April 9, 2007

Fests and events, 4/9.

Berlin Alexanderplatz Berlin Alexanderplatz opens tomorrow at MoMA and runs through Sunday. In the New York Times, AO Scott recommends the marathon: "More opera than soap opera, it is one of those hybrid cinematic works that demand immersion and endurance - an element of punishment to sweeten the pleasure. If you dip in an hour at a time over the course of a week or a month, you risk missing its hypnotic, cumulative power.... Berlin Alexanderplatz may not be [Fassbinder's] masterpiece, but it does demonstrate, perhaps more than any of his other work, his range as a writer, a visual stylist and a director of actors."

Acquarello has posted a slew of reviews of films caught at the New York African Film Festival.

Brandon Harris lists the Aspen ShortsFest award-winners.

Mike has the lineup for the Calgary Underground Film Festival at Bad Lit. Wednesday through Sunday.

Tropical Malady Brian Darr attends a screening of Tropical Malady, and here's the thing: Apichatpong Weerasethakul was there, microphone in hand. "Not only did Joe provide his own personal reflections and interpretations on this famously enigmatic film at precisely opportune moments, but PFA curator Steve Said also asked audience members to call out 'stop' when we thought of a question to ask for ourselves." And Brian took extensive notes. Related: Johnny Ray Huston's interview with Apichatpong Weerasethakul for SF360.

"The Dunwich Horror (1970) effects a theramin-saturated blend between Gidget and Rosemary's Baby. Michael Guillén emerges from another Sleazy Sunday.

Robert Koehler carries on filing dispatches from the Buenos Aires International Independent Film Festival at filmjourney.org.

Visiting Role Play: Feminist Art Revisited 1960 - 1980 at Gallery LeLong (through April 28) and AL Steiner + robbinschild's C.L.U.E. (color location ultimate experience) at Taxter and Spengemann (through April 21), Paddy Johnson, writing for the Reeler, finds "as many similarities as differences in feminist video art made yesterday and today."



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Posted by dwhudson at April 9, 2007 11:33 AM

Comments

I worked at a reperatory CineHell when I was in my twenties, which would have been the 1980s.

Fassbinder never did particularly well for us, and due to its running time, so the owner booked BERLIN A. (on 16mm!) to run each Monday night (I believe for four weeks).

Around the second or third week, people were coming hearing how good it was that hadn't been there prior weeks. Which created ticketing problems, as some patrons that had seen earlier episodes were now going to miss a Monday, and a significant segment of BERLIN A.

That was when the fight broke out.

A 30-something business man in a suit and tie started screaming at our Manager. SCREAMING. Then Suit Man grabbed the Manager's tie, pulled it tight and started to choke him with it.

The lobby was non-exsistent and full of people, so the next sound you heard was BAM! as the Manager (still being choked) body slammed the Business A-hole out the emergency doors, across the sidewalk and tumbling over the cement planters out front.

Adults behaving poorly. But at least there was passion for the arts!

p.s. Oh, and don't feel to sorry for the Manager. The staff (we were all friends) pondered after work (eating White Castles at 1am!) where we could get a business suit so we could choke our Manager. What a flaming *sshole and A1 jerkola he was!

Posted by: ErosLane at April 10, 2007 2:25 PM