René Clair (born on this date in 1898) is well known as one of the most important figures in film history, from his early triumphs LE MILLION and À NOUS LA LIBERTÉ to his American period which includes THE GHOST GOES WEST and I MARRIED A WITCH and through to his postwar return to France and mature works.
But before he became a giant of the world screen, the 26 year old Clair was a dashing young writer and actor who fell in with the Dada crowd, which looks like a pretty fun crowd to roll with to be honest. With a few collaborators, including Man Ray, Francis Picabia, Marcel Duchamp and Erik Satie he made this rollicking 20-minute commissioned piece, which played between the acts of a ballet performance as an intermission or ent’racte.
It was an honor to work with the talented crew of Mario Troncoso and Chelsea Hernandez on their KLRU Arts In Context documentary BEST LITTLE ART HOUSE IN TEXAS last year. The show also covers Michael Moore’s State Theater in Traverse City Michigan.
Now they have taken home a Lone Star Emmy for the show! Mario and Chelsea also received Emmys in three other categories. We’re sure their arms were sore by the end of the night. The accolades are well deserved.
The stars of ATOMIC HEART, taking a break from being pursued by other-dimensional Saddam Hussein
Considering how busy we are in all of our lives and how many film screening opportunities there are going on all the time in Austin, we might occasionally overlook something pretty great. This is pretty great.
The Austin Asian American Film Festival (AAAFF) kicks off this Thursday at the Marchesa. Their programming team has assembled a really terrific lineup including the exceptional doc THE CHINESE MAYOR, the crazed, experimental (Christopher Doyle-shot) Philippine experimental feature RUINED HEART, THE KILLING FIELDS OF DR. HAING S. NGOR with director Arthur Dong in attendance, and, my favorite, the transgressive, reality-bending youthquake ATOMIC HEART from Iran, which definitely makes Tehran look like the strangest city on earth right now.
Along the way there is a K-Pop party, an AAAFF Comedy Night and more. There are badges and passes for sale on the AAAFF site and most events will have individual tickets for sale at the box office.
Also: AFS members can get $10 off badges and film passes to this year’s festival by using discount codes at checkout. Use “afspass10” for passes and “afsbadge10” for badges.
The Emmy Awards were a wild proposition in 1959. Here, Vice President and 1960 Presidential Contender Richard Nixon drops a characteristically awkward, tone-deaf speech about the “freedom to change the channel” or something like that, before yielding the stage to Elaine May and Mike Nichols, who tear it down. Their “Total Mediocrity Award” sketch is as big a hit as Nixon’s crude speech was a bomb.
Warning, the quality of this video is on par with Mars Rover transmissions, but it’s worth it.
Nichols, who died last year, was born on this day in 1931. He and his brilliant comedy partner Elaine May each changed the face of film with their incisive and humane work. Recently it was announced that May will direct the PBS American Masters documentary about Nichols. That’s something to look forward to.
Here are Nichols and May talking film in 2006. This gets into real grand-master territory and is worth your time if you are a filmmaker or are into the process of filmmaking.
Nichols:
“The thing I love most about movies, and the thing I love most about other people’s work, is small things. If you think about your favorite thing in a movie or in a play or in a performance ever, it’s always something very small that you can barely tell other people about. It’s so small but it just makes you gasp. Because it’s like a little pebble of truth. It’s something true. And harvesting them, because after all the acting’s done by other people, is still something that I think is so thrilling. With luck you can catch that wind. It can still be done.”
Abel Ferrara and Gaspar Noé are both polarizing filmmakers who take major risks and seem to live on the edge at all times in their professional lives. From Ferrara’s arthouse/grindhouse beginnings to his current residency in Italy making biographical films about Pasolini and Padre Pio, he has both attracted and alienated audiences with his choices and attitudes. He’s the classic reprobate in many ways, and has also turned out brilliant work. Film history will be kind to him.
The Argentinian/French Noé, in his films I STAND ALONE, IRREVERSIBLE, ENTER THE VOID and the new 3D hardcore erotica film LOVE, also stands outside what might be consider the orthodoxy of international arthouse cinema.
