8.08 Main Themes
c) Observations on group identity.
'Colette said that the
Exploding Cinema had a 'personality'' - implying that its formula should be
conserved.[1]
As I have noted there is
inertia in the group that maintains this characteristic 'formula'. The
'personality' of Exploding Cinema has evolved out of the early collective and
is clearly successful.[2]
For those who were there early on and active in creating this formula the
personality must feel profoundly owned and a part of their past. Adherence to
this formula is not spelled out in the Collective Agreement and is not a stated
requirement of membership although it is perhaps self-evident after
experiencing a couple of shows. However even the core members do become weary
of the formulaic nature. Colette's expressed reason for having a sabbatical
from the Exploding Cinema was that it was all 'getting too predictable'.[3]
Paul Tarrago has said he
doesn't believe that there is a British underground.[4]
Later Duncan expressed a similar sentiment.[5]
In spite of the recent activity by London film groups there is no alternative
national or international circuit for films to be disseminated through as there
was in the Sixties. On the other hand, there is a 'counter culture' and
Exploding Cinema is seen to be part of it.
The Exploding Cinema's
inclusion in the 'Cultures of Resistance' book published in London in 2000,
does put Exploding Cinema alongside a whole range of other manifestations of
oppositional culture that showed together in the festival of the same name in
Tower Bridge Road in December 1999. It described itself as: "A coming
together of artists, activists, musicians, sound-systems, filmmakers, chefs,
performers."[6]
Exploding Cinema takes part
in a diffuse network of oppositional communications. In addition to the events
themselves, it is the style of publicity and programmes that give Exploding
Cinema symbolic membership of the counter culture.
'In underground terms the best
publicity is a lot of obscure, well designed and witty but cheaply printed
flyers pinned up on all sorts of obscure notice boards, given out knowingly
at key meeting places and mailed out. Hipsters pride themselves in being able
to spot such stuff amongst the plethora of highly coloured attention grabbing
commercial advertising'.
[7]
[2] In the sense of attracting a regular audience.
[3] L3 p353 Colette took her sabbatical around 1999.
[4] L2 p217. From a meeting on 21st January
1999.
[5] L3 p289. This opinion was from a phone call with
Duncan on 18th May 1999 after he had been in Falmouth for a period.
[6] This 108 page (unpaginated) perfect-bound paperback
has no author or editor, no publisher and no ISBN. It was printed at the Book
Factory, London.
[7] L3 p317. This observation is made after a visit to the
Soho based Webshack for a show of short films on 27th July 1999 at
which I handed out Exploding Cinema flyers. This caused some interest and
people were coming up to me asking for a flyer.