[A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS screens Thursday October 2nd at 6:45 pm and Sunday October 5th at 8:25 p.m. at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
In addition making a superstar out of a cowboy TV actor
named Clint Eastwood, A FISTFUL OF DOLLARS was the first well-known
"spaghetti western." This was the rather derogatory term for Italian cowboy
movies made far away from the beaten trails of America's
Monument Valley
or even the low-budget Monogram Pictures backlot.
In the 1960s Italians, Spanish, German and even Israelis
started making their own westerns, sticking to the classic iconography of gun
duels, saloons and desperadoes on horseback, but without the censorship codes
of Hollywood. Actually, the Germans
were at the lead of the pack in this one, doing “Sauerkraut Westerns” based on the
novels of their own uber-popular western novelist Karl May. The Italian movie
industry jumped eagerly on board the chuckwagon.
Slender Man orders you to go to Cinema Wasteland, October 3, 4 and 5.
[Event preview by Charles Cassady, Jr.]
The
Strongsville-centered Cinema Wasteland grindhouse-movie,
sci-fi/exploitation and drive-in culture convention happens twice every
year, in the spring and in the fall. It's a real head-spinner now to
think about how much the world we know had changed since then.
Back in March/April 2014, LeBron James was far, far away, and Cleveland was never going to live down the humiliation of his departure. No adult knew what a Slender Man was. The Valentines disappearance of Malaysian Airlines 370 had triggered a massive search, was expected to be resolved straightaway. Donald Sterling was due to get an award from the money-grubbing NAACP. Everyone was anticipating a great year at the movies, starting with the Cleveland-filmed CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.
Now it's September/October 2014. The Malaysian Airliner enigma is still unsolved. Robin Williams suicided himself. War in Gaza. War in the Ukraine. War in Ferguson, Missouri. Donald Sterling out; his treacherous informant-mistress probably guaranteed a cushy media job anywhere she goes; thank you, "diversity" hiring. America is losing Iraq and Libya. Children are killing each other to placate Slender Man. Ebola is rampant. Illegals are swarming up from Central America...
Just about every corner of the planet is in turmoil...except Cleveland. LeBron is coming back (supposedly). Cleveland won the Republican Convention. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER was a tremendous success, in a year that is otherwise shaping up to be the film industry's absolute worst since the dismal annum of 1997 (a year I recall with particular soul-wrenching pain). Even the Browns won. At least one game, I'm pretty sure.
The
Strongsville-centered Cinema Wasteland grindhouse-movie,
sci-fi/exploitation and drive-in culture convention happens twice every
year, in the spring and in the fall. It's a real head-spinner now to
think about how much the world we know had changed since then.Back in March/April 2014, LeBron James was far, far away, and Cleveland was never going to live down the humiliation of his departure. No adult knew what a Slender Man was. The Valentines disappearance of Malaysian Airlines 370 had triggered a massive search, was expected to be resolved straightaway. Donald Sterling was due to get an award from the money-grubbing NAACP. Everyone was anticipating a great year at the movies, starting with the Cleveland-filmed CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER.
Now it's September/October 2014. The Malaysian Airliner enigma is still unsolved. Robin Williams suicided himself. War in Gaza. War in the Ukraine. War in Ferguson, Missouri. Donald Sterling out; his treacherous informant-mistress probably guaranteed a cushy media job anywhere she goes; thank you, "diversity" hiring. America is losing Iraq and Libya. Children are killing each other to placate Slender Man. Ebola is rampant. Illegals are swarming up from Central America...
Just about every corner of the planet is in turmoil...except Cleveland. LeBron is coming back (supposedly). Cleveland won the Republican Convention. CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER was a tremendous success, in a year that is otherwise shaping up to be the film industry's absolute worst since the dismal annum of 1997 (a year I recall with particular soul-wrenching pain). Even the Browns won. At least one game, I'm pretty sure.
Walking the Camino (October 4th and 5th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)
[WALKING THE CAMINO screens Saturday October 4th at 6:45 pm and Sunday October 5th at 4:15 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review by Pamela Zoslov
Four years ago, I attended a screening of The Way, a movie about a
group of people walking the Camino de Santiago, starring Martin Sheen
and his son, Emilio Estevez, who directed. Sheen and Estevez were in
attendance, talking about the film and graciously answering questions.
Estevez said he had originally considered making a documentary rather
than a fictional film, and after seeing his well-intentioned but overly
sentimental drama, I thought the documentary would have been the better
choice.
A wonderful documentary on the subject was released just last year: Lydia Smith's WALKING THE CAMINO: SIX WAYS TO SANTIAGO. It's a superb account of the paths of six people of various ages and nationalities attempting to walk the ancient 500-mile Christian pilgrimage path in Spain, which has been followed by seekers for 1,200 years.
Review by Pamela Zoslov
A wonderful documentary on the subject was released just last year: Lydia Smith's WALKING THE CAMINO: SIX WAYS TO SANTIAGO. It's a superb account of the paths of six people of various ages and nationalities attempting to walk the ancient 500-mile Christian pilgrimage path in Spain, which has been followed by seekers for 1,200 years.
31 Days of Halloween 2014: Knights of Badassdom
*Note: This year for our annual 31 Days
of Halloween marathon of horror movie reviews, rather than write
about old favorites, we're focusing on modern horror films that
haven't had a wide theatrical release. So for the entire month of
October, we will be dealing with horror fare that you can find in the
“New Release” section of Netflix or (if you still have one) your
local video store. So instead of nostalgic appreciations and
recommendations, this promises to be more of a “the good, the bad,
and the ugly” kind of affair. Hopefully more good than bad and
ugly, but that remains to be seen.
