Toshio Matsumoto - Experimental Film Works Vol. 3
Expansion is a re-working of Ecstasis, enhanced with flickering color, image re-duplication and a psychedelic rock soundtrack.
Andy Warhol (Re-production) is a suitably non-sensical presentation of documentary footage about Andy Warhol's visit to Japan.
Everything visible is empty contemplates the titular Buddhist maxim through a succession of Japanese calligraphy samples interspersed with Indian religious art. Ultimately, the character for Nothing-ness comes to dominate, and all that is left is a blank screen with a flicker of spectral colors.
Enigma is something of a more glamorous version of White Hole, with a wide variety of elaborate textures (often composed of iconographics and religious symbols) converging towards the center of the screen.
The subsequent four shorts seem to concentrate on the formal qualities of visual perception. In Connection, a static shot of the sky with moving clouds is subdivided into regular geometrical regions, which are then individually (and rhythmically) manipulated. In Relation, the focus of the viewer's attention is guided (and mocked) by pointers moving through the screen. In Shift, panning shots of an industrial building are subdivided into horizontal bars, and fanciful earth-quake-like effects are induced by differential zooming, panning and delays. In Sway, the viewer is confronted with hyper-fast zoom-ins and zoom-outs.
Finally, Engram is a three-part piece revolving around a few good old ideas such as photos inside of photos, movies inside of movies, photos inside of movies, movies inside of photos, and (even) a film director inside a TV set. |