What happens when these two attempt to have a meeting of the minds over Skype? It’s challenging to both the brain and the ears, and definitely not safe for work, especially the part where they talked about Abel Ferrara’s beginnings making a porn film.
It’s good to hear that Ferrara’s energy level is as high as ever and that even Noé has a hard time keeping up with his profanity laced wisdom.
Luchino Visconti, who began making films as Jean Renoir’s assistant in 1935 and went on to a career as one of the world’s greatest filmmaking masters, was born on this date on 1906. He did not make as many features as many of his contemporaries but he really made his work count, with epics such as THE LEOPARD, ROCCO AND HIS BROTHERS and THE DAMNED among his finest works. In addition to his work on the screen he was an eminent director of Grand Opera, and he staged four Maria Callas productions at La Scala in Milan, along with many others.
Here’s a documentary that gives some insight into the mature Visconti’s craft, as he works with Helmut Berger, Ingrid Thulin and others on the set of THE DAMNED (1969).
A few years ago, at one of his many tremendous Noir City screenings, writer/historian/programmer Eddie Muller introduced an evening of film noir classics with this short film, painstakingly assembled by someone who calls herself RubyTuesday717. I have often thought about this short since and was happy to stumble across it again today.
I sat down yesterday with Kat Candler, mainly to talk about her new short THE RUSTED, which will screen at AFS’ MAKE WATCH LOVE Party on November 12 (don’t forget to RSVP.) Naturally the discussion went every which way and we ended up talking about life choices, the importance of actors, the relative warmth of Brian De Palma and favorite horror movies. It’s good!
The 10th Annual Austin Polish Film Festival was held this past weekend at the Marchesa Hall and Theatre. Along with their screenings of feature films, short film blocks, parties and Polish poster exhibition, there was a judged short film competition. We are proud to share the winner of the competition with you.
It is Alison Klayman’s THE NIGHT WITCH, a film created in conjunction with a New York Times issue commemorating the recently deceased. The film is about the remarkable Nadezhda Popova, who flew bombing missions by night for the Soviet Air Force against the Nazis. It’s a pretty amazing story, and you’ll learn a lot as you enjoy Klayman’s beautiful compositions.
Our Jewels In The Wasteland series, in which AFS Artistic Director Richard Linklater presents a selection of his favorite films from the ’80s along with thorough introductions and audience discussions, has proven over its first two years to be (no surprise) one of AFS’ most beloved and popular programs. It’s no wonder that the young stars of Linklater’s new film referred to him as Rickipedia, he’s tremendously knowledgable and insightful.
This November and December we celebrate AFS’ first 30 years with a look back at some of the films presented in the early days of the film society, all chosen, hosted and followed by a discussion period with Linklater. The program is geographically wide-ranging, with films from France (MASCULIN FEMININ, PICKPOCKET), Japan (THE CEREMONY), Mexico (LOS OLVIDADOS), the Hollywood underground (shorts by Anger and Lynch) and good old NEW YORK, NEW YORK for Scorsese’s underappreciated musical drama.
As usual, no AFS membership is required to attend, but it’s a lot cheaper to buy that $20 a month (or $30 a month DUAL) LOVE membership and see them (as well as scores of other films throughout the year) free. It is sneakily the best filmgoing deal in town, and a great – hint, hint – holiday gift.
Catherine Deneuve, certainly one of the most talented and fascinating stars in film history, has appeared, and left iconic impressions in films by Truffaut, Buñuel, Polanski, Demy, Melville, Ferreri, Aldrich, Tony Scott, Carax, Ruiz, Von Trier, Ozon and, of course, many others.
Consider this body of work, and then reflect that it only represents a fraction of her performances, and that she continues to work today:
THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG (’64)
REPULSION (’65)
THE YOUNG GIRLS OF ROCHEFORT (’67)
BELLE DE JOUR (’67)
MISSISSIPPI MERMAID (’69)
TRISTANA (’70)
DONKEY SKIN (’70)
UN FLIC (’72)
DON’T TOUCH THE WHITE WOMAN! (’74)
THE LAST METRO (’80)
THE HUNGER (’83)
INDOCHINE (’92)
GENEALOGIES OF A CRIME (’97)
DANCER IN THE DARK (’00)
8 WOMEN (’02)
It’s truly stunning. Also, it’s a little sad that in the midst of such an amazing international career she was probably best known in the U.S. for her Chanel n°5 commercials. Such commercials though! They sell the notion of Deneuve’s elegance and independence as much as they sell the perfume. We can see why they were so effective. It’s all Deneuve.
