Camera Obscura's 'Virtue' — Rarelyseen Cautionary Tale At The Roxie
“We are in the midst of the most profound technological event to hit humanity since the fire. Is fire good or bad?” John Perry Barlow, in Virtue.
The late 1990s was a time of great change in both technology and culture. In this context, the Virtue Camera is like a modern version of James Whale's Frankenstein, Fire is Bad, of course.
The film follows Hundi, who loses her husband in a car accident at the beginning of the film, while watching him through VR goggles. In search of an imaginary replacement for her husband (she calls him "Chip Man"), Tripp (Philip R. Ford) and host Dr. He takes Pluto (Timmy Spence) into the world of VR chips.
It should be noted that the film shows the events of the "real world" in black and white, while the scenes seen with VR glasses are in color. It is also worth noting that the black-and-white world depicted in the film is the lost setting of South Bazaar (which was released at the time due to the death and loss of many people during the AIDS crisis).
One of the film's VR characters lives in a makeshift house under a freeway that looks dystopian but is very close to reality, suggesting that our current housing crisis has been with us for a long time.
It was detected but terminated
The film received mixed reviews upon its initial release. Peter Stack condemned the film as "essentially a form of voyeurism" and called it "a waste of imagination".
In 1999, Wesley Morris conservatively suggested that Test Film was "all D-rated porn and techno-culture phantasmagoria".
Perhaps the critics' delusion can be explained when you remember that streaming providers like Xtube weren't connected to the Internet until the middle of the decade when the film was released. For immorality. a lot. Just like in the movie. If you believe this, then you are wrong. A 2018 Business Insider article found that more pornographic websites are viewed than Twitter, Netflix, or Wikipedia.
To be honest, the horror elements are a bit hard to find and I had to skip some of the more graphic surgeries and piercing scenes. But it's worth remembering that this film was shot in the middle of the "Modern Primitive" era, which makes this element a little more understandable.
The cast is amazing and includes the late Arturo Galstern as Patsy Cline, Miss X's VR travel assistant, Dina Davenport as a VR host and Connie Champagne Hunde as one of the two actresses, Lee Crowe as the beautiful princess. (like Elvis Herselvis), Jello Biafra as a VR poker dealer, and veterans like Barlow, Timothy Leary, and William Gibson also comment on online culture.
The film may have felt like a letdown when it hit theaters, but it feels too creepy and camera-blurry for anyone who needs to fend off conspiracy theorist-influenced pedestrians or internet chatter. She looked like Cassandra.
After the film, the director of Camera Obscura will have an interview with San Francisco historian Jack Boulevard. Also in the discussion are League Crow (Elvis Herselvis), Philip R. Ford, Lou Reading (Fudgy Footage), Alvin Orloff, Beth Custer, RU Sirius. and RU Sirius. The others.
I was recently interviewed by Camera Obscura at the screening of the film on June 5th.
Michael Flanagan by Philip R. Ford Tripp and Timmy Spence's Dr. I'm interested in doing a movie where he interacts with Pluto. Was it a real club and if so where was it filmed?
Camera Obscura. Yes, it was filmed in the back room of the DNA Lounge. The "Star Spangled Banner" scene was filmed on mission gear. The Sisters of Everlasting Happiness was filmed at Club Townsend.
One scene near the end where a VR addict plays with Jello Biafra, he lives under the Soma highway. Are all the road scenes shot in Soman?
Yes, these two scenes were shot south of the market. It is located on Berwick Street near 10th and Folsom. Now it seems the opposite. street-level graffiti with overpriced condoms on it; Perfect style for the current state of the city.
The film features a number of local luminaries, including The Eternal Sisters, Miss X, Alvin Orloff and Elvis Herselvis/Lee Crowe. Were there any shows or performance groups that inspired you while filming?
Oh my god, yes. These people have immersed themselves in their humanity and have explored all dimensions, both cultural and extraterrestrial, with great detail and interest. It was incredibly liberating and inspiring. They showed society how to live life with joy, humor and authenticity.
