The Cinefamily

A Tribute to Adam Yauch (FREE SHOW feat. "Awesome; I F**kin' Shot That!")

cinefamily — Mon, 28 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

This month, we were all sideswiped by the passing of Adam Yauch, known and loved around the world as “MCA”: the socially conscious Beastie Boy with the gravel voice, who championed for womens’ rights and Tibetan freedom. But to us here at Cinefamily, he was also beloved as a film-lover and filmmaker as well. Yauch’s production/distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories has represented the kind of open-minded and unpretentious celebration of creative vitality that we always want to support — from releasing works by current masters like Lynne Ramsay and Kelly Reichardt, to classic artists such as Jules Dassin and Nicholas Ray. As well, there’s always been something extra-cinematic about the Beastie Boys, due in no small part to Yauch having directed the bulk of their videography under his pseudonym “Nathanial Hörnblowér” — and it’s no surprise that their vibrant, wild and playful music videos were the first to ever be given a Criterion Collection DVD release. Add to this the several shorts and two feature films Yauch also helmed, and it’s clear to see that he was as passionate about film as he was about beats, rhymes and breaks. Tonight we celebrate his life, work and legacy with a selection of clip rarities, music videos, shorts and a screening of his 2006, audience-shot Beasties concert film Awesome; I Fuckin’ Shot That!

Watch the trailer for “Awesome; I F**kin’ Shot That!”

Click here to view the embedded video.

Ponyo (dubbed)

cinefamily — Mon, 28 May 2012 00:00:00 +0000

One of cinema’s most visually striking evocations of the ocean’s ineffable, mercurial magic, Hiyao Miyazaki’s final feature film is a boy-meets-goldfish tale whose charm is as vast as the sea itself. Gently exploring friendship and familial love, the story is as timeless as the Hans Christian Andersen “Little Mermaid” fable that inspired Miyazaki’s script, yet Ponyo also deftly dives through contemporary themes — particularly humanity’s strained relationship with nature. Both a triumphant return to tradition and an experimental leap forward, Miyazaki abandoned all computer animation for Ponyo’s dramatic coastal landscapes and typically-bizarre characters, relying on hand-drawn lines and watercolored textures that are unmatched in their warmth, fluidity, and inventiveness. The director even reportedly drew much of the film’s many waves himself to ensure their texture and movement was just right. Whether you’re an animation connoisseur or a casual cartoon watcher, that kind of big-heartedness shines through in every frame. Our screening of Ponyo is presented with an English-dubbed audio track.
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 2008, 35mm, 101 min.

T.J. MILLER'S HANGOVER MATINEE: W.C. Fields in "The Bank Dick"

Bret — Sun, 27 May 2012 18:00:00 +0000

SCHEDULE
————
11:00am-noon – Brunch on the patio
noon-1:00pm or so – live entertainment, plus a selection of vintage short subjects
1:00pm-2:30pm – The Bank Dick

What’s the best way to recover from a hangover? Sofa snugglin’, old-time movies, and a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya! What’s the best way to watch an old-time movie? Why, recovering from a hangover, sofa snugglin’ — and a bit of the hair of the dog that bit ya! Comprehension and belief in this undeniable truth (movies + mimosas + madness = happy) was a key point of agreement between us and our newest family member, comedian TJ Miller. Together, we introduce to you to the Hangover Matinee: a monthly brunch complete with food, coffee, booze, and live entertainment — all for anyone who loves old movies in the early afternoon.

