THE POON-TANG TRILOGY (1964)
16mm, bw, sound, 8.5m
SOME DON’T (1964)
16mm, bw & color, sound, 7m
UP TIGHT… L.A. IS BURNING… SHIT (1965)
16mm, bw & color, sound, 20m
COLORFILM (1965)
16mm, color, sound, 9m
“Fast moving, jazzy dance film made with San Francisco Dancer’s Workshop people in 1965. Lucie Lewis, Jerry Jump, Annie Hallett, Julia VanMeter, John Graham, and an anonymous policeman. First 400′ of 16mm color stock I ever had my hands on so, I did everything with it my little old Bolex could handle.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
OLDS-MO-BILE (aka BOLEX PEYOTE BARDO) (1965)
16mm, bw, sound, 12m
At some point (probably 1980s or later), Ben started calling this film Bolex Peyote Bardo, which he felt was a more accurate reflection of its making and meaning. He added this title in his 2000s digital file of the film, and preferred it over the original title, but the original title is given precedence here due to its longevity of use and that all historic references to the film use the original title.
“The title has nothing to do with anything. The film is about my life. 1964 incamera superimpositions of the visual flow around me. I’ll always associate this film with these lines from the last page of ‘Siddhartha:’ ‘He no longer saw the face of his friend Siddhartha. Instead he saw other faces, a long series, a continuous stream of faces – hundreds, thousands, which all came and disappeared and yet all seemed to be there at the same time, which all continually changed and renewed themselves and which were yet all Siddhartha.'” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
ACID CAMP (1966)
16mm, color, sound, 31m
Ben described this to me as a commissioned film made for Creative Film Society. It’s essentially a trippy softcore movie. He didn’t regard it as one of his personal films and really just made it for the money.
SF TRIPS FESTIVAL: AN OPENING (1967)
16mm, color, sound, 9m
“Early 1966 the Psychedelic Shop opens on Haight Street displaying Ballard’s portrait of Baba. Graham, Jacopetti, Kesey & others hold Trips Festival in Longshoreman’s Hall. Largest gathering of Freaks to date. I am present all three nights as is girl I later marry, but we don’t meet yet. Kesey and Merry Pranksters serve Koolaid and icecream. I expose my three rolls of ER once each night rewinding in the dark during the day. Sound by similar method. Finished film resembles event from viewpoint of goldfish in Koolaid bowl.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
STEVE MILLER BAND (aka STEVE MILLER BAND – SITTIN IN CIRCLES & ROLL WITH IT) (1967) (w/ Robert Zagone)
16mm, color, sound, 6m
“Rock film made for the band and their record co. Robert Zagone and I collaborated on this minimovie of Steve and group. Edited to ‘Hey Little Girl’ & ‘Roll With It.’ 1968 Awards Bellevue & S.F. Festivals.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
ACID MANTRA OR REBIRTH OF A NATION (1967)
16mm, bw & color, sound, 120m
There are multiple iterations of this film. The title Acid Mantra or Rebirth of a Nation originally referred to the 120-minute, three-part feature comprising the parts The World is Coming, Lila, and Make Love Not War, or Brown Rice (in that order). This existed as a single-projector film and also a multiple-projector version (more on this below). Within just a few years of its release, Van Meter seems to have reduced Acid Mantra to comprise only the 50-minute first part (The World is Coming), which then came to be referred to as Acid Mantra instead.
In a May 11, 1968 Rolling Stone article about Ben, the feature is described as comprising The World is Coming as a single-projector film, followed by the two-projector Lila, and concluding with the three-projector Make Love Not War, or Brown Rice. The extant film elements from Ben don’t quite match up with this description, but research is ongoing to try to figure this out. Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968) lists the film as having three parts, and additionally says “Multiple projector version also available – Rental apply”, so it seems certain that a single-projector version existed and according to Ben, was more commonly seen than the multiple-projector version.
“Ex-spirit-mental Cinema, two years in production, internal documentary of external phenomena of eternal significance. Three parts: I. “The World is Coming” – conception of spirit seed. II. “Lila” – gestation period, creative play. III. “Make Love Not War or Brown Rice” – Rebirth of Native American Spirit. Fantastic Full Color Posters sent in advance of showing. Multiple Projection version also available – Rental apply.” (BVM, Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968))
THE WORLD IS COMING (aka ACID MANTRA) (1967)
16mm, color, sound, 50m
This refers to what was originally the first part of the three-part feature Acid Mantra, but which later came to be rechristened Acid Mantra on its own, when Ben reduced the film by excluding Lila and Make Love Not War, or Brown Rice. By the time of Canyon Cinema catalog #3 (1972), Acid Mantra is listed as being 50 minutes in length, so Ben seems to have changed the identity and nature of the film sometime between 1968 and 1972. This should now be considered the canonical iteration of the film Acid Mantra. (In the 2000s, Ben made a slight modification to this film in transferring it to digital, primarily in the soundtrack and its very ending.)
