trailer tuesday

this week's entry is for one of my favorite music films of all time, mel stuart's wattstax (1973)!

worth the price of admission just for richard pryor and rufus thomas' pink shorts.

quizzical

hold on, kids. not so fast. school's not out quite yet. dennis cozzalio, the headmaster at one of the cinematic blogosphere's most revered and inestimable institutions, sergio leone and the infield fly rule, has one more quiz/psychological profile to administer before we leave for the summer. (names in parentheses are of those contributing questions).

1. depending on your mood, your favorite or least-loved movie cliché?

twentysomethings in new york city looking for meaning and direction in their lives, blah, blah, blah. if i never see, or even read a synopsis of, another film like this, it will be too soon. also, why hasn't this spawned as active a subgenre of films about kids who got the shit kicked out of them by the city and then came running home with their tails between their legs? not as glamorous, i suppose.

look how confusing life is. maybe we shouldn't date. maybe we should just "hang out".

2. regardless of whether or not you eventually caught up with it, which film classic have you lied about seeing in the past?

if i have done this, it's been so long that i cannot remember.

3. roland young or edward everett horton?

edward everett horton. sorry, topper.

4. second favorite frank tashlin movie?

hollywood or bust (1956).

5. clockwork orange - yes or no?

oh yes.

6. best/favorite use of gender dysphoria in a horror film? (ariel schudson)

the subtext of a brief, confounding glimpse in let the right one in (2008) forces you to reconsider the whole film, which is always good for you.

7. mélanie laurent or blake lively?

mélanie laurent. this isn't even a fair fight.

8. best movie of 2011 (so far…)?

i enjoyed cave of forgotten dreams the most out of the handful of things i have seen with a 2011 u.s. release date.

9. favorite screen performer with a noticeable facial deformity? (peg aloi)

the inimitable rondo hatton. his distinctive facial features were the result of acromegaly.

10. lars von trier - shithead or misunderstood comic savant? (dean treadway)

i lean toward shithead. i do not, however, mean that as a pejorative.

11. timothy carey or henry silva?

timothy carey. i do love me a genuine nutcase.

12. low-profile writer who deserves more attention from critics and/or audiences?

jon merrill.

13. movie most recently viewed theatrically, and on dvd, blu-ray or streaming?

theatrically - the aforementioned cave of forgotten dreams
dvd - the curse of the cat people (1944)
blu-ray - tron: legacy (2010)
streaming - the andromeda strain (1971)

14. favorite film noir villain?

tommy udo takes the cake.

15. best thing about streaming movies?

access to films i might not otherwise track down.

16. fay spain or france nuyen? (peter nellhaus)

france nuyen, without a doubt.

17. favorite kirk douglas movie that isn’t called spartacus? (peter nellhaus)

ace in the hole (1951).

18. favorite movie about cars?

two-lane blacktop (1971).

19. audrey totter or marie windsor?

audrey totter, in a photo finish.

20. existing stephen king movie adaptation that could use an remake/reboot/overhaul?

salem's lot, while not the botch job that some of the others have been, still has the most untapped fright potential.

21. low-profile director who deserves more attention from critics and/or audiences?

charles burnett.

22. what actor that you previously enjoyed has become distracting or a self-parody? (adam ross)

as much as i hate to say it, tim roth.

23. best place in the world to see a movie?

row q, paramount theatre, austin, texas.

24. charles mcgraw or sterling hayden?

sterling freaking hayden.

25. second favorite yasujiro ozu film?

floating weeds (1959).

26. most memorable horror movie father figure?

the venerable patriarch of the sawyer clan, grandpa.

27. name a non-action-oriented movie that would be fun to see in sensurround?

there is no other choice but willy wonka & the chocolate factory (1971).

28. chris evans or ryan reynolds?

chris evans, i guess. he makes me want to fight just a little bit less. since when is never shutting the hell up a turn-on?

29. favorite relatively unknown supporting player, from either or both the classic and the modern era?

classic era - clarence muse!
modern era - richard edson

30. real-life movie location you most recently visited or saw?

i live in austin, so i pass by a fair amount on a regular basis.

