The Velvet Underground

Documentaries


THE VELVET UNDERGROUND | SOUTH BANK SHOW

Director/producer: Kim Evans, Research: Mary Harron, Camera: Paul Bond, Film editor: John Street, Executive producer: Alan Benson. London Wekkend Television production

45 min, UK, September 1985

First broadcast: April 27, 1986, ITV1, UK.

Interviews with Lou, John, Sterling, Moe, Nico, plus Gerard Malanga, Brigid Polk, Victor Bockris, Robert Cristgau. Excerpts from the Bataclan show (Waiting For The Man, Heroin), Ron Nameth's Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable, and Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground & Nico (a.k.a Symphony Of Sound).

Review by Jon Savage:

A date for every Velveteenie to scrawl on the subway wall is April 27, when LWT's South Bank Show unveils an hour-long Velvet Underground special. Directed by Kim Evans and excellently researched by Mary Harron, the programme contains rare footage of embarrassing beatnik dancing to "Venus InFurs"; Jonas Mekas' film of the Velvet's appearance at the Psychiatrists' Convention in 1966; film of the Exploding Plastic Inevitable by Ron Nemeth and some vintage home movie material of Cale, Reed and Morrison. It also has ex-Velvets talking sense, for a change. Nico: "I think there is a massive responsability that we sort of started this thing with drugs." John Cale: "The only reason we wore (glasses on stage) was because we couln't stand the sight of the audience". The history of art-pop redefined with a no-show, of course, from either Andy or Lou.


FEED BACK : THE VELVET UNDERGROUND STORY | ARSENAL SHOW

40 min, Spain, 1985-86

First broadcast: Spring 1986, Catalonian TV3, Spain.

Velvet Underground history, companion to Ignacio Julia's Feed-Back book, with Sterling Morrison interview, including him overdubbing guitar onto a 1984 I'm Waiting For The Man Cale's performance. Now available on DVD (Nothing Songs NSVD-001, Japan, 2006).


NOTHING SPECIAL

55 min, France, 1990

First broadcast: August 26, 1990, Canal +, France.

Documentary about Andy Warhol, including interviews, films excerpts, photos... It was produced in 1990, by French TV Canal+ and Centre Pompidou in Paris. The soundtrack has some official Velvet Underground song excerpts. Lou Reed reads some Warhol's texts and some Songs For Drella (Smalltown, Hello It's Me). I Believe official video is mixed with Warhol murder attempt testimonies and TV reports. The '72 Bataclan Waiting For The Man is also included.


FONDATION CARTIER

34 min, Fondation Cartier, France, 1990

Official video recording of the Cale/Reed performance at Andy Warhol System : Pub, Pop, Rock Fondation Cartier exibition opening on June 15, 1990. Includes Heroin with Sterling Morrison and Moe Tucker.


CURIOUS | THE VELVET UNDERGROUND LIVE IN EUROPE

Declan Lowney, David Hefferman

52 min, Ireland, 1993

First broadcast: December 1993, Channel 4, UK

History of the Velvet Underground, with interviews made during the 1993 european tour. It includes images from this tour, excerpts from Factory era films, Vaclav Havel testimonies about the Velvet Underground influence, and Lou performing a solo Heroin. Available as home video and laser disc in Japan.


NICO ICON

Susan Ofteringer

72 min, Germany, 1995

Documentary about Nico including a large section about the Factory/Velvet Underground era of her career. It has also testimonies by Billy Linich, Paul Morrissey, Jonas Mekas, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and clips from WNET USA Artists, Jonas Mekas' Scenes From The Life Of Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground & Nico (a.k.a A Symphony Of Sound), and Ron Nameth's Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable. Exists as home video and DVD.


DANCING IN THE STREET | EPISODE 7 | HANG ON TO YOURSELF

Director/Producer: Karen Walsh

7 minutes, UK, 1996

Dancing In The Street is a documentary series about history of rock 'n' roll, co-produced in 1996 by BBC and WGBH. Episode 7 (titled Hang On To Yourself) offers a 7-minute part devoted to the Velvet Underground. It includes interviews with Danny Fields, Lou Reed, John Cale, Maureen Tucker and also excerpts of WNET-TV USA Artists, CBS-TV The Making of an Underground Film, Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground & Nico (a.k.a. Symphony Of Sound), and clips from Psychiatrists' Convention and EPI at the Dom and Poor Richard's.


LOU REED: ROCK AND ROLL HEART | AMERICAN MASTERS

Timothy Greenfield Sanders & Karen Bernstein

75 min, American Masters special, Thirteen/WNET, 1997, USA

Lou Reed documentary with Velvet Underground story section. Includes film excerpts (Andy Warhol's The Velvet Underground & Nico aka A Symphony Of Sound, WNET USA Artists, Rosalind Stevenson's Sunday Morning, and various Factory-era bits), numerous photographs (some previously unseen), and interviews with Lou Reed, John Cale, Maureen Tucker, Jonas Mekas, Ronnie Cutrone, Mary Woronov, Gerard Malanga...etc. Available as home video and DVD.


JOHN CALE

James Marsh

60 min, BBC Wales, 1998, UK

John Cale documentary with Velvet Underground story section. Available on DVD.


