Allan Moyle: An American Cinematheque Tribute

ABOUT THE SERIES:

The American Cinematheque is thrilled to welcome Canadian filmmaker Allan Moyle for an in-person tribute centering around the new restoration of his 1977 experimental exploitation picture THE RUBBER GUN, courtesy of CIP. Known for his gritty and astute coming-of-age dramedies turned cult classics, Moyle has left an ineradicable impression on independent cinema with projects characterized by sharp dialogue, punk and new wave influences, and a myriad of teen angst. Join us as we celebrate the influential, countercultural work of an intrepid artist whose anti-establishment values and offbeat tendencies produce a timeless quality that will continue to be admired for generations.

Our tribute series begins with THE RUBBER GUN, in which Moyle takes the audience on a deep dive into the seedy undercurrents of 1970s Montreal. Utilizing a Cassavetes-like hybrid of vérité and narrative filmmaking, Moyle highlights the encounters between a group of drug-addicted beatnik artists and a university student who wants to write about their antics for his master’s thesis. Cited as one of Bikini Kill’s Kathleen Hanna’s favorite films, Allan Moyle’s TIMES SQUARE poignantly captures a slice of teenage rebellion with a touch of riot grrrl, feminist realism. Equipped with a killer soundtrack that includes Lou Reed, The Cure, and Talking Heads, TIMES SQUARE acts as a hazy artifact of the edgy streets of late ’70s and early ’80s New York City.

After a lengthy hiatus, Moyle returned to directing, starting with the Christian Slater-led PUMP UP THE VOLUME. Slater plays Mark Hunter, a high school loner who takes on the role of shock jock “Hard Harry” for a pirate radio station that he broadcasts out of his parents’ basement. The sleeper hit encapsulates the angsty, cynical culture of Generation X youth.