Perhaps more inspiring than the individual artists is how the city has supported the network of clubs that have become spaces for this creative exploration. Club Uranus, EndUp, Pleasuredome, Colossus, Eagle, The Stud, DV8, Klubstitute; I mean the list goes on. The scene itself was a source of inspiration.
Wouldn't it be great if community enrichment clubs took advantage of the tax breaks offered by Facebook and Twitter?
I was a regular Klubstitute every week. I always say that the founder was the High Priest of the Pope's Diet. It was spiritual food for me and many others. I dedicate my film to him, as well as to my X-stasi sister Marie Collette and my mother.
Back to the 1990s club scene, not forgetting Doris Fish, Coquettes, Angels Light, Hula Palace, Empress Parties and the leather and modern vintage scene. And after Fazimat, there was the Trannyshack and Drag King movement. Therefore, half of the proceeds from the film will be donated to the GLBT Historical Society. This "virtue" is the inheritance owed to all. It must be contaminated.
The ritual with the sisters has the air of Kenneth Anger. Was that the inspiration for this part of the film?
Yes, Good eye! Virtue is a lively tribute to predecessors such as Jean Cocteau, Kenneth Anger, Bruce Connor, Jack Smith, Kurt McDowell, many others including John Waters. I was excited to have Lou Weinert as cinematographer on this scene, and many others, because of his deep understanding of how film emulsion amplifies light when it hits the silver surface for magic.
I asked Cocteau's cinematographer Henri Aleca to recreate his dreamy and playful style. Unfortunately, while the entire cast and crew volunteered, Lowe was unable to capture the highlights of each scene. The Star Spangled Banner also put on a spectacular show.
At the time of the film's release, there were reviews in both the Examiner and the Chronicle, and neither of them understood the film. Do you think it's because they don't understand non-narrative structure, or because they're so mad at the technological changes of the times that they don't listen to the dystopian voices?
I'm sure it's because of how much digital technology is disrupting our lives and society. Like everyone else, every broadcaster believes that technology will "empower" us, "level the playing field," "democratize" society, and give us more free time.
When the audience finished the film, the people sitting in the back of the theater shouted: "How funny!" I remember hearing him mumble. This can never happen, “It doesn't have to. It's display technology. It's just a tool” and “These glasses are stupid”.
So that's it. Now look who's gone crazy. (Funny, not funny).
As someone who has seen the rise of virtual reality and the craze for virtual video performances, are you surprised by the trend toward shorter and shorter durations (à la TikTok), or do you think computers and smartphones brought it naturally? Attention span.
Algorithms are specially programmed, or as they say, "optimized," to compete with each other to distract us. This naturally causes us to have shorter and shorter attention spans as our lizard brain responses teach us algorithms that help us be more successful.
As a result, our attention spans are getting shorter and shorter as a result of the negative feedback between human and device. The five-minute segment in which Arturo Galster sings all four "Battle Hymns of the Republic" as Patsy Cline's "The Assumption" is a media and attention-grabbing statement for those suffering from cognitive deficit disorder. . .
But one more thing about algorithms. See how they enrich our communities, not a constant race for short attention spans. It is scientifically proven. Among all human emotions, focus group studies show that anger is most likely to lead to social media engagement. A click, or like, or whatever.
These social media algorithms are designed to cause outrage. As a result, we choke everyone at every possible intersection. trans rights, gun control, vaccines, critical race theory, whether the earth is round or flat. It would be fun if we weren't on the brink of civil war. Frankly, I blame social media for the politics of publicized hate against transgender people and other marginalized people.
The small size of the screen makes it somewhat difficult to focus compared to sitting in a comfortable chair in a dark room in front of a beautiful CinemaScope screen. Perhaps the wise prophet Norma Desmond said in the movie "Sun Boulevard". " I 'm tall, I'm short."
Virtue June 5, 6:30 p.m., The Roxy, 3125 16th St. Free (members) - $10. www.roxie.com/film/virtue
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