The Black Hole of the Camera: The Films of Andy Warhol
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The Black Hole of the Camera: The Films of Andy Warhol Details
Review “Challenge[s] the entire field to discover the pleasures and rewards of respecting the specificity and integrity of Warhol’s production.” (Artforum 2012-10-01)“Murphy has derived a highly unique, counterintuitive map, tracing Warhol’s cinematic influence to the heart of U.S. art cinema.” (Cineaste 2012-12-19)“Murphy’s study is critical to any understanding of Warhol’s impact and influence as a filmmaker. . . . This is one of the best books on Warhol’s films to date.” (Choice 2012-08-22)“Forget everything you think you know about Andy Warhol. . . . In encouraging us to completely rethink Warhol, Murphy’s real strength is the way he’s able to make these films sound so alive and vibrant.” (Bad Lit 2012-06-04)“Murphy's engaging study gives us Warhol the visionary.” (Times Higher Education 2012-08-30)“An engaging, invaluable volume that does much to reframe Warhol’s complex use of [film]. . . . A terrific resource.” (Fandor.com 2012-07-24)“Fascinating and essential. . . . A product of thoroughly engaged research.” (Jack Sargeant Filmink Magazine 2012-10-08) Read more From the Inside Flap “One acclaimed filmmaker takes the measure of another! Murphy’s candid and richly personal account of Andy Warhol’s filmmaking is a brilliant contribution to our understanding of one of cinema’s most original and prolific masters, exploring the artist's multiple forms of psychodrama with a filmmaker’s insight and attention to detail. As more and more of the restored Warhol films become available, this book will remain an indispensable handbook for film historians and general moviegoers alike―especially because it is such a genuine pleasure to read."―David E. James, author of The Most Typical Avant-Garde: History and Geography of Minor Cinemas in Los Angeles.“Those of us who care about independent cinema have always struggled with Andy Warhol’s massive oeuvre. At long last J.J. Murphy, who has spent a lifetime making contributions to independent cinema, has undertaken the Herculean task of helping us understand Warhol’s development as a filmmaker. Murphy’s precision, stamina, and passion are evident in this examination of an immense body of work―as is his ability to report what he has discovered in a readable and informative manner. The Black Hole of the Camera helps us to re-conceptualize Warhol’s films not simply as mythic pranks, but as the diverse creations of a prolific and inventive film artist.”―Scott MacDonald, author of A Critical Cinema: Interviews with Independent Filmmakers (5 vols.)."In his careful firsthand study of Andy Warhol’s films, J. J. Murphy contributes to the ongoing revision of the enduring but misplaced perceptions of Warhol as a passive, remote, and one-dimensional artist. Murphy's discussions of authorship, the relation of content to form, the role of "dramatic conflict,” and the complexity of Warhol’s camera work show these perceptions to be stubborn myths. The Black Hole of the Camera offers a clear sense of the nuances of Warhol’s fascinating, prolific, and influential activities in filmmaking."―Reva Wolf, author of Andy Warhol, Poetry, and Gossip in the 1960s. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
Reviews
On the dry/structural side, which is a little frustrating considering the willful perversity of these films. Author does correct some factual errors that have appeared in various other tomes about Warhol films (including museum catalogs), which is certainly useful. For my money the best and toughest writing on Warhol's films remains Koch's Stargazer. Black Hole is good as a resource for the completist.
