Looking through some notes I'd made in an old notebook the other day I found a reference to Kenneth Anger's Puce Moment. Anger is someone who I've found interesting for a while now, he links lots of figures and elements of the counter-culture that was present in 1960s California and the controversy and issues surrounding many of his films and his life in general I never tire of reading about. Also I love that he's one of those people who brings up loads of other weird interesting stuff and leads you in to strange little time absorbing pockets of the internet when you do start researching about them.
Anyway back to Puce Moment it's a short six minute film made in 1949 of a glamorous actress languishing around in her mansion - initially supposed to be part of a longer film that was never made. It was originally scored to one of Verdi's overtures but Anger changed the soundtrack during the 1960s to music by Jonathan Halper - to the kind of folk-rock that was coming out of California during that time. I find that there's something quite tragic about old Hollywood glamour in a strange kind of romantic way, another thing I find endlessly fascinating, which I think Anger's film almost but not quite portrays. For me I think it's because I find the soundtrack really distracting and I would like to find a version with the original soundtrack to see the difference it makes. But still each time I see this I find it hard to believe it was made as long a go as 1949 as Anger's techniques make it seem much more modern.
Incidentally I saw Anger's apartment block a few years ago on holiday in California when I went on this tour (which I highly recommend!). Anger's presenting some of his films at Tate Modern tonight which unfortunately I can't go to but I will be making a trip to see his exhibition at Sprueth Magers which opened today sometime. I'm off now to sit in the bath and read some of his Hollywood Babylon instead....