31. second favorite budd boetticher movie?

the tall t (1957).

32. mara corday or julie adams?

mara corday is, by far, the sexier of the two but julie adams wins by virtue of association with a certain antediluvian suitor.

33. favorite universal-international western?

taza, son of cochise (1953). it's douglas sirk's sole western. rock hudson plays an indian. it was originally in 3D. madness, any way you slice it.

34. what's the biggest "gimmick" that's drawn you out to see a movie? (sal gomez)

the multiple endings of clue (1985).

35. favorite actress of the silent era?

olive thomas.

36. best eugene pallette performance? (larry aydlette)

my man godfrey (1936).

37. best/worst remake of the 21st century so far? (dan aloi)

best - 13 assassins (2011).
worst - planet of the apes (2001).

38. what could multiplex owners do right now to improve the theatrical viewing experience for moviegoers? what could moviegoers do?

multiplex owners - enforce a no talking/no phones policy like the alamo drafthouse.
moviegoers - shut the hell up. you're not in your goddamned living room.

well, there it is. if you would like to see what a bunch of other folks had to say in response, check out the comments section of the original post and feel free to leave your answers/opinions/responses to any or all of the above in the comments section here. thanks for reading.

starlite on the go

our band, some say leland, will once again take to the highway this summer. in the last two weeks in july we will be headed to new hampshire and back again, playing sixteen shows along the way. last year this required the suspension of our starlite cinema series for a month. this year, i am taking it on the road!

in addition to playing shows, i will be screening films chosen to go with each particular location, given the time and the space to hang a screen. here is the rundown:

7.15.11 - dallas, texas; tender mercies (1983)
7.16.11 - memphis, tennessee: mystery train (1989)
7.17.11 - likely knoxville, tennessee: cat on a hot tin roof (1958), tennessee williams, see what i did there?
7.18.11 - thomas, west virginia: the night of the hunter (1955)
7.19.11 - mills point, west virginia: matewan (1987)
7.20.11 - long island, new york: jaws (1975)
7.21.11 - likely new york city: manhattan (1979)
7.22.11 - boston, ma: gone, baby, gone (2007)
7.23.11 - burlington, vermont: the trouble with harry (1955)
7.24.11 - lowell, ma: the friends of eddie coyle (1973)
7.25.11 - portsmouth, new hampshire: the devil and daniel webster (1941)
7.26.11 - likely washington, d.c.: mr. smith goes to washington (1939)
7.27.11 - greenville, south carolina: slither (2006)
7.28.11 - macon, georgia: the general (1926)
7.29.11 - lafayette, louisiana: hush...hush, sweet charlotte (1964)
7.30.11 - likely houston, texas: blood simple (1984)

fair warning: this is an extremely tentative schedule, at least as far as the movies go. some of these towns we'll only be in for a few hours at a time, so i am sure some of these will go by the wayside. that's just how it works out. i will try to do as many as i can, though, so if you're going to be in any of these places, come out and see us. if you've never heard what we do, here is a nice clip our friend, robert steel, shot for us a little while back.

looking forward to seeing your faces out there this summer.

trailer tuesday

this week's entry is for one of the greatest pieces of atomic age horror, gordon douglas' them! (1954).

i could use a laugh

and i figured you probably could too. after the last 48 hours of less than enriching retail slaughter, i turn now to someone unsurpassed at turning malice for your fellow man into comedy gold. this publicity still of w.c. fields and eddie "rochester" anderson from you can't cheat an honest man (1939) kills me with its comic potential energy.

as my dear old grandfather litvak said, just before they swung the trap, he said "you can't cheat an honest man. never give a sucker an even break or smarten up a chump".

starlite cinema series birthday bash

we ushered in the second year of our starlite cinema series tonight. happy birthday to us!

we've now been keeping the drive-in spirit alive since last may. in an effort to make things suitably epic, i wrote werner herzog a while back to invite him to our shindig. file under: you never know until you try. he sent me a very nice note politely informing me that he would be unable to attend. not to be dissuaded, we went epic anyway and all convened to watch akira kurosawa's seven samurai (1954).

it was a great way to start our second year because a) the film is flawless and b) wherever those guys go, it's a party. much birthday cake was consumed and we had ice cream courtesy of the fine folks at chozen and film movement, both of whom i heartily recommend. the sweltering texas afternoon heat gave way to a lovely, breezy evening and we had our best turnout yet. we really couldn't ask for more. thanks, as always, to the smiths for opening their home to all of us and thanks to everyone who came to share the movie.

the starlite summertime schedule is looking top notch, if i do say so myself. here is what we have to look forward to:

the program for late june is going to be 1001 nights in one, with two selections inspired by that timeless collection of stories. first up will be lotte reiniger's the adventures of prince achmed (1926).

it is a stunning, enthralling piece of silhouette animation. intricate and captivating, it is the oldest known surviving animated feature film and is like an hour-long trip inside the genie's lamp. you simply won't believe what someone was able to do with cardboard cutouts. it is astounding. the main feature of the evening is going to be michael powell, tim whelan and ludwig berger's the thief of bagdad (1940).

if you think you know jaffar because of disney, come see the real deal. it is a lavish technicolor sirocco.

in july the band will be on tour, so the austin edition will be suspended for a month. the good news, however, is that we are going to try to take starlite on the road. have projector, will travel. washington, d.c. looks like a distinct possibility, along with other tour stops. i am working right now to coordinate films with geographical locations. once the tour itinerary is completely set i will have a better idea about which days look like we can squeeze films into and in which cities that might happen. if you're coming to see us play you might get a free movie out of the deal, as well.

starlite returns to austin in august with a special program in honor of alfred hitchcock's birthday. there are a couple of my favorites of his lesser known films vying for the top spot there. that one is going to be a great night.

i'll be back soon with more specifics about the june installment, so stay tuned. hope to see you guys some time this summer.

carried away

if, like me these days, you find yourself in need of a cinematic restorative but time isn't a luxury that you have in surplus, allow me me to make a recommendation.

albert lamorisse's the red balloon (1956) is one of my favorite pieces of magical realism in cinema. it's classified as a children's film but i've always thought of that as a narrow and restrictive designation. adults cheat themselves out of a good deal of beauty by ignoring what they consider to be "kid's stuff". in a scant thirty-four minutes, lamorisse - with the help of his own children - transforms a somewhat drab and overcast paris into a place where anything feels possible, no matter what your age.

it begins with a boy, school clothes as gray as his surroundings, descending into the city to make his way to school. almost immediately, something catches his attention outside of the frame and he begins to climb a lamppost to retrieve it. the camera pans up to reveal the most red, lively balloon any kid has ever laid eyes on. right away, the slightly delayed introduction of the balloon is a lovely touch. we are not allowed to see what he sees for a moment or two, both underlining the special relationship between boy and balloon - almost as if he might be the only one that can see it - and piquing our curiosity. balloon safely in hand, he resumes the trek to school but is shut out by the conductor who will have no balloons on his trolley. left with little recourse, he is off to the races, running all the way to school, lest he be late, and leaving his balloon in the hands of the gentle custodian until he can come for it when school is out. with the last bell, he reclaims his balloon and heads home. it's a rainy afternoon, but it presents little problem as a number of adults are willing to share their umbrellas.

throughout this short, almost entirely wordless film, pascal, our little protagonist, impresses us with his boundless energy, charm and active, agile mind. he is no ordinary kid. there is a bright curiosity and genuine happiness in his face that makes it easy to believe that this balloon would seek him out. before long, he and his new pal arrive home, where things are less than ideal, and his grandmother throws the balloon out of the window. for the first time, we see that the balloon is more than an inanimate object, as it hovers craftily around the balcony until the boy lets it back in again, with grandma being none the wiser. slowly, we are seeing a relationship form between boy and balloon.

