The Wolfpack

THE WOLFPACK
by Francis Friel

Crystal Moselle’s The Wolfpack has been the subject of some very weird scrutiny since it debuted at Sundance earlier this year (where it won the Grand Jury Prize). Questions about exactly when and where and how Moselle met the Angulo brothers, the six imprisoned filmmaker siblings at the center of the film, have been hounding the film since day one. And while a lot of the questions seem to have some merit to them, and I had questions of my own while watching the film, I’m inclined to give all this stuff a pass, because this is simply one of the best movies out there to deal with outsider artists on their own turf.

Mad Max: Fury Road

MAD MAX: FURY ROAD
A Feminist Review by Elliott Marie

I’ve heard a lot of talk about how Mad Max: Fury Road was such a great feminist movie, and I agree with the great, but not so much the Feminist. However, I have to live up to my Feminist Theory professor and appreciate the good things while critiquing the bad. For starters it was a good try, and merely stating you are trying to create a feminist movie is a good move, but they didn’t completely pull their weight.  There are about 5 female characters other than Furiosa in the whole movie. I get that the whole movie has a very small number of people in it, but my problem with this was that all 5 of these women were basically Victoria Secret models with a little dirt on their face.

Oh wait, one of them is…

The Mascot Cinematic Universe (Part One)

THE MASCOT CINEMATIC UNIVERSE (PART ONE)

by Francis Friel

Ladislas Starevich is my favorite animator. The Mascot is my earliest stop-motion memory along with that goof Gumby, both of which used to run as part of the Saturday morning lineup when I was a little kid. It was one of a bunch of shorts that used to run as part of the lead-in to Star Stuff, a locally-produced (in early-80s Philly) sci-fi series about a little boy on Earth whose best friend is a little girl living in outer space (and, somehow, in the future). They’d watch Laurel & Hardy movies together and sometimes cartoons, so I’d always lump Laurel & Hardy and Gumby and The Mascot together in my head, along with another cartoon called Prest-O Change-O (featuring an early appearance of the character that would later evolve into Bugs Bunny). Weird, surreal stuff to be playing at 6am for children. I’d had such fond memories of these bizarre little cartoons and it was shocking when, in my early 20s, I re-discovered them and found that they were actually well known films by important directors. So I looked up more work by Starevich and his stop-motion descendants Jan Svankmajer and The Brothers Quay.

Chameleon: Isabelle Adjani's Incomparable Decade

CHAMELEON: ISABELLE ADJANI’S INCOMPARABLE DECADE

by Matt Hammitt

      "We are all the same, but in different words. In different bodies, and different versions."-Isabelle Adjani in Possession.

Isabelle Adjani is one of the most versatile artists of the 20^th century. Between 1975 and 1985, the French actress put together a resume as diverse and audacious as any in the history of film, and yet she remains an almost completely unknown quantity in the minds of American moviegoers.

We exist in a media landscape where access to foreign films is no longer a prohibitive barrier to interested parties looking to expand their palette. The great filmmakers and performers in Europe have no shortage of advocates and film fans have little trouble exploring their work. Liv Ullmann and Catherine Deneuve are firmly imbued in the canon of great actresses in 2015. Even Adjani’s European contemporaries, like Juliette Binoche or Isabelle Huppert, have received ebullient praise from American critics and film junkies. Isabelle Adjani is better than all of them. For those ten years between 1975 and 1985, she was better than anyone; and she was likely better than any one has been since.

Musicjawn

"CULMINATING IN THE FINAL SCENE AT THE DANCE"
by Neil Cleary-Trask

I often imagine movies or scenes to go along with the music I listen to, and I wanted to assemble a mix that would provide the soundtrack to one of those movies that has a big, third act scene at "The Dance." Hopefully, in listening, it will evoke something like it did for me. 

Featuring Nicolas Makelberge, The Prime Movers, Strawberry Switchblade, Ford & Lopatin, Ashrae Fax, Zola Jesus, Chromatics, John Maus, T'Pau, The Comsat Angels, Naked Eyes, The Creatures, Stereo, Goldfrapp, Talk Talk, A Flock Of Seagulls, Cocteau Twins, Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark, Julee Cruise, and Toms. 

The cover art is a nod to the time period I was mostly inspired by, and the download comes with a printable version of it.

Download Culminating In The Final Scene At The Dance (including printable artwork) here:  

http://www.mediafire.com/?nc998udo8jabnxv

Magic Mike XXL

MAGIC MIKE XXL

by Jaime Davis

If you’ve seen the original Magic Mike, you know it’s not just “that male stripper movie.” Yeah there’s hilarious dance sequences and Matthew McConaughey in chaps and crazed, screaming women and penis pumps and bad acting from actresses who shall remain nameless. But the film, directed in all seriousness by Steven Soderbergh, takes a long, dark look at the world of male entertainers, complete with drugs, backstabbing, violence, and avarice.

