Do you project films while DJing?

Fatback

This spot I'm doing on Friday has a nice big screen that I can project DVDs or run a slide show from my laptop.Does anybody do this while DJing? I used to be against it because the places I played were dance oriented and this was a distraction that kept people from dancing as they stood gawking at the screen. But this place is more chill and I'd like to run something on the screen that is aesthetic but not overwhelming.What are some good DVDs that are visually interesting by themselves. Baraka, Poyaqquatsi (sp), etc. are too played out to me. Also, Japanimation, Bollywood and Blaxploitation type steez are played out for DJing IMO. All respect due--love those genres, but ya'll know what I mean. I'm also trying to stay away from bands, concerts and music videos.Thanks for any suggestions.

mesh

This spot I'm doing on Friday has a nice big screen that I can project DVDs or run a slide show from my laptop.

Does anybody do this while DJing? I used to be against it because the places I played were dance oriented and this was a distraction that kept people from dancing as they stood gawking at the screen. But this place is more chill and I'd like to run something on the screen that is aesthetic but not overwhelming.


What are some good DVDs that are visually interesting by themselves. Baraka, Poyaqquatsi (sp), etc. are too played out to me. Also, Japanimation, Bollywood and Blaxploitation type steez are played out for DJing IMO. All respect due--love those genres, but ya'll know what I mean. I'm also trying to stay away from bands, concerts and music videos.

Thanks for any suggestions.

true. i have been thinking about what to play there on the 18th. all suggestions welcome.

you missed virgil when he lived here. he would play all types of 70s porn loops that he had running on projectors. it was pretty sweet.

DJFerrari

City of God was the staple a year ot two ago. I've always thought Waking Life would be a cool one too.

soulmarcosa

I DJ at this one place that has a projector, and I do two nights:

- Bollywood/Bhangra: usually a big crowd and the Indian music videos go over great while people are dancing, especially the ones with club scenes. Though it does tend to hypnotize people into non-motion early in the evening before most of the crowd gets there. It's funny to see some of the non-desis start imitating the dances onscreen as the night goes on.

- 60s/70s international lounge night: hardly anybody comes to this since it's on a Wednesday, so I play movies (w/ subtitles) that provide a good distraction/conversationpiece for a small crowd that won't probably dance anyway. That said, people have still danced regardless including last night, when a couple who stayed the entire evening told me as they left "Do you always play movies? They really make the night." BTW the movies last night were FIVE DOLLS FOR AN AUGUST MOON, STRAY CAT ROCK: SEX HUNTER, and DRACULA AD 1972.

I've also DJ'd at a sportsbar that had DVD turntables and that was pretty fun. Beatmatching from vinyl directly into live footage from WATTSTAX can't be beat.

Overall I'm a proponent of showing videos and movies. If it's small crowd then it gives them a reason to stay, and if it's a big crowd then it's just another source of visual stimuli just like lighting.

soulmarcosa

you missed virgil when he lived here. he would play all types of 70s porn loops that he had running on projectors. it was pretty sweet.

OH SHIT - when I DJ'd w/ Scorpio Bros & Virgil at this historic hotel in RVA a few years ago, Virgil was playing those loops (70s porn interspersed with FAT ALBERT!!) and they totally took the vibe up several notches.

OneSoul

shoot, givin' your don't likes It's a bit tough, try 'Dark Days[/b]' that b/w flick that Shadow did the soundtrack for. It works pretty good. As for me I usually try and bring some dvds with me (in my case it prevents the club owners from putting on some wake boarding video or gasp, Wedding Crashers or the like...)

here are some others that I use that seem to work well, but might be too cliche' for you:

Wattstax, Hells Belles, Thunderfist, Style Wars & The Warriors[/b]

come to think of it they are pretty cliche'

batmon

Blaxplotation/Karate flicks is kinda overdone.

hammertime

the original Solaris would be cool, or Ikiru or any other chill old foreign film.

soulmarcosa

s. Baraka, Poyaqquatsi (sp), etc. are too played out to me. Also, Japanimation, Bollywood and Blaxploitation type steez are played out for DJing IMO. All respect due--love those genres, but ya'll know what I mean. I'm also trying to stay away from bands, concerts and music videos.

