Boing Boing » film

Peter Tscherkassky's contemporary cut-up films

David Pescovitz — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:59:03 +0000

Austrian avant-garde filmmaker Peter Tscherkassky makes compelling cut-up movies from "found" 16mm and 35mm footage and samples from other movies. All of the frames and clips are treated in the darkroom, without digital tools. For Outer Space (1999), seen above, Tscherkassky chopped up and decolorized bits from The Entity, a 1982 horror film starring Barbara Hershey.

Repo Man: Criterion release and interview with director Alex Cox

David Pescovitz — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:08:23 +0000

Here's Alex Cox, director of Repo Man (1984), interviewed recently by psychotronic film buff and master poster artist Jay Shaw. Criterion just re-released Repo Man on DVD and Blu-ray, featuring original package art by Shaw and Tyler Stout of Austin's Mondo Gallery scene. Repo Man: Criterion Collection edition (via Mondo)

Documentary about magician Ricky Jay

David Pescovitz — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:19:36 +0000

The new documentary about esteemed magician, magic historian, and actor Ricky Jay opens next week at New York City's Film Forum with screenings in many other cities to follow in May and June. Jay is a fantastically curious and entertaining fellow and I can't wait to see this film. "Deceptive Practice: The Mysteries and Mentors of Ricky Jay"

Super 8 music "video" for new Barn Owl song

David Pescovitz — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 13:01:33 +0000

Behold the beautiful grain of director Paul Clipson's Super 8 short film for San Francisco droneography duo Barn Owl's new track "Void Redux." Clipson shot the footage on trains in Zagreb, Geneva, and Berlin. "Void Redux" will be included on Barn Owl's forthcoming album "V," out April 16 on Thrill Jockey. Barn Owl: V

Christian Marclay's "The Clock" video montage

David Pescovitz — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 16:58:28 +0000

Pioneering sound/video collage artist Christian Marclay's "The Clock" (2010) is a 24-hour montage of appropriated film clips related to time. OK, I'll admit that I haven't seen the whole piece, but the chunks I've watched are fantastic. Above is a phonecam recording of some of it, recording at one of its installations. The Clock will be on view at the SFMOMA starting April 6, which is appropriate given the museum's imminent closure in June for (gasp) three years of construction. "SFMOMA Presents Christian Marclay’s 24-Hour Cinematic Masterpiece The Clock"

Films compressed into "bar codes"

David Pescovitz — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 16:51:47 +0000

For several years, MOVIEBARCODE has compressed entire films and famous film sequences into barcode-like images where the lines represent frames from the movie. There are hundreds in the archive and prints are available too. Seen here at top, Blade Runner, and below that, Dorothy entering the Technicolor of Oz. And here's a Movie Barcode Generator so you can do it yourself! (via @death_waltz_records)

The Source Family, documentary about 1970s Los Angeles freak cult/commune

David Pescovitz — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 21:58:29 +0000

The Source Family, a magnificent documentary by my friend Jodi Wille and Maria Demopoulos, will see nationwide distribution this spring, starting with a May 1 premier at the IFC Center in New York City. The film tells the story of Father Yod and his Source Family, a radical, utopian social experiment that emerged from the Los Angeles freak scene in the 1970s. Boing Boing is delighted to premier the trailer above. Far fucking out.

The Source Family’s outlandish lifestyle, popular celebrity hangout restaurant, rock band, and beautiful women made them the darlings of Hollywood’s Sunset Strip; but their outsider ideals, controversial spiritual leader Father Yod, along with his 13 wives, instigated local authorities. They fled to Hawaii, leading to their dramatic demise. Years later, family members surface and the rock band reforms, revealing how their time with Father Yod shaped their lives in the most unexpected ways. These personal accounts, along with interviews with outsiders, make up the interviews in the film. However, the story is largely cinematic, expressed through the use of the group’s extensive film and audio archive maintained by Isis Aquarian, one of Father's wives, Family documentarian, and a central character in the documentary (as well as being associate producer). The film’s soundtrack is composed entirely of original Source Family music produced from 1971-1975.

The film was inspired by The Source: The Story of Father Yod, Ya Ho Wa 13 and the Source Family, a fantastic 2007 book written by family members Isis Aquarian and Electricity Aquarian, edited by Jodi Wille, and published by our pals Process Media.

