[The 90’s raw: Venice Beach #2]

Raw footage for the award-winning series The 90's. Maxi Cohen tours California's Venice Beach, showing us some of its usual characters (mostly various street musicians).

00:00Copy video clip URL The tape opens by scanning the crowd around a dancer with large shoulder pads and a purple suit. He asks for donations before he begins to dance. He moves sort of like a robot, and then dances in slow motion.

05:33Copy video clip URL The tape cuts to a two men performing folk music. There is some wind noise. One man plays acoustic guitar, while the other sits and hits sticks on the ground to provide percussion. The camera scans the crowd of people watching, and the beach behind them. The guitarist then asks the crowd to whistle, saying, “walk with me,” prompting some young girls to walk across the circle to the music.

11:17Copy video clip URL The tape cuts to a shot indoors, to show a flyer which says, “Here is your chance to make a fortune.” Cohen makes a phone call to this “opportunity of a lifetime” scam job offer, and though the audio buzzes, the camera picks up the audio from the actual phone. She gets a recorded message, which is long and only vaguely explains the company. The message makes broad claims about the company. Cohen leaves her name and address.

13:50Copy video clip URL Back to Venice Beach, where various roller bladers and skaters (including the elderly Skateboard Mama) zigzag through a slalom course. The camera turns sideways for about ten minutes in in order to capture the whole course better, and later turns upside down. The camera briefly examines someone’s roller skates and shin guards, and the line of people watching. Another person with a camera, also on roller skates, films them.

33:49Copy video clip URL The camera cuts to a sidewalk preacher who holds a Bible and talks about the ultimate judgment, God’s mercy, and Jesus. He wears a sweatshirt that says “Lord’s Gym” on the front, and “His Pain Your Gain” on the back, and depicts a crucifix. He hands the videomaker a pamphlet.

37:47Copy video clip URL The camera briefly cuts to some young hip hop dancers.

38:19Copy video clip URL A man sells what appears to be still-moving, severed human hands, and advertises them as “fresh-cut hands.” The tape cuts for a few seconds but returns to the hands. The videomaker asks potential customers what they would do with the hands if they bought one, and they joke about their sex lives.

41:46Copy video clip URL Cuts to a man who talks about synchronicity, the collective unconsciousness, and other occult things. He appears to be a tarot reader. He says he’s been dong tarot for three years at Venice Beach. A man asks him about sin, but the camera cuts.

43:29Copy video clip URL Cuts to an animal activist dressed as a monster with a sign that says, “Don’t be a carnivorous beast, Go vegetarian.” He holds plastic dead animals, and has a large black cape. The monster head mocks devouring the plastic animals, and has flyers. People walking by are curious and generally amused.

46:02Copy video clip URL The camera cuts to Maxi Cohen, testing the microphone and trying to fix the audio buzz.

47:02Copy video clip URL End of tape.