Kiss (1963)

Director:

Andy Warhol

Plot Keywords:

Kiss | Independent Film

Cast

Rufus Collins	...	Himself
Johnny Dodd	...	Himself
Freddie Herko	...	Himself
Mark Lancaster	...	Himself
Naomi Levine	...	Herself
Gerard Malanga	...	Himself
Ed Sanders	...	Himself

Runtime:

50 min

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Have I Got News for You: (#32.3)" (2006)

Clearing The Air On Warhol's Cinematic Work

Okay, to set the record straight once & for all,Andy Warhol intended this film,as well as the rest of his early cinematic efforts not to be viewed as standard cinema (at least in the traditional sense). Films such as Kiss,Empire,Sleep & others like it were an extension of still photography (just undertaken on a much larger scale). All of Warhol's films from 1963,until 1968 were shot in 16mm (as it was much cheaper than filming in 35mm,and could be screened at venues specializing in that medium). If you must insist on Warhol's early films to be viewed as cinema,I would say that they would be a splendid cure for insomnia or narcolepsy (a few years ago,there was a Warhol retrospective at the Wadsworth Athenuem in Hartford,Ct.,and some select Warhol films were screened in the Athenuem's in house cinema...and yes....I did see half an hour of 'Sleep',his first film featuring avant/garde poet, John Giorno living up to the films title...sleeping for five and a half hours). The truth be known, I prefer his later films, such as Chelsea Girls (1966),Poor Little Rich Girl (1965),and the rarely seen Inner And Outer Space (also from 1965). By the way,for anyone who hasn't seen 'Kiss',it's little more than a series of portraits of various Warhol hanger on's, kissing for three minutes at a time (the short films were later collected on one or two reels,clocking in at just under an hour,filmed silent,but a music score was actually composed to accompany the films by John Cale---a soundtrack CD does exist).