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Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground

20181h 18mChuck Smith
IMDb 7.3 · Rotten Tomatoes 100% · Metacritic 82

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Synopsis

The 29-minute experimental film Christmas on Earth caused a sensation when it first screened in New York City in 1964. Its orgy scenes, double projections and overlapping images shattered artistic conventions and announced a powerful new voice in the city's underground film scene. All the more remarkable, that vision belonged to a teenager, 18-year-old Barbara Rubin. A Zelig of the '60s, she introduced Andy Warhol to the Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan to Kabbalah and bewitched Allen Ginsberg. The same unbridled creativity that inspired her to make films when women simply didn't, saw her breach yet another male domain, Orthodox Judaism, before her mysterious death at 35. Lifelong friend Jonas Mekas saved all her letters, creating a rich archive that filmmaker Chuck Smith carefully sculpts into this fascinating portrait of a nearly forgotten artist. An avante-garde maverick, a rebel in a man's world, Barbara Rubin regains her rightful place in film history.

Documentary
Underground Film

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Frequently asked questions

What is Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground (2018) about?

The 29-minute experimental film Christmas on Earth caused a sensation when it first screened in New York City in 1964. Its orgy scenes, double projections and overlapping images shattered artistic conventions and announced a powerful new voice in the city's underground film scene. All the more remarkable, that vision belonged to a teenager, 18-year-old Barbara Rubin. A Zelig of the '60s, she…

Who stars in Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground?

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground stars Barbara Rubin (Self (archive footage)), Jonas Mekas, Amy Taubin, Bob Dylan, Andy Warhol. The film was directed by Chuck Smith.

How long is Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground?

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground has a runtime of 1 min and premiered in 2018.

Is Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground worth watching?

Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground holds an IMDb rating of 7.3/10. On Rotten Tomatoes it scores 100. Fans of Documentary are most likely to enjoy it — TasteRay can tell you how well it matches your personal taste.

Where can I watch Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground?

Streaming availability for Barbara Rubin and the Exploding NY Underground changes by country and service. TasteRay tracks where it is available across Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, Max, Apple TV+ and 50+ other platforms — the current options for your country are shown on this page.