Everyone who works here loves films. The place is teeming with fanaticism -- not just amongst the programmers, but amongst those who sell you your tickets and your cupcakes too. All of us are contributing to the Cinefamily, and in order to do what we do as an organization, it really does take a village; this series is our opportunity to introduce you to our extended family. The idea for Staff Picks came about after many a post-screening conversation at night, upstairs in the office, with all of us passionately discussing our favorite films, and their place in our lives. Naturally, it was a pleasure for us to ask each staff member: “What one screening would make your heart sing?”
9/9 @ 8:00pm / Series: Staff Picks! The Loved One (picked by Robinson) shown with Renegade (picked by Zena)
The Loved One - 8:00pm
Robinson, one of our two regular projectionists, was emphatic: “The Loved One is a perennial favorite that I must see once a year if I’m ever to retain my sanity, good humor and tolerance of mankind in modern society.” Fresh from a legendary gig scripting parts of Dr. Strangelove for Kubrick, writer Terry Southern took novelist Eveyln Waugh’s black comedy aimed at both the funeral industry and the movie business, superbly matched Strangelove’s exquisite level of character exaggeration, and also included hilarious jabs at advice columnists, religious institutions and society at large! Robinson says: “Characters are blown-up to delightful extremes with nearly an entire lot of familiar faces that couldn’t have been more perfectly cast. Liberace as a coffin salesman, Robert Morley and John Gielgud being very, very British, 23-year-old future tunesmith Paul Williams as 13-year-old boy genius, and the always amazing Rod Steiger in the you-have-to-see-it-to-believe-it role of head embalmer Mr. Joyboy.” On top of these awesome performances, Tony Richardson’s crisp direction, future auteur Hal Ashby’s editing and Haskell Wexler’s ace cinematography all add up to one of the great underseen films of the '60s.
Dir. Tony Richardson, 1965, 35mm, 122 min.
Renegade - 10:15pm
Staff member Zena always seems to have a hankering for cinematic shakra-fryers, and she’s delivering the goods: “Gorgeously animated psychedelic drug-induced mind-battles -- old-timey wild Western romance, debauchery, and lawlessness -- some of the most abstract (and visually appealing) use of CGI you’ll ever see -- not to mention an extremely naked (and not computer generated) Juliette Lewis -- all come together in this exquisitely unique imagining of the all-American "cowboys and indians" genre. Ultra-loosely based on the graphic novel by Jean "Moebius" Giraud and Jean-Michel Charlier, and all but completely ignored in the U.S. at the time of its release, Blueberry (retitled Renegade for the English-language version) tells the story of a small town marshal (Vincent Cassel, *sigh*) caught between two cultures, trying to bring law, equality, and a hearty spoonful of good ol' fashion revenge to an ungovernable realm of esoteric tea-brewing natives, gun-slingin' criminals, sweaty whores, and Eddie Izzard. Come see what you've been missing.”
Dir. Jean Kounen, 2004, digital presentation, 124 min.
Watch the trailer for "The Loved One"!
Watch a trippy, trippy excerpt from "Renegade"!
Tickets - $10
9/16 @ 8:00pm / Series: Staff Picks! The Mirror (picked by Alex) shown with The Naked Ape (picked by Mya)
The Mirror - 8:00pm
Staff member Alex says: “There is a place between waking and sleeping that has always laid heavily upon me, causing me to toss and turn beneath its weight. That place where the events and concerns of the present, the spectres of memory, and incoming fragments of dream collide, all intermingling. My restlessness stems from my inability to capture this collage of the conscious and subconscious -- but it’s precisely this collage that Andrei Tarkovsky so deftly captures in The Mirror. Weaving dreams, memories, news footage, the poems of his father, and autobiographical recreations, Tarkovsky creates an impressionistic self-portrait like none other. Breathtakingly beautiful, delicately quiet, and lyrically paced, it is a film that demands to be experienced large, on 35mm, where the viewer can be properly immersed. An important film to me and an important film, period, Tarkovsky’s The Mirror transcends the boundaries of the medium to create a singular viewing experience.” DJ Frosty (Dublab) will be here to spin records before and in-between the films!
