William E. Jones in Person

The abbreviated title of William Jones's recent video v.o. may stand for voice-over or perhaps version originale, a French phrase indicating that a film has not been dubbed, but either phrase gives only a partial sense of this elegant, eloquent film. While v.o. has a voice-over, it is created from clips from many film soundtracks, including dialogue from art films by Manoel de Oliveira, Luis Buñuel, and Raoul Ruiz as well as an interview with Jean Genet, and while none of the voices have been dubbed, neither do they belong to the images with which they are paired. The images originate from classic seventies and early-eighties gay pornographic films-but the moments Jones chooses are anticlimactic. The new combinations are surprisingly emotional and tender, with a touch of melancholy for bygone eras of gay culture and cinephilia.