Oddball Films presents Strange Sinema 62: Cinema
Sequences + Nut House Nuggets,
oddities from the Oddball Archives featuring new finds, buried junk, weird smut
and miscellaneous moving image mayhem. This program features an oddball
assortment of amazing cinema sequences, including feature parts, excerpts,
trailers and “nut house nuggets" -weird spoofs and kooky cinema oddities all
culled from the rarities in the Oddball Archives. Sequences include Federico Fellini’s infamous Steam
Bath Sequence (1963) from 8 ½
starring Marcello Mastroianni; Reel 2 of Radley Metzger’s stylish adult film Barbara
Broadcast starring Annette Haven, Jamie Gillie and CJ Laing; silent
cinema trailers featuring Lon Chaney Sr. as Quasimodo in the Hunchback
of Notre Dame (1925), and as a deformed phantom who haunts the Paris
Opera House in Phantom of the Opera (1925) and Paul Leni’s expressionistic
comedy horror film The Cat and the Canary (1927) inspired by Broadway stage plays
and the cornerstone of Universal Pictures horror genre; excerpts, intros and
vintage mouthwash, cigarette, and aspirin commercials from the legendary
director’s television show Alfred Hitchcock Hour (1962);
nightmarish comedic scenes from Neil Simon’s A Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) featuring unemployed ad executive Mel Edison (Jack Lemon) and wife Edna (Anne
Bancroft) living in the heat of a NYC garbage strike; a bizarre 1950s spoof
compilation of TV and commercials: The Nut House!! (1950s) featuring
Gaines Horse Food (made from dogs), a woman telling time by beating a baby
carriage with a dead fish and other oddities; Paramount Studios introduces
their wacky comedic team of Martin & Rossi (1966) complete with glamour
girls and eye-popping Technicolor; the very weird Universal Studios featurette Fraud
By Mail (1944) focuses on bizarre dangerous mail order fraud: nose
shapers, spine straighteners, eye mallets, pendiculators and more; Isaac Hayes performs the most over-the–top
spectacular version of Shaft (1972) ever at the 44th
Annual Academy Awards and two early silent films by cinematic pioneer Georges
Méliès La Comedie et Magique de
Méliès (B+W,1903) provide some of the first
examples of fade-outs, dissolves, double exposures and other camera tricks.
Plus! a naked Marlboro cigarette ad-the strangest ever!
Date: Thursday, March 21
2013 at 8:00PM.
Venue: Oddball Films, 275
Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 RSVP Only to: 415-558-8117 or programming
Admission: $10.00 RSVP Only to: 415-558-8117 or programming
@oddballfilm.com
Featuring:
Fellini’s
8 ½ The Steam Bath Sequence (B+W, 1963)
"I was a little shocked when I saw
on a church door a poster that had my name on it that had a black border... the
poster said, 'Let us pray for the salvation of the soul of Frederico Fellini,
public sinner.'"
Now
that we’ve chosen a pope, it’s on to the eroticism of religion.
This
is Fellini's dramatic autobiographical film about a famous film director,
Guido, (played by Marcello Mastroianni) who loses his inspiration in the midst
of making a film. In this sequence Guido, the director, has a fantasy meeting
with the Cardinal in a steambath. Guido's friends and associates exhort him to
prostrate himself before the Cardinal and he does... but the Cardinal simply replies
"There is no salvation outside the
Church".
Barbara Broadcast (Last Reel) (Color, 1977)
Having established himself
as a successful XXX director under the name Henry Paris, Radley Metzger quickly
followed up his groundbreaking The Opening of Misty Beethoven with Barbara
Broadcast, an attempt to fuse lavish visuals and sharp wit with down and dirty
sex scenes. This time any semblance of a plot is purely accidental which is
great for this program since we only have the last (well worn) reel of this
classic adult film.
Silent
Cinema Trailers (B+W, 1920s,)
Witness these silent cinema
trailers featuring Lon Chaney Sr. as Quasimodo in the Hunchback of Notre Dame
(1925), and as a deformed phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House in Phantom
of the Opera (1925), all rounded out by Paul Leni’s expressionistic
comedy horror film The Cat and the Canary (1927) inspired by Broadway stage plays
and the film is considered the cornerstone for Universal Pictures school of
horror.
Excerpts From The Alfred Hitchcock
Hour (B+W, 1962)
Excerpts, intros and vintage
mouthwash, cigarette, and aspirin commercials from the legendary director’s TV
show Alfred
Hitchcock Hour (1962) with appearances by the director himself.
Scenes From Prisoner of Second Avenue
(Color, 1975)
Choice scenes from the
Neil Simon comedy starring Jack Lemon and Anne Bancroft. The action occurs during an intense summer
heat wave and a prolonged garbage strike, which just exacerbates the recently
unemployed Mel Edison's (Lemon) plight.
With no end in sight, he and his wife Edna (Bancroft) deal with noisy
neighbors, loud sounds emanating from Manhattan streets up to their apartment
and even a robbery of their apartment during broad daylight. A sticky, comic
nightmare!
Nut House Nuggets!! (B+W, 1950s)
This "Viewer's Digest”
spoof of soap operas and other programs is a bizarre gem. Watch a simulated commercial for Gains Horse
Food (made from dogs), a lodge meeting where a cake comes out of a dummy of a
woman, "commercials" for Quigleys Menthol bubble-gum and Prudential
Underarm Deodorant. "News
bulletin" about a zookeeper who clawed a leopard to death." Later in
a spoof of "amazing feats," a woman tells time by beating a baby
carriage with a dead fish. The fish is 5
minutes slow, so they give her a watch!
Starring Kathy “Nut House Squirrel Girl". Brought
to you by Maidenform Sweat Sox!
Presenting Allen & Rossi (Color, 1966)
Rare Paramount promotional
short “introducing” their newest acquisition: the dopey comedy team of Marty
Allen and Steve Rossi. Soon to star in
their spy spoof The Last of the Secret
Agents?, the comedy duo get a big push from poppa Paramount, complete with
glamour gals and fancy cars- in eye-poppingly stunning color.
Fraud By Mail (B+W, 1944)
Speaking of fetish, this
very weird Universal Studios featurette focuses on bizarre and quite dangerous
mail order fraud: nose shapers, spine straighteners, electrical hair
stimulators, eye mallets, pendiculators and more. Rather kinky.
Isaac Hayes-Theme From Shaft (1972,
Color)
Isaac
Hayes performs the Theme From Shaft in this eye-popping,
spectacularly (!) staged over-the-top performance from the 44th Academy Awards
show in 1972. Hayes was the first African-American to win an Oscar in a music
category.
.jpg)
La Comedie et Magique de Méliès (B+W,1903)
Two early silent films by
cinematic pioneer Georges Méliès which provide some of the first examples of
fade-outs, dissolves, double exposures and other camera tricks. In The
Witch's Revenge, a witch uses magic tricks to take over a king's throne
and get revenge. In The Inn Where No Man Rests, a man staying at an inn cannot get
any rest because of strange happenings.