Dir. Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975, 35mm, 106 min.
The Naked Ape - 10:00pm
Mya, our Director of Development, says: "The Naked Ape is an adaptation of a great hippie-era popular science book my parents had, that I read when I was a kid. Written by British zoologist Desmond Morris, “The Naked Ape” was a huge, shocking bestseller in 1967 because it dared to point out that humans are a species of animal, and therefore not essentially that different from other animals; Morris was among the first to describe how physiological responses and basic adaptations influence our so-called civilized behavior. I've never actually seen the movie -- it's impossible to find, and I asked Hadrian to track it down primarily out of curiosity -- but, according to programmer Tom, who’s seen it, and loves it, this beautifully objective, groundbreaking scientific work was made into some kind of '70s soft-core Jimmy-Webb-scored Victoria Principal vehicle, complete with groovy animated interludes -- and financed by Playboy. I think nothing could possibly prove the point of “The Naked Ape” better than that."
Dir. Donald Driver, 1973, 35mm, 85 min.
Watch an excerpt from "The Mirror", set to "Mirror In The Mirror" by Arvo Pärt!
Tickets - $10
9/23 @ 8:00pm / Series: Staff Picks! Sweetie (picked by Gariana) shown with Miracle Mile (picked by Casey)
Sweetie - 8:00pm
Our other projectionist, Gariana, has a serious jones for checking out the latest cutting-edge Hollywood fare -- but also has an equal love for the small, delicate independent pictures that too often slip under everyone’s radar. Here, she’s chosen to highlight Sweetie, a emotional hot-button tale of Australian female sibling rivalry, and the debut feature from Jane Campion (The Piano, Holy Smoke). Garianne says: “I love Sweetie because it was one of my first personal major art-house discoveries. A film that touched and enthralled me, but felt like a secret because so many people had never even heard of it. It also has a mind blowing and criminally underrated/underseen performance by Genevieve Lemon, who’s still only really known Down Under. I also like that whenever people start yammering about how underrated women directors are you can always shut them up by saying ‘Jane Campion’.”
Dir. Jane Campion, 1989, 35mm, 97 min.
Miracle Mile - 10:00pm
Casey’s pick, Miracle Mile, has haunted more than one Cinefamily staff member with its intense and altogether familiar telling of its end-of-the-world scenario -- especially since it takes place right down the street, at the corner of Wilshire and Fairfax! Casey says: “Miracle Mile is my absolute favorite 'guy running around the city all night trying to figure it all out' movie. Drenched in neon paranoia with an ever-present pulsating score by Tangerine Dream, Miracle Mile both terrified me and enthralled me as a kid living under the very real threat of Nuclear War. What you think is a quirky love story immediately turns into a mad journey of survival against some of the most surreal Los Angeles imagery, all sparked by perhaps the most chilling phone call in cinema history. Anthony Edwards is perfect as the protagonist, left wondering what is real and what is not, all the while chasing and warning every one he can of the possible impending doom. Bleak and unsettling, Miracle Mile will leave you stunned and breathless by the end."
Dir. Steve de Jarnatt, 1988, 35mm, 87 min.
Watch an excerpt from "Sweetie"!
Watch the trailer for "Miracle Mile"!
Tickets - $10
9/30 @ 8:00pm / Series: Staff Picks! Shanks (picked by Cliff) shown with Shout (picked by Jordan)
Shanks - 8:00pm
Our silent film accompanist Cliff Retallick is not only a crackerjack musician, but also a deep appreciator of film technique, so it was no surprise he picked the truly offbeat, final directorial effort from the infamous producer/director William Castle. Cliff says: “Devoid of Tingler-era theatrics altogether, Shanks relies on the pairing of Marcel Marceau, one of the most brilliant mimes of the Twentieth century, with a twisted fairy tale that hinges on an innocent, mute puppeteer's relationship with an old scientist and subsequent penchant for reanimation when the old scientist dies. Here Marceau plays a dual role, and performs some extraordinary feats of movement that oddly disturb more than the plot points of the macabre storyline. In many ways, Shanks celebrates silent film technique in a latter day setting as much as a Tati piece -- and Marceau always treats the subject matter seriously, no matter how absurd. Who knew that horror and mime were such a strange and potent cocktail?”
