| Special One Night Events &
Limited Engagements in October:
http://www.myspace.com/americancinematheque
Wednesday, October 1 – 7:30 PM
Sneak Preview!
RELIGULOUS, 2008, Lionsgate, 100 min. Director Larry
Charles’ first feature project since the critically acclaimed, wildly successful
BORAT: CULTURAL LEARNINGS OF AMERICA FOR MAKE BENEFIT GLORIOUS NATION OF KAZAKHSTAN. This
film follows political humorist and author Bill Maher (TV’s "Real Time
With Bill Maher," "Politically Incorrect") as he travels around the globe
interviewing people about God and religion. Known for his astute analytical skills,
irreverent wit and commitment to never pulling a punch, Maher brings his characteristic
honesty to an unusual spiritual journey. Director Larry
Charles will not be able to introduce the screening as originally announced..
www.lionsgate.com/religulous
Thursday, October 2 – 7:30 PM
FOCUS ON FEMALE DIRECTORS: FIVE TO WATCH
Join us for an evening of award-winning documentary, live-action and animated films that
include: Kate Hudson’s "Cutlass" (USA, 2007, 16 min) Virginia
Madsen, Dakota Fanning and Kurt Russell star in this Glamour Reel Moments short
about two generations of daughters coveting treasures greatly above their teenage budgets.
Lauren Greenfield’s "Kids & Money" (USA, 2007, 32 min)
This noted photographer’s incisive look at local teens and their concepts of wealth
won the Audience Award for Best Short Film at the AFI Film Festival in 2007. Michelle
Hung’s "Chinese Dumplings" (USA, 2006, 8 min), in which a strict
mother tests the bonds of sisterhood. Nicole Mitchell’s "Zoologic"
(USA, 2007, 4 min), a 2008 Student Academy Award winner. Amanda Micheli & Isabel
Vega’s Oscar-nominated documentary "La Corona" (The Crown) (USA,
2007, 40 min), which looks at a beauty competition in a women’s prison in Bogotá. Program
compiled by Andrew P. Crane, Kim Adelman and Andrea Richards Discussion
following with directors Michelle Hung, Nicole Mitchell, Amanda Micheli and Isabel Vega.
Wednesday, October 8 – 7:30 PM
Sneak Preview!
HAPPY-GO-LUCKY, 2008, Miramax, 118 min. In the new
comedy by VERA DRAKE director Mike Leigh, Sally Hawkins stars as Poppy, an
irrepressibly free-spirited teacher. When Poppy’s bike is stolen, she signs up for
driving lessons with uptight cynic Scott (Eddie Marsan). As the tension of their
weekly lessons builds, Poppy’s story takes alternately hilarious and serious turns,
becoming a life-affirming exploration of one of the most elusive of all human emotions:
happiness. Official Site
Friday, October 10 – 7:30 PM
Oliver Stone Tribute:
PLATOON, 1986, MGM Repertory, 120 min. Winning Oscars for
Best Picture and Director, Oliver Stone brings his own Vietnam War experiences to
the big screen in the form of Pvt. Taylor (Charlie Sheen) in what stands as one of
the definitive portraits of men at war. Willem Dafoe, Tom Berenger, and Forest
Whitaker are among the ranks. Also Oscar-nominated for Best Original Screenplay
(Stone) and Best Cinematography (Robert Richardson). Trailer
SALVADOR, 1986, MGM Repertory, 123
min. Dir. Oliver Stone. Disenfranchised U.S. photojournalist Ricky Boyle (James
Woods) throws himself and reluctant party buddy James Belushi into the turmoil
of the 1980 Central American military dictatorship, winding up caught between the rebels
and his own C.I.A. John Savage and Michael Murphy co-star. Boyle and Stone
were nominated for Best Original Screenplay. Trailer
Thursday, October 23 – 7:30 PM
ALL DOC'D OUT: A DOCUMENTARY SURVIVAL GUIDE SEMINAR
Nonfiction filmmaking has been a centerpiece of the American film industry for most of our
new millennium. Whether this resurgence can be attributed to the dominance of
reality-based television, new-found artistic and technical liberties or to some good
old-fashioned monetary gain, there is now a vast new playing field for today's documentary
filmmaker. Learn how to keep your film alive and thriving in the competitive world of
nonfiction distribution, exhibition and film festivals from a panel of industry
professionals.
Non-fiction filmmaking has been a centerpiece of the American film industry for most of
our new millennium. Whether this resurgence can be attributed to the dominance of
reality-based television, new found artistic and technical liberties or to some good old
fashion monetary gain, there is now a vast new playing field for today's documentary
filmmaker.
The American Cinematheque's Film Seminar series proudly opens its second season with a
probing panel discussion that takes a close look at where the future of non-fiction film
production, distribution and exhibition is headed in an uncertain market that is now
glutted with documentary films.
