Inconsequential Doggereal 1981
Ulysses Jenkins' *Inconsequential Doggereal* (1981) is a bold experiment in avant-garde filmmaking, born from an editing exercise for his students at UCSD.
Director: Ulysses Jenkins
Frequently Asked Questions
What is *Inconsequential Doggereal* (1981) about?
This 15-minute experimental short blends student-editing exercises with found footage from television broadcasts, news segments, and interviews. Director Ulysses Jenkins stitches these fragments together through loops and overlays, creating a surreal critique of media consumption and its impact on perception.
Who directed *Inconsequential Doggereal*?
The film was directed by Ulysses Jenkins, a pioneering experimental filmmaker and educator known for his innovative work in video art and collage techniques.
Who stars in *Inconsequential Doggereal*?
The cast includes actor Peter Sellers in a *60 Minutes*-style interview segment, alongside unspecified performers captured in TV news and documentary clips.
Is *Inconsequential Doggereal* (1981) worth watching?
As an unrated, 15-minute experimental piece, it's a niche but fascinating watch for fans of avant-garde cinema or media studies. Its raw, unconventional approach to found footage makes it a cult curiosity rather than a mainstream appeal, but its technical boldness is undeniable.
How long is *Inconsequential Doggereal*?
The runtime is 15 minutes.
About Inconsequential Doggereal (1981) — Ulysses Jenkins' experimental 1981 short film deconstructs television
Ulysses Jenkins' *Inconsequential Doggereal* (1981) is a bold experiment in avant-garde filmmaking, born from an editing exercise for his students at UCSD. This 15-minute short film collides fragmented, self-shot poetic imagery with the relentless noise of television—news broadcasts dissecting minimum wage debates, science documentaries spinning out of control, and a *60 Minutes*-style interview with actor Peter Sellers, all spliced together through freeze-frames, loops, and overlays. The result is a hypnotic meditation on media saturation, where the boundaries between reality and spectacle dissolve into a tangled, rhythmic collage of sights and sounds.
Jenkins' work thrives on contrast: the personal versus the public, the mundane versus the absurd, and the way television reshapes perception. The film's raw, improvisational energy captures the chaotic pulse of 1980s media culture, making it a fascinating time capsule for cinephiles and students of experimental cinema alike. Whether you're drawn to its technical ingenuity or its thematic audacity, *Inconsequential Doggereal* lingers long after the credits roll.