So it was a bit of a surprise to me how Magic Mike XXL swapped its depressing worldview for a rosier one. The gang is all back, sans the Pettyfer (yay) and the McConaughey (boo), traveling in an artisanal frozen yogurt food truck from Tampa to Myrtle Beach for some kind of stripper convention (which I assume is a real thing). THIS IS A ROAD MOVIE, YOU GUYS. Which means bring on the fun and the hilarity and the gags and the snags. And there are a bunch of those in Magic Mike XXL.

Isolation Tank

ISOLATION TANK
by Andrew Bauman

In the film Altered States, Dr. Jessup seeks the “first truth” by way of psychoactive chemicals coupled with physical sensory deprivation. To reach his goal he ingests the drug and places himself in an isolation tank, a chamber where he floats in total darkness. Through the use of this tank he allows an experience totally uninhibited – he is cut off from both his body and (for the most part) the outside world. Despite the cerebral nature of his studies, Jessup goes through physical mutations as the experiments progress. The experience's gravity of impact manifests in a tangible form – his body begins to reflect his mind. This mirrors the cinematic experience; the theater is an isolation tank.

History of the Movies - 1903: "Alice in Wonderland"

HISTORY OF THE MOVIES: Alice in Wonderland
1903 by Cecil Hepworth

This thing is weird as shit!

The first cinematic adaptation of Lewis Carroll's batshit fairy tale and the first movie (as far as I can tell) to feature a Mad Hatter dunking a giant stuffed mouse into a cup of tea. 
This movie is strange too because so much of it looks like a modern production, mostly because Alice's face and the little boy Playing Cards' haircuts look strangely contemporary. 

It's almost unsettling, really.

It kinda zips right along, too. No real fat or downtime on this one. 

And, typical of the era, the creature designs are absolutely terrifying. The Frog Dudes are gonna keep me up at night maybe for the rest of my life.

If you watch this on YouTube, make sure you check out the color-tinted "restored" version. This is one of the many "lost" films from the turn of the century and the only print that exists is pretty well destroyed. The remaster at least cleans up some of the debris but the print is hopelessly torn up. 

They say about 70% of all films ever made are now completely lost to the ages, whether from only a few prints being produced in the first place that eventually were lost, destroyed, or recycled, or from a series of studio fires in Hollywood that wiped out most of film history. 

So watch these movies while you can! Scorsese ain't gonna be alive forever and more and more the crusaders who want to preserve all these old prints are losing interest or are moving towards digital/RED as the only medium that matters.

Moral of the story: Watch More Movies!!!

History of the Movies - 1902: "A Trip to the Moon"

HISTORY OF THE MOVIES: A Trip to the Moon

1902 by Georges Melies

One of the best-known silent films, right? It's as good as its reputation and solidified Melies' status as the greatest director of his era. Everything about this film was masterful, from the elaborate costumes and makeup to the mechanical moving sets to the backdrops that turned into props to the politically subversive script to the long-as-hell 15-minute runtime. It really has to be seen to be believed. It's currently streaming in HD on Netflix in both black & white and hand-painted color versions. Go watch it right now. It's one of the coolest things you're ever gonna see.

(score by AIR)

1902 Honorable Mention:
GULLIVER'S TRAVELS by Georges Melies (again!)

History of the Movies - 1901: "Kansas Saloon Smashers!"

HISTORY OF THE MOVIES: Kansas Saloon Smashers!

1901 by Edwin Porter

So begins Hollywood's obsessively racist misogynist lunkhead period that continues in earnest to this day. No surprise it comes straight from the Edison Lab. Fuck Thomas Edison.

This smear campaign "comedy" features a drunk Irish man and a bunch of hysterical women in a bar, as an actor playing Carrie Nation gets kicked out for causing a scene. Can't dumb white men drink in peace without all these women and minorities getting all up in their goddam business? 

Needless to say, this was a HUGE HIT with audiences.

It gets the 1901 designation not for any Cinematic innovations or anything like that. But because it was the first clear sign that rampant and unashamed racism and misogyny could sell some tickets. It's an important landmark in the History of Everything Wrong With Hollywood.

Pop Quiz: Has Adam Sandler watched this movie every day for the last twenty years or has he never heard of it?

1901 Honorable Mentions:

SCROOGE, or MARLEY'S GHOST by Walter R. Booth

THE BIG SWALLOW by James Williamson

History of the Movies - 1900: "The Enchanted Drawing"

HISTORY OF THE MOVIES: The Enchanted Drawing

1900 by J. Stuart Blackton

An early Vitagraph jawn from the Edison Laboratory gang, who were like the Elephant 6 of the dark ages of Cinema.

This little number features Blackton drawing a large face on a sheet of paper, then interacting with that face in wacky ways.

He draws a hat, then pulls the hat out of the drawing and puts it on his own head.
He draws a cigar in the face's mouth, then takes it and smokes it (and the drawing gets piiiiisssssed). 

Good little movie even though Fuck Thomas Edison.

1900 Honorable Mentions:

EXPLOSION OF A MOTOR CAR by Cecil Hepworth
ATTACK ON A CHINA MISSION by James Williamson
JOAN OF ARC by Georges Melies

History of the Movies - 1899: "The Devil In A Convent"

HISTORY OF THE MOVIES: The Devil In A Convent

1899 by Georges Melies

The 19th century goes out with a bang.

