Join us for some old-school 16mm Movie Madness! – It’s our monthly 16MM DOUBLE FEATURE NIGHT at The Way Out Club (2525 Jefferson Avenue in St. Louis)! Join Tom Stockman and Roger from “Roger’s Reels’ for a double feature of two complete films projected on 16mm film. The show is Tuesday November 1st and starts at 8pm. Admission is FREE though we will be setting out a jar to take donations for the National Children’s Cancer Society.
First up is THE ENTITY (1982)
THE ENTITY is a very intense powerful supernatural thriller from 1982 about an invisible presence grabbing every opportunity to attack and sexually assault the main character played by Barbara Hershey, a single mom with a checkered sexual past. One night after coming home to her kids, she is attacked and raped by an invisible intruder she can’t see. Later that night the house starts vibrating, so Carla takes her kids to a friend’s house and hangs out for a while trying to understand exactly what hit her. Before long Carla finds herself being harassed, humiliated, sexually violated, abused and raped repeatedly by this unseen thing, like a mad incubus. But the question is… is she really being sexually violated by a supernatural entity, or is it all in her mind? That question, toyed with throughout the first half of the film, elevates this solidly made film above the usual “horror” film, and thanks to the fine work of its director, Sidney J. Furie.
Next up is WHITE LIGHTNING (1973)
Booze, broads, car chases, corruption and revenge — all the things that make life worthwhile! WHITE LIGHTNING (1973) was a tough country melodrama in which hard-driving Bogen County, Arkansas moonshiner Gator McCluskey (Burt Reynolds) is paroled from prison in order to get the goods on a thoroughly corrupted sheriff (Ned Beatty) who is not only taking graft but also murdered Gator’s kid brother. Crisply directed by Joseph Sargent who manages to instill the proceedings with both atmosphere and pace, the fragmented story of rough backwoods codes is punctuated by several high-powered car chases that keep the dust swirling on those backcountry roads. WHITE LIGHTNING has real authenticity in its look at the American South of the early 1970s. Beatty is truly black hearted as the mild-mannered but hateful sheriff who kills Gator’s brother just because he looks like a hippy commie. He’s the opposite of the buffoonish cartoon lawman that Jackie Gleason would play opposite Burt in the later Smokey and the Bandit films. WHITE LIGHTNING was a huge hit in 1973, securing Reynolds’s place in the superstar strata throughout the 1970s. R.G. Armstrong, Bo Hopkins, Diane Lane, and Dabbs Greer all lend able support.
There will be movie trivia with prizes and of course The Way Out Club will have a full bar and Way Out Pizzas for sale. Don’t miss it!
INVITE YOU TO ATTEND
THE ST. LOUIS 3D ADVANCE SCREENING OF
Marvel Studios’ DOCTOR STRANGE is in U.S. Theaters November 4 in 3D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D!
For your chance to win 2 admit-one passes, email marvelpromosstlouis@gmail.comwith your full name, mailing address, and phone number.
Screening is on NOVEMBER 1st at 7:o0 PM.
Please include “WAMG” in the subject line for your entry to be valid. Entry deadline is Friday, October 28th at 10:00AM.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. LIMIT TWO (2) ADMIT-ONE PASSES PER PERSON. THIS FILM IS RATED PG-13. MUST BE 13 YEARS OF AGE TO RECEIVE PASSES. EMPLOYEES OF ALL PROMOTIONAL PARTNERS AND THEIR AGENCIES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.
WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED VIA E-MAIL TO RECEIVE THEIR PASSES. SPONSORS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR INCOMPLETE, LOST, LATE OR MISDIRECTED ENTRIES OR FOR FAILURE TO RECEIVE ENTRIES DUE TO TRANSMISSION OR TECHNICAL FAILURES OF ANY KIND. SEATING IS LIMITED, SO ARRIVE EARLY. PASS DOES NOT GUARANTEE A SEAT AT THE SCREENING.
