Customer Reviews

Andy Warhol Screen Tests: The Films of Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonne (Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonnee)

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callie angell's expert volume 1 of the warhol film catalog raisonne (screentests) is a must for all libraries as the most authentic referrence manual for this ouvre. all information is from direct viewing of the films and interviews with actual participants. it is therefore the primary source for this series of warhol film art. the publication is beautiful and the illustrations, actual stills from the acutal films, are exciting. the text and essays are chock full of technical info on the making of the series, social notes included. a must have for all serious warhol souces. abrams and the whitney museum of american art did a fine job; it's a historical documentary publication in the art world.

Wow, it's hard to top Billy Name himself writing a review of this, but this book is a real gas and an essential catalog of Warhol's screen tests. You get stills from each of the tests, with a brief bio of each of the subjects. Always interesting and informative, full of surprises and humor, and exhaustively detailed. There were even a few color tests done, and you get stills from each of them too. Some of these people are true shadows and we know little, and some are truly beautiful (Amy Taubin!). I am really looking forward to Volume Two and the "features." Warhol being the most important artist of the second half of the 20th Century, it is even possible that these films may be his most important art works. Mailer said that we wouldn't recognize their value for fifty years, but we've now passed the forty year mark and my impression is that most people would still want to ignore these -- but time will tell.

Bought it as an anniversary gift. Before wrapping it I paged through and quickly became engrossed. I'm not sure I would have been as interested if I hadn't previously seen many of the screen tests. Author accepts Screen Tests as canonical films whose production details are of tremendous significance. Brief bios and gossipy tidbits cater to shallower retro-interest in the usual superstars, although numerous people cast in the Screen Tests were rich patrons and art industry knobs. Like much of Warhol's oeuvre, the Screen Tests merit sustained viewing only if you're willing to invest a lot in the experience. Vol 1 provides innarestin' background for people so inclined. Might buy Vol 2, if it isn't bloated with stuff on the Warhol-Morrissey productions.