Review by Bob Ignizio
It wouldn't be hard to make fun of live
action role playing aficionados. These are the folks who take
tabletop fantasy games like Dungeons & Dragons one step further
by actually acting out the epic battles against orcs and wizards
while dressed in full fantasy regalia. Horror comedy KNIGHTS OF
BADASSDOM, however, realizes
that bigger and better laughs can be had by laughing with the larpers
rather than at them.
Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (October 5th at the Cleveland Cinematheque)
[VIC + FLO SAW A BEAR screens Sunday October 5th at 6:30 pm at the Cleveland Cinematheque.]
Review by Matt Finley
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Boxtrolls
Review by Bob Ignizio
Tarzan was orphaned as a babe and
raised by apes. Eggs (voiced by Isaac Hempstead-Wright) got stuck
with THE BOXTROLLS. Don't
get me wrong, the little monsters are nice enough. Eggs is
particularly fond of Fish, who plays barbershop quartet records for
him, and is the closest thing he has to a father. It's just that they
live in the sewer, eat bugs, and have less than stellar personal
hygiene. On top of that, thanks to the power-and-cheese hungry
Archibald Snatcher (Ben Kingsley), everyone in the village of
Cheesebridge thinks the trolls are dangerous monsters who abducted
and ate “the Shropshire Baby”, aka our protagonist Eggs.
The Equalizer
Review by Joseph Anthony
THE EQUALIZER begins with a Mark Twain quote that reads,
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day
you find out why.” For some reason, I
don’t think THE EQUALIZER is what Mr. Twain had in mind.
Denzel Washington plays Bob McCall. Simply put, Bob lives a
normal life in Boston. Lives in a small apartment, works at Home Mart (the
movie equivalent of Home Depot), helps friends in need, reads books at his
favorite coffee shop and befriends Russian call girls (you know, that kind of
normal life).
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
The Apocalypse Couple to Premiere at the Greater Cleveland Urban Film Festival
[Press release from Nblak Productions.]
NBlak Productions, LLC is proud to announce the premiere of THE APOCALYPSE COUPLE, a dramatic short film starring Dan Nye and Renina C. Black, and directed by local filmmaker Miki Blak.
The Apocalypse Couple tells the story of a devastating war that has claimed all of planet earth and civilization as we have understood it, no longer exists.
NBlak Productions, LLC is proud to announce the premiere of THE APOCALYPSE COUPLE, a dramatic short film starring Dan Nye and Renina C. Black, and directed by local filmmaker Miki Blak.
The Apocalypse Couple tells the story of a devastating war that has claimed all of planet earth and civilization as we have understood it, no longer exists.
Ty and Nandi are two of few survivors who struggle day to day to meet their basic need for shelter, water and food.
The couple has taken refuge in a deserted house in a
small neighborhood to offer shelter and rest for a few days. Nandi is a
dreamer and Ty a realist. Their opposing views have the pair constantly
at odds with the world and each other.
Special Live Event Screening of Feature Film “Addicted,” Based on Smash Best-Seller, on October 9
[Press release from Fathom Events.]
The legions of fans of Zane’s provocative best-selling thriller “Addicted,” adapted into a major motion picture from Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Codeblack Films, will be treated
to a unique one-night event, “Addicted:
Live With Zane,”
The legions of fans of Zane’s provocative best-selling thriller “Addicted,” adapted into a major motion picture from Lionsgate (NYSE: LGF) and Codeblack Films, will be treated
to a unique one-night event, “Addicted:
Live With Zane,”
the day before the film’s nationwide theatrical release, it was announced today by event hosts Lionsgate, Codeblack
Films and Fathom Events.
The three companies have joined forces to give fans an early chance to see the film and participate in a live Q&A
with best-selling author Zane,
Addicted stars Sharon Leal,
Boris Kodjoe, Tasha Smith, Tyson Beckford and William Levy and the
film’s director Bille Woodruff. The event will be broadcast live from
the AMC Magic Johnson Theater in New York and audiences will have the
opportunity to
ask questions via Twitter as well as hear Grammy®-winning recording artist Estelle sing her latest single, “Conqueror,” featured in the film.
Friday, September 19, 2014
Brush With Danger (opens September 19th in Cleveland exclusively at Tower City Cinemas)
[BRUSH WITH DANGER
opens in Cleveland on Friday September 19th exclusively at Tower City
Cinemas.]
Review by Bob Ignizio
Following in the footsteps of countless
martial artists before them, Indonesian brother and sister Ken and
Livi Zheng try to translate their fighting prowess into screen
stardom in BRUSH WITH DANGER.
In the film they play siblings as well, Alice and Ken, just recently
arrived illegally in Seattle. To make money, they set up in a park
and try to sell Alice's paintings, with Ken doing his best to drum up
business. They only get attention, however, once they put on a
martial arts and acrobatics demonstration.
The
demonstration catches the eye of local gallery owner Justus Sullivan
(Norman Newkirk). When he comes over to give the duo some money, he
finds himself impressed by Alice's artwork and offers to take the
girl under his wing. He also helps Ken find work as a fighter. It
truly seems, as Ken himself declares, that they're, “living the
dream!”
