SCFZ

Polling the films of director Jonas Mekas

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Mekas films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of his films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of his films than you can list the maximum of five.

- i'll assume ballots are ranked unless you tell me otherwise. unranked ballots are fine.

- deadline for ballots: next Tuesday, in seven days, whatever day that is

- if anyone is watching films for these polls, then i'll extend the deadline three days, if someone requests an extension

- next poll: whoever posts the first ballot in this thread is free to nominate the director we poll next, unless you've nominated in this round already (everyone should get a chance). Already nominated this round: brian d, greennui, ofrene, kanafani, bure, greg x, oscarwerner, silga, dt, umbugbene, roscoe, rischka, wba, thoxans, mesnalty

umbugbene created an index on letterboxd of all of our previous polls here: letterboxd.com/umbugbene/list/index-of-all-scfz-director-polls/

one rule for nominees: at least 3 scfzers need to have seen 10+ of a nominee's films, or at least 4 scfzers need to have seen at least 8 of the nom's films, so if it isn't clear if that will be the case, we'll confirm that's true before moving forward

if 24 hours pass after a poll opens, and no one eligible to nominate has posted a ballot, then i'll nominate someone, and then we'll start over, and everyone will be able to nominate again

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

Seen 5.

Seen 2.

1. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

I've only seen 5...

seen none, even tho, back in the day, aiwmaoisbgob was briefly uploaded to tube, and i made sure to post it to my mubi profile, so other peeps could catch it, and never ended up catching it myself ::suicidemoji::

i have only two so the one with all the cats

https://twitter.com/rbgscfz/status/1091477153252823040

Seen 14:

1. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
2. Lost, Lost, Lost
3. Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
4. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
5. Guns of the Trees

Seen 6 (all shorts, none of the heavy-hitters)

1. Notes on the Circus

Seen 16, but only one feature. Might catch Reminiscences and/or Lost Lost Lost before this closes but for now

Song of Stockholm
As I was moving ahead
Wtc haikus
Song of Avignon
Song of Moscow

seen 19

He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man
The Brig

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty is his magnum-opus for sure, but it doesn't need my vote in here, I think...

seen 6, but i'll vote for a small, late movie that i found very moving

sleepless nights stories

Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty

Mubi is currently wrapping up a series of Mekas films, so I've seen a bunch recently. I've never seen the one I guess I'm supposed to see, As I Was Moving Ahead etc. His documentaries seem inexcusably casual to me. I'll vote for:

1. Guns of the Trees

Seen 11 so far with only one left to go, A Letter from Greenpoint. I'll try to get to it before the poll closes.

EDIT: Seen 12 now. No changes. Mekas literally made A Letter from Greenpoint while drunk

Caracortada wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 7:00 pm Seen 2.

caracortada - you can pick our next director if you like!

flip wrote: ↑Thu May 16, 2019 11:11 pm

Caracortada wrote: ↑Tue May 14, 2019 7:00 pm Seen 2.

caracortada - you can pick our next director if you like!

Charlie Chaplin hasn't been done yet, so I'll pick him.

Just discovered the most absurd and amusing anecdote about Jonas Mekas:

"Finally, another friend reports that when Jonas Mekas was informed in 1970 that Nasser had just died, his initial response was to wonder aloud: Is this a good or bad thing for cinema?"(from Jonathan Rosenbaum, Moving Places, pg. 171.)

Ah, cineastes and their single-issue platforms...

Glad to see Jonas Mekas has fans in our forum.
Seen 7-(Shame on me-too little):
1. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
2. Guns of the Trees (1961)
3. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972)

considering the difficulties some scfz'ers have had logging on to the site the last few days, it only seems right to extend the deadline for our open polls until everyone has had a chance to participate. i'll extend the deadline for this poll at least until friday, but possibly until next tuesday -- i'll be traveling over the weekend, so not sure how much time i'll have to tabulate things.

owww Mekas <3

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty
Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania
Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections
Wien & Mozart

Seen 6

1. Diaries, Notes, and Sketches
2. As I Was Moving Ahead...
3. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania

WTC Haikus

seen three shorts, all for this poll

results

1. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000) -- 23 pts
2. Diaries, Notes and Sketches (1969) -- 14 pts
2. Reminiscences of a Journey to Lithuania (1972) -- 14 pts
4. He Stands in a Desert Counting the Seconds of His Life (1986) -- 5 pts
4. The Song of Stockholm (1981) -- 5 pts
6. Guns of the Trees (1961) -- 4 pts
6. Lost, Lost, Lost (1976) -- 4 pts
6. WTC Haikus (2010) -- 4 pts
9. Out-Takes from the Life of a Happy Man (2012) -- 2 pts
9. Song of Avignon (1998) -- 2 pts
9. Scenes from the Life of Andy Warhol: Friendships and Intersections (1990) -- 2 pts
12. Sleepless Nights Stories (2011) -- 1 pt
12. Notes on the Circus (1966) -- 1 pt
12. The Song of Moscow (1971) -- 1 pt
12. The Brig (1964) -- 1 pt
12. Wien & Mozart (2001) -- 1 pt

if anyone missed their chance to vote, i'll still factor in ballots posted today (though please don't look at the results before voting)

up at letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-131/