Invocation of My Demon Brother. Kenneth Anger, 1969.
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Edition screened: Included on BFI Blu-ray Magick Lantern Cycle, released 2009. English language. Runtime approximately 11 minutes.
Edition screened: Included on BFI Blu-ray Magick Lantern Cycle, released 2009. English language. Runtime approximately 11 minutes.
Summary: Images of a murdered cat.
Invocation of my Demon Brother is composed of short pieces of film captured at satanic rituals and similar events in London and San Francisco, along with other footage of war and strife. Several of the satanic sequences include a sacrificed cat.
The individual films in the Magick Lantern Cycle do not rely or build upon one another, but most have similar smooth tonal palettes, music moods, and visual style. In sharp contrast, Invocation utilizes a repetitive and non-melodic synthesizer score synched to short film edits to create a composition that is intentionally spasmodic and disturbing. I do not question if the film realized Anger’s vision, but it was unwelcome in my viewing experience and I would skip it in the future.