Offon

Starring: N/A
Directed by: Scott Bartlett
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Short
Length: 9 minutes
1968

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A series of images flash across the screen.

Review:

Tim: I am pretty sure I have no idea what to think of Scott Bartlett's 1968 short, Offon. I feel a bit like I might have been brainwashed, which wouldn't surprise me, considering the constant barrage of images, repetitive sounds, and blinking that make up this short film. There really appeared to be no rhyme or reason to it- just a stream of images that felt like they were melting my brain.

I am surprised that I feel a bit disoriented after watching this movie. It is almost as if my mind is still throbbing from the visual workout it just received. I couldn't make much sense of the images or answer the "why" question with this movie. It's also funny- by staring straight ahead and watching this movie, I felt like I started to lose grip on time. Part of my brain kept saying, "Has it been 9 minutes yet? It feels like we've been watching a long time..." and then, when the film finally ended, I blinked and wondered if time could have gone by so quickly. It's all a bit disorienting.

There is also some confusion about the date of Offon. I've read that it was made in 1967, 1968, or 1969, although it was released in 1972. I'm going to go with 1968 as that was listed by the National Film Registry.

This is definitely an experimental film. To be honest, though, I don't get this movie at all. I'm sure there is a point and a reason, but I can't understand it. I did some research on this film after watching it (as I typically do for all movies I watch), and even after reading about it, I'm still not sure what this movie was trying to accomplish or why I should care about it. I suppose it's certainly unique- I've never seen a film quite like this. Was it influential? Was it important? I have no idea, and I feel like I have nothing to base any comparison on. I suppose, in the end, this is a film you simply have to see for yourself.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: N/A



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: N/A