With an accent on ALTERNATIVE and CREATIVE
approaches to producing, financing and distributing documentary films, ALL DOC'D
OUT: THE ULTIMATE DOCUMENTARY SURVIVAL GUIDE focuses its attention on three primary
foundations of non-fiction filmmaking:
1. CONCEPT/SUBJECT CHOICE, FORMAL DESIGN, FILMMAKING TRENDS
What are the most viable subject trends in documentary filmmaking today? What is the
current landscape like for "the political doc" (Michael Moore-approach),
"the historical doc" (Ken Burns-approach), "the environmental doc" (Al
Gore-approach), "the shock doc" (Nick Broomfield-approach), "the personal
doc" (Terry Zwigoff-approach), and "the auteur doc" (Errol
Morris-approach)? What are the current filmmaking stylistic trends? Where are they headed?
Does the film festival world favor certain non-fiction subject approaches and styles over
others? Is there a primary documentary filmmaking style/form today? What filmmaking
stylistic/formal concerns should a new documentary filmmaker be aware of when making
his/her first film? What are the most important artistic and financial considerations you
should make before shooting your documentary?
2. CONTEMPORARY FINANCING
In terms of the conceptual stages of making a documentary, what do both documentary
organizations who provide grants and documentary financing producers look for in a
documentary that is seeking investment? Is financing an American documentary always from a
"patchwork" of sources? Given the collapse of the world's financial
institutions, it looks like financing your new non-fiction film has some very challenging
times ahead. What new methods of financing documentaries can we foresee in the future? How
creative can producers get in their efforts to find money to make non-fiction films? Given
the weakened state of the dollar, is European financing on the rise for American
documentary filmmakers or is this just a potential for narrative filmmakers? Is the
"internationally co-financed" film going to come back into style?
3. NEW FORMS OF DISTRIBUTION/EXHIBITION
What does the landscape for documentary film/video distribution look like today verses
5 years ago? What are the biggest changes in what a documentary will find for itself in
terms of theatrical distribution, DVD sales or broadcast (television, cable TV, internet)
play? How does film festival exhibition enhance or hurt a documentary's distribution
potential? When do I bring on a sales agent? When do I bring on a publicist? Are sales
generated through self-distribution better today than sales that can be generated by a DVD
distribution company? What are the "best" DVD distribution companies for
non-fiction films? Do DVD sales really make up for the financial losses filmmakers now
take with the relatively small advances they are offered for theatrical and broadcast
distribution? What are the newest forms and/or methods of distribution for documentary
filmmakers today? Does the contemporary documentary filmmaker have to settle for greater
exposure for his/her film and take a financial loss?
ALL DOC'D OUT: THE ULTIMATE DOCUMENTARY FILM SURVIVAL GUIDE is sure to enhance your
understanding of the competitive world of non-fiction filmmaking, financing and
distribution. Whether you have just finished your film or whether you are in
pre-production and preparing to shoot your film or even if you are just in the conceptual
stages of making your first film, ALL DOC'D OUT is sure to be an invaluable resource and a
rewarding glimpse into the state of documentary filmmaking in the United States.
Confirmed Panelists Include:
Agi Orsi, Producer, ONCE IN A LIFETIME; AMAZING JOURNEY: THE STORY OF THE WHO; RIDING
GIANTS; DOGTOWN AND THE Z-BOYS
Sandra J. Ruch, Documentary Consultant, Elixir Consulting
Diane Estelle Vicari, President, International Documentary Association
Randy Olson, Author/Filmmaker, FLOCK OF DODOS: THE EVOLUTION-INTELLIGENT DESIGN CIRCUS;
SIZZLE: A GLOBAL WARMING COMEDY
Moderated by film consultant/programmer Thomas Ethan
Harris. Tickets: $20 General Admission, $15 Student/Senior with valid
I.D.; $12 Members of the Cinematheque.
Friday, October 24 – 7:30 PM
Kevin Thomas’ Favorites:
Restored Version! THE LEOPARD (IL GATTOPARDO), 1963, 20th Century Fox, 185
min. When director Luchino Visconti’s sumptuous historical epic set in
mid-19th-century Sicily was initially released in America, it was shorn of over 20 minutes
and received lukewarm reviews. In the 1980s, cinematographer Giuseppe Rotunno spearheaded
restoration efforts, but it wasn’t until the late 1990s that the film became widely
available in the current uncut version. It is now commonly acknowledged as Visconti’s
most superlative achievement. Adapting Giuseppe di Lampedusa’s literary masterwork,
Visconti focuses on philosophical, melancholic Prince Salina (Burt Lancaster), a
Sicilian nobleman well aware that the violent Garibaldi-led upheavals then occurring in
his country are inevitable. He is determined to see his family survive, in whatever form,
and he watches approvingly as his nephew Tancredi (Alain Delon) becomes engaged to
the smolderingly beautiful and sweet-natured Angelica (Claudia Cardinale), the
daughter of a wealthy, wily merchant. With a sublime score by the incomparable Nino Rota.