From Marvel Studios comes DOCTOR STRANGE, the story of world-famous neurosurgeon Dr. Stephen Strange whose life changes forever after a horrific car accident robs him of the use of his hands. When traditional medicine fails him, he is forced to look for healing, and hope, in an unlikely place—a 10-11-16 mysterious enclave known as Kamar-Taj. He quickly learns that this is not just a center for healing but also the front line of a battle against unseen dark forces bent on destroying our reality. Before long Strange—armed with newly acquired magical powers—is forced to choose whether to return to his life of fortune and status or leave it all behind to defend the world as the most powerful sorcerer in existence.
DOCTOR STRANGE stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rachel McAdams, Benedict Wong, Michael Stuhlbarg, Benjamin Bratt and Scott Adkins, with Mads Mikkelsen and Tilda Swinton. Scott Derrickson is directing with Kevin Feige producing. Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard, Charles Newirth and Stan Lee serve as executive producers. Jon Spaihts and Scott Derrickson & C. Robert Cargill wrote the screenplay
Lionsgate has released two new clips from director Mel Gibson’s HACKSAW RIDGE.
HACKSAW RIDGE is the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong. As an army medic, he single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while tending to soldiers and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. Doss was the first conscientious objector awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Also starring Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer, Hugo Weaving, Rachel Griffiths, and Vince Vaughn, the film opens in theaters Nov. 4.
WAMG invites you to enter for the chance to win TWO (2) seats to the advance screening of HACKSAW RIDGE on Nov. 1 at 7pm in the St. Louis area.
Answer the Following:
With films that span from the classic, Academy Award® Best Picture-winning Braveheart to The Patriot, We Were Soldiers, The Passion of the Christ and his most recently directed film, the Mayan civilization epic APOCALYPTO, Gibson has become known for meshing big themes with atmospheric style that takes audiences into revealing worlds.
How many Oscars has Mel Gibson won?
TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWER AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.
OFFICIAL RULES:
1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.
2. No purchase necessary. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.
R for intense prolonged realistically graphic sequences of war violence including grisly bloody images.
ST. LOUIS BREWS (a work in progress) screens Thursday, November 3rd at 8:00pm at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar Blvd) as the opening film of this year’s St. Louis International Film Festival. There will be an opening-night reception with complimentary product from local breweries.Ticket information can be found HERE.
The schedule for the 25th Annual Whitaker St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF) has been announced and once again film goers will be offered the best in cutting edge features and shorts from around the globe. The festival takes place November 3-13, 2016. SLIFF kicks off on November 3 with the opening-night selection ST. LOUIS BREWS, the latest home-brewed documentary by local filmmaker Bill Streeter, director of BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY (read my interview with Bill HERE).
SLIFF kicks off their 25th anniversary with a beer blast: a suds-centric reception and a work-in-progress screening of ST. LOUIS BREWS, Bill Streeter’s celebration of all things hops-related in the Lou. Streeter — an alum of the fest whose 2011 documentary BRICK BY CHANCE AND FORTUNE: A ST. LOUIS STORY premiered at the St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase and was reprised at SLIFF — is the creator of Lo-Fi St. Louis, a pioneering video blog that’s documented our town, with a particular emphasis on its vibrant music scene, since way back in 2005. Inspired by the same-named 2009 book by Henry Herbst, Don Roussin, and Kevin Kious, ST. LOUIS BREWS examines St. Louis’ defining influence on the beer industry and profiles the innovative craft brewers who are building on that storied tradition. The screening features a generous sampling of three extended sequences from the film, and the Q&A will include a number of the brewers featured. Through interviews, archival footage, memorabilia, and visits to brewing sites of yesterday and today, ST. LOUIS BREWS will quench beer aficionados’ thirst for knowledge, and the fest’s opening-night reception will satisfy their actual desire to drink with complimentary product from local breweries.
Full information on SLIFF films, including synopses, dates/time, and links for purchase of advance tickets is available on the Cinema St. Louis website.
So many goodies in the cinemas candy store this upcoming Awards Season! Oh,boy, oh boy.
It’s “Good Movie Season” when we get Hollywood heavy-hitters (both top popcorn entertainment and Oscar wannabees), and the best of the film festival circuit, most recently from Toronto. Many films will have an awards qualifying run in 2016 and open officially in 2017.
