for nearly a year as she left wanting to do her own music and other things as her departure is what had the Velvets break up with Warhol though Cale admitted that he didn’t know about it and didn’t want to break from Warhol. Cale and Tucker revealed that the second album White Light/White Heat was made mainly from their experience on the road where they had some horrendous shows in California as the band admitted they hated the hippies and they hated Frank Zappa. Jonathan Richman saw the band during the shows promoting the second album as he met the band and was given guitar lessons from Morrison while also being aware of the tension that was happening in the band that lead to Cale’s departure in September of 1968.

The second half does cover the second album but also brief insight into the third and fourth album with Cale’s replacement Doug Yule who is only heard through audio interviews along with Morrison before his death in 1995. Notably as it play into Reed’s desire to be successful as well as the fact that the band did have a loyal following in the American east coast despite their lack of commercial success. The frustration over the lack of success as well as tension in the band eventually led to Reed’s departure while they wisely talk about the fact that the band lead by Yule and other musicians made one more album that many say isn’t a Velvets album and never should be considered to be a Velvets album.

Haynes’ direction is stylized in not just using a lot of the experimental films from that scene into some stylish montages with the help of editors Affonso Goncalves and Adam Kurnitz but also in showcasing rare footage from those shows the band played during the time. Some of the editing montages is played in the style of the avant-garde films from Mekas, Stan Brakhage, and Warhol where Haynes also showcase that world where the Velvets were part of this world that included whip dances with Mary Woronov and Gerard Malanga while there’s a bunch of films playing around them. The interviews are straightforward as they’re shot from 2017 to 2019 as Haynes and cinematographer Edward Lachman have the people in a room as they’re relaxed with Merrill doing a dance to The Ostrich as it adds to Reed’s genius as a songwriter as it made his sister dance.

Sound designer Leslie Shatz help cultivate many of the audio interviews as some came from other documentaries and such as it help tell the story but also in some of the sound collages including the demos of those songs by the Velvets. Music supervisor Randall Poster compile not just a lot of the music of the Velvets including the individual work of Reed, Cale, and Nico but also some of the avant-garde music that came before them from John Cage and La Monte Young as well as some of the rock n’ roll and classical music that Reed and Cale were into as well as some of the music in the Mamas & the Papas that the Velvets didn’t like. It all play into the world that the Velvets and Warhol came from and what Bill Graham was trying to present in San Francisco as the latter definitely seem to envy what Warhol did where Tucker stated that Graham just tried to ruin them.

The film also play into the impact the group had in the world of music but also through art following Reed’s departure as there were brief reunions in the early 70s such as a legendary show at the Bataclan in Paris with Reed, Cale, and Nico as the members kept in touch. Even though Andy Warhol died in 1987 with Nico following a year later, the band minus Yule reunited in 1993 for a successful reunion tour that was supposed to go to the U.S. only for tension between Reed and Cale ended things. Following Sterling Morrison’s death in 1995, Reed, Cale, and Tucker reunited for 1996 Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame as well as performing a tribute to Morrison. Reed would die in October 2013 leaving Cale and Tucker as the surviving original members along with Doug Yule.

Through the records they made, the Velvet Underground would prove to have a lasting influence in popular music as their debut album was inducted into the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress in 2006. Musician/producer Brian Eno stated that when the album only sold 30,000 five years into its existence upon its release, those people who bought those 30,000 copies started a band as it proved the influence they would have on popular music. In 1991, the album was certified gold in the U.S. having then sold 560,000 copies proving that the band did indeed have an impact.

The Velvet Underground is a tremendous film from Todd Haynes. It is a documentary film that doesn’t just cover one of the greatest and influential bands of the 20th Century but also the art culture they were from as well as the individuals who made the band so special. It’s a film that does sort of play by conventions in terms of its narrative yet the presentation is anything but conventional as it play into the spirit of what made the Velvet Underground so unique in their time. In the end, The Velvet Underground is a spectacular film from Todd Haynes.

Todd Haynes Films: Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story - Poison - Dottie Gets Spanked - Safe (1995 film) - Velvet Goldmine - Far from Heaven - I'm Not There - Mildred Pierce (2011 TV Miniseries) - Carol - Wonderstruck - Dark Waters (2019 film) - The Auteurs #3: Todd Haynes

© thevoid99 2022

Eating Raoul

Directed and co-starring Paul Bartel and written by Bartel and Richard Blackburn, Eating Raoul is the story of a prudish couple whose lifestyle is threatened by swingers living in their apartment building until an accident gives them an idea to get rid of them and realize their dream to open a restaurant. The film is a dark comedy that explore different lifestyles and what a couple would do to maintain their safe and calm lifestyle. Also starring Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran, Susan Saiger, and Buck Henry. Eating Raoul is a witty and whimsical film from Paul Bartel.