For some variety you need to bump these flicks - guaranteed to get the party live:







And the all time "get crunk" video:

hogginthefogg

Man, we played at a bar in SF about two years ago that usually shows surf videos and shit like that right behind the DJ. But this night, we noticed that everyone was looking at us kinda strange. Then we realized that they weren't looking at us, but rather just above us and to the left.

They were showing Caligula in its entirety.


Really fucked up the vibe for the whole night. People either stared, transfixed, and didn't move, or they all left.

batmon

piedpiper

black-white classics are fine and usually not played out:
metropolis, nosferatu, Golem, Dr. Caligari, King Kong aso
- most of them easily available for free on archive.org as well

of course, "reefer madness" always works!

residentgiant

This should melt some faces

sticky_dojah

Style Wars

I remember one time we were screening this french graf movie "dirty hands" where there is a scene where some guys enter the metro, put on masks and completely smash the insides with tags while passengers are sitting in there and then leave at the next station. Everybody stopped dancing and watched. It was unreal. "Graffiti Rock" also always worked well

OneSoul

Style Wars

I remember one time we were screening this french graf movie "dirty hands" where there is a scene where some guys enter the metro, put on masks and completely smash the insides with tags while passengers are sitting in there and then leave at the next station. Everybody stopped dancing and watched. It was unreal. "Graffiti Rock" also always worked well

yeah, sort of had the same reaction when I brought in Sweetback[/b] during the sex scene with the biker gang. Everybody stopped and was like WHOA? and then the cute bartender shut it off and lectured me about bringing porn in to the bar...

batmon

Fatback

Style Wars

I remember one time we were screening this french graf movie "dirty hands" where there is a scene where some guys enter the metro, put on masks and completely smash the insides with tags while passengers are sitting in there and then leave at the next station. Everybody stopped dancing and watched. It was unreal. "Graffiti Rock" also always worked well

yeah, sort of had the same reaction when I brought in Sweetback[/b] during the sex scene with the biker gang. Everybody stopped and was like WHOA? and then the cute bartender shut it off and lectured me about bringing porn in to the bar...

This other place I used to DJ had this beat-up house copy of Le Mepris that would hang up on the opening scene with Bardot's butt--with the subtitle reading "Do you like my tush.?" Yes, I do.

Fatback

Definitely looking for something along those lines.

Slow paced with great photography.

batmon

batmon

meistromoco

I often play Rockers! or 80s Dancehall soundsystem DVDs, or Snowboard videos, WildStyle, Surf movies, WaveTwisters, Schoolhouse Rock

DjArcadian

This should melt some faces

I always see this at the video store. Worth getting?

hammertime

mesh

what is that from? that looks crazy.

Birdman9

hammertime

some Busby Berkeley shit might be cool too, but it could be distracting.

soulmarcosa

when I brought in Sweetback[/b] during the sex scene with the biker gang. Everybody stopped and was like WHOA? and then the cute bartender shut it off and lectured me about bringing porn in to the bar...

A few years back at a gig I showed this movie about a stripper whoe takes men home, drops acid and knifes them to death:



One of my friends' girlfriends came up to me after it was over and said "I don't appreciate you showing these movies with violence against women. They make me feel uncomfortable."

Which I don't understand because a) in the movie, the chick is killing the dudes and b) this girl was big enough to pummel me into the ground so actually I'm the one who felt uncomfortable. Luckily my friend broke up with her a few months later because "she's really uptight."

drewnice

prof_rockwell

dgriot

Similarly, Stan Brakhage's Dog Star Man could work. And those Treasures of American Film archives could be worthwhile.

http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/by_brakhage_dvd_review.htm
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews5/moretreasures.htm

NiteKrawler45

This spot I'm doing on Friday has a nice big screen that I can project DVDs or run a slide show from my laptop.

Does anybody do this while DJing? I used to be against it because the places I played were dance oriented and this was a distraction that kept people from dancing as they stood gawking at the screen. But this place is more chill and I'd like to run something on the screen that is aesthetic but not overwhelming.


What are some good DVDs that are visually interesting by themselves. Baraka, Poyaqquatsi (sp), etc. are too played out to me. Also, Japanimation, Bollywood and Blaxploitation type steez are played out for DJing IMO. All respect due--love those genres, but ya'll know what I mean. I'm also trying to stay away from bands, concerts and music videos.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Boogie nights.