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This is the Screening Schedule Archive Current Schedule Here |
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06/06/2008 The Intruder
 This 1962 Roger Corman film deals with integration in the South, and was one of the few films at the time to do so. It stars William Shatner, in one of his best on-camera performances, as a racist provocateur who comes into town to stir up hatred just as the local high school is to be integrated. Written by noted Twilight Zone author Charles Beaumont and shot in the South, this low-budget indie production, as well as Shatner himself, received a number of threats from the KKK (along with much hostility from local authorities) and few theaters were willing to run it in its initial release because of the incendiary nature of it.
Please note that this film does contain use of racial epithets, which should be expected given the subject matter. 06/13/2008 2008-09 Media That Matters Short Film Festival The Official West Coast Premiere!  The newest annual compilation of socially conscious short films from around the world, all by independent, student and youth filmmakers, and we are proud to yet again bring it to Sacramento following its World Premiere in New York on May 28. And this year, we have the West Coast premiere!! Topics covered include African American contributions to New Orleans culture framed in the Katrina aftermath, Argentinean labor issues, HIV, hip hop in Senegal, Tibetan nomads, the environmental impact of the declining bee population, the damage caused by electronic waste and much more! As always, moving, engaging and essential viewing.
06/20/2008 The 39 Steps 06/27/2008 The Invisible Forest 
In Antero Alli's surrealistic journey, "The Invisible Forest," a sleep-deprived theatre director undergoes hypnotic regression to stop a recurring nightmare. As he searches the internal landscape of his memories and dreams for the source of his anxiety, he unexpectedly discovers an ancient aboriginie dreamtime ritual. Inspired by the radical visions of French Surrealist playwright, Antonin Artaud, Alli also borrows from Rimbaud's poetics for the "deliberate disorientation of the senses" to achieve heightened states of consciousness. In the filmmakers own words, "if some movies affect us like tranquilizers and others like triple espressos, The Invisible Forest is an 100% organic, user-friendly hallucinogen." Filmmaker Antero Alli will be in attendance for a Q&A 05/02/2008 Medicinal 
Catch a sneak preview of the new documentary "Medicinal" here in Sacramento prior to its world premiere at Cannes!
In 1996, the legalization of medical marijuana was approved by the citizens of California, and the DEA has been at war with the clinics ever since. This is costing the taxpayers of California millions of dollars each year. "Medicinal" is an educational, "talking head" documentary which takes a look at the history and current status of medical marijuana laws, mostly in California and in relation to Prop 215. Features Joe Elford, Dale Gierenger, Dennis Peron, Bruce Margolin, Ed Rosenthal, Jane Klein, Dean Weiss, Jon Gettman, Don Duncan and Michael Teague. The timing of this is particularly relevant here - in March, Sacramento County rejected issuing medical ID cards, refusing to join the other 40 counties in the state who currently do. Director Dan Frank is planned to be in attendance for a Q&A. 05/09/2008 Preserve Me A Seat  We don't remember a lot about our distant past, but we do remember our favorite movie theatre. "Preserve Me a Seat" is a documentary about these theatres and the ongoing fight to protect and preserve them for future generations. Featuring preservation efforts in Boston (The Gaiety Theatre), Detroit (The former Michigan Theatre), Chicago (The DuPage Theatre), Omaha (The Indian Hills Cinerama Theatre), and Salt Lake City (The Villa Theatre), "Preserve Me a Seat" will appeal to anyone who has cherished memories of seeing their favorite movies in a grand theatre, and who appreciates the unique architecture of movie theatres. Even more than that, however, the documentary explores a number of urban development issues particularly relevant to Sacramento in a number of ways (not just theaters): adaptive reuse, a lack of response by city governments to their constituency, the destruction of historic spaces for the sake of what are essentially urban lofts (high-end residential units, at least), and much more. There's also the irony that we, who move into a space and create a theater to the best of our ability, are showing this, rather than a beautiful (actual) theater.
05/16/2008 Meditate and Destroy  A feature-length documentary that provides an intimate portrait of Dharma Punx author, Noah Levine, who uses his personal experience and punk rock sensibilities to connect with a younger generation of spiritual seekers within juvenile halls and urban centers around the country.
This film provides an up-close look at how the driving forces in Noah's life changed from violence, addiction and rebellion to taking on the role of dedicated meditation teacher and community leader&mmdash; an individual whose candor inspires others to integrate Buddhist teachings of nonviolence and inner peace with a Western lifestyle. Similar to punk culture’s non-conformist attitude, Buddhism has long been seen as a tradition that goes "against the stream". Therefore, the film's visual aesthetic reflects this similarity. The film employs motion graphics reflecting the punk aesthetic that are complemented by an experimental movement through the various scenes exploring Noah Levine’s past and present life. Director Sarah Fisher will be in attendance for a Q&A. Please note that admission for Meditate & Destroy is $7.00 (rather than our usual $5.00) Following the screening, from 9:30PM to 12AM, there will be an after-party at Relentless Tattoo, 608 12th St, Sacramento. Admission for the after-party is $5.00 and can be purchased either at the screening or at the after-party (if you can't make it to the screening). Join director Sarah Fisher for a night of food, drink and music featuring Danny Secretion, Brian Hanover, Odd Moniker and Mt. Sinai! And the after-party is all-ages! A portion of the proceeds will benefit the International Campaign for Tibet. Please note: MOBS will not be at the after-party, as we'll be screening RHPS at 10 PM. 05/23/2008 Phone Sex  Filmmaker Steve Balderson has just one question - But those three small words, 60 seconds of tape, and a cast of porn stars, punk rockers and pop culture psychos spouting some of the most prophetic and profane possibilities imaginable converge to address an immortal paradox - What is sexy?
