| Abstract |
Shirley Clarke was brilliant, scandalous, bold, and incredibly talented. Had she been a man, film historians would have long ago placed her in the pantheon of great auteurs, alongside Orson Welles and John Cassavetes. Today, her triumph can be recognized in her ability to be herself-- one of the great originals of her time. A true artist, Clarke combined her innate impishness and sense of adventure with a dancer's aesthetic and her tremendous drive to battle injustice to make films that dazzle, challenge, and beguile the audience. The Magic Box is the culmination of Milestone's "Project Shirley" -- an eight-year-long effort to explore the films and life of this extraordinary woman. Working with film archives and Clarke's daughter Wendy, Milestone has been able to explore the wide range of the filmmaker's output. The Magic Box includes Clarke's Academy Award-winning documentary, Robert Frost: A Lover's Quarrel With the World, experimental shorts, "lost" films, unfinished projects, outtakes, and a lifetime of home movies. Disc one highlights Clarke's brilliant experimental works. Disc two compiles her gorgeous dance films. Disc three features Robert Frost: A Lover's Quarrel With the World, Christopher and Me, and a wealth of home movies from Clarke's long life. The Magic Box includes a brochure to put all her work in context and be a guide to the treasures that await. The Magic Box: The films of Shirley Clarke, 1929-1987: Project Shirley Volume 4. B&W and Color. Magic Box Producers: Dennis Doros and Amy Heller. Thanks to Wendy Clarke, Wisconsin Center for Theater and Film Research, The Museum of Modern Art Film Department, the National Archives, the Anthology Film Archives, the UCLA Film and Television Archive, the Academy Film Archive, and Metropolis Post. Cover designed by Lauren Caddick. |
