Bill Lustig Presents '60s-'70s Grindhouse Films

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Sunday, 17 July 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

Bill Lustig Presents film series runs July 15 - 25, 2011 at Anthology Film Archives in Manhattan, New York City.

A summer tradition at Anthology is the screening of a selection of 1960s and '70s grindhouse cinema by the great Bill Lustig -- filmmaker (Vigilante, Maniac, Maniac Cop) and founder of Blue Underground, the premiere DVD label devoted to marginal genre films.

Anthology will attempt to magically transport viewers "back several decades and north 40 blocks, to channel a little piece of 42nd Street in its prime by presenting a series of films from an era in which popcorn movies worked wonders with what today would pass for very little."

Teming with terrific character actors, these films -- almost none of which have been released on video -- are a testament to a time when summer movies didn’t leave you feeling violated and depressed.

This year’s selection includes the talents of

• Warren Oates
• Tony Musante
• Peter Boyle
• John Vernon
• Ron Leibman
• Ruby Dee

This year the spotlight is on actors Tony Musante and Warren Oates.  

The Brink’s Job
dir. William Friedkin
starring Warren Oates, Peter Falk, Peter Boyle, Gena Rowlands, Paul Sorvino
From the director who brought the world The Exorcist some five years earlier came this crime caper in a lighter change of pace. Falk leads a gang of petty criminals who manage to heist $30,000 from a security van and can’t understand why it goes relatively unnoticed. But when they discover just how lame security is at the headquarters, they decide to plan the robbery of a lifetime.

Kid Blue
dir. James Frawley
starring Warren Oates, Dennis Hopper, Peter Boyle, Ben Johnson
In the early 20th century, as mechanization catches up with the Old West, an outlaw (Hopper) tries to go straight in a small Texas town. It doesn‛t last.

The Incident
dir. Larry Peerce
starring Tony Musante, Martin Sheen, Beau Bridges, Ruby Dee, Brock Peters, Donna Mills, Thelma Ritter
A group of ordinary New Yorkers and two psychopathic thugs (Musante and Sheen) on a "nightmarish train ride" across the City. Sheen‛s first film role, Ritter‛s last.

The Last Run
dir. Richard Fleischer
starring George C. Scott, Tony Musante, Trish Van Devere, Colleen Dewhurst
Aging mob driver Harry Garmes (Scott) wants to make one last big haul and retire. "He is persuaded by his old cronies to drive an escaped criminal (Musante) and his girlfriend (Van Devere) across Spain to safety, but of course things don’t go as planned." Cinematography is by Sven Nykvist.

Directed by Sergio Corbucci:

The Mercenary
starring Franco Nero, Jack Palance, Tony Musante
In 1915 Mexico, a Polish gun-for-hire (Nero) is enlisted to transport silver to a mine in Texas, only to find that a Mexican revolutionary (Musante) has taken control. This is a classic spaghetti Western, complete with music by Ennio Morricone.

Navajo Joe
starring Burt Reynolds, Aldo Sambrell, Fernando Rey
When the wife of Joe, the lone-wolf Navajo (Reynolds), is butchered by scalphunters led by Mervyn "Vee" Duncan (Sambrell), Joe agrees to help the neighboring town recover the gold shipment that was stolen by the lawless bunch. One of Reynolds‛ (part Native American himself) first lead movie roles, with Ennio Morricone (under the pseudonym Leo Nichols) supplying more of his signature music.

Directed by Michael Tuchner:

Villain
starring Richard Burton, Ian McShane, Nigel Davenport, Fiona Shaw
"Murderous, sadistic London gang leader Vic Dakin (Burton), a mother-obsessed homosexual modeled on real-life gangster Ronnie Kray, is worried about potential stool pigeons that may bring down his criminal empire."

Fear Is the Key
starring Barry Newman, Suzy Kendall, John Vernon, Ben Kingsley
Following the death of his family in an airplane crash, a man plots an elaborate revenge scheme on those responsible. Kingsley‛s first and only film role (apart from a TV movie) before he landed his iconic role in Gandhi several years later.

The Super Cops
dir. Gordon Parks
starring Ron Leibman, David Selby, Sheila Frazier
The true story of two New York City cops, Greenberg and Hantz, who fought the system and became known on the streets as "Batman & Robin".

