Innovative and influential musician Tom Verlaine, joined by celebrated producer and guitarist Jimmy Rip, reawaken the spirit of the avant-garde film as they perform a series of newly composed musical scores. The ground-breaking works of Man Ray, Watson & Weber, Fernand Leger and Hans Richter take on new life wrapped in scores that are by turns playful, haunting, serene and intense.

Verlaine was the guiding force behind the band Television, which ushered in a new era of independent pop music in the 1970s. After releasing a series of award-winning solo albums, Verlaine was hailed by The New York Times in 1996 as, "a visionary artist with his creativity and energy undimmed." As composer, producer, singer and sideman, Rip has collaborated with such music legends as Jerry Lee Lewis, Mick Jagger and Deborah Harry. He has recorded with Verlaine since 1981.

THE FILMS:

• L¹ÉTOILE DE MER France 1928 12 Min. Man Ray

• THE FALL OF THE HOUSE OF USHER U.S. 1928
  13 Min. James S. Watson & Melville Webber

• THE LIFE AND DEATH OF 9413 A HOLLYWOOD EXTRA
  US 1928 11 Min. Slavko Vorkapich and Robert Florey

• EMAK-BAKIA
  France 1926 13 Min. Man Ray

• RHYTHMUS 21
  Germany 1921 3 Min. Hans Richter

• BRUMES D'AUTOMNE
  France 1929 12 Min.
  Dimitri Kirsanoff

• BALLET MÉCANIQUE
  France 1924 10 Min.
  Fernand Léger

Note: This DVD is comprised of experimental short films and does not contain
footage of live musical performance.

2007 B&W 78 Min. Full frame (1.33:1)
Produced for video by Tim Lanza
Music produced by Jimmy Rip and Tom Verlaine

Assembled from recordings of concerts in Portugal and Spain,except Rhythmus 21, engineered by Fred Smith, recorded live at Punjab Studio, New York.

Mixing and ProTools editing by Jimmy Rip, Portola Studio, Los Angeles 2007

This program was originally created by the Douris Corporation and the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and was made possible through a grant from the Ohio Arts Council.

All music by Tom Verlaine and Jimmy Rip published by Verlaine Music (ASCAP) and Rippertones Music (ASCAP)

Individual films protected by copyright.

Photo courtesy of Antonio Borrazás,
Sala Capitol, Santiago de Compostel

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