Distilling W.C. Fields’ essence into a perfect cocktail of jovial, snarky inebriation and virtual Popeye cartoons come to life, The Bank Dick finds one of film comedy’s greatest personas gleefully slurring and scowling his way through the sort of role that put him on the map. Fields plays Egbert Sousé(!), a security guard and occasional film director impersonator, who must deflect the constant harping of incorrigible loved ones while stumbling in the direction of his two true loves: liquor, and euphemisms for it. His missteps culminate in the type of epic car-chase that today would probably just be called a DUI, but in Fields’ shaky hands are merely Delightful Under the Influence. Populating his world are fellow eccentrics J. Pinkerton Snoopington, Og Oggilby, Hermisillo Brunch, A. Pismo Clam, and Filthy McNasty! If you’re still not sold on this gonzo piece of actual drunk history, consider the point where Egbert teeters on a barstool and mutters to a capped bottle of whiskey, “Take off your hat in the presence of a gentleman.”
Dir. Edward F. Cline, 1940, 35mm, 72 min.

Watch Cinefamily’s original trailer for T.J. Miller’s Hangover Matinee of “The Bank Dick”!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (subtitled, 5/26, 10:15PM)

cinefamily — Sun, 27 May 2012 05:15:00 +0000

The post-apocalyptic epic that launched an animation empire! After decades of for-hire animation work, Hayao Miyazaki was finally given the personal freedom to adapt his own singular manga series: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind>. The results, which enabled the foundation of Studio Ghibli, are the stuff of legend. The environmentally conscious, glider-riding heroine and her enormous insect friends are matched by immersive art direction and a classic synth-soaked score. Swashbuckling action? Check. Toxic jungles, biomechanical “God Warriors” and richly detailed alternate universe to scale? Triple check. Inspired as much by French fantasists like Moebius and Reneé Laloux as any anime, Nausicaä‘s future-primitive aesthetic has aged better than other animation half its vintage. If you’ve only seen Miyazaki’s later work like Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, Nausicaä will be a revelation, earning a permanent place in your imagination. Essential science fiction cinema. Our screening of Nausicaä is presented in Japanese with English subtitles.
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1984, 35mm, 116 min.

Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (subtitled, 5/26, 7:30pm)

cinefamily — Sun, 27 May 2012 02:30:00 +0000

My Neighbor Totoro (dubbed) 5/26

cinefamily — Sat, 26 May 2012 21:00:00 +0000

Director Hayao Miyazaki’s most biographical and affectionate creation, My Neighbor Totoro has given rise to the most recognized, reproduced and well-loved monsters in Studio Ghibli’s canon. Evocative and immaculately designed, the sweet compelling quality of this film remains undiminished by exposure. Here, we enter a modern, yet nostalgic world of rice paddies, adorably thrill-thirsty young gals (Satsuki & Mei), and the majestic reverence of nature we have come to recognize from this animation giant. But within this tranquil realm there lies a dormant mythical creature so huge, so powerful and so terrifyingly cute that one can only squeal with glee at the sight of him, jumping instantly onto his big fluffy belly. Unforgettably iconic interactions with fabled floating “soot sprites”, a giant multi-legged cat-bus and the cuddly king of the forest himself, make this classic animation treasure too gorgeous to miss. Our May 26th presentation of My Neighbor Totoro is presented with an English-dubbed audio track.
Dir. Hayao Miyazaki, 1988, 35mm, 86 min.

The Abominable Dr. Phibes

Bret — Sat, 26 May 2012 06:45:00 +0000

Death is the utimate trip, so won’t you come groove on the vibes of Dr. Phibes? Horror icon Vincent Price is known for plenty of savage, spooky and shocking roles, but none are as far-out as his titular turn in The Abominable Dr. Phibes! In this epitome of cool U.K. horror from director Robert Fuest (The Final Programme, And Soon The Darkness), Price plays a phreaky phantom of the opera who’s got a bone to pick with the stuffy British doctors who allowed his beloved wife to die on the operating table. With the aid of his hot chick sidekick and his bizarro clockwork band, Phibes wreaks vengeance on the M.D.s with wacky and gruesome deaths inspired by — biblical plagues? Fuest imbues the ‘70s psychedelic proceedings with visual flair and gorgeous production design, making this an abominable in-theater experience you can’t miss!
Dir. Robert Fuest, 1971, 35mm, 94 min.

Watch the trailer for “The Abominable Dr. Phibes”!

