Happy 83rd Birthday Melvin Van Peebles – Hear His Story In His Own Words
Melvin Van Peebles kicked off the blaxploitation film cycle with 1971’s SWEET SWEETBACK’S BAADASSSSS SONG, which he wrote, directed, edited, starred in, and wrote music for. In addition to this, he is a pioneer in independent film production and distribution going way back to his first efforts in the late ’50s. Here he talks, in […]
Why is Yale University Library Collecting Thousands of Low-Brow VHS Tapes?
There’s a nice article in The Atlantic this month by David Gary about Yale’s VHS preservation initiative, which has been focused on saving horror and exploitation titles on VHS. There’s no doubt that the VHS wave has a great deal of historical interest – with some videotapes selling for hundreds of dollars on collectors’ markets […]
Watch This: Laura Dern on the Brilliance and Humanity of Barbara Stanwyck
I’ve shared this TCM video many times over the past few years. It’s still the best video essay I have ever seen. The selection of clips is perfect, the subject matter, Barbara Stanwyck, is fascinating. Laura Dern’s appreciation of Stanwyck and her work is so heartfelt and moving. The appreciation has added weight because Dern […]
From Film Comment: Penelope Spheeris Talks About the DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION
Penelope Spheeris and daughter Anna Fox, responsible for bringing the films back into circulation Director Penelope Spheeris will join AFS on August 28 and 29 for screenings of her classic docs DECLINE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION parts I-III and her narrative SUBURBIA. Here is an interview from Film Comment about the DECLINE films and how they […]
James Ponsoldt’s END OF THE TOUR AFS Q&A and Film Stage Interview
Director James Ponsoldt joined us at AFS on August 6 for an advance screening of THE END OF THE TOUR, the new film based on a series of encounters between author David Foster Wallace and journalist David Lipsky. Wallace is portrayed by Jason Segal and Kipsy is played by Jesse Eisenberg. Here, AFS Associate Artistic […]
Happy 95th Birthday Maureen O’Hara: Watch Her Stump a Game Show Panel
There are so few links to Hollywood’s Golden Era still with us today. Maureen O’Hara is on the younger fringe of the great stars but she enlivened such classics as DANCE, GIRL, DANCE (1940), HOW GREEN WAS MY VALLEY (1941), MIRACLE ON 34th STREET (1947) and THE QUIET MAN (1952). Her charm, grace, talent and […]
It’s Alfred Hitchcock Day! Enjoy these Polish Hitchcock Posters
Alfred Hitchcock (born on this day in 1899) is, of course one of the best known filmmakers in the world. Polish poster designers seemed to especially relish creating posters for Hitch’s films. Here are a few of the best. STAGE FRIGHT (1950) VERTIGO (1958) THE BIRDS (1963) FAMILY PLOT (1976) Happy […]
Filmmaking Advice from Samuel Fuller, Born on this Day in 1912
Samuel Fuller (1912-1997) was an American iconoclast in best tradition. He started working in newspaper offices at age 12, later becoming a hustling crime reporter, where he got a lot of material for later scripts. He eventually became a novelist and a Hollywood screenwriter. When America entered WWII he enlisted and saw some of the […]
Resource Alert: 40 Years Of Raw Press Junket Interview Footage
Sigourney Weaver interviewed during ALIEN press junket Here’s a really fascinating journey through film and television history. Bobbie Wygant was longtime entertainment reporter for Dallas’ NBC affiliate KXAS (she started in 1948!), and she went on many press junkets throughout the late ’70s and beyond, taping interviews with many Hollywood directors and stars. Here is […]
Watch This: A Wild 1930 Pre-Code Color Musical Set In Hell
Here’s a real oddity – a musical short, made at MGM in 1930 using an early color film process – that depicts Satan’s difficulties getting new customers in the door and the efforts of Satan’s marketing department to spearhead (or forkhead) some new sales initiatives. It’s sweet and silly and pre-code and delightful. Enjoy. Part […]
Was Robert Mitchum the Coolest Guy Ever? Evidence Points to Yes
Actor Robert Mitchum, known for his tough demeanor and melodious deep voice, was born on this date in 1917. Back in 1971 he joined Dick Cavett for a long form interview on Cavett’s legendary talk show. It’s one of the best talk show interviews I’ve ever seen and Mitchum, who was a proto-counterculturalist from way […]
Breaking: Library Of Congress has THE DAY THE CLOWN CRIED
There’s a cool article in the Los Angeles Times today about the Library Of Congress’ “Mostly Lost” film festival, which brings academics, experts and hobbyists together to look at reels of film and hopefully identify, collate and place them in their proper historical context. It sounds like a lot of fun, but the big takeaway […]
