Reviews

Film Comment. November/December 2007
If there's one sure axiom about the customs of family life, it's this: home movies are always boring. That being said, the people at the Center for Home Movies have somehow managed to crack this tautology of tedium with Living Room Cinema: Vol. 1, a collection of highlights from Home Movie Day events around the world that offers a novel exception: what about the home movies of complete strangers? With 22 films amounting to two hours of utterly non-boring footage that spans approximately 70 years, and optional commentaries by archivists, film historians, and the sometimes hilarious families themselves, Living Room Cinema proves to be much more than a cultural artifact, or a collectible item for film freaks and small-gauge enthusiasts; it'll really a must-have for anyone who's ever been captivated by the wordless draw of moving images, or the common intimacies of other people's lives. (Margaret Barton-Fumo)

Library Journal. February 15, 2008
Home Movie Day first commenced in August 2003 when a group of film archivists created a cultural outlet for the public display of private films. Similar gatherings have occurred annually worldwide. This diverse collection presents 22 amateur films, including a 16mm print of George Eastman and Thomas Edison documenting the use of Kodak's Kodacolor technology. It also contains films of utter anonymity, such as a Super 8 recording of carnival rides in action--the film's silver emulsion having decomposed so as to produce a psychedelic experience not unlike that of a kaleidoscopic acid rock video. If only commercially driven content such as America's Funniest Home Videos or "reality" TV were so curiously entertaining. Living Room Cinema's bits of personal history are engrossing because they were never intended for mass viewing. Spanning much of the last century, the films provide authentic voyeurism; conscious cinema verite this is not. Many of the clips are presented with optional commentary by various participants, family members, or discoverers of lost treasures. Alternatively, composer Donald Sosin provides original music scores recalling silent film-era accompaniment. Recommended for libraries serving film studies programs. (Eric Pasteur, Peoria P.L., IL)