While we have not seen some of these (although we have seen some trailers), some movies are sure to disappoint. That said, here is WAMG’s list of highly-anticipated films, both big blockbuster entertainment and seriously meaty cinema.
The Sherlock supreme becomes the sorcerer supreme as one of the founding Marvel comics heroes finally arrives in the Marvel “movie-verse”.
While other Marvel Studios flicks have explored the worlds of hi-tech, Norse mythology, and space opera, director Scott Derrickson guides us through the realms of magic. Most of us really enjoyed Benedict Cumberbatch in BBC’s Sherlock and was blown away by his take on Hamlet (the most original version of the part we’ve ever seen), so we’re eager to see what he does with this character.
Hey, it’s been six months since Steve and Tony faced off, so another trip to Marvel-land is definitely in order!
ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY – DEC. 16
Last year movie fans happily returned (in droves) to that “galaxy far, far away”, so a follow-up is no surprise. We’ll have to wait a bit for episode eight, so instead director Gareth Edwards brings us the first live-action Star Wars spin-off, a prequel to the events of episode four. The trailer looks good and the strong female character is a big draw. Plus word is that a certain sith lord will be back on the big screen.
LOVING – NOV. 4
This has been on our most-anticipated list for awhile. It’s a great piece of history and seems like it has potential to be both timely and uplifting serious drama.
From acclaimed writer/director Jeff Nichols, “Loving” celebrates the real-life courage and commitment of an interracial couple, Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga), who married and then spent the next nine years fighting for the right to live as a family in their hometown. Their civil rights case, Loving v. Virginia, went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in 1967 reaffirmed the very foundation of the right to marry – and their love story has become an inspiration to couples ever since.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM – NOV. 18
Academy Award winner Eddie Redmayne (“The Theory of Everything”) stars in the central role of wizarding world magizoologist Newt Scamander, under the direction of David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM opens in 1926 as Newt Scamander has just completed a global excursion to find and document an extraordinary array of magical creatures. Arriving in New York for a brief stopover, he might have come and gone without incidentwere it not for a No-Maj (American for Muggle) named Jacob, a misplaced magical case, and the escape of some of Newt’s fantastic beasts, which could spell trouble for both the wizarding and No-Maj worlds.
FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM also stars Katherine Waterston (“Steve Jobs,” “Inherent Vice”) as Tina; Tony Award winner Dan Fogler (“The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee”) as Jacob; Alison Sudol (“Dig,” “Transparent”) as Tina’s sister, Queenie; Ezra Miller (“Trainwreck”) as Credence; two-time Oscar nominee Samantha Morton (“In America,” “Sweet and Lowdown”) as Mary Lou; Oscar winner Jon Voight (“Coming Home,” TV’s “Ray Donovan”) as Henry Shaw, Sr.; Ron Perlman (the “Hellboy” films) as Gnarlack; Carmen Ejogo (“Selma”) as Seraphina; Jenn Murray (“Brooklyn”) as Chastity; young newcomer Faith Wood-Blagrove as Modesty; and Colin Farrell (“True Detective”) as Percival Graves.
The film marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, whose beloved Harry Potter books were adapted into the top-grossing film franchise of all time. Her script was inspired by the Hogwarts textbook Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, written by her character Newt Scamander.
THE FOUNDER
We always thought it was odd that the family that owned McDonald’s had a different name, so we’re hoping that makes for an intriguing story. The strong cast raise hopes for this one. The new “based on true events” flick from SAVING MR. BANKS director John Lee Hancock pulls the curtain back on the “happy meal” kingdom with this look at Ray Kroc, who’s played by “comeback kid” Michael Keaton. Plus, the great Nick Offerman co-stars as one of the McDonald brothers.
NOCTURNAL ANIMALS – DEC. 9
The trailer was intriguing, we have a weakness for good psychological thrillers and hope this film satisfies that craving. Director Tom Ford means it will be a stylish ride, and Amy Adams, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Michael Shannon in the cast are a strong point too.
ARRIVAL – NOV. 11
The trailer makes it look like a thinking person’s science fiction tale. We loved the director Denis Villeneuve’s previous film INCENDIES and liked SICARIO, and this one got a lot critics’ interest at TIFF.