The Source Family: A Documentary

Sol Yurick, author of The Warriors, RIP

David Pescovitz — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 18:31:44 +0000

Sol Yurick, author of The Warriors (1965), has died. The novel -- which in 1979 led to the classic cult film of the same name -- was inspired by Yurick's experiences working in the New York City Department of Welfare.

“Some of the children of these families were what was then called juvenile delinquents,” Mr. Yurick wrote in an introduction to an edition of “The Warriors” published in 2003. “Many of them belonged to fighting gangs. Some of these gangs numbered in the hundreds; they were veritable armies. This social phenomenon was viewed, on the one hand, as the invasion of the barbarians, only this time they came from the inside rather than from the outside.”

"Sol Yurick, Author of ‘The Warriors,’ Dies at 87" (NYT, thanks Gil Kaufman!)

Folkstreams free archive of folk/roots culture documentaries

David Pescovitz — Wed, 02 Jan 2013 17:15:12 +0000

Folkstreams is an incredible online archive of documentary films about American folk and roots music and culture. Above, an excerpt from "Born For Hard Luck," a 1976 film by Tom Davenport about harmonica player and comedian Arthur "Peg Leg Sam" Jackson." (A clip of this film appears in the French movie Amelie.) Below are just a few of the hundreds of films you can watch for free, right now. Shame about my deadlines this week.

• “Adirondack Minstrel.” Hudson, N.Y.: Bowling Green Films, 1977. (19 min.)
[Jack Ofield film on woodsman/musician Lawrence Older]
• “Land Where the Blues Began.” New York: Cultural Equity, 1990. (58 min.)
[Alan Lomax film on Mississippi blues, from his “American Patchwork Series”; parallels his book of the same title]
• “The Amish, A People of Preservation.” Harleysville, Pa.: Heritage Productions. (52 min.)
[John Ruth film on Amish life, with Hostettler as consultant—and some surreptitiously shot footage]
• “The Sacred Vision of Howard Finster.” New York: Museum of American Folk Art, 1995. (30 min.)
[Interviews with Finster talking about his art, visions, and religious beliefs, with scenes of his creations, his preaching, and his home]

Folkstreams: The Best of American Folk Films (Thanks, Bob Pescovitz!)

Dread Spawn (Head Wrong): an artist remakes Red Dawn

David Pescovitz — Tue, 27 Nov 2012 17:23:49 +0000

(Spoken in booming movie trailer voice): If you see only one Red Dawn remake this year, see this one. New York City artist Annamarie Ho, known to regular BB readers for her Betelnut Girls art installation and other daring works, created this filmic provocation titled Dread Spawn (Head Wrong) that asks "how would the fantastical storyline of the Red Dawn remake function if the Chinese People’s Liberation Army were to invade New York City’s Chinatown instead and was met by multicultural, brainy high school students?" Of course, the fact that the current Red Dawn remake's producers, MGM, did a last-minute digital switch of the "villains" from the Chinese to North Koreans only makes Ho's commentary more compelling. Annamarie will be in attendance at three Dread Spawn (Head Wrong) screenings this week and next, and I'm honored that she's asked me to introduce the film in San Francisco on December 6.

NASHVILLE
Wednesday, November 28 at 3pm
Vanderbilt University
NEW YORK
Saturday, December 1 at 4pm
Queens Museum of Art
SAN FRANCISCO
Thursday, December 6 at 7pm
Ninth Street Independent Film Center

Dread Spawn (Head Wrong)

Earliest Hitchcock film now streaming

David Pescovitz — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 16:57:56 +0000

You can now stream Alfred Hitchcock's "The White Shadow" (1924), the earliest surviving feature by the director. As I posted in 2011, the "lost" movie turned up in a New Zealand film vault. The film stars Betty Compson as twins, one angelic and one evil. Unfortunately, only half of the film's six reels were found, making it a true cliffhanger.