Featuring (the voices of): Ron Jeremy, Jane Wiedlin (the Go-Go's), Margaret Cho, Penn Jillette, Josie Cotton, Edie McClurg, Lloyd Kaufman, Chi Chi La Rue, Courtney Chase, punk legends Jayne County and Ginger Coyote, Bruce Daniels, Jackie Beat and many, many, many others! Make no mistake - this is film as art: a collage of image and sound. "I dare you; I fucking dare you to watch this and not totally be swept up by it in like 5 minutes. It's hypnotic!" - Film Threat "a tour de force of freakiness" - LA Weekly "Funny... Jaw-dropping... Always interesting. It may be the purest expression yet of just how diverse human sexuality can be." - Kansas City Star 05/30/2008 The weekend after Memorial Day Weekend Animation Fest  We'll be screening a neat collection of World War II era animation with a focus on propaganda and training/educational films from the US and abroad, including some more well-known stuff such as Private Snafu, along with some much more obscure titles! We're not even sure how long this will run yet, but it will probably be between 1 ½ - 2 hours!!
Admission, $5 for civilians, $2 for current or veteran members of the military (with proof of service). 04/04/2008 Honeydripper  It's 1950 and it's a make or break weekend for Tyrone Purvis (Danny Glover), the proprietor of the Honeydripper Lounge. Deep in debt, Tyrone is desperate to bring back the crowds that used to come to his place. He decides to lay off his long-time blues singer Bertha Mae, and announces that he's hired a famous guitar player, Guitar Sam, for a one night only gig in order to save the club.
Into town drifts Sonny Blake, a young man with nothing to his name but big dreams and the guitar case in his hand. Rejected by Tyrone when he applies to play at the Honeydripper, he is intercepted by the corrupt local Sheriff (Stacy Keach), arrested for vagrancy and rented out as an unpaid cotton picker to the highest bidder. But when Tyrone's ace-in-the-hole fails to materialize at the train station, his desperation leads him back to Sonny and the strange, wire-dangling object in his guitar case. The Honeydripper lounge is all set to play its part in rock n' roll history. Directed by John Sayles ("Brother From Another Planet" along with 14 other films), "Honeydripper" also stars Gary Clark Jr. (voted best blues musician at the 1998 Austin Music Awards) and features Mary Steenburgen, Arthur Lee Williams (former musician with Muddy Waters and Elmore James), Eddie Shaw (former musician with Hound Dog Taylor, Muddy Waters and Howlin Wolf) and a host of others! Winner, Best Independent or Foreign Film, NAACP Image Awards Please note that admission for Honeydripper is $7.00 (rather than our usual $5 admission). 04/11/2008 X: The Unheard Music  One of *the* great punk rock docs! Focuses specifically on the LA band X and packed with early live footage and interviews, all interspersed with pop culture-related footage and references. With Brendan Mullen, Rodney Bingenheimer, Jello Biafra (briefly), and Ray Manzarek.
04/18/2008 Garbage! The Revolution One day before this film hits the 2008 Hot Docs Fest, you can experience it here in Sacramento!  A new feature length documentary by filmmaker Andrew Nisker takes an average urban family and asks them to keep every scrap of garbage that they create for three months. The film takes them on a journey to reveal what their daily consumption is doing to the planet. By the end of this trash odyssey, the average person can connect the dots between their actions and the environment. "Garbage!" candidly portrays the threat to our environment as the McDonald family tracks their waste output for three months. As they discover where their garbage goes and at what cost to the environment, the McDonald household engages the audience with an 'open-door reality-check.' Meticulous tracking of consumption and waste, right down to the children's lunchboxes result in not only candid comments, but also some rather enlightening and even humorous moments. 04/25/2008 Access Nation  Producers Gustavo Albero and Mike Verna traveled thousands of miles to examine people from every corner of the United States, all of whom produce televison programs for their local public access stations. At times profane and obscene, "Access Nation" provides a look at some of the variety produced by local people and what they are like on and off the camera, and the one thing in common they all share: the importance of public access as the last bastion of free speech in broadcasting.
Features Harry Lime, The Three Geniuses (with Don Bolles from The Germs), Bryan Singer, Johnny White, Al Goldstein, Ron Jeremy, Giddle Partridge, Francine Dancer, and many others. Please note: the film is unrated and does contain some "strong content." Additionally, quality varies due to the vast amount of assembled footage from public access shows from around the country. Ron Cooper, Executive Director of Access Sacramento is planned to be in attendance at this screening to discuss the state of public access today. 03/07/2008 Panic In Year Zero  En route from Los Angeles to a vacation in the mountains, Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland), his wife, Ann (Jean Hagen), and his teen-aged children, Rick (Frankie Avalon) and Karen (Mary Mitchell), are appalled to see a mushroom cloud forming over the L.A. skyline. With the highways clogged by panicking motorists, Milland and his family decide to head to the shelter of their fishing spot, there to wait until more news about the nuclear disaster is available. Everywhere they drive, however, the family is confronted by rampaging looters, heavily armed survivalists, and doped-up motorcycle punks. Attempting to remain calm and collected in the face of Armageddon, Milland ends up as violent and animalistic as everyone else. This lower budget 1962 post-apocalyptic film was somewhat unique for its time, as the normalcy of Milland's family is used to convey to the audience that what is happening to them could well happen to just about anyone.
03/14/2008 Abel Raises Cain  An unprecedented glimpse into the life and bizarre career of Alan Abel, the infamous underground media prankster. He has made a name for himself several times over with stunts that are just ridiculous enough to be believable, especially to a media that feeds on salacious, far-fetched stories.
