 Who?
I suppose it’s a fair enough question to ask. After all, even the most encyclopedic of film fanatics don’t mention Kenneth Anger at the beginning of their list of favorite directors. But if you took a look at the directors whose names you do see; David Lynch, Martin Scorsese, Andy Warhol – ALL cite the works of Kenneth Anger as a huge inspiration.
Experimental and avant-garde cinema didn’t start with Kenneth Anger. Years earlier, probably the most famous experimental film ever made debuted: Salvador Dali and Luis Buñuel’s collaborative effort, Un Chien Andalou. Even then, with film itself still a young medium, it could be argued that nearly everything created was avant-garde in one way or another. In 2005, Kino released a wonderful set called Avant Garde - Experimental Cinema of the 1920s & 1930s that collects many of these lost products and practices of artists experimenting behind a camera. I would say, though, that most of the experiments on that set were of a practical mind more than they were artistic.
Kenneth Anger started making short films in the 1940s but there can be no denying that his films are extremely stylized personal works with every frame marking a very intentional look. Included here are all the films made by Anger between 1947 and 1954. They include:
 Fireworks (1947) – 15 min
A homoerotic dream/fantasy featuring Kenneth Anger himself being beaten up by some exceptionally homophobic sailors. It’s impossible to argue the semi-autobiographical themes and connect them with the director. Visually, the brutality is very reminiscent of the aforementioned Un Chien Andalou. Thematically, it’s about as far removed from 1947 as imaginable. According to the commentary, the first institution to request a print of Fireworks, was the Kinsey Institute. So it certainly has some historical value in sexual cinema. Andy Warhol must have seen Fireworks before making his films.
Puce Moment (1949) – 6 min
The shortest film on this set, Puce Moment was intended to be part of a much larger project called Puce Women which was never released. In it, a woman goes through her lavish ‘20s style clothing selection before selecting a purple garment to don before going outside to walk her dogs. A very simple short, its most impressive attribute is the way the music (added to the film in the 1960s) perfectly matches what’s happening on the screen.
 Rabbit’s Moon (1950) – 16 min
Seen through a blue tint filter, one mime is confronted by a more whimsical mime, and sees through a lantern a beautiful ballerina mime brought to life. This is especially interesting to watch if you’ve already seen the more common, shorter version of the film. This very different version is not only nearly double the length, it has an entirely different feel. The do-wop soundtrack added years later again perfectly matches the events on screen. This is my favorite of all the films included on this set. I do wish they included both versions, though.
Eaux d’artifice (1953) – 13 min
A very abstract short featuring a midget woman (introduced to Anger by Fellini) running around through the Villa d’Este. Simple and elegant. This short is more an ode to the beauty of the place, with beautiful, natural lighting and the water ballet it continuously performs. Again the music is pitch perfect with the imagery. It was watching Eaux d’artifice that Martin Scorsese admits he first discovered how important music can be to film.
 Inauguration Of The Pleasure Dome (1954) – 38 min
Even I admit that I felt a bit less involved with Inauguration Of The Pleasure Dome. It isn’t that the visuals aren’t stunning; they are. But this Bacchanal ode to an over-indulgent lifestyle of booze, drugs, sex and the occult repeats its imagery to death. True, it’s very calculated, and beneath the surface there is something of a story here (and being as long as it is, there should be) but by the twentieth or thirtieth time you see Pan, Hecate and the lot drinking and laughing you’ll start becoming more and more intimate with your wrist watch. It’s hard to imagine David Lynch not appreciating this film.
I apologize to the readers that my synopsis of these short films may not be as fleshed out as a full-length feature review. The fact is that, being so short, and without a linear plot, there is plenty open for self-interpretation by the viewer. For this reason especially, I would recommend all of the films to anyone interested in just one of them. I don’t regret having watched any of them, even those that I wasn’t so keen on. I can’t imagine anyone else feeling different. These films are an experience, that’s for damn sure.
The DVD Presentation
The look of these films, like the films themselves, is a bit of a mixed bag. While it is obvious that restorative work was done on all of these, none of them really look brand new or anything. They look great considering their limitations, though, and for pure archival purposes, they are wonderful. All of these films are essentially silent. There isn’t a stitch of dialog among them, but they are all very musical in nature. Thankfully, the music comes across beautifully. For a Mono track, I must say I’m impressed.
And the Extras Are?
Screen specific audio commentaries for all films by Kenneth Anger –
Lucky for us, Kenneth Anger is still alive and well at almost 80 years old and provides a personal perspective on these that would have been completely impossible from any film historian. Sadly, being screen specific, the commentaries are quite brief.  When you take into account that these are short films, this is upsetting. The content included,though, is fascinating, and hearing straight from the horse’s mouth what inspired him to make each of these films, despite them being over 50 years old, is an awesome experience that fans are sure to appreciate.
Restoration demonstrations –
With the exception of Rabbit’s Moon, each of the films has a restoration demonstration which shows before and after clips. There was a considerable amount of dirt that had to be painstakingly removed from the prints, and these clips help the viewer appreciate the restoration team and their work.
Rabbit’s Moon outtakes – (2:55)
Presumably in lieu of having a restoration feature, or perhaps simply because it was available, we have several outtakes from the Rabbit’s Moon footage. It isn’t entirely excised footage, but alternate footage. It’s also black and white, proving that the extremely mood-inducing blue hue was implemented after the fact.
48-page full color book –
And a really nice book it is! This square, bound, deluxe, high-gloss paged book is introduced by Anger fan extraordinaire Martin Scorsese and followed by tons of pictures from the five films included on this set. Additional material includes Anger’s own sketches for the unrealized Puce Women project and excerpts from actress Anaïs Nin’s diaries about the making of Inauguration Of The Pleasure Dome. But really, the great stills are reason enough to examine this closely. The sketches are incredible as well.
 The Bottom Line
With the rarity of his films and their general inaccessibility for television airings, you are forgiven for not being aware of Kenneth Anger’s work in the past. Going forward, however, you have no choice but to get yourself an education. Anger’s influence has always reached far and wide, and thanks to Fantoma, it will now reach even wider. The first ever DVD compilation of the director’s work is now available for everyone to see, and those curious and brave enough to try something very different are sure to have an interesting time with it. It’s my opinion that The Films Of Kenneth Anger: Volume I is the first important DVD release of 2007. Bring on Volume 2.
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