Andy Warhol’s Blue Movie (1968)

Floor Three, Susan and John Hess Family Theater

Andy Warhol (1928–1987), Blue Movie, 1968. 16mm, color, sound, 133 minutes; with Viva and Louis Waldon. © 2016 The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, PA, a museum of Carnegie Institute.

Film notes from scholar Callie Angell (1994):
"It was perhaps inevitable that Warhol became involved in the various controversies that took place around the issues of freedom of expression in the sixties, especially the ongoing battles over film censorship and the changing definitions of obscenity that were waged in the arenas of independent and foreign cinema. . . . Throughout the sixties, Warhol repeatedly pushed or exceeded the boundaries of legally acceptable content in his filmmaking, no doubt motivated—at least in part—by the wealth of publicity such incursions would secure for him . . . Despite the fact that Blue Movie contains an act of intercourse, the film itself is almost a deconstruction of pornography, concentrating on the affectionate relationship between its stars and presenting what Variety called 'the "climactic" scene-of-scenes' quite casually, in the middle of what is basically four long reels of talk. In retrospect, the film seems to be more a documentary about life in the sixties than a porno film; Viva and Louis tell each other stories, talk about the war in Vietnam, cook some food, and fool around in the shower."

Please note: This film contains explicit sexual content.

Tickets are required ($10 adults, $8 members, students, and seniors). Capacity is limited; visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance.