In conjunction with the MOCA exhibition Tongues Untied, Los Angeles Filmforum at MOCA is proud to present Jack Smith’s 16mm masterpiece, Flaming Creatures (1962-3). Despite its humble production values—it was derided in the Congressional Record as “five unrelated, badly filmed sequences”—this excessive celluloid celebration of polymorphous perversity was instantly recognized as a major achievement of the New American Cinema. Famously, it was just as quickly condemned by the Right. Banned, seized, and censored in a number of countries, Smith’s little stab at “moldiness” was eventually considered by the Supreme Court and ultimately affected the way we interpret the First Amendment.…
Author: Robin Menken
Ken Loach’s latest film “Jimmy’s Hall”, was adapted By Paul Laverty from the paly by actor/ writer Donal O’Kelly (who plays on one of the three Roscommon IRA activists in the film). While nowhere as upbeat as the comic, very accessible “The Angels’ Share” (also written by Laverty), Loach has done the difficult task of making a radical political statement mainstream. Laverty and Loach take on the post Civil War split between progressive IRA radicals and the conservative IRA operatives, now in collusion with the repressive establishment.Set in the 30’s in a post Civil War Ireland, sharply divided over class, economic…
Back in the 1920s and 30s, cartoons were a truly magical experience. Hand drawn doodles danced and sang projected as big as a house on the silver screens of lavish movie palaces. Every short cartoon was a window into a world of its own, and artists were free to use their pencils and paint to make fun of absolutely anything- no rules, no censors.Today, times have changed. Animation is primarily a children’s medium. It’s made with computers, and the scope of the cartoon world is limited by the size of the TV set in our living room. Classic animated films…
THE FRENCH HAD A NAME FOR IT! RARE FRENCH FILM NOIR FEATURING FAMILIAR FACESFRI—MON, JUNE 19—22 á AERO THEATREPresented by Mid-Century Productions & The American CinemathequeIt is a tale unique in film history.While the French coined the term film noir in the years immediately following World War II and championed it as a fascinating American export, the Nouvelle Vague—which found its rebellious models in noir’s alienated anti-heroes—mounted a furious attack on the films noirs produced in France in the 1940s and 1950s. As a result, nearly 90% of the films that built upon the principles of anxiety and discontent—in other…
The 2015 Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) returns to downtown Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE (June 10-18) with a diverse a diverse slate of 74 feature films, 60 short films, and over 50 new media works representing 35 countries are offered.LAFF is produced by Film Independent with Presenting Media Sponsor- the Los Angeles Times, and Host Partner- L.A. LIVE New sections this year are the U.S. Fiction and World Fiction Competitions and Launch, Buzz, Nightfall and Zeitgeist programs.The Los Angeles Film Festival offers unparalleled access to creative voices through energetic film programming, Master Classes, live performances and conversations with the…
Bridging content creation and social justice issues, this curated selection of socially relevant short films precedes a public dialogue among noted artists, activists and educators. In the age of #BlackLivesMatter, mass die-ins and other new forms of activism spreading among millennials and communities of color, #BlackLifeBlackProtest looks at the ways in which film and digital content can be used as an effective tool for social change. The event includes a screening of socially relevant short films exploring themes of police violence, implicit bias, black identity and human rights by some of the most compelling voices in film today, followed by a…
Belinda Sallin’s “Dark Star- HR Giger’s World” is an elegiac, intimate documentary about the gentle giant futurist with the macabre sensibility who, among other things, was responsible for the monstrous visuals in “Alien”.Giger was apparently haunted since childhood, able to channel through his art the deep unconscious fears that lurk in the human subconscious. He admits to facing his fear through his art, telling a childhood tale. Frightened by a room of mummies in a museum, he spent the following days there conquering his fear. As a tot, he dragged a skull (a gift from his father) around the street…
The 18th edition of Dances With Films (DWF) the iconic Los Angeles Film festival known for its convivial atmosphere of discovery, returns to the TCL Chinese Theaters in Hollywood from May 28th to June 7th.”This year’s theme, ‘Cinema Vortex,’ exemplifies the creative energy that has always been the epicenter of Dances With Films. So, whether you like documentaries, music videos, or a film of any length and genre, those and more can be found here,” states Leslee Scallon, Festival Co-Founder.Dances With Films is one of the few festivals to include a music video section “Downbeat.” The Dances With Films (DWF)…
Hola! Mexico Film Festival 2015 returns to it’s home at LA LIVE.This showcase of the best of current Mexican cinema, this year’s crop of 21 films is a diverse slate of films, and genres; “We forget about the eternal battle of Art versus Commercial, and we don’t need to put a label on a film. We see great stories that are well produced and that will make us rejoice film and allow us to enjoy all the flavors that Mexican cinema has prepared for us.” Delight in dramas, art films, documentaries family entertainment, animation and the debut of Obra Primas-…
“Eddie Reynolds”-Directed by Gustavo Moheno Cast: Damián Alcázar, Jorge Zárate, Arturo Rios, Álvaro Guerrero, Paulina Gaitán. Mexico 2014, 106 MIN. Spanish with English subtitles.Gustavo Mohen’s Rock comedy “Eddie Reynolds” (Eddie Reynolds y Los Ángeles de Acero) revives the Rock Band reunion tale with a smart script and full on performances. There have been many similar films. (Most are ho hum but see Darren Ashton’s 2004 Aussie comedy “Thunderstruck” for another winner.)The ensemble playing of Arturo Rios, Jorge Zarate and Alvaro Guerrero is consistently funny and they are more than convincing as old rockers reuniting after 30 years.Musicians hired to play…