Le coquille et le clergy-man

[Ahmadinebobina]

The first 'surrealist' film... Bunuel was clearly some mad liar.
Anywhom, of interest to the Bobina since her hero dear Antonin Artaud wrote it but sadly Germaine Dulac directed it and it was not to his liking :(
I still enjoy it though....

Parts 1, 2 and 3:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=seashell+and+clergyman

[O'Zebedee]

Did Bunuel make that claim?

BTW - have you seen The Milky Way?

[Ahmadinebobina]

I'm not sure but I've seen it stated regularly that he is the first surrealist film maker.
Anywhom, I have not. Do tell..

[O'Zebedee]

Just yr usual Bunuel attack on the Church, but it's fairly funny - more of an insistent poke than a roundhouse punch.

[Ahmadinebobina]

Yes, insistent poking is often very good..

Artaud is better though. Maybe I'll start telling my favourite Artaud story and get you on side..

[O'Zebedee]

Do it!

I have to work now, though - will be back later.

[Ahmadinebobina]

No problem. I shall begin my insistent poking of you in your absence.

One day in fair Paris our friend Antonin was wandering around and taking in the cafes and clientele.
Poor Artaud had had a tough few years with many mental health problems and 'odd' behaviour culminating in a stay in an asylum in Rodez.
So we see our protaganist flouncing around the Parisian streets happy to be in the air again and away from the dreaded shock machine. Life is looking up!
We still have to deal with the dreadful problem of the body having organs and the fact that whenever people masturbate or have sex it is done with the one aim of HARMING Artaud but still... the worst times seem to be on the wane.
Suddenly Artaud comes across a long knotted wooden stick.... this is not just any stick, no, this is St. Patrick's stick! Not only was it his though - it was also the stick of Jesus and the Devil! What a find.
The illustrious stick and Artaud set off and it immediatly occurs to dear Artaud that the people of Ireland should have this stick of their patron saint back!
With this in mind Artaud, without a word of english, sets sail for Ireland. He attempts to give the stick back to the main cathedral in Dublin [across from fair bobina's place of work] but in the process sets off a riot as only our boy can do. The stick is lost in the process. Artaud looks for help from other religious types but finds no solace except from the police. Eventually he sets sail for Paris again.... however as tends to happen the deckhands were out to kill him so poor darling had to be put in a straitjacket for the duration of the journey home and once he arrived... things were not looking up - for him, or for us.
To this day I stop at every stick I see...

[O'Zebedee]

Paused in my working on something far less interesting.

Did you ever see the film My Life and Times With Antonin Artaud (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0106810/)?

[Ahmadinebobina]

No. I am not sure if it may be offensive to Artaud.

As an aside, I remember I used to drive Geist mad by going on and on and on about Artaud's varied theories culminating in trying to get him to come with me to the library to find medical books about organ removal... haha :D