When mysterious spacecraft touch down across the globe, an elite team – lead by expert linguist Louise Banks (Amy Adams) – are brought together to investigate. As mankind teeters on the verge of global war, Banks and the team race against time for answers – and to find them, she will take a chance that could threaten her life, and quite possibly humanity.
MANCHESTER BY THE SEA – DEC. 2
After the death of his older brother Joe (Kyle Chandler), Lee Chandler (Casey Affleck) is shocked to learn that Joe has made him sole guardian of his nephew Patrick (Lucas Hedges). Taking leave of his job, Lee reluctantly returns to Manchester-by-the-Sea to care for Patrick, a spirited 16-year-old, and is forced to deal with a past that separated him from his wife Randi (Michelle Williams) and the community where he was born and raised. Bonded by the man who held their family together, Lee and Patrick struggle to adjust to a world without him.
In his first film since 2011’s acclaimed Margaret, Lonergan once again proves himself a powerful and visionary storyteller as he seamlessly weaves past and present together, crafting a tension-filled tale that deftly eschews sentimentality in favor of penetrating emotional insight and deeply affecting human relationships.
It was on lots of critics “best” lists for TIFF, so we’re interested. Casey Affleck won particular praise for his performance. Who isn’t a sucker for those New England accents?
ALLIED – NOV. 23
In a story that sounds like a tribute to the Hitchcock classic NOTORIOUS, Brad Pitt and Marion Cotillard find romance while modeling spectacular 1940’s fashions and thwart the Axis. And the return of director Robert Zemeckis makes this thriller a must see.
MOONLIGHT – NOV. 11
Based on the way this one won critics’ hearts at TIFF, we’re really looking forward to seeing this African American family drama, which follows a young black man as he grows to adulthood in Miami.
From writer/director Barry Jenkins and starring Trevante Rhodes, Naomie Harris, Andre Holland, and Mahershala Ali.
SILENCE
Basically because it is Martin Scorsese but also because the story of missionaries in 17th century Japan sounds intriguing.
20TH CENTURY WOMEN
A comedy from director of BEGINNERS, which we loved, plus a great cast with Annette Bening, Greta Gerwig, Elle Fanning, and Billy Crudup.
JACKIE – DEC. 2 Select Theaters
JACKIE is a searing and intimate portrait of one of the most important and tragic moments in American history, seen through the eyes of the iconic First Lady, then Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy (Natalie Portman). JACKIE places us in her world during the days immediately following her husband’s assassination. Known for her extraordinary dignity and poise, here we see a psychological portrait of the First Lady as she struggles to maintain her husband’s legacy and the world of “Camelot” that they created and loved so well.
FENCES – DEC. 25
A great play by August Wilson, and with Denzel Washington directing, we are hoping for a strong film version as well.
LION – NOV. 25
Five year old Saroo gets lost on a train which takes him thousands of miles across India, away from home and family. Saroo must learn to survive alone in Kolkata, before ultimately being adopted by an Australian couple. Twenty five years later, armed with only a handful of memories, his unwavering determination, and a revolutionary technology known as Google Earth, he sets out to find his lost family and finally return to his first home.
GOLD – DEC. 25
GOLD is the epic tale of one man’s pursuit of the American dream, to discover gold. Starring Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey as Kenny Wells, a prospector desperate for a lucky break, he teams up with a similarly eager geologist and sets off on an amazing journey to find gold in the uncharted jungle of Indonesia. Getting the gold was hard, but keeping it would be even harder, sparking an adventure through the most powerful boardrooms of Wall Street. The film is inspired by a true story. Directed by Oscar winner Stephen Gaghan (TRAFFIC, SYRIANA), the film stars Oscar winner Matthew McConaughey (INTERSTELLAR, DALLAS BUYERS CLUB, THE WOLF OF WALL STREET) and Golden Globe nominees Edgar Ramirez (HANDS OF STONE, THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN) and Bryce Dallas Howard (JURASSIC WORLD, PETE’S DRAGON).
