A Couple From The Censored Eleven

The Censored Eleven are eleven Merrie Melodies and Looney Tunes Cartoons that were withheld from syndication with United Artists in 1968. Why were they censored? Mostly because of racism and the prevalence of a wide number of black-face jokes and depictions.

Here's the list:
"Hittin' the Trail to Hallelujah Land" (1931)
"Sunday Go to Meetin' Time" (1936)
"Clean Pastures" (1937)
"Uncle Tom's Bungalow" (1937)
"Jungle Jitters" (1938)
"The Isle Of Pingo Pongo" (1938)
"All This and Rabbit Stew" (1941)
"Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs" (1943)
"Tin Pan Alley Cats" (1943)
"Angel Puss" (1944)
"Goldilocks and the Jivin' Bears" (1944)

So here are a few "highlights" from the list.

All This and Rabbit Stew
Bugs Bunny and The Horrific Stereotype. Black Elmer Fudd?


Coal Black and De Sebben Dwarfs
Clampett's jazz-age reimagining of the fairy tale. According to Wikipedia, this is the most frequently defended of the eleven.

Guitar Drag

This short film by Christian Marclay is simple, but quite provocative. In the film a plugged in electric guitar is dragged around San Antonio from the back of a pick-up truck with a rope. This is an amazingly inflammatory work and absolutely riveting. It makes me deeply uncomfortable, though I'm not entirely sure why.

Guitar Drag

Polish Raga Bhangra Hip Hop?

Courtesy of Wired and No Fear of the Future, I bring you the fine fruits of globalization: Masala Sound System. It's a Polish group with a penchant for Indian rhythyms and hip hop sensibilities.

What more can I say? You can't make this up.

Masala - Od Tarnobrzegu po Bangladesz


Masala - Rewolucja w Nas (Festiwal Gwiazd 2007)

Der Fuehrer's Face

I owe a lot to a film history course I took with Michael Powell. Many of the excellent surrealist and avant-garde films I have posted I first saw in his course. This is another clip in this category, and probably the most amazing. It's probably most notable for being the film in which you can hear Donald Duck say "Heil Hitler!" about fifty times. Hyper-patriotic, racist, and Disney: Magical.

Der Fuehrer's Face

Rose Hobart

Rose Hobart is an experimental film from 1936 by Joseph Cornell. It features the titular actress in the b-movie East of Borneo. Cornell re-edited the footage along with other found footage to create, along with the already posted Meshes of the Afternoon, one of the most important American experimental films.

I couldn't dig up an embeddable version, so here's a link to a wonderful ubuweb entry about Joseph Cornell, information about the film, and of course, the work in its entirety.

The Avalanches

Supposedly these Australian vinyl wizards have a new record coming out eventually. Until then I content myself with Since I Left You, which is much more than a small comfort. It's hard for me to believe this record came out in 2000. The videos for the two singles, I also, incidentally find particularly enjoyable. In fact, I probably like them better than the songs.

Frontier Psychiatrist


Since I Left You


I'd Rather Dance With You
Not The Avalanches, but The Kings of Convenience. Included simply because it is sweetest music video to ever be set in a dance studio.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

In 1970, Jaromil Jires, released a movie called "Valerie a tyden divu," or "Valerie and Her Week of Wonders." This Czech movie is supposed to be a stunning and otherwordly series of dreams and hallucinations by which a girl first experiences menstruation. I have yet to see the movie, but fell in love with the soundtrack released by the good folks on Finders Keepers. So, I queued it up on Netflix, and hopefully watching it won't be as disastrous as the time I tried to watch Vampyros Lesbos. In any case, here are some clips of what promises to be an amazing movie.

Valerie and Her Week of Wonders

Girls Gone Wild

Here are the trailers to a series of films about teenage girls being wild, violent, sexual, and criminal... sort of. Five trailers of teen delinquent exploitation films from 1957 and 1958. Sensationalist gold.

Live Fast, Die Young


Girls on the Loose


Teenage Doll


Reform School Girl


High School Hellcats

Perils of Pornography and Perverts

Let us not forget that weekends also have their dark sides: the creeping sexual perversion that is encompassing our society. I have included two short films to teach you about the horrors of pornography and how to spot a pervert (Hint: Are they over 35 and ask if you have a MySpace account?).

Perversion for Profit


How To Spot A Pervert

The Weekend Is Coming

Since the weekend is coming I thought I would offer you some helpful advice on the best ways to handle your self. Here are two short film strips by the fine folks at Coronal Instructional Films telling you how to throw a party and date.

What To Do On A Date


What Makes A Good Party