In this loving portrait of an eccentric father, Alan's daughter, Jenny, tells her firsthand account of what it was like growing up with a prankster. "Abel Raises Cain" takes the audience on a roller coaster ride through the myriad of elaborate hoaxes and schemes that Abel pulled off over the years, all of which were designed to provoke and amuse...while at the same time, make people question everything that they see, hear and read. "A humorous and highly personal documentary" -- Los Angeles Times "A fun and fascinating look at an American original" -- St. Louis Post-Dispatch Winner - Grand Jury Award, Slamdance Top Ten - Audience Favorites, Hot Docs Toronto 03/20/2008 Zeitgeist: The Movie Special Thursday Screening! 7:00pm, admission- FREE!  This special screening is courtesy of a new group in town, WUA. We offered to help out with this special free screening. About WUA: "comprised of a group of individuals committed to conscious living and waking up our society. The resignation and ignorance in the world is a result of our society's unwillingness to share the truth. We at WUA are dedicated to truth telling and difference making and out of our commitment we have come together to create a forum for people in our community to begin to WAKE UP!"
About the movie: "Zeitgeist," produced by Peter Joseph, was created as a nonprofit filmiac expression to inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective and to understand that very often things are not what the population at large thinks they are. The film examines forms of social control including the manipulation of mythology, covert military operations and the manipulation of wealth and the money supply. The film received the Best Feature Documentary award from the Artivists Film Festival in 2007. Again, this is a free screening! 03/21/2008 American Carny: True Tales from the Circus Sideshow  STEP RIGHT UP! and come on the inside -- Beyond the banners and into the morbid curiosity that is the American Sideshow. Join Carnival Maestro Todd Robbins and award-winning filmmaker, Nick Basile, on a journey into a world of circus freaks, fire eaters, human blockheads, magicians, contortionists, professional lunatics, and much, much more. In this in-depth documentary, you will travel the historic road of the American sideshow from the circus tents to the American Dime Museum in Baltimore, to the last 'ten-in-one sideshow' that exists today on Brooklyn's infamous Coney Island.
This fascinating and fun documentary not only features some amazing sideshow performances, but also provides a strong humanistic perspective of both the sideshow and its performers. Features Jennifer Miller, The Woman With a Beard; Ula, The Pain Proof Rubber Girl (a David Letterman favorite); The Great Nippulini; Serpentina; Danielle Stampe (also of GWAR); Twistina; Harley Newman, Professional Lunatic; Ses Carny and many, many more! Narrated by Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller. We've had a number of requests to run this again, and we DO listen to the audience, so to bookend March which kicks off with a post-apocalyptic movie - we figured closing March with this would be appropriate. 03/28/2008 Six String Samurai  The Six-String Samurai is Buddy, a mysterious and powerful hero of the post-apocalyptic future, who must fight his way to Lost Vegas and ditch a bothersome orphan kid if he's ever to become the next King of Rock 'n' Roll. Along the way, they encounter bounty-hunting bowlers, a cannibalistic "Cleaver" family, a Windmill God and even the Russian army. Winding up at the gates of Vegas, Buddy finds himself in an epic battle with Death over the child's soul and comes to realize just what it means to be King.
"It's The Road Warrior with a rock 'n' roll beat, Buddy Holly doing his best Toshiro Mifune, a Sergio Leone gang picture set in a fantasy future, directed with the flash and panache of a Hong Kong action flick and the sleek style of a samurai film. Lance Mungia's high energy genre soup is a hoot, a low budget indie action film that embraces its limitations with a spare grunge-chic look spiced with flashy visuals, jazzy editing, and plenty of punk attitude." - Nitrate Online 02/01/2008 The Crazies  A government plane carrying a secret military bio-weapon crashes near a
small town in Pennsylvania, leaking into the water supply. Violent
insanity infects and transforms most of the town's citizens, and the army
moves in to quarantine the town and restore order -- but have to avoid
infection themselves. Filled with government paranoia and social
statements, this oft-overlooked Romero classic from 1973 is about to be
remade (shudder) and was a blatant influence on "28 Days Later."
02/08/2008 Crimewave 
We ran this over a year ago, and reaction was so strongly positive (in
addition to be a favorite of ours), we decided to run it again for those
who missed it - or those who want to see it again!
From "Kids in the Hall" director John Paizs comes a true obscurity from 1985. Rarely screened or seen in the US, Movies on a Big Screen is excited to bring this brilliantly bent oddity back to Sacramento! There's no realistic way to try to convey this film in words, but the general plot centers on a quiet young man (also played by Paizs) who is intent on writing "the greatest color crime movie ever made," but can only write beginnings and endings - and only those by streetlight. After befriending the young Kim, she tries to help him complete his opus, but fails. Throughout the film, the various beginnings, endings, and rejected "middles" are dramatized. Throw in a mysterious and psychotic script doctor named Dr. Jolly, a private club for imaginary friends, a quarantined city -- and you still won't come close to the idea of what this film is really like. Trivia note: Guy Maddin's first on-screen appearance was in a 1981 short by John Paizs. This is planned to show with the even more obscure 1982 short film by John Paizs, "Springtime in Greenland."  02/15/2008 The Trials of Al Goldstein 
Just in time for Valentine's Day???
"The Trials of Al Godstein" documents the life of controversial adult magazine publisher Al Goldstein, focusing specifically on his 2002 misdemeanor harassment charge which turned into an all-out battle for First Amendment rights. Whether you love or loathe Goldstein, this fascinating doc explores the extremely important and timely topic of whether unpopular speech can still be defended under the First Amendment. Features Larry Flynt, Ron Jeremy and long-time friend of Goldstein's, Al "Grandpa Munster" Lewis (in one of his final on-camera appearances). Please note that this film contains some sexual imagery which borders on graphic and offensive and inflammatory language. You must be over 18 years of age, or have an accompanying parent or guardian. 02/22/2008 The Eldritch Influence: The Life, Vision, and Phenomenon of H.P. Lovecraft  
"The Eldritch Influence" looks at the world of literary outsider H.P. Lovecraft who posthumously infected a large number of artists, writers, mystics, and fanatics with his wonderfully bleak worldview. Using passionate interviews and colorful commentary the film presents a picture of Lovecraft's life and thought through those he's touched and inspired. Features extensive interviews with authors Neil Gaiman ("Sandman"), Ramsey Campbell, Brian Lumley, filmmaker Stuart Gordon ("Re-Animator" and "From Beyond"), and Lovecraft biographer S.T. Joshi. 02/29/2008 Breakfast With Hunter -- Admission - FREE  We've been working on bringing this to Movies on a Big Screen for a year and a half. Seriously. And now that it's finally happening, the best part is, it will be a free screening to show our appreciation for our friends and supporters!