HACKSAW RIDGE – NOV. 4
Director Mel Gibson returns to the director’s chair with HACKSAW RIDGE – the extraordinary true story of Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) who, in Okinawa during the bloodiest battle of WWII, saved 75 men without firing or carrying a gun. He was the only American soldier in WWII to fight on the front lines without a weapon, as he believed that while the war was justified, killing was nevertheless wrong. As an army medic, he single-handedly evacuated the wounded from behind enemy lines, braved fire while tending to soldiers and was wounded by a grenade and hit by snipers. Doss was the first conscientious objector awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Opening in theaters November 4, we’re counting on this one to be an Awards Season contender.
THE COMEDIAN
Academy Award winner Taylor Hackford’s comedy, THE COMEDIAN will have an awards qualifying run in 2016 in New York and Los Angeles and open officially in 2017. Written by Art Linson, THE COMEDIAN stars Academy Award winner Robert De Niro, Leslie Mann, Edie Falco, Harvey Keitel, Danny DeVito, Patti LuPone and Veronica Ferres.
An aging comic icon, Jackie (Robert De Niro) has seen better days. Despite his efforts to reinvent himself and his comic genius, the audience only wants to know him as the former television character he once played. Already a strain on his younger brother (Danny DeVito) and his wife (Patti LuPone), Jackie is forced to serve out a sentence doing community service for accosting an audience member. While there, he meets Harmony (Leslie Mann), the daughter of a sleazy Florida real estate mogul (Harvey Keitel), and the two find inspiration in one another resulting in surprising consequences.
LA LA LAND – December
WHIPLASH director Damien Chazelle’s follow-up flick is an all singing, all dancing musical epic that pairs Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling for a third time on screen. Let’s hope Oscar winner J.K. Simmons gets in on the toe-tappin’ fun!
MOANA – NOV. 23
After three years, Disney Animation Studios finally gives us another big cartoon musical feature. It features songs from the FROZEN folks along with Broadway sensation Lin-Manual Miranda. And Dwayne Johnson voices a Samoan demi-god, who will hopefully croon a tune!
PATRIOTS DAY
An account of the Boston Marathon bombing, PATRIOTS DAY is the powerful story of a community’s courage in the face of terror.
In the aftermath of an unspeakable attack, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the bombers before they strike again. Weaving together the stories of Special Agent Richard DesLauriers (Kevin Bacon), Police Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman), Sergeant Jeffrey Pugliese (J.K. Simmons) and nurse Carol Saunders (Michelle Monaghan) this visceral and unflinching chronicle captures the suspense of one of the most sophisticated manhunts in law enforcement history and celebrates the strength of the people of Boston.
PATERSON – DEC. 28
Paterson is a bus driver in the city of Paterson, New Jersey—they share the name.
Every day, Paterson adheres to a simple routine: he drives his daily route, observing the city as it drifts across his windshield and overhearing fragments of conversation swirling around him; he writes poetry into a notebook; he walks his dog; he stops in a bar and drinks exactly one beer; he goes home to his wife, Laura.
By contrast, Laura’s world is ever changing. New dreams come to her almost daily, each a different and inspired project. Paterson loves Laura and she loves him. He supports her newfound ambitions; she champions his gift for poetry.
The film quietly observes the triumphs and defeats of daily life, along with the poetry evident in its smallest details.
A Film by Jim Jarmusch. Starring Adam Driver, Goldshifteh Farahani and Helen-Jean Arthur.
PASSENGERS – DEC. 21
Jennifer Lawrence and Chris Pratt are two passengers onboard a spaceship transporting them to a new life on another planet. The trip takes a deadly turn when their hibernation pods mysteriously wake them 90 years before they reach their destination. As Jim and Aurora try to unravel the mystery behind the malfunction, they begin to fall for each other, unable to deny their intense attraction… only to be threatened by the imminent collapse of the ship and the discovery of the truth behind why they woke up.
COLLATERAL BEAUTY – DEC. 16
Oscar winner David Frankel (“Dear Diary,” “The Devil Wears Prada”) directs the thought-provoking, ensemble drama COLLATERAL BEAUTY, from New Line Cinema, Village Roadshow Pictures and Warner Bros. Pictures.
