Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Punishment Park - Peter Watkins (1971)

With Commentary by Dr. Joseph Gomez

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Indpendent Film Festival Boston - Shorts 6: Narratives


How to Be An Artist - Eddie Campbell (2001)


NY Export: Opus Jazz - Anna Farrell, Matt Wolf (2010)

Stunning adaptation of the Jerome Robbins ballet from the 1950s. Exhilarating and joyful.

Screened at the Independent Film Festival Boston - Somerville Theater

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Lone Wolf and Cub Vol 24: In These Small Hands - Koike and Kojima (1970s)

Amazon

Punishment Park - Peter Watkins (1971)

A dystopian alternate future of American dissent and conservative reaction. Intercuts tribunal proceedings with the punishment of political prisoners via a deadly chase in the dessert. False documentary style. Weird echos of Guantanamo and US detainees. Mostly produced via improvisational acting. Easier to follow than Watkins' previous film, Gladiators.

IMDB

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Docks of New York - Josef von Sternberg (1928)

One night and one day on the docks of old NY. Lush textures: glistening black of the stokers, superimposed textures of nets and iron beds, reflections in the water. The beer glasses in the bar are incredible. One of the last great silent films, released just about simultaneously with The Jazz Singer.

Live piano accompaniment by Donald Sosin.

IMDB

Friday, April 16, 2010

Age of Consent - Michael Powell (1969)

After Peeping Tom in 1960, Michael Powell was ostracized by the film industry. This was one of the few projects he was able to make after that point. Produced by James Mason, who stars. Too much comedy, perhaps, but echos of the Tempest and Paul Gauguin abound. Beautiful setting on island off Great Barrier Reef. Horrific music ruins some scenes. You get to see *a lot* of a 22 year old Helen Mirren.

Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 23: Tears of Ice - Koike and Kojima (1970s)


Is this sword fight really 100+ pages long?!?

Thursday, April 15, 2010

From Orchids to Octopi: An Evolutionary Love Story - Melinda Lopez (2010)

At the Central Square Theater. Produced by Underground Railway Theater and Catalyst Collaborative @ MIT.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

San Quentin - Lloyd Bacon (1937)

They had to work pretty hard to get a night club singer into a prison movie.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Side Street - Anthony Mann (1950)

MGM noir shot on location in NYC. Beautiful old dive bars and store fronts. Granger caught in a spiral trap of dames, goons and slick lawyers. High angles during final car chase narrow the space available to the protagonist down to the eye of the needle. The final car chase ends with a crash on Wall Street right in front of Federal Hall. Symbolism?

IMDB

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

No Regrets for Our Youth - Akira Kurosawa (1946)

A woman courageously changes her life and remains true to her sense of self while all those around her are static. Story steeped in political activism, but the film strips all of the politics from the story so we get the human story.

IMDB

Sunday, April 4, 2010

Sweetgrass - Ilisa Barbash & Lucien Castaing-Taylor (2009)

Amazing. Cinema verite with a narrative arc that cuts.

Screened at the Kendall Sq Theater

IMDB

Thursday, April 1, 2010

After the Snooter - Eddie Campbell (2002)


Virtuoso Illusion: Cross-Dressing and the New Media Avant-Garde

Exhibit of art from turn of the century to today of video art and photography exploring the use of cross dressing as a way to explode expectations and plumb identity issues.