17th Annual St. Louis International Film Festival (SLIFF)
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This is a pretty cool festival that is more documentary driven, with a few cool indie pieces. Check out the website: Cinema Saint Louis: SLIFF info. Hope to see ya there.
Here are the movies we are planning to see…
Humboldt County
Darren Grodsky & Danny Jacobs, U.S., 2008, 97 min.
Thursday, Nov. 13, 7 p.m., Tivoli 1
After a drunken one-night stand, tightly wound UCLA med student Peter Hadley (Jeremy Strong) finds himself stranded in picturesque Humboldt County at the family home of free-spirited Bogart (Fairuza Balk). The judgmentally inclined Peter at first resists the eccentric enclave of pot farmers but slowly comes to embrace their easygoing life and ideals. Consciously evoking such ’70s classics as “The Graduate” and “Five Easy Pieces,” “Humboldt County” features an astonishingly deep ensemble that includes rising actor Chris Messina (“Vicki Christina Barcelona”), HBO stars Frances Conroy (“Six Feet Under”) and Brad Dourif (“Deadwood”), and legendary filmmaker Peter Bogdanovich. At the film’s SXSW debut, the Austin Chronicle described the “pitch-perfect directing debut” of former St. Louisans Grodsky and Jacobs as “a smart, moving, and altogether canny glimpse into the heart of a shell-shocked American dream.”
With directors Grodsky & Jacobs.
Sponsored by Mandarin and Jeffrey T. Fort.
Adam Resurrected
Paul Schrader, U.S., 2008, 106 min.
Friday, Nov. 14, 7 p.m., Tivoli 1
In the latest film from celebrated writer-director Schrader (”Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull,” “American Gigolo”), Jeff Goldblum gives an acclaimed performance— described by the Hollywood Reporter as “the role of a career”— as Adam Stein, a charismatic patient at a mental institution for Holocaust survivors in early-’60s Israel. During the war, despite his status as a much-loved circus entertainer, Adam was shipped to a concentration camp, where the commandant (Willem Dafoe) forced him to act the part of a dog to survive. Incarcerated again at the asylum, Adam recognizes another such pitiable creature— a barking young boy raised in a basement on a chain— whom he works to save. An official selection of the Telluride and Toronto film fests, “Adam Resurrected” is adapted from Yoram Kaniuk’s lauded novel and co-stars Derek Jacobi.
With director Schrader, a Lifetime Achievement Award honoree.
Sponsored by Marcia Harris.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
Paul Schrader, U.S., 1985, 121 min., Japanese
Saturday, Nov. 15, 2:15 p.m., Tivoli 1
SLIFF presents a new 35mm print of the gorgeously restored “Mishima,” which Lifetime Achievement Award honoree Schrader considers his finest work. Visually stunning and structurally audacious – featuring John Bailey’s ravishing cinematography, Philip Glass’ propulsive score and Eiko Ishioka’s exquisite sets and costumes – the film offers a collage-like portrait of acclaimed Japanese author and playwright Yukio Mishima (Ken Ogata). Taking place on Mishima’s last day, when he famously committed public seppuku (ritual suicide), the film alternates extended flashbacks to the writer’s life and stylized adaptations of his fiction. Reviewing the new Criterion DVD of “Mishima,” critic Nathan Rabin of the Onion A.V. Club writes: “Just as his subject sought to reconcile intellect and action, words and deeds, Schrader finds a perfect union between sound and image, weighty ideas, and giddy sensual rapture.”
With director Schrader. Sponsored by Film and Media Studies Program at Washington University.
The Inferno (L’inferno)
Giuseppe de Liguoro, Italy, 1911 (restored in 2004), 71 min.
Sunday, Nov. 16, 3 p.m., SLAM
The first full-length Italian film ever made, “The Inferno” is a wild re-imagining of Dante’s epic, an extremely loose adaptation that takes inspiration from the illustrations of Gustav Doré to conjure its visions of hell. A three-year production that involved more than 150 people – an astonishing figure at the time – “The Inferno” proved an international hit, taking in more than $2 million in the United States alone. Calling the film “a fascinating relic of pre-First World War signs and wonders,” the Independent’s Nick Hasted marvels that “The Inferno” has “the antique oddness of a magic-lantern show, as carousels of bodies jerkily swivel, rows of legs poke out of a river of filth, and a dragon appears, inexplicably, for a second. Naked bodies twist in suffering, and men in horned devil-suits cackle.”
With live musical accompaniment by the New Music Circle.
Co-presented by the Saint Louis Art Museum.
