#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

#642) Scorpio Rising (1963)

OR “Look Back in Anger”

Directed by Kenneth Anger

Written by Ernest D. Glucksman

Class of 2022

Ugh, no YouTube clip I embed here will show the thumbnail image (I keep getting the “Video unavailable” screen). You can watch the film on YouTube here.

The Plot: The avant-garde, occult influenced, homoerotic work of Kenneth Anger is on full display in “Scorpio Rising”. Set to an inspired playlist of ’60s hits, the film follows a biker named Scorpio (Bruce Byron) as he prepares for a night of racing and partying. It’s an experimental examination of the different groups society has deemed outsiders throughout history. Or maybe it’s a condemnation of hero worship. Or maybe Kenneth Anger just thought this guy was cute.

Why It Matters: The NFR gives a heap of superlatives to “Scorpio Rising”, calling it “one of the key works in Avant-Garde/Experimental cinema” and “a one-of-kind, rapid-fire exploration and juxtaposition of symbolism”.

But Does It Really?: Oh sure. “Scorpio Rising” is a great representation of the late legend Kenneth Anger. I would go so far as to say that “Scorpio Rising” is a better representation on this list for Anger than his previously inducted film: 1953’s “Eaux d’Artifice“. While “Eaux” has all the markings of an early experimental film (and is one of those “Staring at Water” movies the NFR loves for some reason), it lacks the hallmarks of Anger’s other films; the surreal blend of pop culture and his own sexuality that he is known for. “Scorpio Rising” fits the bill, and is a testament to one of filmdom’s first openly gay creators.

Shout Outs: I’m pretty sure James Dean’s photo on Scorpio’s wall is from “Rebel Without a Cause“. We also get a very brief shot of a Bela Lugosi-looking vampire.

Everybody Gets One: Richard MacAulay was a biker in Greenwich Village who went by the name Bruce Byron (a tribute to James Dean, whose middle name was Byron). A chance encounter with Kenneth Anger in Times Square led to him appearing in “Scorpio Rising”. Much of the character of Scorpio is taken from Byron’s real life: His Greenwich Village apartment was used for filming, and the photos of James Dean on the wall were really his (as is the Dishonorable Discharge from the Marines). The character’s name came from Byron’s astrological sign, as well as the scorpion amulet he always carried with him. When the film was released, Byron would occasionally show up at theaters to greet audiences.

Title Track: The title “Scorpio Rising” is written in metal studs on the back of a leather jacket. That tells you exactly what kind of movie you are in for.

Seriously, Oscars?: What? No Oscar nomination for “Scorpio Rising”? I’m shocked! (Can you sense the sarcasm?) For the record: 1963’s Live Action Short winner was Robert Enrico’s “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge“, which would go on to be re-edited and aired as one of the final episodes of…”The Twilight Zone”.

