O'ER THE LAND
Deborah Stratman's new feature takes us into the wild wild world of, well, America - exploring battle reinactments, RVs, gun shows (the kind where you can shoot something and it will blow up) and the incredible story of an airman who parachuted from his plane only to get caught in a thunderstorm for 45 minutes. Stratman's tone and camera is controlled yet playful, with beautiful imagery and far more humor than you would expect. What the hell is going on in this country? The freaking wild west never ended.
Also shows with Stratman's "Paranomal Trilogy" of short films. An older Cinemad interview with Deborah is here.
Mon 2.23.09 8:30 pm
http://www.redcat.org/season/0809/fv/stratman.php
BRUCE CONNER'S EXPLOSIVE CINEMA: A TRIBUTE, PART 2
Bruce Conner was one of the first to rework found film footage into new short films, but that's not what makes him one of the greatest. His movies examine politics and celebrity, sex and violence, using images you may recognize but with his notable hand in the mix. Although he was adored by academics and the art world, Conner was not interested in making everyone happy. He made films because he had something to say. Sadly, he passed away last year.
Surveying the filmmaker's work over a 50-year span, the program includes A Movie (1958, 12 min.), Marilyn Times Five (1973, 14 min.), Permian Strata (1969, 4 min.), Mea Culpa (1981, 4 min.), Looking for Mushrooms (1967, 3 min.), Looking for Mushrooms (1996 version, 15 min.), Report (1967, 13 min.), Television Assassination (1995, 14 min.), Take the 5:10 to Dreamland (1977, 5 min.), Valse Triste (1977, 5 min.) and - the caveat - Bruce's last film, the gorgeous Easter Morning (2008, 10 min., DV).
In person: Dennis Hopper, longtime Conner friend and co-conspirator, and guest of honor Jean Conner
Mon 3.02.09 8:30 pm
http://redcat.org/season/0809/fv/conner.php
Bruce Conner's Explosive Cinema: A Tribute, Part 1 is being shown on February 28. See cinema.ucla.edu for program info.
The Cinemad interview with Bruce Conner is available here.
