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Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers

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As a long time Quay fan this is manna. I went to the Zeitgeist web site and it sounds nothing short of incredible:

Box Synopsis:

Since the late 1970s, identical twins Stephen and Timothy Quay have made a unique contribution to animation in general and the puppet film in particular. Filtering arcane visual, literary, musical, cinematic and philosophical influences through their own utterly distinctive sensibility, each Quay film rivets the attention through hypnotic control of décor, music and movement, evoking half-remembered dreams and long-suppressed childhood memories, fascinating and deeply unsettling in turn.

This new two-disc set contains thirteen of their classic short films in brand-new, restored and remastered editions, plus a collection of footnotes including extensive interviews, alternative versions, unrealized pilot projects and more. The Quays were extensively involved with the preparation of this set--from personally supervising the transfers to recording audio commentaries for selected works.

Zeitgeist Films is proud to present Phantom Museums: The Short Films of the Quay Brothers in exclusive slipcase packaging--with a 24-page illustrated booklet including an extensive Quay Brothers Dictionary and a new essay by film critic Michael Atkinson.


DISC ONE: THE FILMS
The Cabinet of Jan Svankmajer (1984)
*This Unnameable Little Broom (Epic of Gilgamesh) (1985)
*Street of Crocodiles (1986), plus original treatment
Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies (1987)
*Stille Nacht I (Dramolet) (1988)
The Comb (1990)
Anamorphosis (1991)
*Stille Nacht II (Are We Still Married?) (1992)
*Stille Nacht III (Tales From Vienna Woods) (1993)
Stille Nacht IV (Can't Go Wrong Without You) (1994)
*In Absentia (2000)
The Phantom Museum (2003)

*Includes Quay Brothers audio commentary

DISC TWO: THE FOOTNOTES
Nocturna Artificialia (1979)
The Calligrapher (1991)
The Summit (1995)
In Absentia in Scope (2000)
Rehearsals for Extinct Anatomies in Scope (1987)
Quay Brothers Introduction (2006)
Archive Interview (2000)
The Falls Excerpt (1980, Peter Greenaway)
BFI Distribution Ident (1991)
Institute Benjamenta and Piano Tuner of Earthquakes Trailers

ENJOY!!!!

I have often wondered what the films of the Brothers Quay mean. Or more precisely, if they have any meaning at all. Thanks to the excellent extras included with this DVD set I am finally starting to get an inkling. However, the main attraction of this set are the films themselves, which are presented in beautiful, pristine condition. I have viewed these films on an earlier DVD collection, but the quality of "Phantom Museums" blows it away! "Phantom Museums" actually includes a couple films I have not seen before! A must for fans!

...yes, this edition is nothing short of AMAZING! -what makes this edition more appealing to me is not only the beautifully remastered versions of these dark and haunting films but the 2 added shorts, especially In Absentia, using german composer Karlhienz Stockhausen's score. The inventor of pure electronic music!

I got the chance to purchase the BFI region 2 release of this edition for a very reasonable price and i think there are no big difference in comparison to the us release except for the cover and two trailers not on the BFI release.
I just can not believe there are not so many reviews about this excellent release of their short films, the first Tool music videos rip them off, Tim Burton`s The Nightmare Before Christmas is Disney compared to them, wait a minute... it was a Disney release, excuse moi! Sorry little children.

Anyway these animation are excellent, the second disc includes the very first animation film made from them, there are also audio comments on most of the shorts on disc one, etc. Just grab a copy and you will see.

I found this collection of the Quay brothers' short films to be immensely entertaining, though paradoxically they had a tendency to lull me to sleep. I think the reason is that they resonate with the deeper layers of the mind on such a dreamlike level that one is almost hypnotized by them. I can only say that I had to make several attempts to get completely through them without succumbing. I would find the imagery and music of the films transitioning into a dream and wake up looking at the dvd menu. Rather than being put to sleep by boredom, it was more as though the material of the film was forming a symbiotic relationship with my subconscious.

These interesting and mildly alarming effects of the film are attributable to surreal and suggestive characteristics which bypass the surface rationality of the mind and make a direct connection to that deeper stratum which is beyond the jurisdiction of rationality. The use of puppets and other strange conglomerations of material, which seem to be composed of inanimate objects that, nevertheless, give off uncanny impressions of bizarre life, are a perfect medium for conveying these strange fancies.

The films were conceived as art and meant to be taken seriously, and may lack the popular appeal which some might expect from an entertainment utilizing puppets. That two of their efforts have been based on the literary works of Bruno Shulz and Robert Walser shows the seriousness of their intent. An extremely important part of these works is the music, which in each case is so apropos to the imagery that it can only be called integral to the success of the piece as a whole.

There is a dark tone to all these works, which runs to the sinister in some, such as the piece symbolizing the epic of Gilgamesh. There was only one segment which I didn't care for, titled "In Absentia", with a depiction or strong suggestion of demon possession of a mental patient, which I found to be too unsettling for me to appreciate.

I suspect that this sort of entertainment might appeal most to people who are artistically inclined or strongly drawn to artistically oriented activity. However, I wouldn't classify myself that way, and I derived a great deal of stimulation and enjoyment from watching these films. In fact, I'm sure I could be a repeat watcher, because I don't believe you can exhaust the possibilities of them in one viewing. I also enjoyed the extra features, which included interviews with the Quays. Their commentary on the films was quite enlightening because they discuss essentials, unlike some commentary tracks where people ramble on about trivialities.

I would recommend this collection to those who are interested in experimental films with an artistic tendency.

TOOL videos totally rip these films off!

Some of the most haunting film ever created, all together captivating and horrific yet beautiful. It's worth seeing and showing others! Street Of Crocodiles is most amazing.

The 2000 version of the BQC was good for what it was but this version takes it up a notch,especially with the extras and new film/s(?).

As far as content,you can expect abstract stop-motion animation of the highest caliber;some films may not be easily decipherable on the first few viewings but part of the fun of these films is the repeat viewing value!

fans of surrealism,animation,david lynch's animation,tim burton's animation,or even older surrealism like jean cocteau,luis bunel,or maya deren:check this out because it's totally engulfing and brings you within a world that is very interesting!it's the real deal.

In short, their short films are amazing. I am going to have to save up in my piggy bank to purchase their feature length films. Very sophisticated and thought provoking material that will be overlooked by the masses as is usually the case in the "entertainment" business.

Love & Light
J bird

Any fan of the Quay Brothers will love this collection. The haunting imagery and bizarre narrative is incredibly mesmerizing and inspired. Truly geniuses - the Brothers Quay are worthy heirs to the Svankmajer aesthetic.

These shorts cover a long period of the brothers' joint career. In fact, one on the second disk, deliberately segregated from the more mature material on the first, shows just how far they've come in creating these baffling dreamscapes.

Most of these films were photographed in black and white. When taken in contrast to the small amount of color in this collection, the B&W has even more visual significance. It conveys age, as demanded by the chipped figures and the begrimed scenes they inhabit. Imagery seems to speak in some foreign language - the kind where you can tell there is meaning, but can only make out its brooding emotional tone, not the words themselves.

Well, maybe that's enough. The hollow-headed dolls manipulating their own stuffing, the menacing look of drafting pens, the panicky buzz of some object, and the otherworldly music all combine to create a perfect statement. I honestly can't imagine what it states, maybe nothing at all, but the statement remains perfect. If you're willing to consider cinema and stop animation as abstract arts, start with this collection

-- wiredweird