The film is the simple story of this couple who are considered snobbish and prudish due to their lack of interest towards sex as they try to raise money to buy a house for a restaurant they want to create yet they are threatened by the antics of swingers who live in their apartment building. It’s a film that sort of makes fun of the world of swinging and some of the silliness of the lifestyle while there’s this couple who are totally square and find themselves with an idea of killing swingers and stealing money to fund their restaurant as it happened by accident. The film’s screenplay by Paul Bartel and Richard Blackburn follows the lives of Paul and Mary Bland (Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov respectively) as the former just got fired from a liquor store for refusing to sell awful cheap wine while the latter is a nurse often sexually harassed by horny patients.

Their problems are worsen by horny swingers in their building as one of them who is a patient of Mary breaks into their apartment and tries to have his way with Mary until Paul hits him with a frying pan and the guy is dead. Upon realizing how much money swingers have, they turn to Doris the Dominatrix (Susan Saiger) who gives them advice on what to do as she isn’t entirely fond of swingers either while the film’s second act begins with the arrival of a locksmith named Raoul (Robert Beltran) who is also a burglar as he gets wind of what the Bland are doing as he helps them in favor of a cut. Yet, their alliance with Raoul would cause trouble where Paul would learn what Raoul does with the bodies but also something much more.

Bartel’s direction does have elements of style in terms of its approach to absurdist humor while much of the compositions he creates are straightforward. Shot on location in Los Angeles, Bartel play into the world of sex shops and the swinging lifestyle in a comical manner while presenting the Blands as a couple who sleep in separate beds yet they do love each other. There are some wide shots in a few scenes yet much of Bartel’s direction involves close-ups and medium shots that include a few long shots to play out the drama and some of the humor. Notably in scenes that play into the Blands trying to kill some swingers with Mary playing some form of fantasy as it is played for laughs with some dark humor. Once Raoul gets involved, the film’s mayhem does increase but it also lead to some chilling and dark moments about what Raoul does with the bodies but also some of the money he makes though it lead to some funny moments of Paul trying to figure out what he’s doing with help from Doris. The humor as well as some of the approach to suspense and comedy play into the third act as it play into Raoul’s activities as well as the Blands taking extra steps to reach their dreams of opening a restaurant. Overall, Bartel crafts a weird yet delightfully fun film about a prudish couple who kill swingers for money to fund their own dreams of a healthy restaurant.

Cinematographer Gary Thieltges does excellent work with the film’s cinematography as it is largely straightforward in terms of its visuals with some low-key yet colorful lighting for some of the swinger parties. Editor Alan Toomayan does nice work with the editing as it is largely straightforward with some rhythmic cuts to play into the humor and suspense. Production designer Robert Schulenberg does fantastic work with the look of the Blands’ apartment with their collectables and rack of fine wine as well as the more outrageous look of the swingers’ party. Sound editors Val Kulowsky and Christopher T. Welch do terrific work with the sound as it is largely straightforward along with the way music is heard on a location or in another room. The film’s music by Arlon Ober is wonderful for its playful and kitsch-like score that feature some humorous moments in the film while its soundtrack features an array of music ranging from easy listening to a Spanish cover of Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels’ Devil with a Blue Dress On by Los Lobos.

The film’s marvelous casting feature some notable small roles from co-writer Richard Blackburn as the real estate agent James, John Paragon as a sex shop owner who gives Paul a hard time, John Shearin as a patient of Mary who would later try to harass her at her home, Edie McClurg as a woman in fur at a swingers party, Richard Paul as the liquor store owner who wants to sell shitty cheap wine, Ed Begley Jr. as a perverse hippie, and Buck Henry in a terrific small role as a horny bank manager in Mr. Leech who wants to have his way with Mary. Susan Saiger is excellent in a dual role as Doris the Dominatrix and as a receptionist nurse at the hospital where she is full of personality as the former who isn’t fond of swingers while helps Paul find out more about Raoul to see what he does while Saiger’s role in the latter as a nurse is more low-key.