If you haven't heard of this, we wouldn't be completely surprised, but it has been acclaimed as one of the best documentaries on Hunter, featuring Johnny Depp, John Cusack, Benecio del Toro, Ralph Steadman, Alex Cox, PJ O'Rourke, Terry Gilliam, Warren Zevon (briefly), Jan Wenner and many others. Long-time close friend and associate of Hunter, Wayne Ewing (director of numerous PBS docs for Bill Moyers) was allowed to film Hunter over a number of years. "Breakfast With Hunter" focuses primarily on the years leading up to and through the filming of "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," as well as documenting the trumped up DUI charge against Thompson in 1995. Free of narration, Wayne's camera captured Hunter like no one else has, including footage of the good doctor causing chaos in the Rolling Stone offices, Hunter and Johnny Depp shooting heavy weaponry, and the infamous ugly script meeting with Alex Cox and Todd Davies where discussion quickly turned uncomfortably dangerous. We've been trying to get this lined up for a very long time, and it's all finally come together thanks entirely to Wayne's generosity and help. And again, this is a free screening! 1/04/2008 Cracker Crazy  Renegade filmmaker Georg Koszulinski takes on Florida's history from a decidedly different point of view. Blending archival and original footage,
he brings to life a cast of historical characters spanning over 12,000
years, from Florida's ancient Indians to the migrant farm workers of the
21st century. Meet Osceola and the Seminoles, who fought alongside escaped
slaves in the most costly Indian War in American History. Unmask Florida's
Ku Klux Klan and don't forget about Walt Disney and Henry Flagler - perhaps
the two characters most responsible for the Florida we know today. Think
you know Florida? Think again. See "Cracker Crazy" for an eye-opening
experience.
01/11/2008 Dirty Country  Meet Larry Pierce: a small-town factory worker and family man who happens to be the raunchiest country music singer in America. Since 1993, Larry has quietly released over a dozen dirty country albums at truck stops across the country. Without the time or money to pursue a "legitimate" career in country music, Larry is content to lead an ordinary life and moonlight as a dirty country singer. But when he is forced into early retirement at his factory job of 30 years, Larry faces an uncertain future. That is, until a young band with dirty songs of its own shows up at his door and offers to take Larry onstage.
"Dirty Country" introduces an ordinary man with an extraordinary gift for dirty music and tells the unlikely story of how his songs were thrust out of obscurity and into the spotlight. The film explores the history of dirty music in society and profiles several living legends of the raunchy music business, including piano virtuoso Dr. Dirty, seminal funk singer Blowfly, and the original party band, Doug Clark's Hot Nuts. With commentary from leading authors, experts and social critics, the film poses the question: is America a nation of prudes or are we living in a dirty country? Winner, Audience Award, 2007 SXSW Film Festival "Good (unclean) fun." - Nashville Scene "A raunchy, surprisingly affecting doc." - Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine "As critically engaging as it is jaw-droppingly foul." -Calgary International Film Festival "I have rarely heard people laugh so much at a documentary -- and not just giggles but full-blown belly laughs." - Cinematical NOTE: If you're under 17 years of age, you need to have an accompanying parent or guardian. Yeah, this movie is actually THAT dirty. 01/18/2008 Sonic Youth: Sleeping Nights Awake Sneak Preview!  This amazing documentary/concert film captures Sonic Youth at their July 4, 2006 performance in Reno, NV. The film was shot by seven high school teens as part of Project Moonshine, a non-profit organization designed to teach filmmaking skills to students by providing opportunities to document important events happening in their community. Project Moonshine's Michael Albright (also the director) says that the documentary "contains some of the most intimate concert footage ever captured."
The film recently premiered at San Francisco's NoisePop Festival. Special Saturday Screenings 01/19/2008 3:30 Admission: $10.00 The California Association of Midwives and Movies on a Big Screen Present: The Business of Being Born - a fundraiser for The California Association of Midwives 
Birth: it's a miracle. A rite of passage. A natural part of life. But more
than anything, birth is a business.
Compelled to find answers after a disappointing birth experience with her first child, actress Ricki Lake recruits filmmaker Abby Epstein to examine and question the way American women have babies. The film interlaces intimate birth stories with surprising historical, political and scientific insights and shocking statistics about the current maternity care system. When director Epstein discovers she is pregnant during the making of the film, the journey becomes even more personal. Should most births be viewed as a natural life process, or should every delivery be treated as a potentially catastrophic medical emergency? A panel discussion is scheduled to follow the screening - as soon as we know who the panelists will be, we'll update with that info. You can purchase advance tickets for this at Brown Paper Tickets, the first and only fair trade ticketing service, by clicking here www.brownpapertickets.com/event/2519 Later on Saturday 01/19/2008 at 10 PM (separate $5.00 admission): **************************************************************** Because you laughed, you cried, you expressed yourself and most importantly, did not hurt each other, we wiil again be showing... The Room - a late night audience participation event! The Room 
For over 3 years, "The Room" has been playing monthly to sold-out crowds in Los Angeles. And as it turns out, "The Room" has a bit of a fan base right here in Sacramento! Described by some as a vanity project gone horribly wrong, Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" defies description. Bizarrely writtend and delivered dialog, subplots that go nowhere, mysterious artwork in the background, and so much more! What's it all about? Since the official synopsis is far too lengthy, suffice it to say that the core of the plot is a love triangle involving Johnny (Tommy Wiseau), his fiance Lisa (Juliette Danielle), and his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). Also involved is Denny (Philip Haldiman), the oddly enthusiastic orphan who sees Johnny as a father figure. If you want to know more, you've just got to get out to this screening. Shot in both 35mm and hi-def digital because, as Tommy Wiseau states, "I was confused about these two formats." Fans and the uninitiated alike are more than welcome to break out black wigs, sunglasses and ties (just remember to wear that tie askew)! Some plastic spoons will be provided. Roses will not (so you'll have to bring 'em if you want 'em). AND - if you bring a football, PLEASE only bring a nerf-type!! "You can laugh, you can cry, you can express yourself, but please don't hurt each other." -- Tommy Wiseau 01/25/2008 Miss Gulag  Through the prism of a beauty pageant staged by female inmates of a Siberian prison camp emerges a complex narrative of the lives of the first generation of women to come of age in Post-Soviet Russia.