LILA (1968)
16mm, color, sound, 38m(?)
The composition of this film is uncertain for the time being. In a May 11, 1968 Rolling Stone article about Ben, this film is described as a two-projector piece comprising the second part of the three-part Acid Mantra feature. Ben himself also described it to me as being the left panel of a three-screen Acid Mantra: “I made left and right screen reels that were projected on the sides of Acid Mantra. It was only shown this way twice, once at the Haight Theater and once for a week at a little hole in the wall theater on Sunset Blvd. in the Big Orange. One side was Make Love Not War and the other was Lila which featured the birth of my daughter.” It is possible Ben was misremembering, as he was a little foggy on the specific details of Acid Mantra inquiries. Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968) lists the film as having three parts, and additionally says “Multiple projector version also available – Rental apply”, so it seems certain that Lila also existed in a single-channel version.
MAKE LOVE NOT WAR, OR BROWN RICE (1968)
16mm, color, sound, 10m(?) / 30m(?)
Although listed in on IMDb(?!) as being 30 minutes, the extant original A/B rolls for this film place its length at about 10 minutes, although it’s possible the elements were shortened or recut by Ben at some point.
In a May 11, 1968 Rolling Stone article about Ben, this film is described as a three-projector piece comprising the third part of the three-part Acid Mantra feature. Ben himself also described it to me as being the right panel of a three-screen Acid Mantra: “I made left and right screen reels that were projected on the sides of Acid Mantra. It was only shown this way twice, once at the Haight Theater and once for a week at a little hole in the wall theater on Sunset Blvd. in the Big Orange. One side was Make Love Not War and the other was Lila which featured the birth of my daughter.” It is possible Ben was misremembering, as he was a little foggy on the specific details of Acid Mantra inquiries. Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968) lists the film as having three parts, and additionally says “Multiple projector version also available – Rental apply”, so it seems certain that Make Love Not War, or Brown Rice also existed in a single-channel version.
ME & BRUCE & ART (1968)
16mm, color, sound, 6m
GARDEN OF PROSERPINE [ORIGINAL VERSION] (1968)
16mm, color, sound, 24m
“Pure Canyon Cinema. Non-commercial re-enactment of ancient myth in unique modern west coast home movie style. Moments of unbelievable beauty.” (BVM, Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968))
GARDEN OF PROSERPINE [REVISED VERSION] (1968/ca.1970)
16mm, color, sound, 18m
At some point after its initial release in 1968, Ben shortened this film by about 6 minutes (by recutting a print) and placed the recut print back into distribution. This seems to have happened sometime between its initial listing in Canyon Cinema catalog #2 (1968) and catalog #3 (1972).
3-D VIVID COLOR NUDE MODELS (1968)
16mm, color, sound, 22m
“Colored lights and lovely ladies. Snatches of great beauty.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
BOC GING (1969) (w/ Bob Comings)
16mm, color, sound, 11m
“Boc Ging cavorts before your very eyes. Can you tell which is Boc and which is Bob? Can Bob? Enigmatic surreal fantasy about an artist, his work, and his alter ego. Made with and for Bob Comings Bolinas 1970.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
MARIJUANA HELL TRAILER (1969)
16mm, color, sound, 5m
According to Ben, this is a trailer for a movie that was never finished.
NAKED ZODIAC (1969)
16mm, color, sound, 80m total
Originally released as a feature film, Ben Van Meter subsequently separated the 12 segments into individual short films that could be rented and screened separately, although he held back Sagittarius and Aries, choosing not to release them individually for some reason. When Van Meter deposited his films at the Academy Film Archive in 2010, he only sent extant prints for Scorpio, Capricorn, and Leo, which he still felt were pretty good, and claimed to have discarded the rest, feeling they weren’t worth saving.
