Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis

Jack Smith is simultaneously hailed as the godfather of performance art, a groundbreaking photographer and the 'William Blake of film'.  His utopian ideals, artistic processes and bejeweled artworks became essential influences to contemporary art superstars like Andy Warhol, Federico Fellini and Matthew Barney. In her feature-length film debut, director Mary Jordan combines Smith's rare and unseen films and photographs with rare audio recordings, acting appearances, and other relics squeezed from Smith's vaulted archives.  Jordan also delves into Smith's tenuous relationship with Andy Warhol—who adopted Smith's ideas and actors in his own work (including Smith's "Superstars" concept), his vilification of New American cinema pioneer Jonas Mekas, and other previously undocumented biographical topics.

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• documentary
• trailer
• Andy
• Warhol
• art
• arthouse
• film
• unique
• artistic
• expression
• biography
• interview

[scherfilms]

Jack Smith was the king of crazy or maybe the crazy king. His magic bubbles off the screen in the most indescribable way. He was a true creature of the cinema. As if invented by it, even. The camera loved him the way it loved Valentino. He could steal a scene in 6 frames. Sometimes I like to dream of what he could have made if he had a big budget ... although it would probably have been like a Maria Montez film... only completely crazy, in the best sense... and full of sexless orgies.

[tlaniganschmidt]

Hey,that Laurie Anderson quote was really amazing,considering that when i asked her what she thought of Jack Smith's Art,movies & performances one fine-day back in the late 1970s her very-quick-answer was "WHO...JACK...WHO..???" so says I"Jack Smith"...&...so says she "I NEVER HEARD OF HIM....funny thing this thing called History?....eh? Oh well eventually she found out who he is.....at least by the time a Documentary was made about Jack Smith....so i guess that validates the quote?

[mk3euro]

awesome

[sisterdiggins]

"This is real magic, don't you understand?"

[Whyavier]

I watched a documentary on this guy once. I thought it was kind of boring but it had a kickass score...

[tomgarden]

this sucks