Miss Gulag explores the individual destinies of three women: Yulia, Tatiana, and Natasha, all bound together by long prison sentences and circumstances that have made them the vigilantes of their own destinies. For these women, undoubtedly, life is harsh under the constant surveillance of UF-91/9, but it is no less so on the outside. Today they, their families, and loved ones are sustained by hope for a better life upon release. This is a story of survival told from both sides of the fence. "A smashing debut by a young documentarian who discovers a unique way to investigate contemporary Russian society." - Hollywood Reporter 12/07/2007 Frank & Cindy  When Cindy married a rock star, Frank, in 1983 she imagined a life of glamour and Grammys. But the song that propelled Frank to fame, "Whirly Girl," would be the only chart-topper from his short-lived group, OXO. Years later, out of shape and nearly bankrupt after spending his money on "gas, food, dry cleaning and drugs." Frank is not the vision Cindy married.
Now, twenty-three years after appearing on American Bandstand, Frank lives sequestered to the basement where he uses coffee cans as his improvised bathroom. Both appalled and amused by his parents' behavior, Cindy's filmmaker son, G.J., picks up his video camera and aims it at them. After a year of filming, what began as an attempt to mock his one-hit-wonder step-father, instead becomes a candid portrait of the pursuit of happiness. Frank & Cindy was the subject of an entire episode of "This American Life" on Showtime earlier this year, and in October, Ira Glass hosted a screening at New York's MOMA. On Friday, Dec 7th, tune in to "Insight" on NPR's KXJZ 90.9 FM between 2:00 and 3:00pm to hear a live interview with filmmaker G.J. Echternkamp. "Every single thing about Frank & Cindy seems new and fresh and alive. It's rare to see a documentary that's so raw and funny and infuriating too" - Ira Glass, Host of This American Life "Comical and tragic... Compelling" - Maureen Ryan, Chicago Tribune "It's raw, it's riveting, it's appalling and it's disturbingly hilarious" - Orlando Weekly Winner - Best Documentary, Raindance Film Festival 12/14-12/15/2007. 7:00 PM. 2007-08 Media That Matters Short Film Festival 
We previously brought this annual compilation of socially conscious short
films to Sacramento for the first time. Now, we are presenting the newest
festival and this year's is even better than last! All are made by
independent filmmakers, many of them youths. Included are short films
dealing with waste collection and recycling in Cairo, the Narragansett's
fight for sovereignty in Rhode Island, the massacre at Murambi, rescued
animals and veganism, weapons in space, vigilantism on the US/Mexico
border, the trailblazing students who over 20 years ago fought to make
Martin Luther King's birthday a national holiday, and so much
more. Moving, engaging and essential viewing. And this year, we are
screening this over two nights to make it easier for folks to catch it.
Shows Friday, December 14 AND Saturday December 15 at 7:00 PM. Later on Saturday December 15 at 10 PM (separate $5.00 admission): **************************************************************** The Room - a late night audience participation event! The Room
For over 3 years, "The Room" has been playing monthly to sold-out crowds in Los Angeles. And as it turns out, "The Room" has a bit of a fan base right here in Sacramento! Described by some as a vanity project gone horribly wrong, Tommy Wiseau's "The Room" defies description. Bizarrely writtend and delivered dialog, subplots that go nowhere, mysterious artwork in the background, and so much more! What's it all about? Since the official synopsis is far too lengthy, suffice it to say that the core of the plot is a love triangle involving Johnny (Tommy Wiseau), his fiance Lisa (Juliette Danielle), and his best friend Mark (Greg Sestero). Also involved is Denny (Philip Haldiman), the oddly enthusiastic orphan who sees Johnny as a father figure. If you want to know more, you've just got to get out to this screening. Shot in both 35mm and hi-def digital because, as Tommy Wiseau states, "I was confused about these two formats." Fans and the uninitiated alike are more than welcome to break out black wigs, sunglasses and ties (just remember to wear that tie askew)! Some plastic spoons will be provided. Roses will not (so you'll have to bring 'em if you want 'em). AND - if you bring a football, PLEASE only bring a nerf-type!! "You can laugh, you can cry, you can express yourself, but please don't hurt each other." -- Tommy Wiseau 12/21/2007 The Man From Earth  If Jerome Bixby's name doesn't ring a bell, he was the author of 4 acclaimed original Star Trek episodes ("Requiem for Methuselah," "Mirror, Mirror," "Day of the Dove," and "By Any Other Name"), the Twilight Zone episode, "It's a Good Life," the 1966 film "Fantastic Voyage," and even "It, The Terror From Beyond Space," (which was heavily borrowed from for "Alien"). Bixby first conceived the idea for "The Man From Earth" in the early 1960's, but the script was not completed until 1998 shortly before Bixby's death.
