THIS SUN: The Man Who Laughs (with live accompaniment by Plastic Crimewave, Ariel Pink and Jimi Hey)

Co-Presented by Arthur Magazine

Arthur proudly presents live scores to both the classic 1928 German expressionist film The Man Who Laughs and Georges Méliès’ classic turn-of-the-century silent short A Trip To The Moon. Based on the Victor Hugo novel, The Man Who Laughs is a moody masterpiece by director Paul Leni, a tragic melodrama starring Conrad Veidt (The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari) as an abandoned 17th-century British aristocrat disfigured at a young age by gypsies to have a freakish eternal grin. Performing the soundtrack will be an ensemble of Chicago’s own Plastic Crimewave aka Steve Krakow (who also writes and draws the Galactic Zoo Dossier magazine for the Drag City label), and locals Jimi Hey (former drummer for Beachwood Sparks) and Ariel Pink, the lo-fi pop wunderkind behind Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti. Also DJing before and after the films will be Frankie Delmane of the Teenage Frames.
The Man Who Laughs Dir. Paul Leni, 1928, DVD, 110 min.
Tickets - $12/ $8 for members



Plastic Crimewave Sound
Ariel Pink
arthur magazine

SOLID GOULD!

Our Gould-a-thon continues this Fri @ 7:30 with the wife-swap classic BOB & CAROL & TED & ALICE.

Elliott discusses shooting the film's foursome scene among other topics...

The Folk Art Films of Phil Chambliss

There is only one Phil Chambliss, and The Cinefamily was very proud to present the first Los Angeles presentation of his singular work. A lively Q&A ensued...



Phil Chambliss is America's first folk-art filmmaker. He's lived his entire life in Calhoun County, Arkansas. He never went to film school or college, never took a class or read a book on filmmaking. The films he managed to see - Sergio Leone's For a Few Dollars More, the entire Peyton Place television special, and a particular episode of The Rifleman in which Lee Van Cleef plays Johnny Drago - led him to take the 95 bucks his then-wife had saved for a new icebox, and spend it instead on a movie camera. With camera in tow, he wrangled some friends into acting, and went on to create a body of work that includes dozens of bizarre, brilliant, idiosyncratic films, shot over the course of several decades. Phil's films are a revelation, full of unexpected humor, complex social commentary, and a strong, almost suspended, sense of time and place.

Dark Hand & Lamplight

Enjoy these snaps that capture just a fraction of last week's beautific event at The Cinefamily...

Toronto-based visual artist Shary Boyle aka Dark Hand and musician Doug Paisley aka Lamplight first came together as an opening act for Will Oldham's 2006 tour of California (under his Bonnie “Prince” Billie moniker.) For the project, Lamplight wrote a collection of new songs, which Dark Hand used as the basis for a new series of artwork. Then, Dark Hand created artwork that Lamplight next used as the basis for new instrumental compositions and improvisations. In a live setting, the duo’s collaborative performance features Lamplight singing and playing guitar while Dark Hand creates live drawings and animates pre-drawn images on an overhead projector. Choreographed to the lyrics and music, Dark Hand projects her artwork onto a screen, the wall, Lamplight, and other available surfaces.

http://www.sharyboyle.com/

This Tues: Enzo Castellari in Person!

Enzo Castellari Double Feature: Battle Squadron & High Crime

One of the the kings of Italian action movies, Enzo G. Castellari, who ruled ‘70s drive-ins with his amped-up spins on futuristic sci-fi, spaghetti westerns and war epics, will be here in person to introduce two of his testoserone-drenched pictures, both unavailable on DVD and making a rare big-screen U.S. showing. First up, Enzo shows off one of his biggest budgets in the aerial combat spectacular Battle Squadron, a feisty film with Van Johnson (post-MGM), square-jawed Frederick Stafford, and Francisco Rabal (Viridiana) in the story of German saboteurs trying to infiltrate Merry Olde England and kicking off World War II’s Battle of Britain. Next, Franco Nero’s a tough cop who discovers High Crime thanks to a ring of vicious Continental drug dealers. Generally acknowledged as the first poliziottesco (a violent and popular type of Italian cop thriller), the film also features a rip-roaring soundtrack from the incredible Guido & Maurizio De Angelis.

Battle Squadron Dir. Enzo Castellari, 1969, 35mm, 100 min.
High Crime Dir. Enzo Castellari, 1973, 35mm, 100 min.
Tickets - $12/ $8 for members

Don't sleep on this, as Enzo will be doing a Q&A after screenings! Will no doubt be a blast. The action gets in gear at 8pm.

Harmony Korine Q&A for MISTER LONELY screening

Harmony Korine answers questions after the west coast premiere screening of his new film MISTER LONELY at The Cinefamily.

Sunday Matinee- STEAMBOAT BILL, JR.

Just a quick program note. The 4pm screening of Chaplin's The Circus on Sunday has been canceled. In its place, we're showing the Buster Keaton classic Steamboat Bill, Jr.



The feature will be preceded by a shorts program and will feature live musical accompaniment by the legendary Bob Mitchell. Buy advance tickets here!