Cops and Robbers
dir. Aram Avakian
starring Cliff Gorman, Joseph Bologna
Two New York cops decide their uniforms and badges give them an ideal camouflage for pursuing extra-legal activities. They manage to perpetrate one of the most spectacular securities heists Wall Street has ever seen.

For more information, visit www.anthologyfilmarchives.org and select "Series".

Bill Lustig Presents
July 15 - 25, 2011

Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue
New York City
212-505-5181

Manhattan Film Festival 2011

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Sunday, 17 July 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The Manhattan Film Festival runs July 21 - 25, 2011 at Symphony Space on the Upper West Side, with some screenings held at Village Pourhouse located Uptown in Manhattan, New York City.

Formerly known as Independent Features, the Manhattan Film Festival has grown over 700 percent in one year, and is on track to become the largest independent film festival in New York City. The organization accomplished this without the benefit of a corporate sponsor.

The Festival‛s 2011 official selections include 132 films, with more than 30 international selections. The emphasis, however, is on local filmmakers, especially Brooklyn.

So it is fitting that the Opening Night Selection is White Irish Drinkers, directed by John Gray, starring Nick Thurston, Geoffrey Wigdor, Karen Allen, Stephen Lang, Peter Riegert, Lesley Murphy. The film is set in 1970’s Brooklyn and was shot in Bay Ridge. An 18-year-old in Brooklyn feels forced to choose between two ways of life: petty crime with his brother, or the stifling 9-to-5 route his friends want. He yearns to choose a third way, if he only knew what it was.

The Closing Night film is Fordson: Faith, Fasting, Football, directed by Rashid Ghazi. A Dearborn, Michigan high school football team prepares for its big cross-town rivalry game during the last ten days of Ramadan. The formerly all white school is now 98% Arab-American, reflecting a community desperately holding onto its Islamic faith while struggling to gain acceptance in post 9-11 America.

Some of the other films are:

Manhattan Documentary Series

The After Party
Directed by Michael Schiller
"A cinematographer is caught in a mass arrest. His film crew's videotape of the incident leads to a civil rights lawsuit, uncovers a police spying ring and launches his personal investigation in to the weird world of domestic surveillance. With special appearances by Andre '3000' Benjamin, Barack Obama, The Bush Twins, Cornel West, Al Sharpton and Don King."

Run to the East
Directed by Henry Lu
Three Native American high school seniors run to earn college scholarships and overcome the economic and educational obstacles present on their reservations. "Native Americans are often portrayed as poor, unhealthy, alcoholic depressives isolated on reservations. This film explores whether a simple pursuit like running can be used to destroy stereotypes and save a culture."

A Home in the Theatre
Directed by Melodie Bryant
The Thirteenth Street Repertory Company is a 34-year-old institution whose mission is to nurture the creativity of anyone interested in theatre. An unscrupulous real estate developer wants to tear the building down and build condos in its place. The 93-year-old Artistic Director, Edith O'Hara, is determined to save the theatre.

Narrative Films:

Under Jakob's Ladder
Directed by Mann Munoz
Starring Jeff Stewart, Christopher Elliott
A country teacher named Jakob Seel defeats a Russian grandmaster in a chess tournament and the grandmaster's son, Nikolai, secretly vows to take revenge on the teacher. Twenty years later, the Soviet regime in place, Jakob is thrown into a detention camp run by a ruthless warden: Nikolai. Unaware of Nikolai's identity, Jakob offers to play a game of chess with the warden.

Maggie Marvel
Directed by Dan Brennan
Starring Selene Beretta, Diana Brennan, Katherine Barron
A single Mom moonlights as a contract killer.

Santiago
Directed by Felix Martiz
Santiago is a drug dealer who agrees to let Miguel, a Mexican actor, follow and study him for his next role. With only the cameraman at his side, Miguel sets out to document a day in the life of Santiago, struggling to survive as he juggles a world of prostitutes, territorial control, and drugs in the streets of LA.

Children’s & Family Program includes:

Alex and the Ghosts
Directed by: Éric Warin
This short animated film is about a seven-year-old boy who dreams of going to a hockey game with his father to see his favorite team play, the Montreal Canadiens. "A story of childhood magic and wonderment,... uniting the past and present, reaching out to the youthful hearts of sport fans of all ages.