this second act essentially repeats the actions of the first, except boy and balloon are now pretty much inseparable. the balloon is downright sentient at this point, and the walk to school is one game after another, the balloon almost puppy-like in its playfulness. once again, they attempt to get on the trolley and are denied. this time though, the boy merely instructs the balloon to follow and it does, speeding loyally behind the streetcar all the way to school, where it causes a mini-riot among his classmates upon arrival. it manages to avoid the tiny, grasping mob but is such a distraction throughout the day that the boy is taken out of class and locked in a room by himself. in retaliation, the balloon begins a campaign to harass the rigid headmaster that is so confounding and irritating that he has no choice but to let the boy out. together, they amble slowly home again, wandering through a street bazaar that's not so much exotic as it is indicative of a paris that is just a decade or so removed from catastrophe, still digging itself out of wartime rubble in places. the sidewalk is littered with potential magic, objects lying everywhere that could be like this balloon. they are just waiting for someone to see them with the right eyes, to take them in, care for them and protect them. leaving the bazaar, in a touching and comic episode, they cross paths with a girl with a balloon of her own. even balloons can have their heads turned.

crazy dame, nothing comes between a boy and his balloon!

almost home, they are set upon by a group of bullies. chased by this silly rabble, he and the balloon are more than a match for them and they cleverly conspire to outwit them. boy goes this way, balloon goes that way, we'll meet at the balcony and all is well for another night.

the final act opens the next morning with the boy and his grandmother on the way to church. of course, the balloon follows, proves just as disruptive in church as in school and he and the boy make a break for it. together, they can't be hemmed in by any institution or authority figure. the simple pleasures in the relationship between this boy and balloon now transcend all your silly codes of conduct. what they don't transcend, unfortunately, is the lure of the bakery window.

turning his back for a moment in pursuit of treats, his balloon is captured by a group of young thugs. you know the type, the type that has to destroy anything they don't understand. they abscond with it and begin to use it for target practice with their slingshots, that most biblical of children's weapons. he rescues the balloon and leads them on a spirited chase through myriad, labyrinthine parisian alleyways, but it is ultimately to no avail. he and the balloon are surrounded and the balloon meets its sad, slow demise in a hail of stones, eventually stomped to death. this balloon's ability to play a death scene puts many a human actor to shame. at first, you think it might be alright. then you notice an almost imperceptible shrinking. your worst fears are confirmed as a network of creases and ridges shoot across its surface. it looks like a miniature, red armageddon, the end of a tiny world. when that little shoe delivers the final blow, it's hard to tell if it's cruelty or mercy. as pascal mourns his fallen comrade, balloons all over paris shoot out of their owners' hands and take to the sky, rushing to his aid. they descend on this little battlefield and form a colorful brigade to lift him up over the city, taking him where his tormentors, be they bullies or bureaucrats, cannot go with their limited imaginations.

it really is a beautiful paean to loyalty, devotion and the power of imagination. five decades on and it's still sheer magic. find half an hour somewhere in your day and do yourself this favor.

jumping the gun a little, i know

ok, here's the deal. over the next few weeks i anticipate things might be a little on the slow side around here. i am in the process of moving, getting ready for a tour and other assorted things and time to write is in short supply. i've still been seeing plenty of things i want to tell you guys about - 13 assassins (2010), which was impressive, cave of forgotten dreams (2010), which was stunning, an essential 3D experience, and i look forward to everything that is going on at the paramount all summer. it's a little earlier than usual, but i'm having such a good time with the poster-making aspect of it i thought i would also remind you that the fourth installment of queue de grâce is coming in about three weeks. that light you see on the horizon?

the standard rundown, for the uninitiated: for one solid week i turn over complete control of my streaming netflix queue to one of you fine folks. during that week (excluding visits to actual theaters) i will only watch content curated by them and report back daily, detailing my viewing experience and letting you know what to do with my remains should i not survive.

our next programmer is jon merrill. here he is at a family reunion a while back, looking on as his grandmother took pictures of her stories on the t.v.

jon takes the reins for an action packed week running from 6.13.11 through 6.19.11 and i am guessing it will be a cornucopia of mamet, swayze and gymkata. stop by if you can and see what he has in store for me.