Dir. William Castle, 1974, 35mm, 93 min.
Shout - 9:45pm
Description coming soon...
Watch the trailer for "Shout"!
Tickets - $10
Giallos / Thursdays in October
Blood. Flesh. Madness. Music. Mystery. A black glove holding a bloody knife. A stylish bella donna stripping nude for her killer. These are the familiar elements of the giallo, Italy’s own peculiar brand of bloody pulp fiction: a Mediterranean blend of detective stories, slasher flicks, and sexy ‘70s high-fashion shows that are beloved for their stylishness and sensuality. These films are overflowing with creatively conceived and executed violent setpieces, killer soundtracks that fans still obsessively collect, and visual delights are represented in all its forms -- men, women, clothes, cars, lamps, doorstops, everything is beautiful. So beautiful. To celebrate this most cinematic of horror genres, the Cinefamily presents ten rare screenings, including uncut 35mm prints of Argento and Sergio Martino films flown in from Italy, and a sneak preview of the new French homage to the giallo, Amer!
10/07 @ 8:00pm / Series: Giallos Dario Argento Double Feature: Deep Red (uncut!) shown with Opera
Deep Red - 8:00pm
Dario Argento fans love arguing over whether this or Suspiria is his best film, but there’s a good case to be made that this isn’t just his finest achievement but also the best giallo ever made, period. David Hemmings (in one of his best roles) plays an English pianist who witnesses the brutal murder of his psychic neighbor and is drawn into a nightmarish web of clues involving grisly children’s drawings, a nasty Christmas double homicide from the past, a ghoulish lullaby, and a rising body count (including one standout scene swiped by John Carpenter for Halloween). Driven by Goblin’s ferocious and legendary rock score, this all-time classic features some of the scariest images Argento ever put on film (brace yourself for the dummy!) and works like gangbusters with an audience on the big screen; don’t even think of missing this one, proudly presented here in its 30-minutes-longer, richer uncut Italian version in a very rare 35mm screening.
Dir. Dario Argento, 1975, 35mm, 126 min.
Opera - 10:30pm
Largely considered to be his last truly great work, Dario Argento's Opera possesses most of the stylistic hallmarks the mad Italian director is known for; crazy camera movements, unconventional scoring and song placement, tricked-out lighting and Hitchcock-on-PCP sequences of suspense and violence. The story is simply a reworking of “Phantom of The Opera” by way of the giallo, the genre Argento had undisputably mastered at this point in his career. His longtime musical colloborator Claudio "Goblin" Simonetti is back to do some scoring, this time with superstar producer Brian Eno in tow, which is a good thing considering how central the music is to the story. The film has some true standout moments of classic hyper-creative Argento imagery, such as the scene in which a woman's eyes are taped open with needles as she’s forced to watch the killer brutally stab someone to death. Does that sound like a good time to you? Then you need to get yourself to the theater, 'cause this is one opera that won't put you to sleep!
Dir. Dario Argento, 1987, 35mm.
10/14 @ 8:00pm / Series: Giallos Umberto Lenzi Triple Feature: Paranoia shown with Eyeball and Dirty Pictures
Paranoia - 8:00pm
Also known as Orgasmo, this Italian-French co-production written and directed by Umberto Lenzi is one of the sexiest, yet most undervalued gialli of its time. Don’t go in expecting a double-digit body count or an unseen killer wearing shiny leather gloves; Paranoia is a perverse game of cat-and-mouse played by wealthy widow Carroll Baker (throwing herself into the role with naked abandon) and dubious houseguests Lou Castel and Colette Descombes. Rated X in the U.S. for Baker’s copious nude scenes, this mindbending drive-the-widow-crazy caper is capped by a deliciously cynical sting-in-the-tail that is molto-Lenzi.