Click here to view the embedded video.

QUEER/ART/FILM: Lizzie Borden presents "Sunday Bloody Sunday"

Bret — Sat, 26 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

“I did it for England.” – Peter Finch, on mainstream cinema’s first-ever on-screen homosexual kiss in Sunday Bloody Sunday

Just two short years after his groundbreaking, Oscar-winning Midnight Cowboy, openly gay director John Schlesinger made this fearless queer classic about a doctor (Network’s Peter Finch) and his divorced female friend (Ken Russell favorite Glenda Jackson) who both share the same partner — a flighty artist (Murray Head) who flits back and forth from one bed to the other. Thanks in no small part to the delicate subtleties of Finch’s heartrending performance, the film stands as possibly Schlesinger’s greatest work — and remains a favorite of fellow film director Lizzie Borden, whose feminist underground sci-fi epic Born In Flames similarly stirred up the queer consciousness just over a decade later, in 1983. We’ll talk to Lizzie both before and after the screening about how this (and other films) influenced her work — and then it’s time for some beers and fun on the Cinefamily backyard patio. Don’t miss our second exciting Queer/Art/Film L.A. screening; what better way to kick off Memorial Day Weekend?
Dir. John Schlesinger, 1971, 35mm, 110 min.

Watch the trailer for “Sunday Bloody Sunday”!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Watch excerpts from “Sunday Bloody Sunday”!

Click here to view the embedded video.

A Tribute to Maurice Sendak (FREE SHOW)

cinefamily — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:00:00 +0000

Ever so rarely we are graced with a voice of uncompromising imagination, a purveyor of whimsy who draws no lines of demarcation between child and adult – who simply creates, leaving behind enduring works that are equally enjoyed by children and adults alike. On May 8th we lost one of these rare, loud voices with the passing of Maurice Sendak, a shared hero of the Cinefamily and a man whose work “brought a new dimension to the American children’s book and…helped to change how people visualize childhood” (The New York Times). Whether by way of au naturelle turned dough-dressed darling Mickey’s adventures in the phantasmagoric night kitchen, neighborhood vamp Rosie’s brownstone stoop stage theatrics, the baby thieving goblins of Outside, Over There (which provided inspiration for Jim Henson’s Labyrinth), or the 10 sentence-short-but-lifetime-loved rumpus of hairy monsters and one wannabe feral child that is Where The Wild Things Are, Sendak’s wholly singular creations have left indelible marks on all of us. Tonight we celebrate his life and legacy through clips, vintage animated adaptations, the Spike Jonze produced live-action/puppet short Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More To Life (featuring the voice talents of Meryl Streep and Forest Whitaker), and the compelling, intimate Lance Bangs and Jonze helmed documentary Tell Them Anything You Want. Join us – and let the wild rumpus start!

Watch our original trailer for “A Tribute to Maurice Sendak”!

Click here to view the embedded video.

WATCHIN' STUFF: Robin Williams Across Space and Time!

Bret — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:31:36 +0000

Some people — well, a lot of people — come to the movie-viewing table with an extreme position against Robin Williams. His name above the title has been known to raise to the boiling point more than one of the four bodily humors in the average film fan, but ultimately, he’s okay. Prejudices (and a specific hefty handful of ultra-maudlin films) aside, he’s perfectly alright, and most of the time doesn’t resort to the kind of tired tricks that make most of the folks on this kind of list deserve to be on such a list. When you add it all up, he’s probably batting around .350 — which is more than you can say in the end for Whoopi Goldberg or (gulp!) Billy Crystal, innit? (Yes, yes, Wililams DID do Father’s Day, Patch Adams, What Dreams May Come, Bicentennial Man and Jakob The Liar all in a row.)