“Astrological figure and character studies in the nudie genre. Originally an 80min. work in 12 parts each featuring a different young lady. I have divided the film into twelve separate short films and am offering ten of those for exhibition this year. All segments of The Naked Zodiac use complete nudity. Some are more erotic in content than others. Scorpio is the only explicitly sexual scene, although Libra and Virgo seem to arouse a good deal of p—–t interest. None are hardcore porno and no over-lit clinical photography is used. These films are most suitable for a college age audience, perhaps used as a serial (in any order) on a continuing film series. My favorite reviewer’s comment about THE NAKED ZODIAC is the following:
‘VanMeter has a Rubensque [sic] appreciation of flesh.’ – Stanley Eichelbaum S.F. Examiner” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
NAKED ZODIAC individual films:
AQUARIUS (5m)
CAPRICORN (6m)
SAGITTARIUS (length TBD)
SCORPIO (11m)
LIBRA (6m)
PISCES (5m)
ARIES (length TBD)
TAURUS (10m)
GEMINI (6m)
CANCER (5m)
LEO (6m)
VIRGO (11m)
THE END (1970)
16mm, color, sound, 3.5m
KRISHNA’S MARCH TO THE SEA (1970)
16mm, color, sound, 11m
“Rathyahatra Festival San Francisco 1970. This was an exercise in film form that I set for myself. The Krishna Temple’s parade was to proceed through Golden Gate Park to the beach. For weeks ahead of time they had been building three enormous Juggernauts. I wanted to film these magnificent chariots in a unique way so I set up Eclair and Nagra on the Maine Drive of the Park with a good view of both directions. I wanted an unbroken record of the procession, at first small in the distance, gradually growing as it came closer, finally diminishing in size after it had passed by. Things couldn’t have worked out better. For some unknown reason they even stopped the largest cart in front of me giving the opportunity to examine it in detail. I was afraid for a minute that they would pause there too long and my 400′ roll of film would run out but, they started again and I was able to fulfill my preconception. The film is one 400′ shot uncut synch sound with music added to the last part. It first bores, then interests, and finally inspires.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
INTERROGATION (FROM PSYCHE PATROL) (1971)
16mm, color, sound, 5m
“Written and performed by The Congress of Wonders. Hilariously terrifying satire of an interrogation session by the thought police. Tour de force performance by Earl Pillow (who is no longer with them.) Includes monologue beginning ‘My mind? I never thought about my mind before.’ Ending with his prayer for deliverance answered by the appearance of Angels of The Lord, complete with animated halos. Rated ‘G’ but it might frighten small children.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
HOMEGROWN (1971)
16mm, color, sound, 23m
“Magic is alive and living in Bolinas. A folkfilm, a personal poem about my family and my town. Includes ‘Bear-Hunt,’ ‘Bolinas 4th of July,’ ‘Rummage,’ ‘Oilspill,’ ‘Horseplay,’ ‘Lila’s Birthday,’ and ‘Benjamin’s Bath.’ Rated ‘G’ by me. Suitable for home, church, school, and film society. A patriotic, devotional homemovie. Completed August 1971.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
THREE OLD NUDIES (1972)
16mm, bw, silent 24fps, 8.5m
No year is given on the film, but it was first listed in the 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog, and Ben’s reversal dupe of the found film is on 1972 stock, so the year is fairly definitively 1972.
“This is a found film vintage about 1925? Includes The Five Bares, She Put Her Foot In It, & Peeking Tom. Very innocent and amusing.” (BVM, 1972 Canyon Cinema catalog)
HOMAGE TO KUROSAWA (1972)
16mm, color, sound, 6m
THE SAGA OF MACRAMÉ PARK (1973)
16mm, bw & color, sound, 17.5m
SET YOUR CHICKENS FREE! (1974) (w/ Gilbert Shelton)
16mm, color, sound, 20m
THREE CRAFTSMEN (1975)
16mm, color, sound, 30m total
This is a trio of films comprising Rick Turner – Alembic Instruments, Francis Kosheleff – Music Instruments, and Whittler. The three films were available to screen individually as well.
RICK TURNER – ALEMBIC INSTRUMENTS (1975)
16mm, color, sound, 10m
FRANCIS KOSHELEFF – MUSIC INSTRUMENTS (1975)
16mm, color, sound, 10m
WHITTLER (1975)
16mm, color, sound, 10m
BE (1967/2008)
16mm/digital, color, sound, 8.5m
*
RELATED FILMS
THE WAY OF FILM PART 1: FILMSTOCKS, FORMATS AND FILTERS (1973)
16mm, bw & color, sound, 20m
This is a film by Ashley James and Mike Dunne, and produced by Dunne with Ben Van Meter.
LIGHTSTRUCK 