One Shoe Blues
Directed by Sandra Boynton
B.B. King stars in this music video, with some sock puppets. The song "One Shoe Blues" was written by Sandra Boynton and Michael Ford for the album Blue Moo: 17 Jukebox Hits from Way Back Never.

War of Our Children
Directed by Clint Mouriño
As a once-blissful park comes under increasing totalitarian control by Nolan, the leader of the fifth graders, Timmy, leader of the third graders, cannot stand for it any longer. With the help of his love, Emily, Timmy must organize and rally his army to defeat Nolan and his band of cohorts and free the park once and for all.

Philadelphia Chickens
Directed by Sandra Boynton
An animated music video of the title song from Grammy-nominated Gold album Philadelphia Chickens. Two pigs from Connecticut travel down Interstate 95 to go watch the renowned chickens swing-dancing in a park near the Schuylkill River. The original singers of the track, Kevin and Michael Bacon, make cameo appearances, including some glimpses of Kevin Bacon dancing beside some serious chickens.

Student Film Program features the work of 19 student filmmakers, including 12 from New York City.

Also presented are two workshops:

ScreenBooker Workshop – "The dream of every filmmaker is to see their film on the big screen. ScreenBooker has the unique technology to turn those dreams into reality. This workshop offers an introduction to ScreenBooker and an opportunity to take the first step in bringing your film to the silver screen."

Digital Cinema Workflow Workshop – This seminar is designed to educate producers, directors, cinematographers, post-production professionals and others involved in the film production process about the current state of digital cinema. Panelists will identify major digital camera systems, such as RED One/Epic, ARRI Alexa, SONY F65/F35 and Phantom, and discuss the similarities and differences between these systems.

For more information, go to www.manhattanfilmfestival.org.

Manhattan Film Festival
July 21 - 25, 2011

Symphony Space
2537 Broadway (at W. 95th St.)
New York City
212-864-5400

Village Pourhouse
982 Amsterdam Avenue (at W 107th St.)
New York City
212-979-2337

LA Latino Intl FF 2011 Celebrates Quinceañera

Details

Parent Category: Film Festivals

Category: Previews

Published on Wednesday, 13 July 2011 05:00

Written by L E Shannon

The 15th Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival is screening July 17 - 25, 2011 at the Egyptian Theatre, Hollywood, California.

The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival (LALIFF) was founded in 1997 by producer/director/actor and activist Edward James Olmos and independent producer Marlene Dermer. LALIFF is a non-profit 501c(3) organization with the mission to support the development and exhibition of diverse visions by Latino filmmakers.

LALIFF 2011 celebrates its quinceañera with feature films, documentaries, shorts, and special screenings, with selected musical events. There will also be conversations with artists and panels presented by the Writers Guild of America, West and Directors Guilds of America.

The GABI Award was created in 1997 to honor legendary Mexican cinematographer Gabriel Figueroa, the first Mexican cinematographer to be nominated for an Oscar for his work in Night of the Iguana.

This year, LALIFF presents the Gabi Lifetime Achievement Award to Academy Award winner Guillermo Navarro. Navarro‛s work includes:

• The recently completed The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn
• I Am Number Four
• Hellboy II: The Golden Army
• The Devil‛s Backbone
• Pan‛s Labyrinth, for which he won the Oscar for Best Cinematography.

Film highlights are:

Without Men
directed by Gabriela Tagliavini
based on Tales from the Town of Widows by Colombian novelist James Canon
starring Eva Longoria, Kate Del Castillo, Maria Conchita Alonso, Christian Slater, Monica Huarte
All of the men in a small, remote Latin American mountain village are recruited to go fight in the country’s civil war. Left to fend for themselves, the women of the town evolve from their supporting roles as wives and daughters to "become unwitting founders of a remarkable new society: an all-female utopia. When the men, led by an American reporter, return to try to reclaim their power, a clash of sexes ensues with unsuspected consequences."
 
All She Can
directed by Amy Wendel
starring Corina Calderon, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Joseph Julian Soria
Known at Sundance as Benavides Born, this retitled film is the story of a young girl‛s attempts to outgrow her small South Texas town by becoming a powerlifting champion. 

Maya Entertainment, a distributor that caters to Latino and multicultural audiences, acquired the film for US theatrical release. Recut after its Sundance debut, the film will be released under the title All She Can.