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1969, 35mm, 91 min.
Eyeball - 9:45pm
With its abundance of empty-headed victims and suspects, thumping and cheeky Bruno Nicolai score, and trendy lesbi-antics, Eyeball is a tasty slice of giallo provolone for any fan of cheese, Italian style. Playing like an insane mash-up of Ten Little Indians and If It’s Tuesday, This Must be Belgium, this Italian-Spanish co-production follows a progressively shrinking busload of tourists through sunny Barcelona as a red-gloved killer with a penchant for eyeball-plucking takes their lives and their left eyes. On its own terms, this ludicrously slash-happy outing makes for energetic and trashy viewing, a poorly dubbed treat for fans of Eurotrash at its trashiest.
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1975, 35mm, 91 min.
Dirty Pictures - 11:30pm
Leave it to Italian genre king Umberto Lenzi to find the worm in the big juicy apple of ‘70s free love and permissiveness. Supposedly Lenzi didn’t really want to make this one a giallo (and this film certainly stretches the definition to its limits), but rather a countercultural film along the lines of Easy Rider -- legend has it that producer Carlo Ponti strong-armed him into completing the “trilogy” that also included the 1967 film Paranoia, and the 1969 film Orgasmo (which later was re-titled Paranoia in the States, and is the Paranoia we’re showing earlier in the evening.) The results are great, however you slice it. Like all the best Lenzi films, Dirty Pictures is full-blooded in both its sleaze and cinematic invention. With cinematographer Alfio Contini (The Night Porter) behind the camera, Lenzi downplays explicit sexuality in favor of gialloesque stalkery, and stars Irene Papas and the smokin’ Ornelli Muti keep things steamy. As with Paranoia, Dirty Pictures saves the best for last, sucker punching the audience with deliciously pessimistic coup de grace.
Dir. Umberto Lenzi, 1971, 35mm, 90 min.
Watch the trailer for "Paranoia"!
Watch the trailer for "Eyeball"!
Tickets - $12/free for members
10/21 @ 8:00pm / Series: Giallos Amer (sneak preview!) shown with Perfume of the Lady in Black and What Have You Done To Solange?
Amer - 8:00pm
The giallo has its own particular way of being obsessed with the surface and substance of the female body: satiny skin torn and sliced, innards plumbed deep with shards of windows and falling knives, wind at every turn to whip hair into eyes -- everything from the outside world seems to want in, in, in. In Amer, Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani’s avant-garde smash-and-grab appropriation of the genre’s conventions, we finally get inside that giallo heroine’s head. In a defiantly dreamlike atypical structure, this eye-poppingly lurid tale (shot on super-saturated 35mm slide film) follows the same character’s psychosexual psychedelic awakening and decline as a traumatized child, burgeoning adolescent, and wanton adult. All in all, hang onto your Freud, because this is one exploration of the male gaze, the female body, and the erotic (and horrific) terrain in between that no self-respecting art- or genre-lover should miss.
Dirs. Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, 2009, 90 min.
Perfume of the Lady In Black - 9:45pm
If you love surprise endings, this ‘70s shocker will knock you over the head, throw you on the floor, and have you begging for mercy. In the character of “Silvia”, scream queen Mimsy Farmer has her greatest role: a work-obsessed young woman haunted by visions of the title woman in black and a ghostly young girl in white. Soon she starts to suspect that people are trying to drive her crazy, from her boyfriend to her weird neighbors who like hanging out with a strange witch doctor. Is something strange going on, or is Silvia slipping into murderous dementia all by herself? Genuinely creepy and worthy of comparisons to Polanski, this horror/mystery hybrid is one of the great undiscovered treasures of Italian cinema and remains sadly unavailable in the U.S. in any format (look for Cult Epics’ upcoming DVD release!). Come check it out on the big screen, and prepare to have your mind completely blown.