When a successful New York advertising executive (Will Smith) experiences a deep personal tragedy and retreats from life entirely, his colleagues devise a drastic plan to force him to confront his grief in a surprising and profoundly human way.
COLLATERAL BEAUTY features an all-star cast, including Will Smith (“Suicide Squad,” “Concussion”), Edward Norton (“Birdman or [The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance]”), Keira Knightley (“The Imitation Game”), Michael Peña (“The Martian”), Naomie Harris (“Spectre”), Jacob Latimore (“The Maze Runner”), with Oscar winners Kate Winslet (“The Reader,” “Steve Jobs”) and Helen Mirren (“The Queen,” “Trumbo”).
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS – NOV. 18
THE EAGLE HUNTRESS follows Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rises to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been handed down from father to son for centuries.
Set against the breathtaking expanse of the Mongolian steppe, THE EAGLE HUNTRESS features some of the most awe-inspiring cinematography ever captured in a documentary, giving this intimate tale of a young girl’s quest the dramatic force of an epic narrative film.
A MONSTER CALLS – Limited Dec 23, 2016 & Wide Jan 6, 2017
A visually spectacular drama from director J.A. Bayona (“The Impossible”). 12-year-old Conor (Lewis MacDougall), dealing with his mother’s (Felicity Jones) illness, a less-than-sympathetic grandmother (Sigourney Weaver), and bullying classmates, finds a most unlikely ally when a Monster appears at his bedroom window. Ancient, wild, and relentless, the Monster guides Conor on a journey of courage, faith, and truth. Toby Kebbell plays Conor’s father, and Liam Neeson stars in performance-capture and voiceover as the nocturnally visiting Monster of the title.
This week’s episode of our podcast WE ARE MOVIE GEEKS The Show is up! Hear WAMG’s Cate Marquis, Jim Batts and Tom Stockman talk movies. We’ll discuss the weekend box office and review KEEPING UP WITH THE JONESES, JACK REACHER NEVER GO BACK, A MAN CALLED OVE, and OUIJA ORIGINS OF EVIL. We’ll talk about all the movie-related events going on in St. Louis and we’ll pay tribute to the late director Ted V. Mikels.
The 1920 silent film WITHIN OUR GATES screens as part ofThe St. Louis International Film Festival Saturday, Nov. 12 at 7:30pm at Webster University’s Moore Auditorium.The film will be accompanied byStace England and the Screen Syndicate, who play an album of songs inspired by Oscar Micheaux, writer-director of WITHIN OUR GATES. The screening is sponsored by Renee Hirshfield. Ticket information can be found HERE
As part of the 25th-anniversary celebration, The St. Louis International Film Festival reprises a special event from our 2009 edition by screening “Within Our Gates,” writer-director Oscar Micheaux’s impassioned response to D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation.” The film shines a revealing light on the racism of U.S. society, provocatively including scenes of lynching and attempted rape. Micheaux was a pioneering African-American filmmaker and novelist whose career stretched from the silent era through the 1940s. “Within Our Gates,” one of the oldest surviving “race” films, was thought lost until a print was discovered in Spain in 1990 and restored by the Library of Congress in 1992. This screening features a new restoration that offers an even more faithful approximation of the film as originally released. SLIFF has again invited Cairo, Ill.’s Stace England & the Salt Kings to play the original score the group created for the 2009 presentation. The band will also offer a few selections from its album “The Amazing Oscar Micheaux,” whose songs were inspired by the filmmaker’s life and work.
Screen Syndicate is a side project of Southern Illinois-based Americana band Stace England and the Salt Kings. The band has performed at numerous film festivals in the U.S. and Europe — appearing three times at SLIFF in the past — with shows about and Cairo, Ill. And the show about pioneering African-American filmmaker Oscar Micheaux once before in 2009.
Stace England hails from southern Illinois and found his creative footing in Chicago during the early ’90s with House Afire, one of the first country/roots bands in what was to become a very vibrant alt-country scene. England returned to southern Illinois and recorded a project of aggressive folk material under the name Tecumseh, releasing the well-received “Bearings” in 1995. His next musical adventure was with the alt/slasher/country-rock outfit Jubilee Songbirds, which released the eclectic “Birds of North America” (Western Front) in 1997. England released his first solo record, “Peach Blossom Special” (Relay) in 1999, and a power pop CD in 2003, “Lovey Dovey ALL the Time” (Gnashville Sounds).
