tcmff 2015 Archives - i luv cinema

April 24, 2015 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

Return of the Dream Machine (TCMFF 2015)

I round out my coverage of the 2015 TCM Film Festival thanks to a mishap that resulted from inadequate festival planning on my part.

Initially, I intended on rounding out my evening by watching William Friedkin’s The French Connection. But as I exited my screening of The Apartment, I was shocked to see that the queue for the film stretched far, in and around the Hollywood and Highland Center. With a tinge of disappointment, I headed over to the multiplex to catch my plan B.

edison-home-phonograph

As I entered the theatre to attend Return of the Dream Machine, the audience and I were greeted to some “pre-show” music by Galen Wilkes, played on a 1908 Edison Phonograph, quite similar to the one pictured at the right:

After an introduction/history lesson courtesy of Randy Heberkamp, Managing Director of Preservation and Foundation programs for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, the program officially began. With live musical accompaniment by Michael Mortilla, we watched a total of eight shorts, all hand-cranked by Joe Rinaudo and Gary Gibson, both attired in the garb for projectionists at that time, ranged in length, from one to ten minutes (a full reel).

Here were a few of the highlights (note: each link is a video link where you can watch the film yourself):

A Trip to the Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune Méliès, 1902) – really cool to see the hallmark sci-fi adventure on the big screen. In a day where splashy spectacle and CGI are the order of the day, it was refreshing and edifying to watch the genesis of such ingenuity and imagination. A perfect example that even in the dawn of cinema, its creators were thinking above and beyond to literally reach the stars.
Edison’s The Great Chain Robbery (1903) – the forests of Fort Lee, New Jersey never looked more “western?” No, but really, another icon of early cinema full of action, gunplay and a very recognizable closing shot.
A Corner in Wheat (D.W. Griffith, 1909) – while I have my own thoughts about the man and his body of work it would be remiss of me to dismiss this film is an early demonstration of Griffith’s ability to craft an interconnected, epic-scale narrative.
The Dancing Pig (Le Cochon Danseur Pathé, 1907) – we have a human-sized, standing on its hind legs pig, in various states of (un)dress and dancing with a human companion. This is the stuff of (very entertaining) nightmares.
Suspense (Lois Weber, 1913) Another one reel wonder where the filmmaker and leading lady Weber is able to create a tension-filled drama. I can imagine the amazement on an audience’s at seeing this play out on the big screen.

Oh yeah, when I said eight films – I fibbed – it was actually NINE! As the session came to its conclusion, we were presented with the world premiere restoration of the 1905 version of Serpentine Dance . Who would have thunk that watching a 2 minute clip could elicit such a feeling of whimsy in this cynical New Yorker?

Joe Rinaudo, assisted by Gary Gibson, operating the 1909 hand-cranked Power's Model 6 Cameragraph Motion Picture Machine — Joe Rinaudo, assisted by Gary Gibson, operating the 1909 Hand-Cranked Power’s Model 6 Cameragraph Motion Picture Machine

And with that, what a memorable way for me to round out another wonderful TCM Festival experience.
(Hopefully) see you all in 2016!

TCM CLASSIC FILM FESTIVAL

Photo Credit: Turner Classic Movies
1908 Edison Phonograph image: Public Domain

April 24, 2015 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

In the Presence of a Legend (TCMFF 2015)

As with any film festival, there are so many other things to do besides actually go to the films … surprising but true, I know 🙂

One of the things that I THANKFULLY carved out some time to attend was the one-on-one with legendary film editor, 89-year old Anne V. Coates, who has clipped films ranging from Lawrence of Arabia to Steven Soderbergh’s Out of Sight, and most recently, Fifty Shades of Grey.

The hour-long sit down with author Cari Beauchamp provided wonderful insight into a six decade career and illuminated just how much the ability of a film to convince its audience rests on how deftly the editor weaves together hours of footage to form a cohesive and convincing story for the screen, especially when there are so many external factors at play (actor, director, producer, to name a few). I cannot imagine the adaptability required and immense pressure felt. It is a credit to her profession in general and her body of work in particular, that she has consistently produced praise-worthy results.

Coates also talked candidly about the intimate relationship an editor has with the film they are working on. Recalling in great detail her work on films such as Lawrence, Murder on the Orient Express, The Elephant Man and In the Line of Fire, it was clear to the audience the great passion and love she has for her job.

Let me conclude with a few side notes from the talk:

I will never watch What about Bob? the same way again.
Film or digital? I think is an easy one… film – more tactile.
Over the years, there have been a couple of films involving on screen romantic pairings that proved really interesting to edit. I can only imagine….

April 22, 2015 By iluvcinema Leave a Comment

TCMFF 2015, Continued: Rififi (1955)

Rififi, the 1955 heist thriller, is a masterful piece of filmmaking an exemplary example of the film noir genre. Directed by blacklisted (and exiled) Hollywood filmmaker Jules Dassin (The Naked City, a personal fave) I imagine Rififi was made under great duress.

Before we go further, let’s talk plot. There are slight indications that ex-convict Tony, “le Stéphanois” (Jean Servais) desires a return to a life of relative normalcy. However, any notion of this quickly vanishes when his protégé Jo (Carl Möhner), for whom Tony took the rap for 5 years earlier, wants him to take part in a plan, devised by fellow gangster Mario (Robert Manuel), as what can only be described as “the perfect heist.” Initially reluctant, outside forces, most notably what I conclude to be a want to reengage former flame Mado (Marie Sabouret), conspire against him to the point that he concedes and agrees to join in on the burglary. Rounding out the team is Mario recruit and fellow countryman Cèsar (played by Dassin), as the safecracker.

From this point in the film, I was taken in and remained on the edge of my seat. Sure, on its surface, the idea of watching a group of people plot out and plan something, anything, may sound like the cinematic equivalent of watching paint dry. Not here. With each passing moment and as the day of the burglary drew near, I became further and further invested not only in the outcome, but also in the characters themselves. So much so that until the end of the film, I was rooting for these guys to not only to succeed in their plot, but to also get away with it, unscathed (oh, dear).

Once we get there, the audience is served the pièce de résistance – a musical score-free 20-plus minute sequence showing the heist in action. Exquisite. Coming in a close second was the equally iconic denouement.

Major kudos to co-writers Dassin and René Wheeler, who adapted a problematic source fraught with overtly racist thematic elements, specifically in reference to the characterization of the story’s principal antagonists. An honorable mention goes to Dassin’s performance as Cesar – all of the director’s dialogue was spoken phonetically, since he did not actually speak French.

Hopefully this compilation piece will get you in the mood (sorry to my ‘Francophones’ out there for whom this clip may give away more than you desire):

In the end, through an expert level of skill and artistry, Dassin was able to put together a film that I feel should be on any film lover’s ‘must see’ list. It is often said that great pieces of work come out of a sense of urgency and desperation; with Rififi, you feel this in a sense and the results are sublime. I hope that you will all one day get to see this in all its big screen glory, by way of a newly remastered print (as we did).