Dir. Francesco Barilli, 1974, 101 min.
What Have You Done To Solange? - 11:45pm
Schoolgirls gone bad, a knife-wielding killer, and nasty secrets involving an illegal abortion are just a few of the shocks awaiting you in this note-perfect example of the Italian giallo, one which went unrecognized for decades in America but is now recognized as one of the genre’s essential classics. Philandering schoolteacher Fabio Testi becomes entangled with a malicious killer when his student girlfriend spies a murder in the woods, and when he can’t provide an alibi, he soon becomes the main suspect as more bodies begin to pile up. Ennio Morricone’s dreamy musical accompaniment and sterling scope photography by future trash film god Joe D’Amato make this several cuts above your average thriller, plus you get a surprise third-act appearance by Camille Keaton, the abused star of I Spit on Your Grave! Don’t miss the chance to catch this sleazy masterpiece, but be prepared to take a long, hot shower when you get home.
Dir. Massimo Dallamano, 1972, 35mm, 103 min.
Watch the trailer for "Amer"!
Watch the trailer for "Perfume of the Lady In Black"!
Watch the trailer for "What Have You Done To Solange?"!
Tickets - $12/free for members
10/28 @ 8:00pm / Series: Giallos Sergio Martino Double Feature: All The Colors Of The Dark (uncut!) shown with The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh
All The Colors of the Dark - 8:00pm
One of the wildest, trippiest thrillers to come out of Italy, this nightmarish mixture of Rosemary’s Baby and Blood and Black Lace was the second hit teaming of director Sergio Martino and his voluptuous leading lady Edwige Fenech. Here she plays a London wife recovering from a car crash and miscarriage whose best friend decides to help her out by -- uh, initiating her into a satanic cult where she’s forced to drink fox blood and participate in an orgy. Then there’s her suspicious husband, her even more suspicious sexy female neighbor, and recurring visions of her mother’s stabbing death. Bruno Nicolai’s incredible sitar-laced score and a staggering experimental opening nightmare sequence are just the icing on this very decadent cake (shown very heavily cut in the U.S. as They’re Coming to Get You), proudly presented in an extremely rare uncut 35mm presentation you’ll probably never see in L.A. again!
Dir. Sergio Martino, 1972, 35mm, 94 min.
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh - 9:45pm
Stunning Euro screen goddess Edwige Fenech shot a huge dose of sexual adrenaline into the Italian thriller craze with this landmark mixture of horror and twisty mystery, courtesy of stylish director Sergio Martino. Here, she plays a dissatisfied wife of a diplomat who’s still haunted by visions of a perverse relationship with her knife-wielding ex -- one who used to play weird rape games during rainstorms and is now popping up to send her roses and menacing death threats. Will Fenech go mad from all these disturbing dreams? Or is someone trying to drive her mad? Featuring a gorgeous soundtrack by Nora Orlandi, some amazing scenes like a party where girls rip off each other’s paper clothes, and a plot twister than a drunken conga line, this essential slice of ‘70s Italian pop culture, also known as Blade of the Ripper, is making a very rare 35mm appearance back on the big screen where it belongs.
Dir. Sergio Martino, 1971, 35mm.
Watch the trailer for "All The Colors Of The Dark"!
Watch the trailer for "The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh"!
The Loved One (picked by Robinson)
Renegade - 10:15pm
The Mirror (picked by Alex)
The Naked Ape - 10:00pm
Sweetie (picked by Gariana)
Miracle Mile - 10:00pm
Shanks (picked by Cliff)
Dario Argento Double Feature:
Opera - 10:30pm
Umberto Lenzi Triple Feature:
Eyeball - 9:45pm
Amer
Perfume of the Lady In Black - 9:45pm
What Have You Done To Solange? - 11:45pm
Sergio Martino Double Feature:
The Strange Vice of Mrs. Wardh - 9:45pm