England’s concept/historical album “Greetings From Cairo, Illinois” traced Cairo’s history from 1858 to the present through the Civil War, lynchings, the blues years, civil rights struggles and spectacular decline. England was joined on the CD by other top musicians. With 2007’s “Salt Sex Slaves” England, along with his band The Salt Kingstackled another bizarre slice of unknown US history weaving true stories of brutal salt production, slave breeding, kidnapped free blacks and murder in a supposed Free State, and the Land of Lincoln.
Stace England and the Screen Syndicate
With 2010’s “The Amazing Oscar Micheaux” England and the Salt Kings set their sights on the life story of Oscar Micheaux, born in Metropolis, Illinois. Micheaux formed his own film company and wrote, filmed, produced and directed the sprawling epic, THE HOMESTEADER in 1919. It was a sensation in Chicago and other cities. Then, in a direct challenge to D.W. Griffith’s racially charged Birth of a Nation Micheaux released his masterpiece, WITHIN OUR GATES in 1920, a film thought lost for almost 60 years until a copy was finally discovered.
“I shot him 6 times! I shot him in the heart-but… HE’S NOT HUMAN!”
HALLOWEEN II screens Midnights this weekend (October 28thand 29th) at The Moolah Theater and Lounge (3821 Lindell Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63108) as part of Destroy the Brain’s monthly Late Night Grindhouse film series.
Three years after the original HALLOWEEN, the powers that be behind the original wanted another film. With John Carpenter off doing other projects, first time full length film director Rick Rosenthal took over while John Carpenter and Debra Hill both returned to write this sequel. They sought out the idea to have the film continue exactly where the original film left off. While this story is hardly as groundbreaking as the first film, Rosenthal, Hill and Carpenter still delivered a good, scary film. A twist in this sequel was that we found out that Michael Myers had another sister, and her name was Laurie Strode. Some fans even to this day question the logic behind this twist, but considering the powers that be behind the cameras wanted a sequel, I think this plot device works out rather nicely. HALLOWEEN II hits the ground running and throws us back into the action right where the first film left off to deal with the fallout of what’s just happened: masked serial killer Michael Myers is still on the loose and the injured Laurie Strode (Jamie Lee Curtis) is rushed to hospital as psychiatrist Dr. Loomis (Donald Pleasence) desperately searches the streets of Haddonfield, Illinois for the murderer.
Like many sequels, it doesn’t have quite the freshness of the original, but keep in mind HALLOWEEN II came after a few of the spiritual successors of HALLOWEEN had already been released, such as FRIDAY THE 13th (1980). There’s less of the understated menace of the original; where the first film kept to the shadows, the sequel shows more explicit gore and violence. Whether this is simply a reflection of the larger budget facilitating better makeup effects, or a pandering to the new slasher demographic is unclear. The hospital setting (Haddonfield Memorial Hospital) is a fairly common horror movie location, whether a psychiatric hospital, ground zero for a zombie outbreak, or the lair of a mad scientist. It’s even revisited in later Halloween movies. It’s not a bad choice, but it’s unoriginal compared to the previous film’s deconstruction of idyllic suburbia. Hospitals can be creepy with little creative effort, naturally playing on our fears of injury and mortality, and providing Michael with more inventive weapons such as syringes and intravenous drips. Aside from Laurie, the only other patient we see is a young trick-or- treater in the Emergency Room. He has a razor blade lodged in his mouth, an early excuse for some wince-inducing gore which reminds us that it’s still Halloween night and plays on the unsettling urban legend of dangerous objects hidden in Halloween confectionery. The ludicrously small night staff number just one doctor, one security guard, two paramedics, and three nurses. This cast become the new set of victims for Michael. Unlike many slasher films, they are not hedonistic teenagers, and based on their jobs, they should be intelligent and responsible members of the community.