Robert Beltran is excellent as Raoul Mendoza as a locksmith who is also a house burglar that helps the Blands make more money while also making some money on the side as he also has a keen interest in Mary for sexual pleasure. Finally, there’s Paul Bartel and Mary Woronov in amazing performances in their respective roles as Paul and Mary Bland as a prudish and snobbish couple with love for wine and nutritious food who are dealing with horny swingers in their apartment building. Bartel displays that curiosity and frustration as a man that just cares about giving people good wine but later is filled with jealousy for Raoul later in the film as he provides a low-key approach to comedy. Woronov provides some charm into her role as well as someone who is curious about sex and pot although she is conflicted as it relates to her encounters with Raoul.

Eating Raoul is a marvelous film from Paul Bartel that features enjoyable performances from Bartel, Mary Woronov, Robert Beltran, and Susan Saiger. Along with its offbeat look at the world of swingers, the film is a strange yet exuberant comedy that isn’t afraid to get dark while also finding a way to keep on bringing in the laughs. In the end, Eating Raoul is a remarkable film from Paul Bartel.

© thevoid99 2019

The Living End

Originally Written and Posted at Epinions.com on 3/14/06 w/ Additional Edits.

The 1992 Sundance Film Festival is often considered to be a great class where a bunch of new film directors emerged. Two directors that came out to become the most successful from that class were Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez, both of whom released their respective debut features, Reservoir Dogs and El Mariachi. The winner of the Grand Prize that year was Alexandre Rockwell for his feature film In the Soup that also starred Reservoir Dogs co-star Steve Buscemi. Two other films got attention that were from female directors, first is Alison Anders' drama Gas, Food, & Lodging, and Poison Ivy by Katt Shea while Jim Jarmusch's longtime cinematographer Tom di Cillo also broke through with his debut feature Johnny Suede that starred Brad Pitt and Catherine Keener. Another film that got attention at Sundance was a nihilistic, gay road movie that was described as a gay version of Thelma & Louise called The Living End from director Gregg Araki.

Prior to The Living End, the Asian-American director had created two features at the time, 1987's Three Bewildered People in the Night and 1989's The Long Weekend (O’Despair) before channeling his rage and frustration over the way gays are treated, especially in the world of AIDS, Araki wrote, directed, shot, and edited The Living End. The film centers around a gay film critic who just discovered he's HIV-positive as he meets another HIV-positive gay drifter as the two go on the road after the drifter kills a cop. Sharing a vision of nihilism and the idea that they're dead anyways, they drift into nowhere on the road while embarking on a love/hate relationship. Starring Mike Dytri, Craig Gilmore, Darcy Marta, Mary Woronov, Johanna Went, Paul Bartel, and Scot Goetz. The Living End is a powerful, in-your-face road movie from the always talented and provocative Gregg Araki.

For a young film critic named Jon (Craig Gilmore), his often boring living in Los Angeles has just gotten worse. He just received test results that he's HIV-positive. His mood only increases his hatred for the world and the only person he can count on is his friend Darcy (Darcy Marta). While driving around L.A., Jon would often see a drifter walking by who is looking for places to stay or things to steal. The drifter's name is Luke (Mike Dytri) whose anarchistic view on life leads him to hate everything as he gets picked by a couple of lesbians named Fern (Johanna Went) and Daisy (Mary Woronov) where Daisy flirts with him only to hold him at gunpoint. Fortunately, Fern goes to the bathroom where she screams as Daisy leaves the car leaving Luke to steal it, briefly. Still in a state of shock and despair, Jon goes on a drive where he sees Luke again who has been running after killing a few guys with a gun.

Jon takes him in as the two immediately befriend each other as Luke is amazed by the things he has in his apartment as an attraction happens. The two have a share for their distaste of the world and how the previous generation get to do all crazy things while the generation they're living is paying for the sins of the old generation in the sexual revolution. Jon enjoys Luke's company until he sees his violent behavior after a gay-basher tells them that AIDS stands for something else as Luke beats him up. After a brief separation, Luke returns to his apartment telling Jon that he had killed someone who could be a cop. Jon realizing that he's an accessory to murder, the two decide to leave L.A. and go on the road.

Deciding that since they're both HIV-positive and don't have a lot of time to stay alive, the two fugitives go on the road with no clear destination as they just decided to forgo conventions and rules and go on an anarchistic road trip. For Darcy, Jon's departure bothers her since she's the only real friend he has while her boyfriend Peter (Scot Goetz) insists that he'll be back saying that he was really depressed for about two weeks when Echo & the Bunnymen broke up. After a stop in San Francisco, Luke tries to get a place to live from a guy he knew named Gus (Peter Grame) who has no idea who Luke is. Jon meanwhile, calls Darcy through a series of infrequent collect calls which leaves Darcy emotionally upset since she is fully aware of Jon’s declining health.