About "The Man From Earth:" An impromptu goodbye party for Professor John Oldman, played by David Lee Smith ("Star Trek Voyager," "Mysterious Skin," "Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood," becomes a mysterious interrogation after the retiring scholar reveals to his colleagues he is an immortal who has walked the earth for 14,000 years. Although shot in only two weeks on a very limited budget, the stellar authorship of Bixby is brilliantly portrayed. Don't expect scifi with a lot of special effects - this is most definitely scifi for those who like to think. "The Man From Earth" also stars John Billingsley ("Star Trek: Enterprise"), Ellen Crawford ("ER"), Tony Todd ("Candyman," "Star Trek Next Generation," Star Trek Deep Space Nine"), Richard Riehle (noted character actor with over 120 credits to his name), and William Katt ("Carrie," "The Greatest American Hero," "Jawbreaker"). Directed by Richard Schenkman ("Went to Coney Island on a Mission from God... Be Back by Five"). "Quietly restores dignity to science fiction of the mind. For those who like to flex their brain, 'Man From Earth' is a rewarding workout. - Twitch 12/28/2007 Life on the Edge/Meet the Hollowheads  This 1989 obscurity was directed by Tom Burman, mostly known for his makeup and special effects work on hundreds of titles - everything from the "Star Wars Holiday Special" to "Die Hard 2" to "The X-Files" and most recently, "Nip/Tuck."
The original title of the film was "Life on the Edge," but was recut, had a new soundtrack added and was retitled to "Meet the Hollowheads" by the distributor. This is hard to definitively state in advance, but we will very likely have the unseen original cut of "Life on the Edge" to screen. This will be coming off of 20 year old master tapes from the writer of the film, so who knows what will happen, but this is what we are shooting for. 
About the film: This is an easy one to give a synopsis of, but a tough one to convey what it's really like. The Hollowheads are a typical nuclear family living in a bizarre, surreal futuristic world populated by technology based on tubes. Henry Hollowhead (John Glover), head of the family, is in lower middle management for United Umbilical. His boss, Mr. Crabneck (Richard Portnow) is headed over for dinner, so Miriam Hollowhead (Nancy Mette) kicks into domestic high gear to make an impressive meal. Once Crabneck arrives and begins lusting after Miriam, things begin to go quite awry. Bizarrely fantastic sets, effects, animals, instruments and various other props abound, setting the stage for this darkly comic look at family structure and suburban life. Featuring Juliette Lewis in one of her first major roles (she was 16 at the time) as daughter Cindy, as well as appearances by Bobcat Goldthwait and Anne Ramsey ("Throw Momma From the Train") in her final role. 11/09/07 East of Euclid  A twisted comic film noir set in 1972 in the North End of Winnipeg. A newspaper reporter breaks a story that involves a strange love triangle between a Russian gambler, a perogie factory girl and a daring news photographer. Mix in gambling, money-laundering, murder and a kidnapped Finnish hockey player and you have a plot that is as thick as homemade borscht, with characters as colourful, and sometimes as fragile, as Ukrainian Easter eggs.
Somewhat of a Guy Maddin alumni reunion, "East of Euclid," written and directed by Jeff Solylo (Art Director on "Tales from Gimli Hospital," "Archangel," and "Careful") stars Michael O'Sullivan ("Archangel" and "Careful"), Brent Neale ("Tales from the Gimili Hopsital," "Archangel," "Careful," "Dracula, Pages From a Virgin's Diary"), and Maria Lamont who has had leading roles in theatre across Canada. Also features Miles Boisselle and Jeff Skinner, both with roles in "The Saddest Music in the World," as well as Mark Yuill ("Archangel," "Careful," and John Paizs' "Crimewave"). We're quite excited to bring this wry Canadian import to Sacramento following its hugely successful film fest circuit run! "(A) cinematic magnum opus... call it Dostoyevsky meets Monty Python." - Randall King, The Winnipeg Free Press "A labyrinthine story of lust, greed and kielbasa" - Peter Vesuwalla, Uptown 11/16/07 You Think You Really Know Me: The Gary Wilson Story  In 1977, Gary Wilson recorded his bizarrely brilliant album, "You Think You Really Know Me." In performance, he played his jazz/rock/sound-collage masterpieces while clad in just his underwear, or wrapped in duct tape, writhing on stage and destroying female mannequins. Then, suddenly, he simply vanished - leaving friends and fans mystified. This documentary explores the life, disappearance and re-birth of a funny and fierce American original.
"Indie-rock enthusiasts will find much to appreciate. Gary Wilson and the Blind Dates, as his band was known, do for used-record stores what R. Crumb and Harvey Pekar do for used comic-book stores." - The New York Times "Welcome to the peculiar world of Gary Wilson. Outrageous... Fascinating..." - New York Post "This low-key doc about lost-and-found Other Music cult hero Gary Wilson so sweetly underplays its hand that even the most jaundiced skeptics of Jandek worship come out simply rooting for the safe passage of town weirdos everywhere." - Village Voice "A fascinating chapter in pop music history. The performance footage is particularly arresting." - Hollywood Reporter 11/23/06 A Boy and His Dog 
Follow-up your Thanksgiving with this 1975 indie classic based on Harlan
Ellison's novella.