"The White Shadow" (1924)

"Earliest Surviving Hitchcock Film Debuts on Web" (Hollywood Reporter via Open Culture)

Walter Ungerer's experimental short film "Meet Me, Jesus" (1966)

David Pescovitz — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 17:52:42 +0000

Meet Me, Jesus is a strange 1966 experimental film by Walter Ungerer. It is Ungerer's first narrative short, following his 1965 documentary The Tasmanian Devil, about drag racing. (via toys and techniques)

Harrison Ford probably isn't above a few million dollars for playing Han Solo again

Jamie Frevele — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 17:52:44 +0000

Last week's biggest entertainment news, Disney acquiring Lucasfilm for just over four billion dollars, was almost immediately followed by the news that Star Wars: Episode VII might now be in the works. While rumors fly on that, here's another one to add to the mix: possible returning cast members. No, not Hayden Christensen, as excited as I know everyone would be about that! Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, and Harrison Ford have all said that they're "open" to the idea for reprising their roles from the original trilogy, according to Entertainment Weekly. That's far from a confirmation of anything, but in an interview with a source close to Ford, who has remained decidedly unenthused about the entire franchise since Return of the Jedi, the 70-year-old actor might just be go for launch.

One factor in such a decision -- besides the gigantic paycheck and never having to work ever again -- is that George Lucas will soon be stepping aside and retiring from running Lucasfilm and will yield power to Kathleen Kennedy. That leaves a bit more creative freedom, and the right director might just be the right man or woman to woo Ford back into the cast. It's pretty exciting just knowing that Ford is "upbeat" about such a project, and it's certainly red meat for Star Wars fans who were let down by the most recent trilogy. But as it's been pointed out repeatedly, all that exists right now are rumors. Set your speculatrons to "stun." Hehe -- little Star Trek joke. For the Star Wars post.

Photo credit: Wikipedia

(via Flavorwire)

Vintage video of Peter Weller on the set of 1987's RoboCop

Jamie Frevele — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 16:55:29 +0000

(Video link) While we wait for Jose Padilha's upcoming (but delayed) reboot of RoboCop, here is an old clip from Entertainment Tonight featuring the 1987 movie's star, Peter Weller. On the set, he goofs around a bit, talks about the robo-suit, and reminds us why RoboCop is such a timeless and awesome piece of cinema. I'd buy that for a dollar, but YouTube is actually free! (via Blastr)

The Maker (animated short film)

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 19:26:19 +0000

From LA-based Zealous Creative, a beautiful animated short in which "a strange creature races against time to make the most important and beautiful creation of his life."

The Maker has screened at over 60 festivals and won 11 awards. Director: Christopher Kezelos. The short's score, "Winter," was composed by Paul Halley. You can download it from his website. (via Suzanne Stefanac)

LEGO Dr. Strangelove (video)

Xeni Jardin — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 20:49:12 +0000

Using LEGO and pure genius, YouTuber XXxOPRIMExXX created this amazing stop-motion homage to the great Stanley Kubrick film Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb.

View part 1, and part 2.

The project was originally uploaded in 2010, but YouTube blocked part of it over copyright claims.

"I had to take out the famous scene of Slim Pickens riding the bomb and the nuclear holocaust credits to have this video viewable because those scenes were taken directly from the movie," the auteur laments. "I was hoping to have the Slim Pickens scene done in Lego by now but I just never had enough time or effort to do it, maybe some time in the future. Enjoy."

I know I'm not alone in considering my favorite part the bit where Dr. LEGO Strangelove leaps up from his LEGO wheelchair, takes a few stiff steps, and shouts, "Mein Führer! I can walk!"

(via Michael Donaldson)

Dr. Strangelove scenes recreated with everyday stuff

Film soaked in hydrochloric acid

Maggie Koerth-Baker — Thu, 14 Jun 2012 19:22:36 +0000

MattAttackPro is a chemistry and physics teacher in South Carolina. This is what happened when he dropped a roll of unused camera film into a container of hydrochloric acid.

What you're seeing is the plastic backing separating from the "film" from which film takes its name—a coating of multiple layers of light-sensitive salts suspended in gelatin. Yes, film is like a jello salad. And it makes for a beautiful photograph.