MUSIQUE FACTORY

directed by Amaury Voslion, produced by Vicent Paul-Boncour & Paul Morrissey

5:57, Allerton Films / Carlotta Films / Paul Morrissey, France, 2003

The Velvet Underground as told by Paul Morrissey. Available as bonus content on Paul Morrissey | La Trilogie DVD (carlotta 786710, France, 2003). English audio with optional French subtitles.


ANDY WARHOL | A DOCUMENTARY FILM

Directed by Ric Burns

First broadcast: September 20-21, 2006, on PBS as part of its American Masters series

2 x 114 min, PBS, 2006, USA

Andy Warhol documentary with EPI story section (Episode 2, Chatper 5: The E.P.I.). Available on DVD.


ONCE UPON A TIME IN NEW YORK | The Birth of Hip Hop, Disco And Punk

Producer/Director: Ben Whalley

First Broadcast: March 2007, BBC Four, UK

Includes approx. 5 minutes part (4:46 → 9:28) dedicated to The Velvet Underground with excerpts of WNET-TV USA Artists, CBS-TV Making Of An Underground Film, and interviews with John Cale, Victor Bockris and Lenny Kaye.

BBC - Music - Once Upon a Time in New York


SEVEN AGES OF ROCK | WHITE LIGHT, WHITE HEAT | ART ROCK 1966-1980

Director/Producer: Francis Whatley

60 minutes, UK, 2007

First broadcast: May 26, 2007, BBC Two.

Episode 2 of the Seven Ages of Rock BBC Two series - co-produced by BBC Worldwide and VH1 Classic in 2007 about the history of rock music. The Velvet Underground part is 6:25 long [8:05 → 14:40] and includes short excerpts of The Velvet Underground & Nico (a.k.a. Symphony Of Sound), WNET-TV USA Artists - Andy Warhol, Paraphernalia, Jonas Mekas' Scenes From The Life Of Andy Warhol, Andy Warhol's Chelsea Girls, The Velvet Underground (a.k.a. Moe In Bondage), CBS-TV The Making Of An Underground Film, Ron Nameth's Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable, all mixed with interviews with John Cale, Lou Reed, Gerard Malanga and rock writer Charles Shaar Murray.

BBC - Seven Ages of Rock - Programmes - White Light, White Heat


SUMMER OF LOVE | PSYCHEDELIC REVOLUTION '67

Christoph Dreher

75 minutes, Germany, 2007

First broadcast: July 3, 2007, Arte TV, France/Germany

Includes approx. 5 minutes chapter devoted to Andy Warhol & The Velvet Underground with excerpts of Ronald Nameth's Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable and interview with Mary Woronov.


TURN ON, TUNE IN, DROP OUT!

Producer: Kloos und Co. Medien

45 minutes, Germany, 2007

First broadcast: July 3, 2007, Arte TV, France/Germany

Collection of psychedelic movies including 12-minutes version of Ronald Nameth's Andy Warhol's Exploding Plastic Inevitable.

Turn on, Tune in, Drop out! - ARTE


ANDY WARHOL'S "FACTORY PEOPLE" | INSIDE THE 60'S SILVER FACTORY | PART TWO | "Speeding into the Future" '65-'66

Catherine O'Sullivan Shorr, Edited by Vincent Vierron
Produced by Patrick Nagle and Yves Billon, Executive Producer Patrick Nagle

52 minutes, 2007

Andy Warhol's "Factory People" | PlanetGroupEntertainment


BBC ONE | MODERN MASTERS | ANDY WARHOL

Produced and Directed by Sarah Aspinall

59 minutes, UK, 2010

First broadcast: May 2, 2010, BBC1

The Velvet Underground is mentioned briefly (46:35→47:50) with excerpt of WNET USA Artists: Andy Warhol (47:02→47:32) with the studio version of I'm Wating For The Man as soundtrack.


BBC FOUR | LOU REED REMEMBERED

Produced and directed by Chris Rodley

59 minutes, UK, 2013

First broascast: December 15, 2013, BBC FOUR

"Film tribute to Lou Reed, who died in October, which looks at the extraordinarily transgressive life and career of one of rock 'n' roll's true originals.

With the help of friends, fellow musicians, critics and those who have been inspired not only by his music but also by his famously contrary approach to almost everything, the documentary looks at how Reed not only helped to shape a generation but also helped to create a truly alternative, independent rock scene, while also providing New York with its most provocative and potent soundtrack.

With contributions from Bob Ezrin, Mick Rock, Lenny Kaye, Paul Auster, Moe Tucker, Boy George, Thurston Moore, Andrew Wylie, Victor Bockris, Holly Woodlawn, Mary Woronov and Steve Hunter."

BBC FOUR | Lou Reed Remembered


ROCK LEGENDS | VELVET UNDERGROUND

Produced and directed by Cal Saville

24 minutes, UK, 2013

First broascast: ?

Episode of the Rock Legends series.


ARTE CREATIVE | THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, BANANA ALBUM

Directed by Allan Rotschild, Un Monde Meilleur

10 minutes, France, March 30,2016

Produced for The Velevt Underground | New York Extravaganza exhibition.

ARTE creative | The Velvet Underground, banana album


Home

By Olivier Landemaine
Last modified: January 13, 2019

©1996-2019 The Velvet Underground Web Page