Tomorrow night! Friday, October 30, 2009 at 8:00 PM — one show only!
The Sprocket Society proudly presents
The Grand Illusion Halloween Spook Show!
Featuring: Movies! A real live seance! Monsters run amuck! And your host, The Swami!
At the Grand Illusion Cinema, 1403 NE 50th Street (at University Way)
Part of the 2009 All Monsters Attack! series
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/pZu1wk7CozE" height="344" width="425" /]
(Preview trailer by Marc Palm)
The always worthwhile Silent Movie Mondays series returns to the glorious 1920s-era former movie palace The Paramount here in Seattle. The new series runs every Monday at 7:00 PM from June 8 through June 29, 2009.
As always, the films will be accompanied on the restored Mighty Wurlitzer theater organ by the incomparable Dennis James. If you’ve never seen a silent film, this is absolutely the way you should start. Very few cities ever get this kind of authentic experience, and if they do it’s usually one-off screenings or a festival. Seattle is incredibly lucky to get what amounts to a mini-festival a couple-three times a year.
Of especial note is that admission to the first show in the series is FREE courtesy of longtime series sponsor, Trader Joe’s. Damn, thanks Trader Joe’s!
The entire line-up is excellent, as usual. I highly recommend catching the June 22 show, The Godless Girl (Cecil B. DeMille, 1929), which is great stuff (the heavy Christian moralizing notwithstanding). I had the privilege of watching Dennis accompany it at the Silent Film Festival in San Francisco a couple years back, and it was possibly the best I’ve ever seen him play. During the climactic scenes, he dang near brought down the house. Also very highly recommended is the concluding film on June 29, Seventh Heaven (1927) directed by Frank Borzage.
Here’s the full schedule, with links to details (and in turn to online ticket purchase):
June 8: Flesh and the Devil (Clarence Brown, 1926) — FREE ADMISSION! Come early for decent seating.
June 15: Romola (Henry King, 1924)
June 22: The Godless Girl (Cecil B. DeMille, 1929)
June 29: Seventh Heaven (Frank Borzage, 1927)
New 35mm prints of the beautifully restored Coppola films The Godfather (1972) and The Godfather: Part II (1974) start a one two week run at the SIFF Cinema this Friday, Dec. 19, closing on New Years Day.
Full schedule and advance ticket sales for all shows can be found at the SIFF web site. There are some marathon days, but most are one film a night.
The restorations, recently released to home video, were supervised by Coppola with the close involvement of the original cinematographer, Gordon Willis. The result is spectacular, bringing new richness to the film, including the justly famous low-light sequences.
Needless to say, attendance is mandatory.
Here’s a recent article about the restoration:
“Post Focus: Paramount Restores The Godfather” by Stephanie Argy
American Cinematographer, May 2008
In commemoration of soldiers of all nations and all ages, with prayers for peace.
The US Army Oath of Enlistment
I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.
The US National Guard Oath of Enlistment
I, (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the State of (state name) against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the Governor of (state name) and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to law and regulations. So help me God.
The US President Oath of Office (US Constitution, Article II)
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
There’s only 3 shows left in the Secret Sunday Matinee series presented by The Sprocket Society and the Northwest Film Forum.
Each Sunday at noon is a two hour, old-fashioned matinee, with a cartoon and/or a short film (usually old weird stuff), an episode of the classic 1940 weekly movie serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe, and a special Secret Feature — a classic or “classic” matinee movie from the ’30-’60s. Since we’re showing Flash Gordon, the emphasis is on sci-fi, fantasy, adventure and horror. Nothing but good stuff, often rarely screened. All on 16mm (no video), shown with NW Film Forum’s theatrical-grade projector.
The Secret Matinee series has been running since September, and it ends the last Sunday of November. There’s only 3 shows left! And yes, it’s fine to come in your PJs.
The 12th and last episode of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe will be shown in 2 weeks. But we’re booked for 13 weeks, so the series finale will be The “13th Episode” Show on Nov. 23, with extra-special cartoons and short films that require funny glasses.
Here’s what’s coming up, with some clues about the Secret Features… 
This Sun. November 9:
Cartoons and shorts: Betty Boop’s Ups and Downs (1932) — a surreal Depression-era classic from the Fleischer brothers; and an excellent but untitled 1906 (?) French special effects short by Segundo de Chomon, a tinted 16mm print. Silent, shown with music by Sun Ra.
The Secret Feature: A rarely-shown Japanese giant monster movie from the mid-’60s, but not with Godzilla or the other usual suspects. American actor Nick Adams makes his kaiju movie debut in this negelected Toho classic directed by Ishiro Honda. In color.
AND! The penultimate episode of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe! It all comes to a head in chapter 11: “Stark Treachery”! Ming takes over Prof. Zarkov’s mind and turns him against his friend Flash!
Sun. November 16:
Cartoons and shorts: Little Red Riding Hood (1949) — one of the last and best of the series of fairy tale stop-motion animation films made independently by a young Ray Harryhausen. A rare original 16mm Kodachrome color print.
Secret Feature: One of the all-time classics! Featuring the artistry of Harryhausen and Willis (King Kong) O’Brien. In B&W.
