Do you project films while DJing?
Fatback
6,746 Posts
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.
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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.
- 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.
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.
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'
Blaxplotation/Karate flicks is kinda overdone.
For some variety you need to bump these flicks - guaranteed to get the party live:
And the all time "get crunk" video:
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.
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!
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.
Definitely looking for something along those lines.
Slow paced with great photography.
I always see this at the video store. Worth getting?
what is that from? that looks crazy.
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."
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews19/by_brakhage_dvd_review.htm
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDReviews5/moretreasures.htm
Boogie nights.