Empire

Warhol's Empire (1964), a static shot of the Empire state building that begins in day and ends at night. (climaxing when the lights turn on the building, eight hours later!!) The film itself is a re-examination of the way we view cinema, and it's been called the longest establishing shot that denies the viewer everything else.

This film is just bad. I would rather watch an opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen than this crap ever again. A lot of people say that this film is unique and special because nobody has ever made a film like it before... I wonder why?! When I think of revolutionary, artistic films that are unique in that nobody has done anything like them before, some titles come to mind such as Metropolis, Nosferatu, Star Wars, the Monty Python films, even the Harry Potter series has more merit than this. "Art" during this period was just awful. It was just stupid and awful. And it only became popular because of one thing: money. As an artist myself, I don't support this pretentious crap and it actually makes me angry that the art industry was taken over by stupid crap like this. Absolutely useless film. Not even going to comment on the fact that the most interesting thing that happens is the moment when you see Warhol's reflection. This is not art, this is bollocks.

It was filmed on the 42nd floor of the Time Life Building. What makes this film contemporary is that it is not like a normal film, as with normal films you watch the entire film, but Empire is a challenge for the viewer to watch as it just features the same image of the tower. I think it is to be viewed more of a painting than a film. In short, Empire is an extremely weird and wonderful experimentation that Andy Warhol did. Empire is exactly a single uninterrupted shot of the Empire State Building in New York. My overall opinion of the piece is that Empire is one of the most unexpectedly gripping movies I have seen to date, as not much happens but you expect it to. I could not wait to see what was going to happen and as I watched it I began to believe that nothing ever would, but as soon as the lights go on I sprang out of a chair like I would on an action film. Just like in life, sometimes the most simple things are the most beautiful. If all films were a huge 485 minutes long I would most likely be bored out of my skull, but if I was listen to music that was that long I probably would not get bored as there is something relaxing in hearing and letting your other senses go to rest, just like with watching Empire which keeps my eyes busy but relaxes all the rest of me. I would say that the overall technique of Empire is mesmerizing. It used only one shot that would be boring and dull for most films but it uses it as a plus point by making it a film that is one of a kind film that has not be done before or after with any great success. I believe the techniques in Empire were done in a style that Warhol wanted us to relax and to be interpreted in our own way as we are not mentally stimulated enough to keep full concentration on the film itself. Also when I look at this documentary I don't see a film but more of history that has been frozen in time and I believe this is what Warhol wanted to achieve as the film appears to be in slow motion. I would describe the medium of the film as gritty as you can see a lot of grain in the film which is most likely due to it being night during most of it and the time the film was made. The fact that the film is black and white makes it feel more like a contemporary piece. What most films are made of include a visual and sound combined to make a pleasant experience for the audience. Even though this film is a silent movie it still relies on sound to give the whole effect of the film, as when I was watching it I found I was getting easily distracted by sounds around me bringing me out of the trance of the film and then bringing me back into it once I started watching again. The reason I selected this particular piece and Warhol is that I found this motion picture so captivating and it made me want to write about it. It makes me think while watching it and most films do the thinking for you. It is for this reason that this is one of Warhol's best films in my opinion and what makes him such a mastermind. Historical references I can link with this film and the artist is that it was made in the 60's which was a time for change and trying new things that had not been done before Examples include pop music from the Beatles or sex becoming a subject people talked about, so artists were becoming more daring in what they did. I believe if Empire was made in any other decade it would be a lot different from what we see today.

Empire has got to be considered one of the most suspenseful movies ever made. 485 minutes, with every one of them keeping you on the edge of your seat, seemingly impossible for an eight-hour movie to accomplish. The scene changes are so subtle and quick, they barely seem to happen, making you feel as if the story hasn't changed, all setting up each individual shock. The acting is fantastic, each character so stoic and emotionless, as if they aren't in the scenes in the first place. Warhol does a fantastic job at threading each scene together, to make it appear as if it is just one ongoing one. Absolutely ridiculous that the AFI refused to include it in its 100 thrills list. See it, and prepare to have your imagination and sense of reality warped.

If the razzies were around in the 1960s, this would be my vote for worst picture.If anyone has heard of the video game desert bus, you had to drive a bus for 8 hours.This is the movie version of that piece of trash. Don't trust any reviews that say this is a masterpiece unless you want to spend 8 hours of staring at the empire state building.To put it clearly, here are some examples of a masterpiece: Pulp Fiction The Shawshank Redemption Die Hard Forrest Gump(Or any best picture winner other than the English patient) The original Super Mario Bros. Toy Story Back To The Future E.T The Dark Knight Saving Private Ryan What Is not A Masterpiece: An 8 hour shot of the empire state building Overall, this film should not exist, and it maybe the worst movie ever made! It isn't as frustrating and painful to watch as movie 43, or as irritating as Scary Movie 5, or as disgusting as A Serbian Film. But in terms of enjoyability/film-making in general. This is an all time low. 1/10