Not to sound like a snob, but there’s a certain basic level of professionalism which filmmakers might want to consider striving for when they send in a tape for review. Copying your film or video onto a used tape is tacky…but understandable. Tape IS cheap, but recycling tapes can save a starving filmmaker a few not-insignificant hundred dollars.
Yet, Sebastian Capone and Richard Altman certainly didn’t earn any bonus points by sending in their tape in the condition we received it: sleeveless, the words “Filth Tape #1” scrawled in pen on a half peeled off top label, and the ever-popular “666” chicken-scratched on the spine label. This is more than just a cosmetic beef. I literally don’t know what to call this damned thing.
Whatever the title, just over the first hour of the video is divided into sections subtitled “Violence,” “War,” “Drugs,” etc. Each section consists of a non-stop barrage of newsreel and movie found footage, some scenes set to thrasher music, others retaining their original sound, which corresponds to the appropriate sub-heading. Or at least, that’s the idea. In reality, Capone and Altman seem to have a particularly disturbing fondness for the “violence” footage, as stomach-churning scenes of gratuitous carnage permeate the other categories at will.
Admittedly, this is kind of hypnotic in a squeamish sort of way. At least it makes a sort of sick sense during the “Violence” and “War” sections. Yet, the more the exploding heads, dismemberments and eviscerations relentlessly pound the viewer over the head, the more the segments all gradually and overwhelmingly run together. Even so, every now and then, a particular little sequence will work. When it does, the effect is similar to watching a terrible baseball team turn a nice double play: they might be going nowhere in the Pennant Race, but they looked good for a couple of seconds, there.
(Incidentally, the last useless ten minutes or so mostly consists of guys — presumably the filmmakers — throwing things around and breaking them. Now THAT’S entertainment…)
It’s a decent bet these guys are big Craig Baldwin fans and there’s no faulting the effort they put into this thing. The sheer amount of research and time required to accumulate the mass of obscure clips they used is impressive in and of itself…and probably indicates a severe dearth of a social life. Unfortunately, none of that makes “Sociology 666” or “Filth Tape #1” or whatever this thing is called any more pleasant or interesting to watch.
I edited everything up until the end segment which was tacked on and of course replaced the original credits I created which contained my credit. This cake about because myself and 3 others had started a video and animation company based around the Newtek Toaster/Flyer non linear editing system which was the first NLE system in Winnipeg Manitoba. I met Seb through a mutual friend… the initial meeting is another story all on its own.
I edited most of that video with Sebastian and chunks here and there without him. Richard came in much later and while he did one of my favourite parts… The realtime uglifying of a Miles Davis (or was it Coltrane… I forget) track… he certainly decided he knew best and strong armed Seb into making some editing changes which I disagreed with. I’m sure this is why I was removed from the final form.
I edited the thing for free just to work with Seb who was a super weird cat. MY kinda weird and to give him a chance to edit digitally to preserve the highest quality of footage he had access to.
I had edited movie clips together to music for fun in the mid 80s as I had no access to any film gear so this style of collage wasn’t new to me… But seeing it through Seb’s eyes was fun.
I hadn’t seen it in years and my VHS copy with credits intact is who knows where. I’m not certain I may even have a digital copy in a box. It popped up on a Winnipeg art site called Video Pool which I’ve done a bunch of work with several artists there . So I watched through it and was taken aback that my involvement which included many more hours than either of them had put in as I was the one who captured all the footage from the 8 to 10 milk crates of the VHS tapes Seb had brought over and left at the office for weeks.
At this point its just an old story that pops up now and again like this article did today, I guess I felt like setting the record straight…to what end, who knows. I know this is anecdotal but you can look me up on IMDb and decide for yourself.