This completely bananas little movie is exactly what it looks like. The DEVIL SATAN, disguised as a priest, terrorizes a convent and unleashes the forces of weirdo darkness all over the place.

A giant frog, a Winsor McCay-style giant-mouthed demon head that spews out little devils and witches, and a finale that features a cameo by an enormous St. Michael who shows up to save the day.

Melies was at a fever pitch this year, also releasing his wildly popular CINDERELLA. He was owning the screen like no one else and, watching all these films put together, it's easy to see why he's one of the few 19th century filmmakers we're still talking about today. 

1899 Honorable Mentions:

A KISS IN THE TUNNEL by George Albert Smith

MOMIJIGARI by Tsunekichi Shibata

I'd Rather Watch

I’D RATHER WATCH

by Rosalie Kicks!

I’d Rather Watch: Tales From The Crypt

If I am in the mood to watch a bag of bones scurry across the television screen my choice will always be: Tales From The Crypt.

With the recent release of Jurassic World it got me thinking of a whole sack of reasons that I don’t want to view this video film.

1. Where is Sam Neill? How can you make a Jurassic Park movie without the King of the Dinosaurs/Geriatrics? Without Sam Neill the entire plot just goes to hell.

2. Where are the hipster nerds? Um, no Jeff Goldblum = no asses in the seats. Throw on a Tales From the Crypt… you never know who is going to pop into your living room. Big Star: Tom Hanks, Marty McFly and his mom, the Terminator, Mr. Orange, award winner Patricia Arquette, Billy Zane, BEAU! Bridges – the list goes on, so many greats.

3. Wait the Dinosaurs are not real? The Crypt Keeper is a REAL live skeleton and so were the dinosaurs in the first Jurassic Park. This so called new “dinosaur” movie has NO actual dinosaurs in it. Computer Graphic dependent, Hollywood has gotten really lazy… they can’t even wrangle a dinosaur anymore.

4. 124 minutes: In this length of time, I could watch 4! episodes of Tales From the Crypt. That is so much more AWESOMENESS and puns.

5. Who will save us from the raptors? Without Laura Dern everyone will die or have no arms – because the raptors will find you and eat you.

As I chug my way thru the Tales From the Crypt series my episode of recommendation is the 1991 classic: “Spoiled.”

Good Day.

Read more from Rosalie at sundaematinee.com

Musicjawn

“MANN”

by Neil Cleary-Trask

I am really excited to share this one. The idea for and planning of it's been kicking around for years, basically since I first heard The Knife's Silent Shout and thought "These songs would be great in a Michael Mann movie!"

The mix is basically a soundtrack to a Michael Mann movie that doesn't quite exist, though several of the tracks were chosen because they reminded me of specific cues/songs from his films (specifically, The Keep, Manhunter, and HEAT. See if you can guess which ones!)

Featuring: The Knife, Brian Eno & David Byrne, Rene Hell, Raime, Chris & Cosey, M83, Majeure, Harald Grosskopf, Stereo, Moby, Kyle Bobby Dunn, Fever Ray, Jon SPencer Blues Explosion, Manuel Göttsching, Lansing-Dreiden, Mohn, Michael Jackson, Chromatics, Vitalic, and Steve Hauschildt.

Download MANN (including printable artwork) here:

http://www.mediafire.com/download/u2jo8g15272pxd2/Mann.zip

Ant-Man

ANT-MAN
Peyton Reed, 2015

Synopsis:
Michael Douglas used to be Ant-Man but years of being Ant-Man (plus years of grieving/covering up a dark tragedy) have messed him up so he gets Paul Rudd to be Ant-Man. 

Review:

Marvel is absolutely knocking it out of the park recently. 

This Wasn't Worth $10

THIS WASN’T WORTH $10

Big Screen Bullshit of 2015

by Zooey X

5. Jupiter Ascending (2/5)

I’m sad to say this movie was a bomb, because I think the Wachowskis are brilliant, but it booombed. Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis? If these two clowns are the best for the job, maybe they should’ve just trashed the thing.

4. Avengers: Age of Ultron (3/5)

I thought this movie was going to be really dark and gritty, but Marvel/Whedon disappointed me yet again. The plot was all over the place and nothing really developed during what felt like a 5-hour movie. I snoozed right through this one.

3. Taken 3 (1/5)

The first Taken was terrible. The fact that there were two more of these mofos made is utter insanity to me. Liam Neeson, get back in that Lion suit.

2. American Sniper (1/5)

Two hours of propaganda brainwash. This one paints an unrealistic portrait of what it’s like to be a soldier for the American military. It understates Chris Kyle’s PTSD, idolizing him as a tough soldier who was just doing his job, when in reality this guy was a trigger-happy racist who killed a lot of innocent civilians and children.

1. 50 Shades of Grey (0/5)

The book “50 Shades of Grey” was originally a Twilight BDSM fan fiction. This was then, somehow, funded into a cinematic experience. Or, rather, soft-core-rapey-trash. I wish I could say more, but there’s no way I would stoop so low as to see this high-budget creep-fest.

(an American who disagrees with Zooey X’s review)