They do demonstrate typical horror movie naivety: the security guard is bumbling, and the doctor is a drunk. Some of their behavior; a nurse and a paramedic slacking off and having sex in a therapeutic hot tub for example, is exactly the kind of reckless teenage abandonment which draws a serial killer in this kind of film. Sure enough, Michael is right around the corner to deliver some post-coital homicide.
Even though Jamie Lee Curtis and Donald Pleasence are back, their characters don’t have a huge amount to do. This is a shame as their characters and performances are among the best in the series. While all the above has been happening, Laurie’s been lying helplessly under sedation, and Dr. Loomis has been running around town with the sheriff following red herrings.
TICKETS ARE $7 AND YOU CAN BUY THEM ONLINE VIA MOOLAH’S WEBSITE.
THE PSYCHOTRONIC PRE-SHOW STARTS AROUND 11:30P WITH THE FILM STARTING AT MIDNIGHT.
A Facebook invite for Friday’s show can be found HERE
“They rode them down, Lara. Women and children, begging for bread. There will be no more ‘peaceful’ demonstrations.”
David Lean’s DOCTOR ZHIVAGO screens Wednesday October 19th at The Tivoli Theater (6350 Delmar in ‘The Loop’) as the last installment (for now) of their new ‘Classics in the Loop’ film series. The movie starts at 7pm and admission is $7. It will be on The Tivoli’s big screen.
The most successful of David Lean’s films in terms of box office, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965) provides us a picturesque view into the upheaval of the Bolshevik Revolution as well as the lives left in its wake. But unlike other popular Lean films, this one would have us believe it’s a romance about anything else. The political and military conflict serves as the backdrop rather than the driving force of the film. Omar Sharif plays an idealistic doctor/poet orphaned at an early age and we pick up with his story as he is about to begin a general practice in Moscow just before WWI. He is from the upper class yet doesn’t seem politically active and initially doesn’t take a stance either for or against the Bolsheviks. But we know he’s a good man as one night he goes out into the cold and tries to care for some Bolshevik demonstrators who have been run down into the street by a cavalry detachment. We see a kindness in this man when indifference might have been more expected from someone from his class. One Christmas Eve, he witnesses a most beautiful woman walk into a fancy gathering and shoot her lover. The woman, played handsomely by Julie Christie, becomes the object of his desires for the balance of the film.
DOCTOR ZHIVAGOmoves along from one elaborate setting to the next through the span of the next several years. After WWI and the revolution, there is the Russian Civil War to deal with, and one thing after another seems to keep Sharif and Christie apart. So much so, that you wonder where the romance is in this supposed romantic picture. Both are married and have children with other people, and end up sharing little screen time together. One is reminded of the perils of having a romance set during a time of war. DR ZHIVAGO is quite beautiful to look at. It also paints a frightening portrait of life in Russia during these times. Hard to imagine Czarist rule was any less just than Bolshevik rule. The sets look real enough. There are many fine performances. Rod Steiger steals every scene he’s in, even if we don’t often have a clue who’s side he’s on. Look for Klaus Kinski in an earlier role as a rabble-rouser on a train. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO runs 3 hours and 17 minutes but it’s a stimulating and rewarding film experience and I highly recommend heading over to the Tivoli Wednesday night and seeing it there on the big screen.
It was a wild one at the Tivoli Theater in St. Louis Friday night! The temperature was in the mid-’50s and fans of THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW lined up along Delmar a couple of hours in advance for the annual street party that precedes the midnight screenings of the venerable cult classic . We Are Movie Geeks was there to snap pics and help get the sold out audience riled up.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW will be showing again next weekend (Oct. 28th and 29th) but those may be sold out as well. Check with the Tivoli before you head down there. . The Tivoli encourages folks to attend in costume, but does not allow outside props, but they do sell an essential ‘prop bag’ for only three dollars. The bag contains rice, toilet paper, Glow Sticks, Time Warp Fliers, Rubber Gloves, Noisemakers, Confetti, and everything you’ll need even if you’re a ROCKY HORROR ‘Virgin’ experiencing the fun for the first time.
And the official THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW fan site is HERE
Here’s some of the pics We Are Movie Geeks snapped Friday night! See if you can spot anyone you know.