Harlistas: an American Journey
directed by Alfredo de Villa
A documentary about the Latino Harley-Davidson culture.

Hidalgo, La Historia Jamás Contada / Hidalgo, The Never Told Story
directed by Antonio Serrano (Mexico)
starring Demián Bichir, Ana de la Reguera
From his jail cell at Chihuahua's Military Hospital, Hidalgo begins to remember moments of his life.

A Tiro de Piedra / A Stone’s Throw Away
directed by Sebastián Hiriart (feature debut) (Mexico)
"A shepherd in the north of Mexico one day finds a keychain. Seeing it as a sign, he will undertake a trip that will take him on a journey of hundreds of miles."

La Vida De Los Peces / The Life of Fish
directed by Matías Bize (Chile)
starring Santiago Cabrera (Heroes), Blanca Lewin, Antonia Zegers
A journalist returns to his home and re-discovers the past he had chosen to forget.

Post Mortem
directed by Pablo Larraín  (Chile)
starring Marcelo Alonso, Alfredo Castro, Amparo Noguera
In 1973 Chile, during the last days of Allende's reign, a morgue employee falls for a burlesque dancer who mysteriously disappears.

Todos Tus Muertos
directed by Carlos Moreno  (Chile)
starring Fernando Lara, Alvaro Rodríguez
A peasant gets up and goes out to work on his land as usual. He finds a pile of corpses in his crops, and runs to tell the authorities. But it‛s Sunday, Election Day, and nobody seems to care.

Los Colores De La Montaña / The Colors of the Mountain
directed by Carlos Arbeláez  (Chile)
starring Genaro Aristizábal, Natalia Cuéllar, Hernán Méndez
A 9-year-old boy dreams of becoming a great goalkeeper in football.

La Hora Cero
directed by Diego Velasco (Venezuela)
starring Zapata 666, Amanda Key, Erich Wildpret
This action thriller follows a hitman trying to save his pregnant girlfriend during a health care strike in 1996.

Boleto Al Paraíso / Ticket to Paradise
directed by Gerardo Chijona (Cuba/Spain/Venezuela)
This film explores the journey of two runaways -- one escaping sexual abuse, the other running from the law. They decide to take refuge in an AIDS hospice.

La Mirada Invisible / The Invisible Eye
directed by Diego Lerman (Argentina)
Set against the backdrop of Argentina’s military regime of the 1980s, a lonely and deeply repressed assistant teacher at an elite Buenos Aires private school becomes obsessed with one of her students, despite "the school's rigid code of conduct and proud identification with the nation state."

La Maleta Mexicana / The Mexican Suitcase
directed by Trisha Ziff
This unique documentary tells of three lost boxes found in a closet in Mexico City in 2007. They had disappeared in the chaos in Europe at the beginning of World War II. The contents were 4,500 unique negatives by some of the world’s greatest photographers: Robert Capa, Gerda Taro and David "Chim" Seymour. A story of how these radical journalists united to fight fascism with their cameras, changing the way war is reported today.

Chico & Rita
directed by Fernando Trueba, Javier Mariscal, Tono Errando
This award winning animated story takes place in late 1940s Cuba. "Chico is a young piano player with big dreams. He meets Rita a beautiful singer with an extraordinary voice. Music and romantic desire unites them but their journey brings heartache and torment. A gem of a film with music by Cuban maestro, Bebo Valdez."

Also included in the Festival is 100 Sones Cubanos, by Grammy nominated composer Edesio Alejandro. This is a "wonderful journey of music and history of the Son through Cuba’s countryside and cities."

Some of the panels are:

The Business of Entertainment – Breaking in and Succeeding
Presented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA)

The Tricky Business of Making Movies and Television in L.A. – Why the Challenge Won’t Go Away
Presented by LA Business Today

New Modes and Old of Distribution for Latino Films
Moderated by: Sydney Levine, indieWIRE, SydneysBuzz

Conversations in the Filmmakers Café, "Café Con…" are with:
Guillermo Navarro, Award winning Mexican Cinematographer and this year’s LALIFF GABI Award Recipient
Sandie Viquez Pedlow, New Executive Director of Latino Public Broadcasting (LPB)
Showtime’s Dexter, Presented by the Writers Guild of America, West

For more information, visit www.latinofilm.org.

Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival
July 17 - 25, 2011

Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood, CA