it is perhaps ironic that i found this film on VHS, in a pile of forgotten movies being sold off to make room for an influx of DVDs at my favorite video store. it is a credit to the store that they stocked this film at all, and while i was sad to see many such films go the way of extra copies of Kangaroo Jack i was happy to snap it up for a measly fiver.
Spectres of the Spectrum is a masterwork of what the Subgenii call "bulldada," mixing conspiracy theories, lost history, and fiction to create a story that works without an excess of linear events or character development. if you're a fan of cut-up, collage, and creative copyright infringement, this is up your alley. and since it's on DVD now, it should be easier to find.
the source material draws largely from kine-scopes, video records of live television. Baldwin thus uses snippets of the peek into the Cold War mindset of the 50s to create a backdrop for a Brain War set in 2007. the use of obsolete technology by the resistance forces in the film mirrors the use of garbage footage by the filmmaker to create his work. in between the lines are bits of real history, and the entire thing is woven in such a way as to make one actually think while watching a film. outlaw stuff, these days.
i can see how someone more accustomed to traditional films would complain a little about the cheese factor of the story, but in the context of this film it fits well and keeps you from taking it too seriously.
see it, think about it, and see it again. it opens up a world of fascinating topics to explore.