Yeah, for long-time followers of MOBS, it's another November repeat - we showed this last year, not knowing how many folks would come out due to it being the day after Thanksgiving, and it ended up being well attended! So due to the same hesitations, we're doing it again! Hopefully folks come out like last year! The year is 2024. World War IV, which only lasted 5 minutes, has long been over, leaving behind a post-apocalyptic wasteland. 18-year old Vic (Don Johnson in his first, and by far best, performance) wanders with his dog, Blood, who communicates with him telepathically. The none-too-bright Vic scavenges for food; the rather learned and sarcastically witty Blood sniffs out women for sex. Into this relationship comes Quilla, a woman from "Down Under" - a supposedly idyllic underground society which attempts to preserve the past. Quilla lures Vic "Down Under" where he discovers that there are some rather nefarious plans for him. Considered by fans and detractors alike to have one of the best film endings ever and was a direct influence on films such as "Mad Max" and "The Road Warrior." Oh, and this ain't necessarily one for the kiddies. 11/30/2007 The 4th Dimension  Jack (Louis Morabito) is a loner confined to a workbench in the back of an antique shop. When a mysterious woman presents him with a broken antique clock, unexplainable events begin to occur. After finding Albert Einstein's journal on his still unsolved Unified Field Theory, Jack becomes compulsive about analyzing time and theorizing its connection to his supernatural experiences, his surreal dreams, and his perception of reality, only to lead to the discovery of the biggest mystery of all - himself. Written and directed by Tom Mattera and Dave Mazzoni.
"An Alice-like rabbit hole of suppressed memories... Simmering with neurotic emotions and surreal dream states... Sustains a disturbing, somnambulistic mood." Robert Koehler, Variety “Kafkaesque…a densely etched portrait... Stylistically channeling David Lynch and Darren Aronofsky… Striking black-and-white cinematography and stark atmospherics set an intriguing tone” - Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter “Dark, brooding mood and tone are seductive and compelling.” Ain’t it Cool News Honorable Mention recipient from the Cinevegas Grand Jury. Hello! We're finally back on track, and even though this is last minute, we're going to do a trial run THIS Friday!!! First off, our new venue is at 600 4th St in West Sacramento. This is on the corner of 4th and F St in *West* Sacramento (NOT 4th and F in downtown Sacramento). This is just over the river, so very, very close to downtown. One way of getting there is to take the I Street Bridge over the river, make the first left after the bridge (3rd Street), go down a few blocks to F St, make a right, go one more block and you are there! It's the big gray building at the corner. If you overshoot the building just slightly, you'll see an entrance to the parking lot. Yes, there IS a large parking lot at this place!! Entry door is at the grassy park-like area by the parking lot. Keeping with our theme of not using front doors, this is kind of in the back of the building. It's the old ILWU labor union hall. We're really in the first stage of readiness, and you'll see additional changes over the next month or two (changes for the better, that is). OK, enough of that! What are we gonna show on this test run? This Friday, November 2, we are going to repeat our Halloween Hangover which we did last year, particularly since folks loved the movie so much when we previously screened it. This will be at 7 PM. For this night only, admission is just 3 bucks (we're not sure how smoothly this one is going to go, so it's a bit discounted).  Graveyard Alive: From Canada comes this enjoyable, low-budget black and white zombie film which is a cross between 1920's German Expressionism, soap operas and 1960's B-horror films with beautiful cinematography and shot in Techniscope (a process used by Dario Argento, George Romero, Sergio Leone and many others in the 1960's). A ridiculed homely nurse is bitten by a zombie and transforms into a flesh-eating sex-kitten in a short-short skirt. Now all the cute young doctors are after her and everything would be great, except... the hospital's body count starts to dramatically rise - something co-workers are bound to notice... "A profound fondness for grade-Z horror pics powers Graveyard Alive, a take-no-prisoners genre parody rooted firmly in the playful tradition of Sam Raimi, George Romero and Canadian kitschmeister, Guy Maddin. Very cleverly made on a minuscule budget, terrific-looking Graveyard Alive should see a healthy life (and after-life?) as a cult and midnight movie." - Variety "Graveyard Alive" will show with the short film "Zombie American" starring The Daily Show's Ed Helms! It's a hilarious "documentary" on the often over-looked issue of discrimination against zombies in America. So please -- try to make it out - bring some friends! Check out the huge new space we're in! Saturday, Sept 22! Movies on a Big Screen, in conjunction with the Del Paso Blvd Partnership, present a very special evening "on the Boulevard!" Location: The Artisan Theater. 1901 Del Paso Blvd. Sacramento. One fantastic evening featuring two amazing films!! All starts at 5:00 PM (doors open at 4 PM). No folding chairs! The theater has actual padded seats!! Between the two films, there will be a brief break, and after the final Q&A, the evening will wrap up with a reception with the scheduled guest speakers inside the adjoining Cafe Refugio. Admission for the evening is $15.00, which includes a couple of glasses of wine during the reception following the films. First up: From A Silk Cocoon, by Satsuki Ina  The discovery of a small metal box leads to the uncovering of a family story, shrouded in silence for more than 60 years. Woven through their censored letters, diary entries, and haiku poetry, is the story of a young Japanese American couple whose dreams are shattered when, months after their wedding, they find themselves held captive, first in race track horse stables and later, in tar paper barracks. Abandoned by America, the country of their birth, Shizuko and Itaru endure four years of life behind barbed wires in American concentration camps during WWII. Itaru, incensed by the indignities of prison camp life, is charged with sedition for speaking out in protest of the government's efforts to separate the "loyal" from the "disloyal" by imposing a Loyalty Questionnaire on all adult prisoners. In his speech, Itaru demands that Japanese Americans be "treated equal to the free people" before they are required to fight in the war. Those identified as loyal would become eligible for the military draft, while the "disloyals" would be segregated to the Tule Lake Segregation Center in northern California. In answering "no" to the questions regarding his willingness to bear arms against the enemy and disavow loyalty to the Emperor of Japan, Itaru is identified as a trouble-maker, and he, his wife and two small children are segregated to Tule Lake. Faced with