Chumlum
Director: Ron Rice
Starring: Jack Smith, Mario Montez, Barbara Rubin, Guy Henson, Joel Markman, Zelda Nelson, Francis Francine, Beverly Grant, Francis Stillman, Barry Titus
Year: 1964
Runtime: 23 mins.
Synopsis: Polymorphously exotic, Chumlum conjures a vision from the Arabian Nights. As the actors pose in harem costumes and bizarre makeup, Rice explores the allure of indolent women, diaphanous hangings, and swaying hammocks — stretching out the experience through colorful in-camera superimpositions. The psychedelic montage moves at a languorous pace far removed from the rush of modern life. Questions of motivation and plot are beside the point. (from Treasures IV DVD booklet)
DVD: Treasures IV: American Avant-Garde Film, 1947-1986
Official Website: None
Reviews: All Movie Guide (Nicole Gagne)
Bright Lights Film Journal (C. Jerry Kutner)
Underground Film Timeline: 1960 — 1969
Video: None
[...] made four films, but they made an incredible impact on the underground scene. Only his last film, Chumlum (1964), has officially been released on DVD, which you can find on the Treasures IV: American Avant [...]
[...] between frames), all of the films centered around the theme of transformation, ritual, and body. Chumlum documents the proceedings of some Lower East Side NYC bohemian and queer pioneers in the 1960s. The [...]