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The Bootleg Files – The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art

BOOTLEG FILES 876: “The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art” (1974 Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Orson Welles).

LAST SEEN:
On YouTube.

AMERICAN HOME VIDEO: None.

REASON FOR BOOTLEG STATUS: There might be a right issue that is unresolved.

CHANCES OF SEEING A COMMERCIAL DVD RELEASE: A re-release on DVD and Blu-ray is not likely at this time.

Question: How can anyone encapsulate the history of modern art in roughly 100 minutes? The answer: You cannot, although Herbert Kline gave it a spirited try with his 1974 documentary feature “The Challenge: A Tribute to Modern Art.” Perhaps the key word in the film’s title is “tribute” – as with any tribute, it provides a celebratory overview of achievement without plumbing the depth and scope of the subject with any great intensity.
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