Schedule Archive - What we’ve seen
Every 3 months or so i’m going to post an archive of our schedule so the main calender doesnt get too HUGE, this is the list of films and dates from November-March (more or less).
Tuesday, Novemeber 13th: Meeting
7:30PM - south philly
anyone interested being more involved in the film series, or anyone who wants to get a jump on claiming themes or directors is encouraged to show up early for a brief meeting. keep me company while i make popcorn.
Tuesday, November 13th: Béla Tarr - Damnation
8:00PM - south philly
1988 - 116 minutes
a turning point in Tarr's career, this film is a collaboration with Hungarian novelist Laszlo Krasznahorka. until this point, tarr had worked solo both in filming and writing. this marks the begining of his now signature style of long panning shots and beautiful abstracts.
Tuesday, November 20th: Béla Tarr - Almanac of Fall
8:00PM - south philly
1985 - 122 minutes
compared to Sartre's No Exit, Almanac of Fall (Öszi Almanach) relates the tale of 5 people living in close quarters in a small apartment. in this film, Tarr uses the camera angles and light plays to emphasize the angst and intensities of the central characters, creating an extra depth to their development.
NO FILM THURSDAY NOVEMBER 22nd
Tuesday, November 27th: Béla Tarr (closing film) - Werckmeister Harmonies
8:00PM - south philly
2000 - 145 minutes
described as elegant and haunting, Werckmeister Harmonies (Werckmeister Harmóniák) is a follow up to Tarr's seven hour epic Satantango (based on a novel by Laszlo Krasznahorka) which explores the history and cycles of violence in eastern europe. this film will close the series on Béla Tarr.
Tuesday, December 4th: Andrei Tarkovsky - Stalker
8:00PM - south philly
1979 - 163 minutes
Based on the Russian science fiction novel Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsy, Stalker- also translated as “the guide” or “tracker”, describes the journey of three men into the post-apocalyptic wilderness of “the zone”. in this film, Tarkovsky uses a variety of different filming techniques to blend the edges of dreams and reality as the three men seek the fulfillment of their innermost desires. the cinematography in this film is simply breathtaking.
Tuesday, December 11th: Andrei Tarkovsky - Solaris
8:00PM - south philly
1972 - 169 minutes
Based on the science fiction novel by Stanislaw Lem, Solaris is probably the most well known film by Tarkovsky following its american remake in 2002. no, we will not be watching version. the film is slow moving and poetic, and often referred to as the Russian answer to Kubrick’s 2001: A space Odyssey.
BREAK TIL JANUARY
Tuesday, January 1st: Andrei Tarkovsky - Mirror
AND PROBABLY BLOODY MARYS
8:00PM - south philly
1975 - 108 minutes
we pick this back up in january with Mirror, Tarkovsky’s most autobiographical work. it seems like all of tarkovksy’s films spawned some sort of cult following with someone or other- this one is for the russian intellectuals. includes bits and pieces of his fathers poetry as well as newsreel footage from his childhood- all layed out in a stream of consciousness form.
Tuesday, January 8th: Andrei Tarkovsky - Nostalghia
8:00PM - south philly
1983 - 125 minutes
Tarkovsky’s first film directed outside of the USSR. Nostalghia is a story of a russian expatriate who travels to italy to research an 18th century composer. noted for its visual qualities and technical work, including extremely long takes similar to what we saw in Béla Tarrs films.
Saturday, January 12th: Tim Burton MARATHON!
12NOON - south philly
all day all night
we will be going all day, feel free to drop by when you have a chance. stay as long or as little as you like.
Tuesday, January 29th: Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus
8:00PM - south philly
2003 - 84 minutes
a southern documentary directed by Andrew Douglas, written by Steve Haisman, and told by Jim White and other southern crooners. stunning cinematography and unbelievably haunting music.
Tuesday, February 4th: Love Serenade
8:00PM - south philly
1996 - 101 minutes
one of my favorite films. all you need to know is that the music is mostly Barry White, its shot in a small town in new zealand, and its has some of the best characters ever. a sort of surreal love story - that isnt really so much of a love story. directed by Shirley Barrett, produced by Jan Chapman (the piano) and stars Miranda Otto.
Tuesday, February 12th: Punch-Drunk Love
8:00PM - south philly
2002 - 95 minutes
punch-drunk love, directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, really illustrates Adam Sandler’s versitility. Where he usually uses his abilities to be awkward and tense to create comic scenarios, here he uses them to create extremely uncomfortable and somewhat tragic moments. Punch-Drunk Love is a sort of haphazard and beautiful love story, complete with a fantastic soundtrack and many Scopitones.
Tuesday, February 19th: Alejandro Jodorowsky - Santa Sangre (opening film)
8:00PM - south philly
1989 - 123 minutes
Shot in both Mexico and Italy, Santa Sangre tells the complex story of Fenix. There is very little I can say about this film without ruining the story, but is a beautiful and surreal piece, with puppets, circuses, mimes, folklore, and as many twists as a modern noir. Definitely Jodorowsky’s most accessible film and a very good introduction to his aesthetic.
Tuesday, February 26th: Alejandro Jodorowsky - La Montaña Sagrada
8:00PM - south philly
1973 - 114 minutes
Translated as either The Holy Mountain or The Sacred Mountain, Jodorowsky did just about everything for this film: writer, director, producer, actor, scorer and editor. The film is based on The Ascent of Mt. Carmel by Saint John of the Cross and Mount Analoue: A Novel of Symbolically Authentic Non-Euclidean Adventures in Mountain Climbing by Rene Daumal. The leading members of the cast supposedly spent three months preparing for the film with spiritual exercises guided by Oscar Ichazo of the Arica Institute, which included Zen, Sufi, and yoga exercises, as well as more eclectic concepts from the Kabbalah and I Ching. All of these elements play an integral role in developing the aesthetic of La Montaña Sagrada.
Tuesday, March 4th: Alejandro Jodorowsky - El Topo
8:00PM - south philly
1970 - 125 minutes
El Topo is a surrealistic Mexican western. The best way I can think to describe it, is to compare it to Monty Python and the Holy Grail, only a western, and by Jodorowsky. If that doesn’t make sense now, it will after you see it. Most people I know have only seen the dubbed English with Korean? subtitles, lucky us! This time we will be showing the Spanish with English subtitles, sorry to disappoint you.
Tuesday, March 11th: Alejandro Jodorowsky - Fando y Lis
8:00PM - south philly
1967 - 96 minutes
Loosely based on a play written by Fernando Arrabal, the film follows Fando and his paraplegic girlfriend Lis. A modern fable, we find them searching through a destroyed world for a mythic city called Tar where all their wishes will be fulfilled. Instead, they are corrupted and driven mad. When the movie premiered at the 1968 Acapulco film festival, a full scale riot broke out., the audience was enraged at the "corrupting content" of the film. The film was banned from Mexico by the government, and Jodorowsky himself was nearly deported for the madness the film had created.
what we’ve seen
Sunday, March 16, 2008