See the photo on Instagram

Dean Obeidallah: "Sacha Cohen's movie is a modern-day minstrel show"

Xeni Jardin — Fri, 11 May 2012 21:40:59 +0000

Comedian and former attorney Dean Obeidallah, co-director of the previously-Boinged documentary project, "The Muslims Are Coming!," is not a fan of Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie, "The Dictator." Regarding Cohen as "Gen. Shabazz Aladeen," the leader of a fictitious Arab country, Obeidallah writes: "Cohen, who is not of Arab heritage, plays this Arab character while sporting a long fake beard and speaking in a strong Arabic accent, which would be fine, except the character is showcasing the worst stereotypes of Arabs." (CNN.com)

Mile-high filmmaking club: Virgin America produces first ever feature film shot entirely in-flight

Xeni Jardin — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:35:05 +0000

[Video Link]. Virgin America, the airline on which you can watch Boing Boing's very own television channel with our hand-picked videos, is producing the "first-ever film made at 35,000 feet,"— Departure Date. Photography took place on Virgin airplanes and covered "3 continents, 28,000 miles, and 20 hours of in-flight shooting."

Departure Date was written and directed by award-winning writer and director Kat Coiro (L!fe Happens, While We Were Here and A Case of You) and stars Ben Feldman (Mad Men), Nicky Whelan (Hall Pass), Philip Baker Hall, Luis Guzmán, Janeane Garofalo and Max Brown.

Trailer above. Eventually, you'll be able to watch it in entirety on the in-flight TV system... when you're not busy watching Boing Boing's channel (#10), that is!

Seeking Asian Female

Xeni Jardin — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 16:17:55 +0000

In the WSJ, Jeff Yang reviews "Seeking Asian Female," Debbie Lum's documentary about white guys romantically fixated on Asian women—specifically, one white guy, and his quest to marry the Asian lady of his dreams. The film debuted this week at the annual SXSW festival in Austin, and follows the story of Steven, "a 60-year-old, twice-divorced white male with an uncanny resemblance to Aussie actor Geoffrey Rush and a case of yellow fever bordering on the terminal."

Steven’s quixotic mission to find and marry a “young Asian bride” had already taken up years of his life and cost him thousands of dollars in memberships to online matchmaking sites like Asian Friend Finder and international “introduction services” that promised to connect him with the “cherry blossom” or “sunshine girl” of his dreams. When Steven is first introduced, Lum says in voiceover that “the first time I visited him in his own home, I had to fight the urge to leave.” We can immediately see why. A giggling Steven, addressing Lum as she ascends the stairs, shouts a hearty hello while waving her in: “Welcome! Welcome! Your hair looks cute! You look very Chinese, with the bangs…and you know I like that!”

Read the rest here. Trailer below.

Charming silent film short about tree climbing

Maggie Koerth-Baker — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 19:22:59 +0000

I feel like the science posts have all been on the depressing side today, so please enjoy this pleasant, Buster Keaton-inspired film short.

Via friendlysasquatch on Submitterator!

Solipsist

Rob Beschizza — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:58:33 +0000

Solipsist, by Andrew Huang, is winner of Slamdance 2012's special jury prize for experimental short film. It stars Mary Elise Hayden, Marissa Merrill and Dustin Edward. There's also a mini-"making of" documentary; check out a lovely rock video for Avi Buffalo by the same director. [Vimeo via io9]

Time moves on: Kodak to end slide film production

Jason Weisberger — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 17:37:13 +0000

Yesterday Kodak announced that it will no longer produce any slide film. Having ended production of the legendary Kodachrome in June 2009, they will now cease production of their 2 remaining products Ektachrome and Elite Chrome. Kodak's lovely Ektar line, as well as Portra (sadly, I don't take people pictures) will continue.

Slowly but surely, time marches on.

PetaPixel: Kodak Kills Off its Color Reversal Films

Poignant short film about the death of a dragonfly

Maggie Koerth-Baker — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 16:39:10 +0000

When filmmaker Paul Kroeker found a dragonfly dying on his deck, he turned the animal's final moments into a beautiful and haunting short movie. Who says insects can't be charismatic fauna?

(Via John Pavlus)

"Crystalline," Björk (dir.: Michel Gondry)

Xeni Jardin — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 16:51:04 +0000

http://youtu.be/wZhkfwrxNOc Video Link: the new Björk video, via Dangerous Minds. Directed by Michel Gondry. Includes elements from her "Biophilia" iPhone app. The album, Crystalline, on Amazon.