With the two moving on towards the American West, Luke's nihilistic beliefs only makes Jon feel disillusioned as he finally gets sick. Luke insists that they're going to continue on this road trip but his own behavior gets the best of him as Jon has simply had enough and declares that he wants to go home. For Luke, he must find a way to win Jon’s love, even if he has to go everything he’s fighting against.

While it's been nearly 20 years since the film's release, especially since the recent acclaim of Ang Lee's gay cowboy romantic drama, Brokeback Mountain. Gays are now accepted as fully develop characters but in The Living End, the main protagonists aren't as likeable as Jack and Ennis but they're not people to hate either. Sure, Jon is a bit whiny, moody, and often neurotic while Luke is more outgoing and violent yet they're both fully developed characters. The real difference is timing yet both couples have issues to deal with in being gay. For Luke and Jon, they're both HIV-positive and feel like they're going to die anyway as they go for one last ride yet their idealism about things clash against each other. Plus, the film has more political context in the way they talk about George Bush and Republicans' attitude towards gays at the time.

Still, Araki chose not to go into the politics yet use that time to reflect the often disillusioned behaviors of the characters. Yes, the early 1990s are filled with a sense of cynicism but the reasons behind them are very understandable. Due to the 1980s era when AIDS was starting to come out and gays being the targets, it seems that they are the ones responsible for what happened. That sparks the behavior of the protagonists as it would later lead to some tragic circumstances. Still, it's Araki's script and his observant yet nihilistic direction. While some have called this film a low-budget, gay version of Thelma & Louise, it really owes more to the style of Jean-Luc Godard plus some of the narrative style of Terrence Malick. Still, Araki's approach to storytelling is unique, even if he had to use a small budget for the film which gives the film a sense of reality.

That low-budget look though does give the film a grainy presentation with the camera yet Araki's camera work does shine in his locations and ideas about sex and dialogue. The dialogue is often filled with pop culture references and politics while the sex isn't as explicit as one might would think yet watching what they do would get the audience the idea of what's going on. Araki also brings in a nice style of editing to the film that is often reminiscent of his love for Jean-Luc Godard, especially in the jump-cut styles where it would briefly cut to black and then back to a road shot. Though the film's look in its camera may not be perfect, its story and stylish presentation makes up for those shortcomings.

Helping Araki with the film's look is props master Johanna Went who brings an arty look to the film’s edgy, L.A. art scene, especially for the character of Darcy whose boyfriend is a performance artist. Then there is the soundtrack that Araki has assembled that would be the catalyst for his entire career. For this film, Araki employed the likes of such industrial bands like Coil, Psychic TV, and KMFDM plus groups like Chem Lab, Braindead Sound Machine, Babyland, 16 Volt, Drance, Chris & Cosey, Fred, Cambodia, and Biohazard PCB. The music for the film helps conveys the film's angst and attitude that is used very well.

The film's cast doesn't bring much to offer yet the cameos from obscure German actor Peter Grame, Eating Raoul director Paul Bartel, performance artist Johanna Went, and Warhol protégée Mary Woronov are fun to watch since they all represent many of the quirky cameos in Araki's early films. Scot Goetz is good in a brief role as Darcy's performance artist boyfriend who is just sexually frustrated in Darcy's worrisome behavior over Jon. Darcy Marta gives the most realistic performance of the film as Jon's worrisome friend who seems to be the only character in the film that brings any sympathy throughout the entire film. Craig Gilmore is pretty good as Jon though at times, his despaired behavior and whining does make his character very unlikeable but at least Gilmore sells the performance in the third act when he's playing sick. Mike Dytri is also good as Luke with his charming, anarchistic performance with his good looks and cool demeanor though he doesn't bring some more depth into his anger despite giving a few reasons.

While The Living End isn't as accessible as Splendor or as revered as Mysterious Skin, the film does serve as a nice introduction to the work of Gregg Araki. Those interested in the New Queer Cinema movement will indeed find this film essential. While the film is available on DVD, someday the film will get a great DVD release with special features and insight from Araki. While the film's low-budget look and feel and the often-amateurish performances won't be for everyone, the film does hold itself thanks to its attitude and idea of gay life. Still, anyone looking for a road movie with a lot of attitude and cool music on the gay side, The Living End is likely to fulfill those expectations.

Gregg Araki Films: (Three Bewildered People in the Night) - (The Long Weekend (0' Despair)) - Totally Fucked Up - The Doom Generation - Nowhere - (Splendor) - (This Is How the World Ends) - Mysterious Skin - Smiley Face - Kaboom - (White Bird in a Blizzard)

(C) thevoid99 2011