The best fashion documentary in a long, long while: James Crump's giddily entertaining, hugely informative ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970 -- SEX, FASHION & DISCO

How in hell could it be that a documentary this good -- enormously entertaining, full of new information and all about the world's favorite meaningless preoccupation (fashion) -- didn't get a decent theatrical release in the USA? TrustMovies suspects that this was due to the fact that the subject of ANTONIO LOPEZ 1970: SEX, FASHION & DISCO, Mr. Lopez himself, a great fashion illustrator in his day, is simply not that well known outside the fashion field.

Unlike figures such as Karl Lagerfeld and Andy Warhol, who are also seen in this film, Lopez was much better known to fashion insiders rather than to the general public. I myself had never heard of him when I sat down to view this grab-you-by-your-lapels-and-dance-you-off-to-discoland doc -- which held me in thrall for all of its 95 minutes.

As written and directed by James Crump (shown at left), the documentary introduces its unusual subject and then immediately pulls you in via compelling interviews with quite an array of fashion folk and celebrities. Fortunately, these are not simply the usual suspects. (Mr. Lopez's life and career was far too free and full for that.)

By the end of the film, Mr. Crump has made a very good case for Lopez (shown above and below) being one of, if not the most talented and important figure in all of the fashion/celebrity world, easily eclipsing the likes of marketing maven Warhol -- about whom we hear yet again how "not there" the man was, so far as his so-called art was concerned.

We see and hear about Lopez's personal life and rampant sexuality, his groundbreaking illustration (below and further below) and about the manner in which he worked, why the result was so different from anything seen before (or since, really), and of the many icons he discovered -- from Jessica Lange to Jerry Hall to Grace Jones, along with more famous models than I have time to list here.

We also hear plenty from Grace Coddington, whose thoughtful, intelligent commentary greatly enriches the film. Best of all, however, and the moral center of the movie, is the delightfully rambunctious and greatly missed Bill Cunningham, whose remembrances of Lopez and his lover/partner Juan Ramos, provide much of the humor and emotion, together with a sense of great caring for a time, place and people, the likes of which and whom we will not see again.

What a difference is the Bill Cunningham (at left, below) shown here from the older, much more staid fellow we saw in that very lovely (but very "correct") documentary, Bill Cunningham New York! (If you enjoy this film as much as did I, you'll also want to watch the extended interview with Cunningham that is part of the Bonus Features on the DVD.)

Mr. Crump is also to be congratulated for giving us such lovely footage of Jessica Lange (below), seemingly speaking off the cuff and from the heart. She is, as usual, a pleasure to see and hear -- even more so telling us about a time and place we had no idea she'd been such a part of.

The documentary flips back and forth in time between the 60s and 70s yet is so lively and fun, you won't mind at all. And what to make of the young Karl Lagerfeld (below) we view here? Quite a difference from the éminence grise we've seen over the past couple of decades! His treatment of Antonio at the end of the latter's career, as told us by Cunningham, makes for the emotional high point of the film.

Most important, of course, is Lopez himself, and Crump makes it clear what a wonder he was. A better artist than Warhol, he had not a whit of interest in marketing. And that seems to have made the major difference between their careers.

Antonio wanted to live and create (and have as much sex as possible) -- all of which he did. We have not, nor probably will we, encounter this combo of talent, personality and achievement in the fashion field again.

From Film Movement and arriving on DVD and digital this coming Tuesday, February 12, Antonio Lopez: Sex, Fashion & Disco will be available for purchase and/or rental. Click here to view the various ways in which you can see this documentary.

TROUBLEMAKERS: THE STORY OF LAND ART -- James Crump's quick-and-surface overview

James Crump's new documentary (he's the fellow who earlier gave us Black and White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe), titled TROUBLEMAKERS: THE STORY OF LAND ART, is a fast and not-at-all furious trip through the sub-genre known as land art (sometimes referred to as earth art or earth works: do view the wonderful movie EarthWork, if you haven't already). For anyone unfamiliar with the idea or execution of land art, the film proves a pretty good introduction.

If you already know some things about this subject, and/or some of the artists who've produced it, Mr. Crump's (the filmmaker is shown at right) little race through the history of it all may seem -- even at only 72 minutes -- a bit repetitive and disorganized. What we do get that's enjoyable and necessary, are some nice views of some of the landmarks of the genre: "pieces" (that's not quite the right word for some-thing that's often this mammoth) by leaders in the field.

These would include the likes of Michael Heizer (whose work, Circular Surface, appears below and at bottom), Walter De Maria (whose Desert Cross is shown two photos below), Nancy Holt, (whose work, Sun Tunnels, graces the penultimate photo), Lawrence Weiner, and a few others (that's Charles Ross, constructing his Star Axis, above) -- whose work we see in all its odd and enormous glory. Much of this is impressive, in a kind of  "Why-would-they-do-that?" way, while the answer to the why ranges from a proclivity toward "troublemaking" to the need to get out of "the gallery" and make pieces that were simply too huge to be "owned" in any conventional sense.

Here, land becomes both the subject and the material for the art -- which proves a combination of "'information, technology and nature," as one of the movie's many speakers puts it at one point. The documentary is certainly information-packed with people, art, history, and even a few ideas. And its visuals are often quite stunning.

We learn about the contributions of 3M heiress Virginia Dwan, a bit about the magazine Avalanche (around which I suspect an entire movie might be made), and see certain of the works in an up-close-and-impersonal manner. But there does not seem to be any real organization here. Instead it's more a flow of names and places and people and artwork -- much of which may bring to mind Shelley's poem Ozymandias and the thought that even art this monumental must indeed fade (an idea that it appears some of these artists understand all too well themselves).

Does Troublemakers make the case for the importance of land art and its artists? Only marginally. But if you are intrigued by all this and want to learn more, I suggest viewing Doug Pray's interesting doc about one of Heizer's more famous works, Levitated Mass, or the aforementioned EarthWork. (There are probably more docs out there on this subject of which I'm unaware.) In any case, Mr. Crump's piece at least provides a quick survey/history of the genre.

From First Run Features, the documentary, which had its American debut at last year's New York Film Festival and has played various U.S. cities since then, opens this Friday, January 8, in New York City (at the IFC Center), in San Diego (at the Digital Gym Cinema), and in Seattle (at the Northwest Film Forum). For all other currently scheduled playdates around the country, click here. (That's Robert Smithson's Spiral Jetty, above and on the poster, top.)