Introduced by Wayne Koestenbaum, author of Andy Warhol

Kiss
Dir. Andy Warhol. 1963, 54 mins, 16mm. With Rufus Collins, Johnny Dodd, Fred Harko
Audiences generally titter, then fall into private reveries whenever this film is shown. For here we witness a basic human act in all its subtlety, fervor, and boredom, as for 60 minutes hetero—and homo—sexual partners exchange passionate, superficial, deep, short, extraordinary kisses. An immobile, impassive camera records the events in real time; the result is simultaneously arousing and numbing.

Followed by:
Blow Job
Dir. Andy Warhol. 1963, 35 mins. 16mm. With DeVeren Bookwalter, Willard Maas. Daring in subject matter and technique, this early Warhol film records a closeup of a handsome young man’s face, as an invisible “other” (out of camera range) performs fellatio on him. Nothing is seen except the face and a brick wall beyond; as we study it, mesmerized, we feel the pain of passion, the on-off tease of lust, the quickening tempo, the orgasm, the sad, somehow empty afterglow.

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