Screen Test: Lou Reed (Coke) (1966)
Andy directs Lou Reed drinking a Coke.
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Overrated and overhyped
Best movie ever!
This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
A Warhol experiment just like many others from his earliest years by capturing simple acts in continuous long shots. This one, a screen test with Lou Reed holding a Coca-Cola bottle and drinking its content through the whole video, sometimes holding the bottle next to his face, almost as if promoting the brand. I don't think Coca was aware of the video, or even asked Warhol to make a promotional clip for them but let's face it, it was a nice way to sell the product. Even though while behind the dark shades and barely showing any detectable reaction, Mr. Lou Reed seemed to express a genuine liking for the drink, there's something to be admired with his appearance, a truly bad boy who knows how to appreciate simple acts of life, getting the taste of Coke. Ten times better than many of the planned commercials released by that company.Andy Warhol made many of this screen test experiments with other artists (Nico, Edie Sedgwick, Dennis Hopper, etc.), possibly to present them in a different way we visualize them in their other medias, to gather a unique and different essence of the individual. While I absolutely adored the man's take with unknown figures such as "Eat" or "Blow Job", which were a lot longer than this 4 minutes clip, I don't felt it much compelling or of complete relevance. Works as a testament of time, from a fascinating cultural period where you could get away with something simple like this unintended promotional video. 7/10