Date: Friday, December 23, 2011 at 8:00PM.
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco
Admission: $10.00 RSVP Only to: 415-558-8117 or
programming@oddballfilm.com
Melange de Méliès!
The Inn Where No Man Rests (1903, b&w) Devilry with inanimate objects was Melies stock-in-trade. It's bad
enough that our weary traveler is tormented out of a peaceful night by his
boots, the bed and just about any object with which Melies can play tricks. The
ruckus brings the other guests and things really get out of hand. The
Witch's Revenge (1903, b&w) In trouble with the king for practicing
witchcraft, a sorcerer tries to conjure his way out of trouble. His offer to
magic up the woman of the ruler's his dreams by way of wizardry goes absurdly
awry. A post-feast nightmare is the perfect device for all manner of surrealist
images, from sea monsters on up, in Baron Munchausen’s Dream (1911, b&w).
Toccata
for Toy Trains
(1957, color)
Legends
of the design world, Charles and Ray Eames had their own way of looking at
everything and this table-top epic shows it. The best cinema craft was adapted
to make this miniature world of trains, dolls and other tiny treasures
completely alive. Leave it to the Eames to put viewers inside a toy train!
Scored by renowned composer Elmer “Magnificent Seven” Bernstein.
Buddy’s
Theatre (1935,
b&w)
The forgotten star of Warner Bros. cartoons! Buddy starred in
cartoons from 1933 till 1935. This time out, Buddy is the one-man staff of the
local movie house. The news reel spoofs will delight fans of both 30’s movies
and general kookiness. When his darling Cookie, Warner’s answer to Betty Boop,
gets in a
spot of trouble, Buddy makes the leap into the silver screen.
Mouse
Mazurka (1949,
color)
In
the snowy Slobovian mountains, Sylvester Cat and a dancing mouse torment each
other to the familiar melodies of East Europe, Carl Stalling style. The Song of
the Volga Boatman was never so explosively employed. All in stunning color.
The
Rolling Rice Ball (1963, color)
All the period detail you love in the films of Kurosawa, only on
smaller! When a kindly woodsman’s lunch rolls away, he encounters the joyous
world of singing, dancing, mochi-making mice. Talented and generous, his new
friends also happen to be fairly well off for woodland critters. But when a
greedy hunter gets wind of their itty-bitty riches will his new whiskered pals
be safe?
Monkees Out-takes (1967, Color)
A sunshine-y chunk of silent out-takes of the made-for-TV pop
idols mugging and clowning around will be accompanied by a selection of their
hits. Get a glimpse of their groovee work-a-day world! Marvel at the costumes!
Rekindle that crush on Mickey Dolenz, a Pisces whose his favorite color is
white!
Plus! For early arrivals:
Frame by Frame (1970s)Show up early, enjoy some treats and see this wonderful primer on the miracle of frame by frame filmmaking. Inspiring for all ages, with lots of great clips from a variety of shorts of the era, all using this versatile technique.
About the Curator:
Lynn Cursaro is a local film blogger. Over the past two decades, she has worked in research and administrative positions at a variety of Bay Area film organizations.