In January and February of next year we will be presenting an 8-film retrospective of Wim Wenders films. In anticipation of that we would like to share these important and valuable tips for filmmakers as related by the master himself. You can read the original article here or watch Wenders on video sharing some of the greatest hits.
1. You have a choice of being “in the business” or of making movies. If you’d rather do business, don’t hesitate. You’ll get richer, but you won’t have as much fun!
2. If you have nothing to say, don’t feel obliged to pretend you do.
3. If you do have something to say, you’d better stick to it. (But then don’t give too many interviews.)
4. Respect your actors. Their job is 10 times more dangerous than yours.
5. Don’t look at the monitor. Watch the faces in front of your camera! Stand right next to it! You’ll see infinitely more. You can still check your monitor after the take.
6. Your continuity girl is always right about screen directions, jumping the axis and that sort of stuff. Don’t fight her. Bring her flowers.
7. Always remember: Continuity is overrated!
8. Coverage is overrated, too!
9. If you want to shoot day for night, make sure the sun is shining.
10. Before you say “cut,” wait five more seconds.
11. Rain only shows on the screen when you backlight it.
12. Don’t shoot a western if you hate horses. (But it’s okay to not be fond of cows.)
13. Think twice before you write a scene with babies or infants.
14. Never expect dogs, cats, birds or any other animals to do what you’d like them to do. Keep your shots loose.
15. Mistakes never get fixed in post!
16. Final cut is overrated. Only fools keep insisting on always having the final word. The wise swallow their pride in order to get to the best possible cut.
17. Other people have great ideas, too.
18. The more money you have the more you can do with it, sure. But the less you can say with it.
19. Never fall in love with your temp music.
20. Never fall in love with your leading lady!
21. If you love soccer, don’t shoot your film during the World Championship. (Same goes for baseball and the World Series, etc.)
22. Don’t quote other movies unless you have to. (But why would you have to?)
23. Let other people cut your trailer!
24. It’s always good to make up for a lack of (financial) means with an increase in imagination.
25. Having a tight schedule can be difficult. But having too much time is worse.
26. Alright, so you’re shooting with a storyboard. Make sure you’re willing to override it at any given moment.
27. Less make-up is better.
28. Fewer words are always better!
29. Too much sugary stuff on the craft table (or is it Kraft?) can have a disastrous effect on your crew’s morale.
30. Film can reveal the invisible, but you must be willing to let it show.
31. The more you know about moviemaking, the tougher it gets to leave that knowledge behind. As soon as you do things “because you know how to do them,” you’re fucked.
32. Don’t tell a story that you think somebody else could tell better.
33. A “beautiful image” can very well be the worst thing that can happen to a scene.
34. If you have one actor who gets better with every take, and another who loses it after a while, make sure they can meet in the middle. Or consider recasting. (And you know whose close-ups you have to shoot first!)
35. If you shoot in a dark alley at night, don’t let your DP impose a bright blue contre-jour spotlight on you, even in the far distance. It always looks corny.
36. Some actors should never see rushes. Others should be forced to watch them.
37. Be ready to get rid of your favorite shot during editing.
38. Why would you sit in your trailer while your crew is working?
39. Don’t let them lay tracks before you’ve actually looked through your viewfinder.
40. You need a good title from the beginning. Don’t shoot the film with a working title you hate!
41. In general, it’s better not to employ couples. (But of course, there are exceptions!)
42. Don’t adapt novels.
43. If your dolly grip is grumpy or your electricians hate the shot it will all show on the film. (Also, if you’re constipated…)
44. Keep your rough cut speech, your cast and crew screening speech and your Oscar speech short.
45. Some actors actually improve their dialogue in ADR.
46. Some actors should never be forced to loop a single line. (Even Orson Welles wasn’t good at that.)
47. There are 10,000 other rules like these 50.
48. If there are golden rules, there might be platinum ones, too.