The Fish Fall in Love (Mahiha Ashegh Mishavand)
Ali Raffi, Iran, 2006, 96 min., Farsi
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 12:30 p.m., Frontenac
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7:15 p.m., Frontenac
Atieh’s singular passion is food, and her small but popular restaurant on the sleepy Caspian coast is her pride and joy. But when Aziz, her former fiancé, appears after a 20-year absence, Atieh fears that he intends to close the restaurant. In a desperate effort to convince him otherwise, Atieh prepares his favorite dishes, one after the other. Loosely based on the Persian fable of “A Thousand and One Nights,” the film uses the language of food to paint a richly textured portrait of life and love on the northern coast of Iran.
Remarkable Power!
Brandon Beckner, U.S., 2008, 91 min.
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 5 p.m., Tivoli 3
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 9:15 p.m., Tivoli 3
With the plug about to be pulled on his talk show and his wife engaged in a steamy affair, Jack West (Kevin Nealon of “SNL” and “Weeds”) is desperate to restore his fading celebrity. He concocts a wild media stunt, and the elaborate scheme ultimately entangles an eclectic collection of colorful characters, including a plump private eye (Tom Arnold), a macabre Web mistress, a glassy-eyed stoner (Evan Peters), a phony get-rich-quick guru (Christopher Titus), two narcissistic actors (Kip Pardue and Dulé Hill), a peculiar special-effects makeup team, porn stars, a Jewish drug lord and Russian mobsters.
The Pope’s Toilet (El Baño del Papa)
César Charlone, Uruguay, 2007, 90 min., Spanish
Wednesday, Nov. 19, 7 p.m., Tivoli 1
It’s 1988, and Melo, a Uruguayan town on the Brazilian border, awaits the visit of Pope John Paul II. More than 50,000 people are expected to attend, and the locals believe that selling food and drink to the gathered multitudes will make them rich. But petty smuggler Beto thinks he has the best idea of all: He decides he will build a public toilet in front of his house and charge for its use. His efforts bring about unexpected consequences, and the final results will surprise everyone. An official selection of both the Cannes and Toronto film festivals, “The Pope’s Toilet” gleefully mixes the sacred and the profane, with the Village Voice calling the film an “alternately heartbreaking and hilarious satire” that “bawdily conveys the complex Latin-American relationship to God – and the means by which authoritarian institutions take a dump on the lives of the impoverished.”
Visual Acoustics: The Modernism of Julius Shulman
Eric Bricker, U.S., 2008, 83 min.
Saturday, Nov. 22, 6:15 p.m., Tivoli 1
“Visual Acoustics” – narrated by Dustin Hoffman – explores the monumental career of 97-year-old architectural photographer Julius Shulman. Populating his photos with human models and striking landscapes, Shulman combined the organic with the synthetic, melding nature with revolutionary urban design. The resulting images helped to shape the careers of some of the greatest architects of the 20th century, including Frank Lloyd Wright, Richard Neutra and Rudolf Schindler. Through the exploration of both Shulman’s art and uniquely individualistic life, the film offers an unforgettable portrait of modernism’s most eloquent ambassador. Variety writes: “Something of a missionary statement for a missionary, this is nirvana for lovers of mid-century modern and fine-art photography.” With director Bricker.
Sponsored by Art House.
The Wrestler
Darren Aronofsky, U.S., 2008, 105 min.
Sunday, Nov. 23, 6:30 p.m., Tivoli 1
Back in the ’80s, professional wrester Randy “The Ram” Robinson (Mickey Rourke) was at the top of his game, but 25 years later he’s reduced to fighting in grueling, untelevised matches in front of crowds screaming for carnage. Outside the ring, all Randy has to show for his life is a painful relationship with his estranged daughter Stephanie (Evan Rachel Wood) and a tentative romance with stripper Cassidy (Marisa Tomei). Winner of the Golden Lion for best film at Venice, “The Wrestler” – the closing-night film at the New York Film Festival – marks a major return to form for director Aronofsky (“Pi,” “Requiem for a Dream”) and especially actor Rourke. “Rourke creates a galvanizing, humorous, deeply moving portrait that instantly takes its place among the great, iconic screen performances,” writes Variety’s Todd McCarthy. “An elemental story simply and brilliantly told, Darren Aronofsky’s fourth feature is a winner from every possible angle.”