AND! The thrilling conclusion of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe! Chapter 12: “Doom of the Dictator”! Sucks to be Ming!
Sun. November 23 – series finale:
THE “13th EPISODE” SHOW
Twisted cartoons & shorts
3D Short Films — an anaglyphic rarity from 1941, Third Dimensional Murder, plus digest versions of ’50s classics
And of course, A SECRET FEATURE — possibly a condensed feature-length version of one of the other Flash Gordon serials…or possibly something much different… You’ll have to come back next week to find out…
Coming Sunday, Sept. 21:Â Chapter 4 of Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe — “The Destroying Ray”
Every Sunday at noon through November at the Northwest Film Forum, the Sprocket Society presents the Sunday Secret Matinee, featuring the ongoing cliffhanger adventures of Flash Gordon, plus a Secret Matinee Feature, rare and unusual short films, and — of course — cartoons.
All 12 episodes of the classic movie serial Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe are being shown, in order, once a week — just like it was originally in 1940.
Each week’s Secret Matinee Feature guarantees thrills and chills with classic (and “classic”) science fiction, horror, giant monsters and pirate extravaganzas.
The cartoons and short films being shown each week include a mixture of sound and silent stuff:Â Winsor McCay, the Fleischer brothers, Chuck Jones, Emil Cohl, Georges Melies, Norman McLaren, Thomas Edison, Willis O’Brien, Len Lye, Alexandre Alexeiff, and many others.
It’s a weekend matinee just like in the old days.
Series passes and advance tickets are available online. Box office opens at 11:30 AM.  Full ticket info is available at the Sprocket Society web site.
Every Sunday at noon, through November 23, 2008
at the Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Avenue
(on Capitol Hill between Pike and Pine)
More info at www.sprocketsociety.org/secret/
Well, Hal Ashby won’t be there in person, mostly ’cause he died in 1988. But comedian Bobcat Goldthwait will be introducing Hal Ashby’s fine directorial debut, The Landlord (1970), on Tuesday, July 1, 2008 at the Northwest Film Forum. This will be preceded by a reception with Bobcat at the Grey Gallery right around the corner. More details about the special event are available on the NWFF web site.
Advance tickets only, at a special price (proceeds benefit the non-profit NWFF), available online via BrownPaperTickets.com.
The special event kicks-off Hal Ashby’s Commingling Seventies, a fantastic series of screenings of the director’s work from the 1970s, every one of them briliant and a classic. It’s pretty amazing to see the line up and realize he made them one after the other, all in the space of just nine years — a stunning run of artistry that anyone would envy. The screenings (all on 35mm) are on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only, through July and late August. Don’t miss a single one. Series passes are available.
The Landlord (1970) — Tues. 7/1 and Wed. 7/2
Harold and Maude (1971) — Tues. 7/8 and Wed. 7/9
The Last Detail (1973) — Tues. 7/15 and Wed. 7/16; the novel’s author, Darryl Ponicsan, will introduce the 7:30 screening on 7/15
Shampoo (1975) — Tues. 7/29 and Wed. 7/30
Bound for Glory (1976) — Tues. 8/5 and Wed. 8/6
Coming Home (1978) — Tues. 8/12 and Wed. 8/13
Being There (1979) — Tues. 8/19 and Wed. 8/20
Film collector extraordinaire and Washington expat Dennis Nyback is back in town with a mind-boggling series of programs devoted to music films, playing for the next week at the Grand Illusion Cinema (at the corner of 50th and University Way).
Many of the programs are one-show-only, so pay attention and carpe diem. Here’s the details courtesy of the Grand Illusion’s mailing list (which you should subscribe to via the web site, all the way at the bottom of the homepage):
On Friday, June 6th is ZERO TO MTV is a series of three minute musical shorts from 1914-1984 Contrary to popular belief, the three minute film short was not invented by MTV. Conversely, the very first sound films made were three minute music shorts. This program starts with an Edison test film made in 1914. It continues through the twenties with test films made by Lee DeForest, Fox-Case and Movietone. The thirties portion features Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, and others. The forties feature shorts made by the Soundies company. In the fifties there are Snader Telescriptions. In the sixties Scopitones appeared. The program will end with 35mm shorts featuring Kiss, Motley Crue, Deep People and others. Friday June 6th at 7pm & 9pm
On Saturday, June 7th is THE HIGH LONESOME SOUND, a program of musical films by John Cohen, who traveled to the backwoods and hinterlands of America filming musicians. This program features his films THE HIGH LONESOME SOUND and MUSICAL HOLDOUTS. Musicians include Roscoe Holcomb, Bill Monroe and many others. See notes at http://www.johncohenworks.com/films/filmslist.html#4 Saturday June 7th at 7pm ONLY
Also on Saturday, June 7th is CHARLIE IS MY DARLING. This is a great and one of kind look at the Rolling Stones filmed during their tour of Ireland in 1965. It never had a wide release. The last time it was shown in Seattle was at the Pike Street Cinema in 1993. The short with it will be a production film on the making of the Beatles’ YELLOW SUBMARINE. Saturday June 7th at 9pm ONLY
