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The Work of Director Chris Cunningham
DVD/APPROX. 200 MINS/1996 - 1999/USA
DVD/APPROX. 200 MINS/1996 - 1999/USA
Finally on Region 4, Madman Entertainment has released the Director’s Label Vol. 2: The Work of Director Chris Cunningham. One thing that is
apparent about all of Chris Cunningham's work is his love of form and structure, particularly how it works, how it deconstructs, what it looks like
when it has been destroyed and then rebuilt with a surrealist eye. Cunningham started his artistic career as a sculptor, making his way into special
effects where he was a model maker for films such as Hardware, Nightbreed and the third and fourth installments of the Alien series, until
eventually trying his hand as music video direction. Eventually, he went onto his own full feature in 2005, called Rubber Johnny.
This DVD has a selection of his music video clips and include Second Bad Vibe by Autechre, Afrika Shox by Leftfield, Come to Daddy and
Windowlicker by Aphex Twin, Come On My Selector by Squarepusher, Only You by Portishead, Frozen by Madonna and Bjork's All is Full of Love. His
ability to adjust form to rhythm is amazing and at times almost frightening. I will warn you though, an appreciation of ambient industrial techno is a
must!!
This disc also has some fascinating extras for the behind the scenes stuff. There is a Making of Documentary for Bjork's All is Full of Love film clip
(which has extraordinary similarities to Kubrick's A.I., which he apparently worked on), as well as advertisements for Playstation 2, Nissan and Levi’
s. Two pieces of gallery installation footage for his works “Monkey Drummer” (which has to be seen to be believed) and the erotic “Flex” are also
included. For the squares there is a bleeped version of Aphex Twin's Windowlicker, trailers for the Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry Director's Label
DVDs, and a trailer for Cunningham's weirdo film 'Rubber Johnny', all available from Madman Entertainment.
The Director's Label series also comes with a booklet that should be counted as a special feature. This booklet features sketchbook pages and text
“director's commentaries” of the music clips, and for the “Flex” art gallery installation. The booklet is a really interesting read about this amazing
director.
One may ask why this DVD would be reviewed on a site such as DVD Resurrections, and that would be a fair question, but when one considers
Cunningham's special effects credentials and his almost stifling sense of dread in most of his work, it fits perfectly. This package is an excellent
introduction and appreciation of his work. Like stop motion surrealist Jan Svankmajer, all of Chris Cunningham's products pack a visual and cerebral
punch that linger long after they have been seen.
A brilliant disc and we should all fall to our knees and worship Madman Entertainment for the entire Director's Label series of DVDs!! Fans of
filmmaking and music will find all of these an essential part of their DVD collections.
apparent about all of Chris Cunningham's work is his love of form and structure, particularly how it works, how it deconstructs, what it looks like
when it has been destroyed and then rebuilt with a surrealist eye. Cunningham started his artistic career as a sculptor, making his way into special
effects where he was a model maker for films such as Hardware, Nightbreed and the third and fourth installments of the Alien series, until
eventually trying his hand as music video direction. Eventually, he went onto his own full feature in 2005, called Rubber Johnny.
This DVD has a selection of his music video clips and include Second Bad Vibe by Autechre, Afrika Shox by Leftfield, Come to Daddy and
Windowlicker by Aphex Twin, Come On My Selector by Squarepusher, Only You by Portishead, Frozen by Madonna and Bjork's All is Full of Love. His
ability to adjust form to rhythm is amazing and at times almost frightening. I will warn you though, an appreciation of ambient industrial techno is a
must!!
This disc also has some fascinating extras for the behind the scenes stuff. There is a Making of Documentary for Bjork's All is Full of Love film clip
(which has extraordinary similarities to Kubrick's A.I., which he apparently worked on), as well as advertisements for Playstation 2, Nissan and Levi’
s. Two pieces of gallery installation footage for his works “Monkey Drummer” (which has to be seen to be believed) and the erotic “Flex” are also
included. For the squares there is a bleeped version of Aphex Twin's Windowlicker, trailers for the Spike Jonze and Michel Gondry Director's Label
DVDs, and a trailer for Cunningham's weirdo film 'Rubber Johnny', all available from Madman Entertainment.
The Director's Label series also comes with a booklet that should be counted as a special feature. This booklet features sketchbook pages and text
“director's commentaries” of the music clips, and for the “Flex” art gallery installation. The booklet is a really interesting read about this amazing
director.
One may ask why this DVD would be reviewed on a site such as DVD Resurrections, and that would be a fair question, but when one considers
Cunningham's special effects credentials and his almost stifling sense of dread in most of his work, it fits perfectly. This package is an excellent
introduction and appreciation of his work. Like stop motion surrealist Jan Svankmajer, all of Chris Cunningham's products pack a visual and cerebral
punch that linger long after they have been seen.
A brilliant disc and we should all fall to our knees and worship Madman Entertainment for the entire Director's Label series of DVDs!! Fans of
filmmaking and music will find all of these an essential part of their DVD collections.
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