This is the 6th post in a series covering the most outrageous moments in underground film history. You can follow the entire series here.
Film: Empire
Director: Andy Warhol
Year: 1964
During his entire filmmaking career, artist Andy Warhol filmed lots of outrageous stuff. With films with titles like Lonesome Cowboys, Nude Restaurant, Mario Banana, Suicide, Bitch — and worse! — it was clear Warhol liked to shock, enrage and embarrass his audiences.
However, the most outrageous thing Warhol ever filmed? The Empire State Building. One shot. For six hours straight. Well, Warhol filmed the topmost portion of the then world’s tallest building for six hours, but when projected he slowed the film down so that he expected audiences to watch a single, static shot for over eight hours.
According to Warhol assistant Gerard Malanga in the Victor Bockris biography The Life and Death of Andy Warhol, filmmaker John Palmer came up with the concept for Empire.
Film: Empire
Director: Andy Warhol
Year: 1964
During his entire filmmaking career, artist Andy Warhol filmed lots of outrageous stuff. With films with titles like Lonesome Cowboys, Nude Restaurant, Mario Banana, Suicide, Bitch — and worse! — it was clear Warhol liked to shock, enrage and embarrass his audiences.
However, the most outrageous thing Warhol ever filmed? The Empire State Building. One shot. For six hours straight. Well, Warhol filmed the topmost portion of the then world’s tallest building for six hours, but when projected he slowed the film down so that he expected audiences to watch a single, static shot for over eight hours.
According to Warhol assistant Gerard Malanga in the Victor Bockris biography The Life and Death of Andy Warhol, filmmaker John Palmer came up with the concept for Empire.
- 1/27/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
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