On Sunday, June 8th is HILLBILLIES IN HOLLYWOOD. A fabulous bunch of Hillbilly, Cowboy, Hawaiian, Rockabilly, and other acts. Expect to have a foot stomping, Wa-Hooing great time! Sunday June 8th at 7pm ONLY
Also on Sunday June 8th is BOOGIE WOOGIE BOOGIE WOOGIE BOGGIE WOOGIE. There was a big Boogie Woogie craze in the 1940s. This program is made up filmed performers and cartoons. The performers include Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson in the great BOOGIE WOOGIE DREAM. It also features Lena Horne and Teddy Wilson. Maurice Rocco does Rumboogie. Ray Bradley with Freddy Slack does Boardwalk Boogie. Sunday June 8th at 9pm ONLY
On Monday, June 9th is JAZZ IN THE 1920′s. This program features two awesome films made by the enigmatic Dudley Murphy in 1929. You should look him up. They are BLACK AND TAN with Duke Ellington and ST. LOUIS BLUES with Bessie Smith. Also: Eddie Peabody and His College Chums (1928) with Hal Kemp’s band, Louis Armstrong and Sidney Bechet. Monday June 9th at 7pm ONLY
Also on Monday, June 9th is HARLEM IN THE THIRTIES. Several of these films are suppressed due to racial content. This a very rare chance to see the greatness in them. Included performers will be Cab Calloway , Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters (in the film BUBBLING OVER), The Mills Blue Rhythm Band, and others. Monday June 9th at 9pm ONLY
Tuesday, June 10th features RADIO DAYS 1929-1944. All shorts featuring radio stations and people at home listening to radios. Included will be THE BLACK NETWORK (Nicholas Brothers), CAP’N HENRY’S SHOWBOAT (Annette Hanshaw), Cab Calloway (HI DE HO), RADIO SALUTES (Ruth Etting), Rudy Vallee, Kate Smith, and others. Tuesday June 10th at 7pm ONLY
Tuesday, June 10th also features VAUDEVILLE DELUXE. This program is highly recommended by Travis Stewart who wrote “NO APPLAUSE, JUST THROW MONEY”. I screened it for him in NY. It features vaudeville performers, both black and white, from 1928 (Gus Visser, the Man With the Duck) to 1937. You get to see W.C. Fields juggle, Roy Smeck play the uke, rope skippers, singers, Chaz Chase eating everything, and finally, Whitey’s Lindy Hoppers with Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart. Tuesday June 10th at 9pm ONLY
Wednesday, June 11th is THE SOUND OF JAZZ (plus some Bebop). In 1957 CBS brought together the greatest assemblage of jazz talent ever brought together for a one hour live broadcast. The kinescope of it provided much of the footage in A GREAT DAY IN HARLEM. Here it is seen in full, including original commercials. Thelonious Monk, Billie Holliday, Coleman Hawkins, Count Basie, many more. Also on the program will be JAZZ DANCE (1954), Booker Little with Max Roach (1962) and more. Wednesday June 11th at 7pm ONLY
Wednesday, June 11th also has SOUNDIE PANORAMA. A lot of greatness and also some musical atrocities. Soundie films were shown in jukebox-like devices called a Mills Pan-O-Ram. Wednesday June 11th at 9pm ONLY
And finally, Thursday, June 12th is the infamous SCOPITONE A GO-GO. A hit in New York at the Cinema Village. The show that started the Scopitone buying craze. Eddie Vedder came to the Scopitone shows at the Pike Street Cinema and bought his own Scopitone machine. Thursday June 12th at 7pm & 9pm
Last night’s Sprocket Society show at the Northwest Film Forum — Georges Méliès: Impossible Voyager — went really well, and we packed the house. Thanks to everyone who came (especially the young ‘uns). I hope you had as much fun as I did.
Unfortunately it was so well attended, we ran out of program booklets (sorry again, folks). So for those of who missed out, or are just interested passers-by, you can download a PDF of the full program notes (1.9mb – link updated) here or at the Sprocket Society site.
Thanks again to Climax Golden Twins for contributing their excellent live mix of 78s, to Dave Shepard at Film Preservation Associates for permission to read his translation of Méliès’ original narration for The Impossible Voyage, and to Mike Whybark for the loan of his vintage tux and tails.
Oh, one note of clarification in case anyone was wondering. One of the local papers said we were to play a recording of Méliès himself reading the narration. While this would have been wonderful, it was not the case and I’m not quite sure how the misunderstanding came about since it was not in the press release. I guess I wasn’t quite emphatic enough about the live performance aspect. Ah well.
To the best of my knowledge, there are no recordings of Méliès reading or performing any of his many narrations for his films. In the case of The Impossible Voyage in particular, Dave Shepard worked with a number of scholars from around the world to assemble and translate the narration from surviving texts. (I made a few minor edits of my own to smooth some phrasings.) When I spoke (briefly) with Serge Bromberg of Lobster Films about this general topic while at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last summer, he made no mention of any such recordings of Méliès but did say that the Cinémathèque Française had apparently published some as a book or booklet some years past.
Much more than this I don’t know. So I reckon I should poke around and see what I can learn about it, wot?