VINYL (1965)

Probably the most famous, and certainly most notorious, studio in history is ‘The Factory’; a creative space and hangout for a wide range of artists, including David Bowie, Lou Reed, Madonna and pop art icon, Andy Warhol. Over his forty years or so of work, Warhol worked laboriously on the pop art movement, choosing a wide variety of media as his canvas. Including film.

Shot sometime in early 1965 (the exact date is uncertain) in The Factory, Vinyl wasn’t Warhol’s first film, but it is arguably his most well-known. Serving as the first cinematic adaptation of Anthony Burgess’ A Clockwork Orange, Vinyl doesn’t completely do the narrative justice and instead follows the story in a rather relaxed manner.

The movie takes place in one location and consists of three simple shots. The camera captures what appears to be the first, and only, rehearsal of Ronald Tavel’s script. Some of the extras don’t seem to realise they’re being filmed. Warhol randomly calls out the names of the cast halfway through the movie, as if only realising then that this is something that should’ve come at the beginning. It really shouldn’t work, but somehow it’s not terrible.

Helped in part by a killer soundtrack, the first half of Vinyl is rather fascinating. In it, we see Gerald Malanga’s Victor working out and being a bit of a bully, before breaking out into a dance to ‘Nowhere to Run’. Twice. However, when he is handed over to the doctor for his behavioural change treatment, the film begins to lose steam. Victor remains strapped to the chair and ‘tortured’ for the next half an hour except, due to the fact Warhol had no real budget, his torture is barely anything but Victor relaying to us what he is seeing on a screen.

Not particularly easy Saturday-night viewing, but it is probably exactly the outcome Warhol wanted.

Score: 47/100

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