Spectres of the Spectrum (1999) User Reviews

Part conspiracy theory, part b-film sci fi bonanza

[Polaris_DiB · 6/10 · 13 September 2005]

Initially, this film is very hard to take seriously, both for its relatively heavy use of noise-imagery and static which remind me strongly of experimental films (some of which I've made), and secondly because of an odd voice-over claiming doom and gloom in a way that calls back images of terrible sci-fi shows from the fifties and sixties with people running around in plastic suits.

Very soon afterwards, the film takes a turn for the serious, but still holds on to both the headache-causing flashings of distorted images with a couple of characters (ironically, both are epileptic) who often quote those same bad sci-fi features.

However, in order to add a certain element of the profound, the film takes images from our entire history of filmed and televised images and combines them together into a story of the world's slow suffering from the over-abuse of wavelengths by humanity. This abuse is reflected in everything imaginable, from religious ideologies of tapping into the meaning of the Universe, to scientific endeavors to gain free energy from all the Earth, to economic globalization and multimedia conglomeration. All sent with various examples and historical contexts to remind me of the advice, "If you're going to lie, provide as much truth as you can in the midst." Moments in the movie occur that, almost, touch upon a documentary-like air that makes the entire movie very foreboding...

...and yet then the characters come in and construct cheesy time-travel devices and run around the Universe yelling and being annoying and talking about "hidden messages" and "saving the spectrum" and it all kind of falls apart.

All in all, because I'm very interested in avant-garde styles of cinema, it's not a bad try. It's just that it is very overstimulating (I wouldn't be surprised if everyone else in the audience got the same headache I received from it, and it's ironic that there's no way an epileptic could watch this) and eventually disappointing. A good start, but could have used a bit of rewriting to give it a much more serious tone.

--PolarisDiB

just your average time travel via video apocalypse story

[skincage · 9/10 · 13 March 2006]

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.

The Wonderful World of Science,Not!

[The_Dying_Flutchman · 3/10 · 1 December 2011]

"Spectres of the Spectrum" is one nut job of a movie, which purports to tell how the future can be told through the noise of the past. It is made up of every possible and impossible clip of old movies that deal with both real science and fake science. All of it is jammed together with an insane narration by three voices who go on babbling for nearly 91 minutes thus making an effort to tell the tabloid story of "secret rays coming from outer space"; these secret rays are actually electromagnetic ones and as we all know so well they contain minute amounts of mysterious formulas only true advocates of the space brothers would know. Now, some of this is fun, but after a half hour it begins to wane. Some may say more is better, but for this reviewer I can get more of a thrill from listening to Corla Pandit's ruptured organ music on my own while I thumb through the pages of a thrift store copy of Dianetics. Those who have a tendency to receive messages from wind blowing out of their TV sets will certainly have a great time watching this. Others will definitely want at least 8 or 9 martinis to make the adventure worthwhile.

beautiful film

[tbyrne4 · 10/10 · 5 August 2007]

Mind-boggling, somewhat exhausting, but gorgeous, original, and totally vital, "Spectres of the Spectrum" is part practical joke, part hysterical paranoid rant, and part sci-fi film, wrapped in one glorious low-budget package.

I've never seen anything like it. Baldwin has taken a breath-taking amount of archival film footage (who knows where he got all of it) and chopped it into a fairly lean history lesson on the use and abuse of electricity and electromagnetic frequencies.

Some of it is true. Some of it isn't. Some you wonder about. All of it is fascinating. At first he gives you the information so fast you feel overwhelmed, but eventually a pattern starts to unfold.

It takes place in a parallel world where a man and his daughter are living in an airstream trailer in the desert. Some kind of apocalypse has occurred. The man and his daughter speak without talking. This original footage is a bit cheesy and involves time travel and some really bad f/x (they may be intentionally bad), but fortunately doesn't take up too much of the running time.

Anyway, see this if you have any interest in fringe art or cut-up technique or conspiracy theories. I found it a little overwhelming, but totally mesmerizing.

Interesting, but too scattered for me

[Hubajube · 5/10 · 22 March 2000]

This movie reminded me of Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees ( http://us.imdb.com/Title?0105791 ). The very loose plot was used to frame various footage that's related to electricity. Overly kitchy in many places. Sure, it's funny the first time when the main character (Boo Boo) imitates old-school sci-fi heroes, but after a while it becomes tiring.

Montage of fact and fiction.

[Bozo · 10/10 · 21 March 2000]

Spectres of the Spectrum can't be described in words, it has to be seen on the screen. This film is comprised of original material, stock footage and public domain film clips to give the history of electric media and how it will change the future of life on Earth forever. It is a non-stop barrage of sights and sounds that will leave the audience gasping for breath in the end. Make sure not to miss this film, it will change the way you look at the way we communicate and who does the talking for us.

I love this movie

[ham-a-bow · 2 December 2004]

This is movie is a great example of psychedelic info-tainment. Obviously done on a negligible budget, the filmmaker pulls the viewer into the raw ether of this electromagnetic cinema verite. He puts forth an amazing amount of sonic and visual information with an emphasis on the synchronous relationships already connecting the subject matter(?) being dealt with. Plus, he ties it together with a super-rad sci-fi plot line. I really like the some of the acting as well. As strange and amusing(novel) as this movie seems, it also has a strong visual progression that keeps it rolling along nicely. A great ride! I enjoy this movie more each time I watch it. Take back the spectrum!

Speechless

[calan8 · 1/10 · 5 August 2005]

That's how I was when I walked (staggered) out of this "film". I couldn't leave, because it was at a film festival and the cinema was full of people. I was stuck in the middle. Trapped.

The tiny fragment of original footage which attempted to bind this film together features some of the worst acting ever to grace the big screen. The daughter was a stand out performance - stand out in the bad sense.

Thge cinematography was hideous, consisting of disjointed framing and some of the oddest lighting I've witnessed.

As for the stock footage... well at first one...

Wait.

Why am I reviewing this film? Why do I acknowledge its existence? Please, don't watch it. Do something useful with two hours of your life and go watch some paint dry.

Great film

[Steevery · 9/10 · 16 February 2000]

Loved the ideas of the film and how it was put together. Only negative aspect was there was so much information so tightly condensed, I wasn't able to absorb all of it. But after hearing Mr. Baldwin speak when he premiered it at my college, that was most likely a character trait of his. If you get the chance to see it, do so. If you get another, go again.