SCFZ

Polling the films of director Jodie Mack

The rules:

- your list can include no more than half of the Mack films you've seen, up to a maximum of 5. So if you've seen seven of her films, for example, you can list only a top 3. It's only if you've seen ten or more of her 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 up to 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: greg x, wba, greennui, umbugbene, ofrene

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

Seen 15:

1. Dusty Stacks of Mom
2. Let Your Light Shine
3. Glistening Thrills
4. The Grand Bizarre
5. Something Between Us

Seen 23

1. The Grand Bizarre
2. Persian Pickles
3. Posthaste Perennial Pattern
4. Yard Work Is Hard Work
5. August Song

Seen 35.

1. The Grand Bizarre
2. Dusty Stacks of Mom
3. Wasteland No. 2: Hardy, Hearty
4. Let Your Light Shine
5. Lilly

Seen 22. After Mark Rappaport, probably my favourite filmmaker active today.

1. Point de Gaze (2012)
2. The Future Is Bright (2011)
3. The Grand Bizarre (2018)
4. Dusty Stacks of Mom: The Poster Project (2013)
5. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2009)

(Who)

Looks like she makes shorts... guess I can watch a couple

Dusty Stacks of Mom
The Grand Bizarre
Glistening Thrills
Something Between Us
Yard Work Is Hard Work

I have never even heard of this person. "Dusty Stacks of Mom"? I'll remain in darkness & ignorance, I think.

karl wrote: ↑Wed Jun 03, 2020 5:39 am I have never even heard of this person. "Dusty Stacks of Mom"? I'll remain in darkness & ignorance, I think.

Something Between Us

Seen 11 now. Didn't really feel strongly about any of them but I wanted to vote for at least one, the arts and crafts vibe isn't really my thing.

Earlier this year I watched Dusty Stacks of Mom with 2 film friends that both love experimental films. After 15 minutes one of my friends said: this is embarrassing right? And we felt a relief because we all found it unwatchable and cringy. I picked the film because of all the appreciation it gets here, but I really couldn't get into it; it seemed mostly old-fashioned with dull ideas and unappealing music. Cute at its best because of the mother-daughter thing and maybe some craftsmanship to appreciate - but to be honest even the craft didn't seem that special or creative, mostly just a lot of work. It's probably just a difference in taste, but usually when a film is so loved here I at least like it, so I'd be happy to hear why you appreciate this film so much .

Mauries wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 8:43 am Earlier this year I watched Dusty Stacks of Mom with 2 film friends that both love experimental films. After 15 minutes one of my friends said: this is embarrassing right? And we felt a relief because we all found it unwatchable and cringy. I picked the film because of all the appreciation it gets here, but I really couldn't get into it; it seemed mostly old-fashioned with dull ideas and unappealing music. Cute at its best because of the mother-daughter thing and maybe some craftsmanship to appreciate - but to be honest even the craft didn't seem that special or creative, mostly just a lot of work. It's probably just a difference in taste, but usually when a film is so loved here I at least like it, so I'd be happy to hear why you appreciate this film so much .

I didn't like it quite as much when I rewatched it (still liked it a great deal), and I can see why it might feel embarrassing, especially if, like me, you don't care for the majority of the pop culture references being made. One major piece in its favour is that it wasn't made to be seen on home video, which might be lost in your viewing context. As you might know, it was made as a performance piece, with the soundtrack performed live by Mack at any and all screenings, touring together with the film. For me at least, that's an essential part of the work of art, as the form reflects the content, about her parents' business supplying posters for and touring with pop music groups. The screening is like a concert. It's also better because you can't hit pause and can't rewatch it, you can only see it when it tours to you. That aligns with this idea of forms of craft and small family business that have died out by way of the internet, which gives you instant, permanent access to 1000x more material, but in a different digital form to the tactile physical craft of Mack's parents' business and Mack's own animation work. Here I take Mack to be trying to recreate an experience of presence-absence with the work of craft/art that existed more fully before the internet, and that heightens your attention: as Mack's family business fades away, so too does the movie you've been watching, and you need to try to hold it in your memory, because you may never see it again.

Perhaps not helpful to emphasize aspects of the work of art that can't be recreated in a digital copy, but at least for me that's the biggest reason I appreciate it.

Wasteland No 1: Ardent Verdant
Posthaste Perennial Pattern
August Song


seen six, will probably watch more

Thanks Evelyn!

Evelyn Library P.I. wrote: ↑Thu Jun 04, 2020 11:10 am
it was made as a performance piece, with the soundtrack performed live by Mack at any and all screenings, touring together with the film. For me at least, that's an essential part of the work of art, as the form reflects the content, about her parents' business supplying posters for and touring with pop music groups. The screening is like a concert.

I didn't know this, and I guess I would enjoy it more when I saw it as a performce/concert.

mesnalty wrote: ↑Tue Jun 02, 2020 8:24 pm Seen 15:

you can pick our next director mesnalty!

Let's do Shirley Clarke before I forget then!

das experimentelle kino brings out the hater in me, so the less said, the better!

seen 1

Seen 8:

1. Undertone Overture
2. Wasteland No 1: Ardent Verdant
3. The Grand Bizarre
4. Persian Pickles

i didn't check, but i suspect this poll set two records for our director polls - the #1 film is from 2018, which is probably the most recent film that has won a poll, and twelve of the films that got votes are from the 2010s, which is almost surely the most we'll see in any of these polls

results
1. The Grand Bizarre (2018) -- 21 pts
2. Dusty Stacks of Mom (2013) -- 16 pts
3. Glistening Thrills (2013) -- 6 pts
3. Let Your Light Shine (2013) -- 6 pts
3. Wasteland No 1: Ardent Verdant (2017) -- 6 pts
6. Point de Gaze (2012) -- 5 pts
6. Posthaste Perennial Pattern (2010) -- 5 pts
8. Persian Pickles (2012) -- 5 pts
9. Something Between Us (2015) -- 4 pts
9. The Future is Bright (2011) -- 4 pts
9. Undertone Overture (2013) -- 4 pts
12. Yard Work is Hard Work (2008) -- 3 pts
12. Wasteland No 2: Hardy Hearty (2019) -- 3 pts
14. August Song (2011) -- 2 pts
15. Lilly (2007) -- 1 pt
15. I Wanna Dance With Somebody (2009) -- 1 pt

I'm glad that mom's dusty racks scored second. Whadamasterpiece.

posted to letterboxd:

https://letterboxd.com/fliptrotsky/list ... -poll-215/