If you have never seen it in a theatre, now is your chance – it’s wonderful that
it is on DVD, but the truly gorgeous production design and epic scope of the film need to
be seen on the big screen to be fully appreciated. "…One of Visconti's
achievements is to make that rare thing, a great film of a great book…The cinema at
its best can give us the illusion of living another life, and that's what happens
here…miraculous and emotionally devastating…" – Robert Ebert, The
Chicago Sun-Times. Trailer
| More on this film
Film Critic Kevin Thomas will introduce the screening.
Saturday, October 25 – 4:00 PM
Tribute to late Bill Melendez! BON
VOYAGE CHARLIE BROWN, 1980, Paramount, 75 min. Dirs. Bill Melendez and Phil Roman.
Charlie Brown and his friends travel to France and find romance and mystery--as well as
adults who actually speak audible words (a rarity in PEANUTS cartoons)! Highlights of the
film include Snoopy playing tennis at Wimbledon, driving, and taking on his persona as a
World War I "flying ace." Bill Melendez, 91, an Emmy Award-winning animator who
transformed the two-dimensional drawings of the "Peanuts" comic strip into some
of the most beloved cartoon characters on television and film, died Sept. 2 at St. John's
Health Center in Santa Monica, Calif. More on this film.
Join us at 3 PM at Every
Picture Tells A Story for refreshments and a free story hour and see the original
works by Peanuts' Charles Schulz.
Saturday, October 25 – 7:30 PM
Brand New 70mm Print!
WEST SIDE STORY, 1961, MGM Repertory, 151 min. The
ultra-classic Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins-helmed musical with Natalie
Wood as the lovely Maria and Richard Beymer as her star-crossed lover Tony,
surrounded by switchblade-carrying gangs led by Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno and George
Chakiris. Leonard Bernstein’s soaring, instantly memorable score, with lyrics by
a young Stephen Sondheim, stands as one of the finest ever written for the American
musical theater. Winner of 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture, Director, Supporting
Actor (Chakiris) and Actress (Moreno), Cinematography and Art Direction. Don’t
miss this absolutely stunning brand new 70mm print. More on this film. Photo Courtesy of Cinema Sightlines.
West Side Story will screen at the Egyptian on:
Friday, November 28 – 7:30 PM
Saturday, November 29 – 7:30 PM
Sunday October 26 - 5:30 PM
ART DIRECTOR SOCIETY:
A Tribute to the Disney Studios Art Department and Their Fantastical Films
From the 1950s through the 1970s, at a time when the Disney name was still synonymous with
animation, the studio’s live action unit made a series of charming, generally
inexpensive, invariably successful, live-action fantasy adventures that quietly shaped,
inspired and influenced the generation of filmmakers creating today’s blockbusters.
The visual effects in these films were superbly integrated into the rest of the visuals
because the effects department and the art department might as well have been one. DARBY
O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE typifies the genre.
DARBY O’GILL AND THE LITTLE PEOPLE, 1959,
Disney, 93 min. Directed by Robert Stevenson, designed by Carroll Clark, with
visual effects by Peter Ellenshaw and Eustace Lycett, this is an enchanting comic fantasy,
beautifully designed and filled with impeccably accomplished forced perspective shots,
matte paintings and more. It is also the young Sean Connery’s first starring
role. Lovable scalawag Darby (Albert Sharpe) loves to tell tales of leprechauns.
Little does anyone suspect that he really does have a direct line on a pot of gold, but he
must find a way to get it away from shrewd leprechaun King Brian. More on this film.
Discussion following with visual effects supervisors Michael Fink (BATMAN RETURNS,
X-MEN 1 & 2, and Oscar winner for THE GOLDEN COMPASS) and Harrison Ellenshaw
(Oscar-nominated for THE BLACK HOLE, master matte painter, veteran of the Disney effects
unit, and son of Peter Ellenshaw) and John Muto, writer and production designer.
Thursday, October 30 – 7:30 PM
25th Anniversary, Matt Dillon/Francis Ford Coppola Double Feature!
THE OUTSIDERS, 1983, 91 min. Director Francis Ford
Coppola’s adaptation of S. E. Hinton’s novel of 1960s teen gang violence in
Oklahoma pits the "Greasers" against the "Socs." Matt Dillon, Ralph
Macchio, Vincent Spano and Patrick Swayze head an all-star ensemble
cast, representing the two sides of the tracks. Theatrical release cut. Review
RUMBLE FISH, 1983, Universal, 94 min. Director Francis
Ford Coppola again adapts an S.E. Hinton novel, reuniting with Matt Dillon.
Shot in black-and-white with stylized use of color and professed to be among
Coppola’s personal favorites, it’s grittier and more phantasmagorical than THE
OUTSIDERS. Here, Dillon plays Rusty James, a young gangbanger who looks fondly back on the
days of yesteryear when his loner brother, Motorcycle Boy (Mickey Rourke), held
court as the king of the street toughs. With a very young Diane Lane as
Rusty’s sweetheart. Look out for Dennis Hopper as the boys’
ne’er-do-well father and William Smith as one of the meanest small-town cops
in movie history. Co-starring Chris Penn, Nicholas Cage and Tom Waits. Article 1 | Article 2 |
