The Andrew Repasky McElhinney film, George Bataille's Story Of The Eye, is a difficult film to summarize. Its groundbreaking in its structure especially in the world of pure art cinema. The movie is inspired by the novel, Story of the Eye which Georges Bataille released to great controversy in 1929.
The film truly has no strong structure but instead is a series of non titillating sexual events. First it takes place in a nightclub and onstage are two women in oversized top hats doing a demented burlesque routine. A young man plays with a joystick, as if he is controlling the stage action which is soon replaced by his penis. More scenes similar and dissimilar follow. The film is truly an assault on all the senses.
If McElhinney ever decides to switch to mainstream film I think we would see something magical and terrifying.
Check out the website for George Bataille's Story Of The Eye
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hello Andrew, what are you up to?
Andrew Repasky McElhinney: Were preparing to shoot a new feature for 12 days up in the mountains. There is this old hotel up there.
DRE: Is it like George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: Well we havent started yet so well see what its like when its finished.
DRE: Did you have to get the rights to the book to do the movie George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: Its not an adaptation, its an appropriation.
DRE: Did you start the movie to see where it would go?
ARM: Definitely because the story came in while we were in the middle of production.
DRE: Was there ever a story to be made out of the book?
ARM: I dont think we were interested in that. We were interested in the fact that a lot of our ideas corresponded with certain things in book. By using the book as a character in our movie we able to make comments on him.
DRE: When did you first read the book George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: I guess it was at the New School in Manhattan. We did a history of sex in film and one of the texts that was assigned to us was George Bataille's Story Of The Eye. It was a great school because they allowed us to put together our own curriculum.
DRE: When did the idea for the film come about?
ARM: The movie came before the connection to the book.
DRE: Where did the funding come from?
ARM: The film was produced by a guy in Philadelphia who mostly does theatre, art installations and feature films.
DRE: How did it do at the Two Boots Pioneer Theatre in Manhattan?
ARM: It did very well. Ive been busy with this new project so I havent been there as much as I would like. I hear really good things.
DRE: Where else has it been shown?
ARM: It was at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and Im talking to a few other places.
DRE: I dont see it as a porno film but what do you think of people calling it pornographic in a negative way?
ARM: It is a pornographic film. I think it depends on if you look at it as a genre piece or if you are trying to see it in a different context. It is about pornography.
DRE: Was this a difficult movie to do?
ARM: No surprisingly it was a really great working environment because everyone was really in sync with the film we were making. Certainly it was adventurous with ups and downs but it was a good experience.
I really like no dialogue in films because I think silent films are pure and better. Talking is one thing but film is about image and thats why its called The Story of the Eye because its about looking at being watched.
DRE: Do you mean you like a silent film in the grand tradition of silent films or just no dialogue in a modern film?
ARM: Like the silent films from the 1920s.
DRE: I read you also showed the movie as part of a video installation. How do you think it plays best?
ARM: I like them both but I personally prefer it as a feature film. But it plays differently when presented differently. How is someone getting up for popcorn in the middle of movie any different from someone walking through an installation?
DRE: Do you see the film as an attack on pornography?
ARM: I think the film is definitely pro-sexual contact but also a lot of the sex in the movie is presented in a dark and negative way. Ultimately the film is pro-sex.
DRE: Was Matthew Barney and his Cremaster series an influence on you?
ARM: Im really not familiar with Barneys work. From what Ive read he is certainly someone who is doing interesting and different things so I respect him for that. This is really about the people involved and trying to capture something with light and image. Sometimes that comes from the environment you create rather than who influenced you.
DRE: Who did the music?
ARM: A very talented composer named Paul David Bergel did the score. Then this guy named Rick Henderson and his sound project City of Horns sort of amalgamated it together then we all mixed.
DRE: What made you shoot the movie on video?
ARM: It was exciting to see it do something new and I liked the results. I like the malleability of the video image. There is definitely a very schematic color scheme. There is a computer program called the Da Vinci color timer which allows you to manipulate color and lighting in post. It really lets you tweak it.
DRE: Where did you find all your actors?
ARM: I know most of them from Philadelphia.
DRE: What can someone learn about you from watching your film?
ARM: I dont know if its that personal for me. I think its more of a tool to look into yourself.
DRE: When you made this film were you exploring yourself or just bringing life to an idea?
ARM: Probably a little of both. What I discovered about myself changes with every viewing. There is many different ways to look at it which is very exciting.
DRE: Where did you grow up?
ARM: In Philadelphia but I went to school in a bunch of different places.
DRE: What got you into film?
ARM: Ive always really liked movies but I think it was Dr. Strangelove. In seventh grade we went on this camping trip and the following day we came back from camping so I went to go see my parents in New York. That night in the library I took out Dr. Strangelove. I slept through a lot of it which is my favorite way to see movies, going in and out. I never saw a film that stirred me and touched me on that level before. It made me aware that film was in another world.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
The film truly has no strong structure but instead is a series of non titillating sexual events. First it takes place in a nightclub and onstage are two women in oversized top hats doing a demented burlesque routine. A young man plays with a joystick, as if he is controlling the stage action which is soon replaced by his penis. More scenes similar and dissimilar follow. The film is truly an assault on all the senses.
