Blog Archives
Other Cinema
Hailing from San Franciso‘s Mission District Other Cinema (or ‘OC‘) is an alternative film & video production, performance, and distribution network that brings a voice to the Media Arts community. This counter-cultural outfit has been operating for nigh on 30 years, and it continues to spearhead Fine Arts film-making. Craig Baldwin established this vanguard of ‘underground cinema‘ under a range of names from 1978, because he “didn’t see anything coming up from the ground that ended up on the screens”. Since then, OC has developed into an artistic collective led by a dedicated team of curators and artists. Other Cinema continues to enhance Film & Media Arts projects in the Bay Area; which of course flourishes elsewhere due to the renowned esteem of OC.
Currently, Other Cinema is in the midst of a Benefit initiative, to raise money for their operations. As part of the fund-raising effort, they have compiled the video below, to engage with the public in what the OC has going on:
King Of The Gypsies (Shane Meadows)
Shane Meadows follows in the tradition of film-makers Ken Loach and Mike Leigh in his exposé of England‘s working class humility. He is renowned for such films as the 1999 tale that is inspired by his childhood; A Room For Romeo Brass, the stunning 2006 This Is England, and its‘ 5-part television series follow-up This Is England ’86. Paddy Considine features in a lot of his film work; the pair have been close friends since they met at Art School in the Midlands. In Meadow‘s most recent film Considine is again in the starring role, as the manic Arctic Monkeys roadie in Le Donk & Scor-Zay-Zee; a parody of documentary that he filmed in just 5 days. The film was made in the vein of This Is Spinal Tap and harks back to the quasi-guerilla film-making style of his collegiate years. King Of The Gypsies is the epitome of this early documentary-style work, and it also lends a lot of understanding into Meadow‘s creative and formulaic perspective. Enjoy.
In A Better World (Susanne Bier)
Susanne Bier is a prominent Danish film maker and one of the finest screen directors in the contemporary film world. Her 2002 film Open Hearts (Elsker Dig For Evigt) is recognised internationally as one of the most acclaimed productions borne out of Lar Von Trier’s Dogme manifesto. Her 2004 film, Brothers (Brødre) did not appeal so much -but still it over shadows the abominable hollywood remake starring heart-throb sensations Jake Gyllenhaal, Natalie Portman and Tobey Maguire.
However, Bier orchestrated a brilliant return to form in her 2006 searing family meltdown After The Wedding (Efter Brylluppet); certainly her best after Open Hearts. Important to note is that both of these films featured the amazing Mads Mikkelsen.
That said, Bier‘s latest offering fails to out-shine even Brothers. Although it is easily a great piece of cinema, In A Better World (Haeven) was an utter disappointment, somewhat due to the fact that her film-making in such high regard. The characters were under-developed and at times their personalities vague and inconsistent. The empathy clearly sought for the characters failed to emote. It lacked the somewhat subdued elements of (although brash) realism; in the face of so much hyper-realism amid the genre. Add to this a repetitive score and casual shots in poor lighting (a feeble nod to Dogme?), and you‘re barely content. Come the closing shot and I was glad to be alone in the cinema as I was shouting aloud at the recklessness of such a cheesy and unbelieveable closing scene.
Gil Scott-Heron
Hello Friends,
As part of my Remix Culture studies I have compiled a video to complement Gil Scott-Heron‘s classic track The Revolution Will Not Be Televised. The video is made up from old Drive-In theatre advertising film reels, in a nod to the postmodern advertising epidemic that is the subject of this track. The music itself is slightly modified, fragmented and mixed to epitomise the repetition of advertising.
Although I have removed nearly all of the companies from the adverts, one still remains: Winston Cigarettes. This particular advertising brand was saved due to the nature of the commercial, but also because of my affection for cigarettes.
-RTB
Enter The Void
This film does not need an introduction but the one that is the opening titles.
Welcome to a kaleidoscopic world of aural and optical, sensorial assault. This smorgasboard of sound and vision epic is the embodiment of celluloid dreams. Do not hesitate to immerse yourself in the spectacle of cataclysmic cinematography that is Enter The Void. Director Gaspar Noé brings to the auditorium a dream state diaspora that will leave you reeling. The film depicts the myopic portraiture of a seemingly infinite post life-cycle within an extra-world narrative. If you can withstand 2 and a half hours locked in an bangin’ club, astral-travelling over cityscapes and myriad visceral imagery; this is your wet dream. It is a film you will wait such a long time to see but fortunately it will be screening at a cinema near you soon. Wait no longer.
INFX says: C’est une présentation qui n’est pas ‘feint art head’.
-Rock The Boat
L’affaire Farewell
Written and directed by Christian Carion (Joyeux Noël), Farewell is set in Moscow 1981, at the apex of Cold war tensions between the USSR and the West. The film is made in the vein of The Lives Of Others but also has a brooding foreboding in its narrative. You are not immediately drawn to the plight of French ex-pat Pierre (Guillaume Canet) but instead become immersed in Emir Kusturica‘s performance, characterised in his control of the role of disaffected Soviet renegade Sergio. This is an admirable performance; displaying the portrayal of this political matyr in a resplendent manner. I felt that the minor supporting role of CIA agent Feeney was dismal and grossly under-developed; as was Willem Dafoe‘s execution of the role. However, it is the brilliant acting by Kusturica (prominent director and musician himself) that anchors the film in its detached and ominous atmosphere. Well worth a watch.
Projector Love
Last night was a real money maker. After throwing a few digital images around the bio box, I was able to whip up a stop-motion short involving 2 parts of a 100+ year old projector that has recently been decommissioned. The Bauer projector’s demise is a smirk on the face of the digital cinema technology that is becoming prevalent as the norm in cinema exhibition.
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A synopsis of the short film (Francais):
2 ont diffame’ des parties de l’amour qui est la rencontre de projecteur de film quelques anti-heroes de canaille qui essayent d’assassiner ces 2 individus. Le resultat est la creation d’un amour obcene et wonderous. Un conte epique du combat pour former un coeur de 2 a brise’ des morceaux.
-Rock The Boat
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