<<< August 25 - 28, 2005 >>>

There will be some screenings in this series at the Aero Theatre (August 27 & 28, 2005).

Every year, there are dozens of superb American and foreign films that fail to be shown commercially in the United States. Ironically, it's usually precisely because these movies are unique and special that distributors avoid the challenge of trying to sell them. The result this summer was moviehouses full of concepts that were mostly sequels, remakes or adaptations of television series, and an audience that stayed away from these "presold" titles in droves. Fear not, cinema fans. The L.A. Film Critics Association, in association with the American Cinematheque, has polled its membership and programmed a festival completely comprised of their picks of "films that got away" -- but which shouldn't have. Bold, visionary, sexy, shocking and indescribable. These are the titles the best critics in town pass among themselves like rare jewels. Well, the treasure box is now open to all, with overlooked gems plus in-person discussions with some giants of independent film and other indescribably rare treats!!

Double Feature!! SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE, 1968, Janus Films, 70 min. Dir: William Greaves.

SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE 2 1/2, 2005, 99 min, Dir. William Greaves. The best American sequel of 2005 isn’t REVENGE OF THE SITH, but it might be legendary independent filmmaker William Greaves’ SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE 2 ½. In 1968, Greaves created a daring, innovative feature in which a film crew rebels against a director (Greaves, playing himself) and takes over his production. Artfully blending documentary and narrative approaches, SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM: TAKE ONE is an intricate but accessible and deeply moving rumination on art, politics, sexuality and filmmaking, set against the turbulent America of the late 1960s. SYMBIO 1 went unseen until 1992, when it re-emerged on the festival circuit, to garner rave reviews and a rabid cult following that includes actor/filmmaker Steve Buscemi and filmmaker Steven Soderbergh. Soderbergh helped mentor Greaves’ stunning 2005 follow-up, SYMBIO 2-1/2, an elegy for the creative heat of the American ‘60s and a stunning celebration of the growth and evolution of human relationships and their embodiment in the actor’s craft. In this special evening, William Greaves will present the West Coast premiere of the complete SYMBIOPSYCHOTAXIPLASM including both "Take One" and "Take 2 1/2." The question of the night: is SYMBIO one masterpiece or two? Mr. Greaves will be on hand to take your questions, so ask him yourself! NOT ON VIDEO!

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!

Friday, August 26, 2005 – 8:00 PM LAFCA "FILMS THAT GOT AWAY"

Full-Length Version! BRAZIL, 1985, Universal, 142 min. Dir. Terry Gilliam. Director Terry Gilliam’s surreal, anarchic black comedy creates a world of pneumatic tubes, giant samurais and lilting South American ballads where harried Everyman Jonathan Pryce tries to escape from a maze of crushing conformity to pursue love Kim Geist. On its initial release, the L.A. Film Critics Assoc. championed the full-length version of the film in the face of studio interference and a radically-shortened cut. (Note: This is the European cut of the film, 10 minutes longer than the U.S. version.) Introduction By Los Angeles Film Critics Association President Henry Sheehan. Discussion panel on "The Battle of Brazil" with critics Leonard Klady, Kirk Honeycut, and Henry Sheehan.

[Also plays Saturday, 8/27at the Aero].

ANA AND THE OTHERS, 2002, 80 min. Ana isn’t like the others she grew up with in the provincial town of Parana, Argentina -- she left for the big city of Buenos Aires. Now she has returned, partly to wrap some family matters, mostly to make sense of what happened to the people she left behind, particularly an old boyfriend who suddenly becomes a new object of desire. When her superb and clever first feature about love and how people wrestle with it appeared two years ago, director Celina Murga instantly stood out as an artist of sublime nuance and quiet humor.

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!

FRESH BAIT (L’APPAT), 1995, 115 min. Winner of the 1995 Berlin Film Festival’s Golden Bear, this chilling portrait of youthful nihilism is one of director Bertrand Tavernier’s most powerful pieces of social commentary, examining the global impact of American consumer culture. A trio of French youths (Marie Gillain, Olivier Sitruk, and Bruno Putzulu) on a violent crime spree are motivated by nothing less than a desire to live the American dream. A haunting, unforgettable masterpiece.

[Spielberg Theatre] LA COMMUNE (PARIS, 1871), 2000, First Run, 345 min. Dir. Peter Watkins. This is a co-presentation of Film Forum and LAFCA as part of the "Films That Got Away" series. This is not a presentation of the American Cinematheque – for ticket information visit: www.lafilmforum.org. [Note: LA COMMUNE will be shown in 4 parts with 3 intermission breaks.]

TREASURE ISLAND, 1999, King Pictures, 86 min. Director Scott King’s astonishing debut eerily predicted the security state the U.S. would become after the 9/11 attacks. Set in a parallel-universe America, King’s surreal, terrifying movie plays like a skillful collaboration between David Lynch, George Romero and James Ellroy. Two WWII U.S. code-breakers fabricate an identity for a corpse to misdirect the Japanese. Their own identities begin to disintegrate into that of their creation, unleashing everything repressed within themselves. A prizewinner at Sundance for King’s "Distinctive Vision in Filmmaking," and overdue for rediscovery today. Discussion following with director Scott King.

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!

HAPPY HERE AND NOW, 2002, IFC Films, 89 min. When Amelia (Liane Balaban) ventures into the backstreets and byways of funkiest New Orleans to search for her missing sister (Shalom Harlow), a woozy, decaying private dick (Clarence Williams III) guides her to a cyber-philosopher (and a possible new variation on the Wizard of Oz) named Eddie Mars. Director Michael Almereyda (NADJA, HAMLET) has made several fascinating contemplations on the interaction of the human and technology, but nothing as beautiful, mysterious or completely mind-altering as this tale of people connecting by way of virtual avatars. Discussion following with Holly Becker and producer Callum Greene.

An Egyptian Theatre Exclusive!