If McElhinney ever decides to switch to mainstream film I think we would see something magical and terrifying.
Check out the website for George Bataille's Story Of The Eye
Daniel Robert Epstein: Hello Andrew, what are you up to?
Andrew Repasky McElhinney: Were preparing to shoot a new feature for 12 days up in the mountains. There is this old hotel up there.
DRE: Is it like George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: Well we havent started yet so well see what its like when its finished.
DRE: Did you have to get the rights to the book to do the movie George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: Its not an adaptation, its an appropriation.
DRE: Did you start the movie to see where it would go?
ARM: Definitely because the story came in while we were in the middle of production.
DRE: Was there ever a story to be made out of the book?
ARM: I dont think we were interested in that. We were interested in the fact that a lot of our ideas corresponded with certain things in book. By using the book as a character in our movie we able to make comments on him.
DRE: When did you first read the book George Bataille's Story Of The Eye?
ARM: I guess it was at the New School in Manhattan. We did a history of sex in film and one of the texts that was assigned to us was George Bataille's Story Of The Eye. It was a great school because they allowed us to put together our own curriculum.
DRE: When did the idea for the film come about?
ARM: The movie came before the connection to the book.
DRE: Where did the funding come from?
ARM: The film was produced by a guy in Philadelphia who mostly does theatre, art installations and feature films.
DRE: How did it do at the Two Boots Pioneer Theatre in Manhattan?
ARM: It did very well. Ive been busy with this new project so I havent been there as much as I would like. I hear really good things.
DRE: Where else has it been shown?
ARM: It was at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco and Im talking to a few other places.
DRE: I dont see it as a porno film but what do you think of people calling it pornographic in a negative way?
ARM: It is a pornographic film. I think it depends on if you look at it as a genre piece or if you are trying to see it in a different context. It is about pornography.
DRE: Was this a difficult movie to do?
ARM: No surprisingly it was a really great working environment because everyone was really in sync with the film we were making. Certainly it was adventurous with ups and downs but it was a good experience.
I really like no dialogue in films because I think silent films are pure and better. Talking is one thing but film is about image and thats why its called The Story of the Eye because its about looking at being watched.
DRE: Do you mean you like a silent film in the grand tradition of silent films or just no dialogue in a modern film?
ARM: Like the silent films from the 1920s.
DRE: I read you also showed the movie as part of a video installation. How do you think it plays best?
ARM: I like them both but I personally prefer it as a feature film. But it plays differently when presented differently. How is someone getting up for popcorn in the middle of movie any different from someone walking through an installation?
DRE: Do you see the film as an attack on pornography?
ARM: I think the film is definitely pro-sexual contact but also a lot of the sex in the movie is presented in a dark and negative way. Ultimately the film is pro-sex.
DRE: Was Matthew Barney and his Cremaster series an influence on you?
ARM: Im really not familiar with Barneys work. From what Ive read he is certainly someone who is doing interesting and different things so I respect him for that. This is really about the people involved and trying to capture something with light and image. Sometimes that comes from the environment you create rather than who influenced you.
DRE: Who did the music?
ARM: A very talented composer named Paul David Bergel did the score. Then this guy named Rick Henderson and his sound project City of Horns sort of amalgamated it together then we all mixed.
DRE: What made you shoot the movie on video?
ARM: It was exciting to see it do something new and I liked the results. I like the malleability of the video image. There is definitely a very schematic color scheme. There is a computer program called the Da Vinci color timer which allows you to manipulate color and lighting in post. It really lets you tweak it.
DRE: Where did you find all your actors?
ARM: I know most of them from Philadelphia.
DRE: What can someone learn about you from watching your film?
ARM: I dont know if its that personal for me. I think its more of a tool to look into yourself.
DRE: When you made this film were you exploring yourself or just bringing life to an idea?
ARM: Probably a little of both. What I discovered about myself changes with every viewing. There is many different ways to look at it which is very exciting.
DRE: Where did you grow up?
ARM: In Philadelphia but I went to school in a bunch of different places.
DRE: What got you into film?
ARM: Ive always really liked movies but I think it was Dr. Strangelove. In seventh grade we went on this camping trip and the following day we came back from camping so I went to go see my parents in New York. That night in the library I took out Dr. Strangelove. I slept through a lot of it which is my favorite way to see movies, going in and out. I never saw a film that stirred me and touched me on that level before. It made me aware that film was in another world.
by Daniel Robert Epstein
SG Username: AndersWolleck
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p.s. I'm not trying to be an asshole... Really, this movie is crap. This is an old post, I know.. but it popped up on the bottom of my page (JUST NOW) and I couldn't resist.