Sponsored by Sight and Sound Production Services
Categories: A Life in Four Chapters, Adam Resurrected, Adam Stein, Annual, Art, Cultural Festivals, Description, Documentary, Events, Fesitival, Film, Frontenac, holocaust survivors, Humboldt County, Independent, Innovation, International, Jeff Goldblum, Mishima, Movie, News, Paul Schrader, Peter Bogdanovich, Philip Glass, Remarkable Power, Saint Louis, Shared, SLAM, St. Louis, The Fish Fall in Love, The Inferno, The Modernism of Julius Shulman, The Pope’s Toilet, The Wrestler, Tivoli, Visual Acoustics, William Dafoe, Yukio MishimaRelated Posts
2-Year Old Laser Projection Designs
(+1 rating, 1 votes) Loading ...The really cool part of this technology, is that normal light based projection methods need reflective surfaces to improve luminance of the image, and rear light projection systems degrades over the life of the tube or device. These “new” technologies provide some interesting solutions to the old multiple screen displays, without loosing quality, and in fact: improving quality over any uneven surface. I look forward to the day when these devices were more consumer level, and from what one of these two videos suggest, they will hit the market in 18 months (2 years ago) at prices comparable or of not better than the current plasma or LCD technologies and for sizes generally larger. Doesn’t look like these products have hit the market… very, VERY interested in utilizing one of these types of projectors. It would ROCK the world we live in. Imagine being able to project a full motion flash piece on a slightly frosted window, sidewalk or whole storefront, bus terminal, the passing traffic… and it looking totally awesome! Man it would be fun an amazing canvas to paint on. Just wish i could find a way to get access to one that was mobile… man that would be fun.
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Using Biology to Make Better Animations (2008) Torsten Reil
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For years I have heard about special algorithms that were used to understand how the flow could effect blood cells through a mechanical valve using a NASA formula for analyzing air flow through a jet engine. Even the crash sequences in the pod races of Star Wars were completely based on a virtual crash formula that was 100% computer driven, and there are many other examples of this concept. It is the obvious evolution in 3d design animation. Instead of a two day creation that was the result of interpretation of what would happen in a particular case, these formula actually allow for the computer to do much of “tweaking.”
Now at TED, Torsten Reil gives a remarkable talk was given about how characters move in games, and how to make more lifelike using genetic algorithms… mimicking the human spinal cord and using evolutionary learning algorithms… it is very cool idea.
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Archived Polls
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...About the Archived Polls Page
This is all the active polls for this site, more is on the way in terms of cleanup, and use. For now i have selected a few simple questions to start with… more on the way that deal with design and advertising topics, as well as a few political questions. Not sure where this will go, just a bit interested in trying it out.
Categories: Archive, Archived Polls, Barack, Barack Obama, Democracy, Election, Experimental, Gathering, John, John McCain, McCain, Movie, Obama, Politics, Poll, Questionair, Research, Star Wars, Trace
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St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...July 19: Filmmaking Seminar/Film Program, Regional Arts Commission, 6128 Delmar Blvd.
July 20-23: Film Programs, Tivoli Theatre
July 24: Closing-Night Awards Party, Blueberry Hill
Click (here) for a list of the official film selections for the 2008 Showcase.
Tickets
Tickets for film programs at the Tivoli are $10 each; $8 for students with valid and current photo ID and for Cinema St. Louis members with valid membership cards. Advance tickets go on sale beginning Tuesday, July 1, at the Tivoli Theatre box office (5-10 p.m. Monday-Friday and 2-10 p.m. Saturday-Sunday). Tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis. No phone sales, but tickets can be purchased online (see below).
Online Ticket Sales
Tickets may also be purchased in advance at tickets.landmarktheatres.com. There is a $1 per-ticket service charge. You must pick up your tickets at the Tivoli box-office window. Bring the credit card that you used to purchase the tickets and the confirmation number. Online sales are limited to full-price tickets only. Cinema St. Louis member and student discounts can only be obtained in person at the box office because ID is required.
The St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase (SLFS), an annual presentation of the nonprofit Cinema St. Louis, serves as the area’s primary venue for films made by local artists. With advances in affordable digital filmmaking, more and more movies are being made in St. Louis and environs, but opportunities for moviegoers to see that work are scarce, because few of the films ever screen commercially. SLFS frequently provides the only chance area filmmakers have to display their talents on the big screen.
SLFS is held at the Tivoli Theatre in the vibrant Delmar Loop entertainment district. A carefully renovated art-deco theater from the 1920s with a 450-seat main auditorium, the Tivoli is regularly voted St. Louis’ favorite theater in the Riverfront Times’ annual “Best of St. Louis” poll. The event annually screens works that were written, directed, edited, or produced by St. Louis natives or those with strong local ties featuring 15-20 programs over five days, ranging from full-length fiction features and documentaries to multi-film compilations of fiction and documentary shorts. Highlights include post-screening talks with filmmakers, lively seminars on the moviemaking process, and a closing-night party at Blueberry Hill that features announcements of SLFS films chosen for inclusion in the St. Louis International Film Festival and awards given by the St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association.
Categories: Art, Blueberry Hill, Creation, Delmar Loop, Events, Film Program, Movie, Recording, Regional Arts Commission, Saint Louis, Seminar, Shared, The Loop, Tivoli Theatre, VideoRelated Posts
