Oddball Films presents Strange
Sinema 68: Whacked!, Oddities
From the Archives, an evening of offbeat discoveries and choice rarities from
the stacks of Oddball Films’ 50,000 reel film archive. This installment, Strange
Sinema:Whacked! is an eye-popping program of perverse pleasures
featuring films too weird or way-out for their genres. With a drunk cat, a
stoned dog, a claymation rock opera, talking chimps and other far-out oddities,
this is one night too bizarre to miss. The cine-madness includes The
Cat Who Drank and Used Too Much (1987), an
Oddball favorite and wacky film from the anti-drug genre of mental hygiene
films about an alcohol and drug-using cat named Pat; Help, My Snowman’s Burning Down
(1964), Carson Davidson’s award-winning beatnik rhapsody; Caninabis-The
Junky Dog (1979), about a pot
smoking(!) undercover police dog; Ego
(1970), a mesmerizing animated short of eroticism and desire by
Italy’s Bruno Bozzetto with soundscore by ultra-lounge
master Franco Godi; The Groping Hand (1968), hunky homo
erotica and down and dirty soul music meet in this 1960’s North Beach soft-core
curio; The Munchers (1973), chocolate bar orgies and sugar pushers
make this Jesus Christ Superstar styled claymation a mind-blowing dental hygiene
spectacular; Lancelot
Link, Secret Chimp (1971), Get Smart meets James Bond as A.P.E. (Agency to Prevent
Evil) monkey detective Lance Link battles a C.H.U.M.P. (Criminal Headquarters
for Underworld Master Plan) dentist who secretly implants radio transmitters
into teeth; Perc! Pop! Sprinkle! with tiny tots instructed to act like percolators and toasters in the most bizarre exercise film ever; and The Wizard of Speed and Time (1979), a supersonic dash across
the country at hyper-speed. Sinema just
doesn’t get stranger than this!
Date: Thursday, September 19th, 2013 at 8:00PM
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 Limited Seating RSVP to: 415-558-8117
or programming@oddballfilm.com
Featuring:
The Cat Who Drank and Used Too Much
(Color, 1987)
Wacky anti-drug film about alcohol and drug using Pat the
Cat. He hits the skids before finally reaching out for help - another Oddball
Films audience favorite! Narrated by Julie Harris and winner of 24 major
awards!
Help, My Snowman’s Burning Down
(Color, 1964)
This Academy award-nominated short (and winner of 14
international awards) by Carson Davidson stars Bob Larkin (later in the cult
film Putney Swope) as a Beatnik who lives on a boat dock off Manhattan with
only bathroom furnishings. A visceral
tapestry woven together by stop motion and surreal special effects, this film
is an Oddball audience favorite. With original
jazz score by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet. An Oddball favorite!
Caninabis
- The Junky Dog (Color, 1979)
Yes, you read that right: CANINABIS! This newly discovered head-scratcher from the National Film Board of Canada chronicles the animated exploits of a scruffy street dog, who develops a taste (and smell) for that sticky icky icky, but uses his powers to help the police, where he is rewarded with huge joints for every drug bust. But when the weed starts playing tricks on his mind, the scruffy mutt drops the ball and ends up on the street again, chasing tailpipes for one more high!
Yes, you read that right: CANINABIS! This newly discovered head-scratcher from the National Film Board of Canada chronicles the animated exploits of a scruffy street dog, who develops a taste (and smell) for that sticky icky icky, but uses his powers to help the police, where he is rewarded with huge joints for every drug bust. But when the weed starts playing tricks on his mind, the scruffy mutt drops the ball and ends up on the street again, chasing tailpipes for one more high!
Ego (Color,
1970)
Brilliant animation by Italy’s Bruno Bozzetto (of the cult
favorite Mr. Rossi series)- starts with traditional comic-style animation until
the factory-working family man goes to sleep and unleashes his subconscious
thoughts sending him into a psychedelic battleground of chaos and erotic
desire. Utilizes a number of animation
styles including optical printing and pop art imagery. Wild soundtrack by the
ultra-lounge master Franco Godi!
The Groping Hand (Color,
1968)
This bizarre slice of homo erotica was shot in San
Francisco’s North Beach in the heyday of free love. A hunky male gets all
revved up gazing at the live sex show signs and clubs on Broadway when he’s
beckoned in by a female hand. Once inside he cuts loose, “stripping” his time
away to down and dirty soul music.
The Munchers: A Fable (Color, 1973)
A must-see claymation from Art Pierson! This trippin’
dental hygiene epic takes its style from the anti-drug films we all know and
love - the smokin' score and a depraved orgy complete with tiny clay chocolate
bars. The cape wearing pusher man is the
flamboyant and gleefully evil Jack Sweet - think Judas in Jesus Christ
Superstar. Is the case for wholesome snacks helped or hindered by depicting
fruits and vegetables in a dorky line dance?
Perc, Pop, Sprinkle (Color, 1969) 
When pint-sized dancers are encouraged to observe and mimic the actions of household appliances, the results are more than any of us could have hoped for. We can never know how many youngsterstook the inspiration of this film into intimate performances spaces in the 1980`s and 90`s.
Lancelot Link, Secret Chimp
(Color, 1971) in To Tell the Tooth.
Get Smart meets James Bond in this TV
spy spoof as the top agent of APE (Agency to Prevent Evil) detective Lance Link
discovers a dentist working for C.H.U.M.P. (Criminal Headquarters for
Underworld Master Plan) has been inserting secret radio transmitters into the
teeth of military officials.
The Wizard of Speed and Time (Color, 1979, Mike
Jitlov)
A young man in a green wizard costume runs throughout America at
super speed. Along the way, he gives a pretty girl a swift lift to another
city, gives golden stars to other women who want a trip themselves and then
slips on a banana-peel, and comically crashes into a film stage, which he then
brings to life in magical ways. A mind-blowing short-later extended to a
feature length film.