Other notes

Part One of this film (known as “Boys & Bolts”) feels like the film adaptation of “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance”. At one point I though the whole movie was just going to be this guy fixing his bike. What is this, “Andy Warhol’s Garage”?
Longtime readers know I’m a sucker for a good soundtrack, and “Scorpio Rising” is no exception, with each track masterfully chosen to either comment on or subvert the film’s imagery. In order for “Scorpio” to compete at film festivals without getting pulled for copyright infringement, Anger paid for the clearance rights of each song, which cost about $8000 (about $80,000 today), roughly the same amount it cost to make the film!
At one point we hear Bobby Vinton’s rendition of “Blue Velvet”, which reminds me: When is David Lynch’s “Blue Velvet” gonna make the NFR? I remembered to submit it for consideration this year, so hopefully that helps.
In Part Two (“Image Maker”) Scorpio is watching a TV airing of “The Wild One”, another movie I’m surprised isn’t on the NFR yet. It’s always odd when an independent film makes the NFR before the more iconic film it’s referencing does. Apparently, “Wild One” just happened to be playing on TV when Anger was filming in Byron’s apartment, but as with any piece of Kenneth Anger trivia I will take that with a grain of salt.
Looks like Scorpio picked the wrong week to keep snorting methamphetamines.
Anger starts laying on the symbolism pretty thick with shots of Scorpio juxtaposed with clips of Jesus from the ’50s educational film series “The Living Bible”. These images appear while The Crystals’ “He’s a Rebel” plays on the soundtrack. You know, Jesus was something of a rebel himself. Shoutout to Nelson Leigh, the actor playing Jesus in the clips from “Living Bible”. Leigh plays bit parts in fellow NFR films “Lassie Come Home“, “Imitation of Life“, and the aforementioned “Rebel Without a Cause”.
And now the great “Art vs. Porn” debate. During the “Living Bible” clip when a blind man kneels before Jesus, Kenneth Anger interjects a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of someone’s penis. This, combined with some of the more overt physical acts at the party led to the film’s obscenity charges (more about those in “Legacy”). Now I’m no expert (I tend to fall on the “I know it when I see it” side of things), but all of the sexual acts in this movie happen so quickly you’d have to really be paying attention in order to find it titillating. But that’s just me; you do you.
Speaking of, I assume the debauchery in Part Three (“Walpurgis Party”) is what hard-core conservatives think happen at all liberal parties. Well we used to party like that, but then COVID hit. Safety first, you know.
Of course this kind of homoerotic imagery was ahead of its time in 1963, but I got to wondering if it was even too much for the NFR team of 1993, the year “Eaux d’Artifice” was inducted. I wouldn’t be surprised if there was an agreement among the Film Preservation Board that Kenneth Anger should be on the Registry, but that a film like “Scorpio” was too extreme for a list that included the likes of “An American in Paris“. If there’s any gay subject matter in “Eaux”, it’s so subtle that I definitely missed it.
Okay I get it, he’s like Jesus! Stop it! I think Anger’s going for a “Let he without sin cast the first stone” deal. Or maybe “Don’t knock it ’till you’ve tried it.”
Wait, are the bikers Hitler now? Anger starts using photos of Hitler as well as Jesus in Part Four (“Rebel Rouser”) when the bikers start racing each other. Is this commentary on the danger of hero worship? Also during this part they cut to a shot of a checkers set with swastikas on all the pieces. I definitely did not have “Nazi Checkers” on my list of things to watch for in an NFR film.
Another classic film repurposed by Anger: 1935’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”. Mickey Rooney’s Puck makes a quick appearance, a reference to Anger’s production company Puck Film, as well as Anger’s claim that he played the changeling child in the film (a claim repeatedly debunked over the years).
The closing shots of a solitary police beacon light flashing in the dark looks like the opening of “Police Squad!” (In Color).
That was awesome. Thanks, Kenneth.

Legacy

“Scorpio Rising” premiered in October 1963 at the Gramercy Arts Theater in New York City, and shortly afterwards ran at the legendary Bleecker Street Cinema in Greenwich Village, where it became a popular attraction. The controversy with “Scorpio” began almost immediately when the film was pulled from theaters following a public obscenity charge. Cinema Theater manager Mike Getz was convicted for showing the film, but the case was appealed by the California Supreme Court, creating a precedent for seemingly “pornographic” films containing “redeeming social merit”.
Speaking of lawsuits, we have perhaps the funniest bit of trivia I’ve ever read while researching a blog post. In 1964, the American Nazi Party sued Kenneth Anger for defamation because of his use of their flag in “Scorpio Rising”. That story again: The American Nazi Party sued someone for damaging their reputation. Riiiiiight. I can’t find the results of that lawsuit, but I assume the judge’s verdict was several minutes of unbridled laughter.
Among the filmmakers who have cited “Scorpio Rising” as an influence are John Waters and Martin Scorsese. You can definitely see the Anger influence on these two: Waters with his subverted look at ’50s pop culture, and Scorsese with his choice needle drops.
Kenneth Anger continued making films for the next 45 years, his last being 2010’s “Missoni”. And while he wrote “Hollywood Babylon III” around the same time, the book was never published due to its chapter criticizing the Church of Scientology. Anger passed away earlier this month at the age of 96. And I’m sure wherever he is right now, he’s cursing all of us.

Listen to This: None of the songs in this film have been inducted into the National Recording Registry, though some of their performers have (Elvis, Ray Charles, Martha & the Vandellas, etc.). That means the NRR currently lacks such classics as “Blue Velvet”, “Hit the Road Jack”, “(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave”, “I Will Follow Him”, and “Wipeout”. Now available on two CDs or two cassettes!