presents
12-hr "Friday dee 13th" Movie Marathon
: Fri Oct 13th 2006 : 7pm-7am - dusk to dawn :
@Majlis: 163 Walnut AVE. - 1-1/2 bks S. of Queen; 1-bk W. Niagara [2-Lights W. Bathurst]
Programme:
Programme notes for Kenneth Anger's 'Occult
Magick' Trilogy...
On Tuesday, October 17th, THE BLOOR CINEMA will present an [5-hr?] 'Evening with Kenneth Anger' who will be in attendance!!! According to the Bloor's programme notes: Anger will be there to introduce "a retrospective of his films, and the premiere of new doc about him, Anger Me. Author of the best-selling 1960 book Hollywood Babylon (whose scandalous revelations transcended gossip), the source for gay iconography, influenced by the work of Aleister Crowley, and the inspiration of the Rolling Stones Sympathy for the Devil, Kenneth Anger's impact on American film, music videos and television has been substantial.' The evening begins at 7pm [$15] and, I believe it's dee actual world premiere screening of Anger Me. WOW, dee last time I saw Anger was back in 1981 at The Funnel, where he attended dee world-premiere screening of the then latest-version of Lucifer Rising, along with a week-long screening of his Magick Lantern Cycle series. In honour of this historic event, I would love to present my favourite Anger flic ever, Pleasure Dome, and is dee only film in film-history - that I know of it - was re-versioned THREE times. The third-version is extremely difficult to find!!! The Magick Lantern Cycle was programmed years ago by Anger himself. It's a retrospective of nine of his films, but they are not in-order, and are usually shown over four evenings [seems like the Bloor will screen all[?] of dee MLC - two versions of Pleasure Dome are shown in MLC, but they are on different nights.
"Offering a description of himself for the program of a 1966 screening, Kenneth Anger stated his 'lifework' as being Magick and his 'magical weapon' the cinematograph. A follower of Aleister Crowley's teachings, Anger is a high level practitioner of occult magic who regards the projection of his films as ceremonies capable of invoking spiritual forces. Cinema, he claims, is an evil force. Its point is to exert control over people and events and his filmmaking is carried out with precisely that intention." [from: sensesofcinema.com]
NEWSFLASH!!!- Fantoma.com is finally releasing a DVD of Angers films!!! Entitled 'The Films of Kenneth Anger: Volume One (1947-54)' [street date: Nov 28/06], and contains: Fireworks (1947), Puce Moment (1949), Rabbit's Moon (1950, the rarely seem original 16' version), Eaux d'artifice (1953), Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954).Special features include: "High-definition transfers from newly restored elements; Screen specific audio commentary by Kenneth Anger; Rare outtakes and behind-the-scenes images; 36-page hard-cover book, featuring, written appreciations for each films by famous filmmakers, never before seen sketches and plans for unproduced films, and more; Much more!" I for one can't wait to buy one!!! So, without further adieu, Anger's 'Occult Magick' Trilogy:
7:00pm Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954-66, 38', 16mm [1.33:1], colour, mono, USA)
dir/[wr/prod/dop/editor-?]: Kenneth Anger [is his 'stage name' - actually born: Kenneth Wilbur Anglemyer]
Cast: Sampson De Brier (Lord Shiva, Osiris, The Great Beast), Marjorie Cameron (The Scarlet Woman, Kali), Joan Whitney (Aphrodite), Katy Kadell (Isis), Renate Druks [as, Renata Loom] (Lilith), Anais Nin (Astarte), Paul Mathison (Pan), [filmmaker] Curtis Harrington (Slave), Kenneth Anger (Hectate), Peter Loome (Ganymede).
Stellar cornucopia of a film that re-tells dee infamous details of dee shifts in consciousness undergone by guests at an occult Eucharist at dee house of Lord Shiva, the Magician. Jean Cocteau said of this film, "A highly ingenious Chinese torment!" "The film is derived from one of Crowley's dramatic rituals where people in the cult assume the identity of a god or a goddess. In other words, it's the equivalent of a masquerade party - they plan this for a whole year and on All Sabbath's Eve they come as gods and goddesses that they have identified with and the whole thing is like an improvised happening.' [canyoncinema.com]
8:00pm Invocation of My Demon Brother (1969, 11', 16mm [1.33:1], colour, mono, USA)
dir/wr/prod/dop/editor: Kenneth Anger; music: Mick Jagger.
Cast: Mick Jagger (Himself); Brian Jones (Himself); Keith Richards (Himself); Charlie Watts (Himself)
"If the 'translation' of the antique, closed universe of Pleasure Dome into the real milieu of Scorpio Rising implied that Anger believed Magick was active in the modern world and by the early '60s no longer needed an academically mythological context to be made cinema, the berserk Invocation of My Demon Brother shows it as immanent by the end of that decade. Aptly described by its director as 'an attack on the sensorium', it is a disturbing montage of jarringly edited images and symbols accompanied by a repetitive synthesized soundtrack by Mick Jagger that sounds like a malfunctioning computer printer." [senseofcinema.com]
8:15pm Lucifer Rising (1970-81, 28', 16mm [1.33:1], colour, mono, USA)
dir/[wr/prod/editor-?]: Kenneth Anger; dop: Chris O'Dell; music: Bobby Beausoleil, Jimmy Page [uncredited].
Cast: Kenneth Anger (Lucifer), Donald Cammell (Osiris), Marianne Faithfull (Lilith), Myriam Gibril, Bobby Beausoleil.
"His subsequent and latest film to date, Lucifer Rising is a departure from his previous major works. If Pleasure Dome, Scorpio Rising and Demon Brother remained fixated on death, Lucifer Rising is about rebirth, a celebration of the power of nature and of the ancient gods. It is a film of breathtaking beauty and power that supplants the closed worlds of Pleasure Dome and Scorpio Rising as well as Demon Brother's zone of all-pervading disorientation with an awesome sense of timelessness and spatial immensity, engendered at least in part by having been shot at often sacred sites all over the world. The 'ritual structure' of the previous films is present, but opened up. It now operates on two levels, encompassing the world of the gods as well as the efforts of the adept at summoning them. Linking Egyptian mythology, embodied by Isis (Miriam Gibril) and Osiris (Donald Cammell), with Crowleyan practices, it celebrates Lucifer not as the devil but as lord of light. 'Lucifer' Anger observes 'is the patron saint of the visual arts. Colour, form, all thee are the works of Lucifer.'' [senseofcinema.com]
Programme notes for Kubrick & Lynch connection here...
Let's look at this connection in GREATER detail here. According to imdb (TS trivia): "Stanley Kubrick made the cast watch Eraserhead (1977) to put them in the mood he wanted from them." (((Kub only screens film prints folks!!!))) And according to dee best Kubrick website, visual-memory.co.uk says, "He was also reportedly a big fan of David Lynch's Eraserhead." Kub loved to show films to his cast and crews on-set! I'm reminded here of an infamous Kub story: "One day during the shooting of Full Metal Jacket, Kubrick would halt production in order to screen a new copy of Paths of Glory to the crew. Partway through, he leaned over to camera operator John Ward and said, 'Isn't that great, John?' Ward agreed that it was a wonderful film. 'Yes,' Kubrick sighed. 'Not a scratch anywhere.'" (pg. 330, "Stanley Kubrick: A Biography" by John Baxter)
Now folks, lets have a look at some of dee other evidence here:
Both films were released in 1980:
Kub's TS (May 23rd), and, Lynch's EM (The Elephant Man)
(Oct 3rd)
Both were shot in England:
-- TS was shot mostly at Elstree Studios (Borehamwood, Hertfordshire)
- and to a lesser degree, at Pinewood Studios (Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire)
-- while EM was shot "nearby" at Lee International Studios
(Wembley, London), and at, Shepperton Studios (Shepperton, Surrey)
Shooting schedules:
-- TS was shot between May '78, until the end of April '79; and Kub
almost used every top film personnel in England here!!! At first, Kub wanted
to shoot TS in chronological-script-order, so he had all sets built and pre-lit
all dee time - just in case folks. He used every sqaure-inch of Elstree Studios,
and then some - even going as far as bulldozing long-standing backlot sets
to build new one. But dee originally planned 17-week production schedule -
it was usual at this time in his life - quickly became all-shot-to-hell, and
as we know, he had to abandoned that chronological-script-shooting-order schedule
in favour of a quasi-one!!! But it was Kubrick, so who's to complain? Hey,
even dee next regularlly scheduled production at Elstree, Raiders of the Lost
Ark, didn't mind waiting for dee Grand Master to finish shooting to his hearts
content!!! I think, that by the time EM began shooting down-dee-road,
dee stories were legendary, because folks in dee biz know how dee crews like
to talk amoungst themselves. One big happy family they are. But hey, they
don't like to "air our dirty laundry." If you know what I mean here.
(((Wink! Wink!!! Say no more? Say no more!!!)))
-- I'm guessing here: but by the time EM started shooting sometime
in 1979, or early in 1980 (hard to find dee exact production dates here -
anyone know for sure?), and considering that Lynch was using dee top-british
film crews here - Freddie Francis was dp folks - it would all create such
great cross-talk between Kub's and Lynch's crews, to the point of becoming
legendary, especially on dee EM set - Lynch's first hollywood film.
Yes, dee actors saw E numerous times, "to put them in the mood,"
but to halt production for all to screen E, or any other film for
that matter, is unheard-off - even to this very day. Can you imagine how it
felt back then? I can. Kubrick does always work in mysterious ways folks!!!!
But it's still just a thought here?
Even though I have never read anywhere that Kubrick actually spoken the words,
that "He had a fondness in his heart for David Lynch," I would just
like to add here, that actions really do speak louder than words. OK? For
an artist such as Lynch, I'm sure he felt it too, and it inspired him to greater
heights. It is no wonder that The Elephant Man is such a legendary
film - dee word classic is too mild a term here!!! Enjoy...
9:10pm Eraserhead (1977, 90', 35mm [1.85:1], B&W, stereo, USA) - dee original [n.a.] 'premiere version' ran for approximately 108 minutes, back when it's theatrical release on September 28, 1977 in New York.
dir/wr/prod/editor/snd des/SPFx/pd-art dir/music/lyricist: David Lynch; dop: Herbert Cardwell, Frederick Elmes.
Cast: John [Jack] Nance (Henry Spencer), Charlotte Stewart (Mary X), Allen Joseph (Mr. X), Jeanne Bates (Mrs. X), Judith Anna Roberts (Beautiful Girl Across the Hall), Laurel Near (Lady in the Radiator), Jack Fisk (Man in the Planet).
((("Are you Henry?"))) Lynch's first-feature, and is generally regarded as dee #1 cult movie of all-time. Period. A movie virtually void of dialogue, and has a sound design to match that rivals any in cinematic history. I dares you to find a better one. Surrealism and nightmares have never had a better proprietor!!! Check out some of these classic lines: ((("In Heaven, everything is fine. In Heaven, everything is fine. You've got your good things. And I've got mine." [Lady in the Radiator]))) ((("I thought I heard a stranger. We've got chicken tonight. Strangest damn things. They're man made. Little damn things. Smaller than my fist. But they're new. Hi, I'm Bill." [Mr. X]))) (((Hmmmmmm... Chicken ... Gn'aaaaaaaaaa!!!!)))
11:00redrum The Shining (1980, 143', 35mm [1.66:1], colour, stereo, USA/UK) - dee Masterpiece Of Modern Horror!!!
dir/co-wr/prod [uncredited: dop/editor/snd des]: Stanley Kubrick; co-wr: Diane Johnson; music: Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind.
Cast: Jack Nicholson (Jack Torrance), Shelly Duvall (Wendy Torrance), Danny Lloyd (Danny Torrance), Scatman Crothers (Dick Hallorann), Barry Nelson (Stuart Ullman), Philip Stone (Delbert Gradey), Joe Turkel (Lloyd the Bartender), Anne Jackson (Doctor), Tony Burton (Larry Durkin), Lia Beldam (Young Woman in Bath), Billie Gibson (Old Woman in Bath) ... Vivian Kubrick [youngest of his 3 daughters] (Smoking Guest on Ballroom Couch - uncredited).
Kubrick repeatedly forced his actors to watch Eraserhead ad nausea just to "get in the mood" for their parts. Homer, I mean writer Jack Torrance goes to dee isolated Overlook Hotel with his family to become its' winter caretaker. Danny see's strange spirits and disturbing visions of dee hotel's past using a telepathic gift, lovingly known as "The Shin'ing" by Bart Simpson. (((Redrum, Redrum, Redrum!!!))) Meanwhile, Jack is underway writing his epic novel to end all novels [I for one can't wait to see how it all turns out, OK?] when he slowly slips into insanity as a result of being edged-on by dee hotels former guests/ghost's. After being convinced by a waiter's ghost to "correct" dee family, Jack goes completely insane. The only thing that can save Danny and his mother is "The Shin'ing." (((Where's Rosebud, when you need 'em?)))
2:00am The Wicker Man (1973, 100', 35mm [1.85:1], colour, mono, UK) - dee [definitive] British directors-cut version will be shown!!!
dir: Robin Hardy; novel/wr: Anthony Shaffer; prod: Peter Snell; dop: Harry Waxman; music: Paul Giovanni, Gary Carpenter.