The early ’90s were a very peculiar time in Hollywood studio history, as many filmmaking superstars were afforded the chance to essentially make preposterously-budgeted art projects that seemed to make no dollar sense whatsoever. Tops on this amazing list are Emir Kusturica’s Arizona Dream, Wim Wenders’ Until The End of The World, Gus Van Sant’s Even Cowgirls Get The Blues — and Bill Forsyth’s lone big-budget foray, Being Human, starring our boy Robin. (Before Being Human, Forsyth was known as a kind of Great White Scottish Hope of ’80s filmmaking, churning out what The Guardian describes as “quiet must-see little masterpieces”.) This one, sandwiched in-between Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji in Williams’ filmography, totally slipped through the cracks, and always sat there on the ol’ video store shelves, quietly calling out to me for some kind of evaulation. From the director of Local Hero and Housekeeping? Of course I would! Here’s the theatrical trailer for the film:

Click here to view the embedded video.

What we’ve got is an omnibus film, with five different vignettes that take place over the long course of human history — all telling some kind of simple tale of homo sapiens hijinx that eventually unfold a bittersweet life lesson. And Robin Williams plays the main character in all five segments. YES, this does sound pretty grating at the outset, but this is a whisper of a film, a gentle non-melodramatic series of yarns that sit well with you, don’t overstay their welcome, and feel more naturalistic than almost anything else Williams has ever participated in. Which means that it was probably destined to not ever be for a mainstream audience (true to this, Being Human was a $40 million early summer-of-1993 release, one which quickly emerged as a giant box-office clunker that critics gave horrendous reviews to. Warner Archive has now finally released the film on DVD, almost twenty years since it originally came out.)

The first section is one of the most fun — a kind of Clan Of The Cave Bear-lite with Williams as the head of a pre-historic family unit whose wife and kids are taken away from him by a travelling band of marauders (or are they?) These strange-looking, strange-speaking foreigners are not exactly hostile, and they don’t exactly force the wife and kids into the journey, but Williams’ pulse-pounding, on-edge behavior make them think he’s a dangerous shaman, so they don’t bring him along on their boat before they leave.

This segment is told with an absolute minimum of dialogue (only featuring one-word sentences, and garbled, unsubtitled ancient dialect from the marauders), and it’s possibly the most emotionally satisfying of all the segments. Take a peek below at some clips:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Further sequences find Williams as a slave in Roman times (owned by John Turturro!), a medieval Scottish wanderer who falls in love with an Italian maiden with whom he can’t communicate through spoken language, a 18th-century Portuguese nobleman whose ill-fated seafaring party crashes their boat on a North African shore, and a modern-day ex-con businessman whose divorce has estranged him from his children. There’s very little connective tissue between all the segments, except for, in each of the progressive stories, Williams’ father-type figure manages to inch closer to reconnecting with his lost family.

The gentleness is really the key to Being Human‘s power. At moments, it also threatens to unravel the proceedings: the narration through by Teresa Russell is rather cloying and silly, the throwaway jokes are at times old-mannish, and the final New York City segment with Williams’ character and his children teeters very close to the kind of Robin Williams anti-magic that folks love to hate. In Forsyth’s defense, the narration was a necessary acquiescence due to disastrous Warner Brothers test screenings that forced him to not only trim 40 minutes from the film, but also to “connect the dots” for the average moviegoing civilian. As well, the “quiet weird uncle in the corner” sense of humor ultimately enlivens the film with a tone almost never found in Hollywood fare, which, in 2012, is briskly refreshing. Here’s a bit from the “stranded on a desert shore” sequence:

Click here to view the embedded video.

If you’re prone to Williams-bashing, then you’re not going to like this film one bit. If you’re one of the few who has the balls to bust through the crackly creme-brulee ceiling of adventurous 1990s Hollywood peculiarities, then give this baby a shot! (And, if you’re particularly curious to know what might’ve been contained in the deleted forty minutes, most of it was probably contained in the “sixth segment” of the film, set in the 19th-century American wilderness, that does not appear in the final cut. Was it even filmed? Not sure, but a perusal of the Being Human screenplay reveals it to be pretty lengthy.)