Possible Films: Short Works
by Hal Hartley, 1994-2004

Possible Films' Short Works by Hal Hartley, 1994-2004 contains six previously unreleased shorts by the maker of critically celebrated (but otherwise little known) indies like Trust, The Unbelievable Truth, Simple Men, Amateur, and Henry Fool. The shorts on this disc definitely vary in content, form, duration, accessibility, and likeability. This may turn off casual viewers but fans of the director should find much to enjoy.

In the disc's liner notes, Hartley confesses that he always had the desire to make moving images that did things other than tell stories and that, quite often, his film and video works are more like essays or sketches than conventional narratives. Fair enough but that still doesn't mean these essays/sketches will translate well for home viewing. I wouldn't want to discourage other filmmakers from releasing their experimental work on DVD but one needs to be in the right environment and frame-of-mind for this sort of cinematic experience.

Opera No.1 and The Sisters of Mercy -- which both star Parker Posey -- are probably the most accessible of the bunch and were also my personal favorites. One is an 8-minute opera performance featuring a roller-blader and the other is a filming of a filming of a film, with plenty of strange, repetitious dialogue and peculiar actor chemistry.

I partly enjoyed Kimono, a half hour, silent short that has Hartley's wife running around the forest, in a bridal gown, then in a sexy corset with constant ambient noise and bizarre, atonal music. This short was beautifully shot and scored but it's a little too long.

The Other Also is silent and motionless with out-of-focus, silhouette figures dancing to some enchanting music. 'Nuff said. The New Math(s) is definitely the funniest and most playful. Silent, with martial arts and high school mathematics, it's compelling and baffling to say the least. NYC 3/94, the roughest-looking of all 6 shorts, is odd, effective, and kind of reminiscent (though it was shot nearly a decade earlier) of a certain event that took place on 9/11.

As for extras, we get "Regarding Soon: Interview with Hal Hartley," which lasts around 10 minutes and takes us behind the scenes of his play Soon. As another bonus, we also get 16 minutes of excerpts from Soon. Lastly, there are liner notes with descriptions of all 6 films (as well as the play) and a message from Hartley. Not too shabby.

This is the premiere DVD release of Possible Films, a new distribution company founded by Hal Hartley and his longtime editor Steve Hamilton. Unfortunately, you may not find this at your local video store. However, it's available through various online retailers and the Possible Films website. -- Neil Karassik