Cast: Edward Woodward ([Scottish Police] Sergeant Howie), Christopher Lee (Lord Summerisle), Diane Cilento (Miss Rose), Britt Ekland (Willow), Ingrid Pitt (Librarian), Lindsay Kemp (Alder MacGregor), Russell Waters (Harbour Master), Aubrey Morris (Old Gardener//Gravedigger), Irene Sunters (May Morrison), Walter Carr (School Master).
OMee spiritually anyone!!! Well it seems solstice came a little early this year. Oh that magical number 13 - so spiritual a number it really is in most of our ancient cultures, eh!!! Oh yeah, Lee is Lord of a small island off dee coast of Scotland. When a little girl disappears, a Scottish police sergeant goes to investigate, only to discover a society of modern pagans. (((Yea-haa!!!)) It's very eerie and erotic folks! Forget dee awful remake made this year, or dee even despicable 1973 american version, which not only are 84' and 88' long, and contains a completely different ending, and moderate changes to dee storyline - to change this ending was a travesty. When will they ever learn, eh folks!!!. But, at least, dee old [pre-2001] British-version was 95' long, and preserve's dee ending!!!
4:00am Gambling, Gods and LSD (2002, 180', 35mm [1.66:1?], colour, stereo, Canada/Switzerland) - well, Peter might here be In-Person, but then again, he is a very busy guy!!!
dir/wr/dop/editor/snd des: Peter Mettler; exec prod: Atom Egoyan, Peter Mettler, Andreas Zst; prod: Alexandra Rockingham Gill, Cornelia Seitler, Ingrid Veninger; co-editor: Roland Schlimme; co-snd design: Peter Brūker; music: Peter Brūker, Dimitri de Perrot, Fred Frith, Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, Jim O'Rourke; editorial input: Michael Ondaatje
Cast: John Paul Young (as, Himself), Peter Mettler (as, The Narrator) ... Me, Myself & I (as, You).
Well what do you say of one of the greatest films in decades!!! Loco filmmaker Mettler will field your dawn'ting questions (he! he!) over a super-strong Shanger Latte, if he does show up [he's shooting up in Collingwood, and is expected back this Friday - shhhhh...]. He will hopefully introduce his last film in his repertoire into dee realm of dee niether-regions of our collective minds!!! It's on shot and released on 35mm. It's "a 3 hour journey across cultures, people and time, an exploration of the notions of transcendence and belief." [petermettler.com]
@Majlis: 163 Walnut AVE.
---1-1/2 bks S. of Queen; 1-bk W. Niagara [2-Lights W. Bathurst]---
We have TWO big propane heaters, and with all you lovely folks here... it will be toasty!!! Majlis was kindly donated to shangOrama.com by Trish & Ed (big up!) P.P.-heaven folks. The space is an indoor/outdoor combined venue with a huge open wall (25'-ish by 9') separating them so you smokers can certainly smoke-away DURING dee screenings!!! Now is that not a civilized way to watch movies.... (((beep! beep!))) We have a HUGE screen (11'x8'), hi-fi speakers, all dee above aspect ratio's will be honoured here, and lots of refreshments. They don't call me dee "Worlds only archival filmmaker" for nothing folks!!! As always Shanger Lattes & Shanger Vegan pasta will be served for your viewing pleasure!!! This is a 12-hr Movie Marathon, don't forget? Dress warmly in layers, because I want you to get used to this idea of having more of these movie marathons in dee very near future. We Canadian's should specialize in covered outdoor screenings in dee WINTER. Dee key folks, it must be toasty, and it will be!!!(((imagine a: 36-hr Stanley Kubrick MM; or a 33-hr David Lynch MM; a 24-hr Peter Mettler MM; or, a 10-day Stan Brakhage fest; or, my fave dee, 88-hr Frank Zappa MM - he directed over 28-films folks))) Bring a freind, or two, hunker down, and enjoy this great line-up of films. Another big-up thanx to dee OMee's (Sumkidz) for everything. In respect, I dedicate the third part of dee programme to YOU OMee's!!! Shang shang!!! Just relax, sit back, and enjoy. As always, yours truely MC Shanger, will introduce every film, just to put it all in perspective, and again for your viewing pleasure. Ciao, and Shang Shang Shangers!!! (((Toot! Toot)))
-:--:-Rennember, our Shanger & Daughter Cafe is 'just here' for some of your shangin' comfort needs. OK? Shang! Shang!!! Shangers-:--:-
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shangOrama.com came on-line & beamed-out from Toronto at precisely: 10:10am (10/11/06)
[Can't wait for Halloween - ACO & The Droogs gang rules that night]
© 2006 Gio. Shanger!!!