In the decade-plus since the introduction of DVD, many cinematic classics have been released in the format. However, the work of avant-garde and experimental filmmakers has been woefully underrepresented thusfar. Admittedly, avant-garde cinema has something of a niche audience, and a collection of experimental works on DVD would never make the splash of a classic narrative film’s debut in the DVD format. Still, despite some notable exceptions like Criterion’s impressive By Brakhage: An Anthology, most of the classics of the various avant-garde cinema movements remain “underground” to this day, available only in battered copies (many of these works exist in a single print) to be seen at museums, festivals, and educational institutions. Because of this, the new DVD set Treasures IV: American Avant Garde Film 1947-1986 is a cause for celebration.
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