deteriorating conditions regarding food, coal supplies, medical care, and milk for her children, Shizuko falls into despair. Militant pro-Japan groups begin to proliferate in the turmoil-ridden segregation camp and rumors sweep through the barracks. What initially appears to be a crisis-of-loyalty, becomes more clearly, a crisis-of-faith… in their own country. Unfortunately, Sacramento filmmaker Satsuki Ina will not be able to be in attendance. However, Kiyo Sato, author of the just released book "Dandelion Through the Crack" will be in attendance for a discussion and Q&A following the film. Copies of her book will also be available for sale. About the author: Kiyo Sato was attending Sacramento Junior College when World War II broke out and brought with it the evacuation of all Japanese-Americans in 1942. In her book, Kiyo recalls the trauma of being forced to leave the family farm and ship out to a prison camp with little more than the clothes on their backs. At the end of the war, after their release from the prison camp and then working a season as hired laborers in Colorado, Kiyo and her family returned to their farm in Sacramento to rebuild their home and their lives. Kiyo's parents were able to keep their farm, but many Japanese-American families were not so fortunate and had to start over with nothing. Kiyo then joined the United States Air Force, completing her college education in nursing and achieving the rank of captain. She eventually returned home from the service, married, and started her own family in Sacramento. This will be followed by: Homecoming, by Adam Hauck and George Cawood  "Orphanage" conjures images of dreary warehouses for unwanted children who are denied the most basic of human needs: love and a sense of family. In stark contrast to the Dickensian vision of orphan life, "Homecoming" provides a surprisingly different view. Throughout the award-winning film, 15 men and women who grew up in different public and private orphanages dispel many of the common myths about orphanage life. Their heartwarming recollections echo the positive experiences of thousands of now-grown orphanage alumni worldwide. Through their stories, a new portrait of an American family emerges. Both Adam Hauck and George Cawood are from Sacramento and currently reside in southern California. They'll be flying up for the evening to be in attendance! Seating is limited. To purchase advance tickets, please contact the Del Paso Blvd Partnership at 916/923-6200. Net proceeds will be donated to the Capitol Church Clothes for Career Project. http://www.shiny-object.com/screenings/ http://www.delpasoboulevard.com (CONFIRMED, LOCATION: LJUrban 1941 H Street (corner of 20th and H, side entrance) 08/24/2007 Movies on a Big Screen and LJ Urban present: Radiant City  Gary Burns, Canada's king of surreal comedy, joins journalist Jim Brown on an outing to the suburbs. Venturing into territory both familiar and foreign, they turn the documentary genre inside out, crafting a vivid account of life in The Late Suburban Age. Urban sprawl is eating the planet. Across the continent the landscape is being levelled - blasted clean of distinctive features and overlaid with zombie monoculture. Politicians call it growth. Developers call it business. The Moss family call it home. While Evan Moss zones out in commuter traffic, Ann boils over in her dream kitchen and the kids play sinister games amidst the fresh foundations of monster houses. A chorus of cultural prophets provide insight on the spectacle. James Howard Kunstler, author of "The Geography of Nowhere," rails against the brutalizing aesthetic of strip malls. Philosopher Joseph Heath fears the soul-eating suburbs but admits they offer good value for money. And urban planner Beverly Sandalack dares to ask, Why can't we walk anywhere anymore? Burns and Brown rummage through a toybox of cultural references, from Jane Jacobs to "The Sopranos," to create a provocative reflection on why we live the way we do. Riffing off sitcoms and reality TV, they play fast and loose with a range of cinematic devices to consider what happens when cities get sick and mutate. Folks from Sacramento's LJ Urban will be out to discuss some of the issues in the film, and may bring along another local speaker or two.  About LJ Urban: "We make cities better." (which is probably one of the best mission statements we've ever seen - MoBS)  Due to the recent temporary closure of Fools Foundation, Movies on a Big Screen is currently working on locating an alternate venue for the film screenings during the time that Fools is closed. We will have more info very soon, so please check back, or sign up for our email list for the most timely updates on this. To be automatically subscribed to the list, send an email to sacto_screenings-subscribe@shiny-object.com. This address is not read by human eyes. If you'd like to actually write to us/contact us, just send an email to screenings@shiny-object.com. We do read and respond to messages sent there. Thank you for sticking this out with us - we'll get back on regular track just as fast as possible. 07/06/2007 In the Year of the Pig  Emile de Antonio's stunning Academy Award-nominated anti-war documentary from 1968 on the US in Vietnam, filmed at the height of our involvement. Upon initial release, reaction against it was so strong that theaters which ran it received bomb threats and had screens painted over.
Interspersing footage from Vietnam with interviews of politicians, academics and military and intelligence personnel, the film traces the history of Vietnam and how it was manipulated by external forces, ultimately resulting in the Vietnam War. de Antonio shows mastery at simply allowing people to talk, and thus hang themselves with their own words - a tactic which Michael Moore is also very adept at. Not only is this film important for historical reasons, but maintains much relevance given our current involvement in Iraq. Listening to some of the interviews in this doc seem very strangely familiar - as if you have very recently heard extremely similar statements supporting the reasons for the US being in Iraq... 07/13/2007 Rock that Uke  A funky, curiously philosophical cinematic love poem that examines the near mystical allure of the four-stringed underdog of the musical world and the recent surge of alternative, post-punk musicians on the American mainland who have taken up the instrument, and have incorporated the ukulele not just into their raucous and irreverent original compositions, but into a counter cultural, post-punk ethos. With introductory narration by Academy Award winner Holly Hunter. Featuring Carmaig de Forest, Songs From a Random House, Janet Klein, Ukefink, Robert Armstrong, Travis Harrelson, Oliver Brown (No Kill I: The Next Generation), Heinous Rynes, Uke Til U Puke, The Haoles, Williwaw, Frank Novicki, Robert Wheeler, King Kukulele, Pineapple Princess, The Rumble Pups, and Ian Whitcomb!
The film was directed by William Preston Robertson, who has lent his voice to numerous Coen Brothers films, authored the book "The Big Lebowski: The Making of a Coen Brothers Film," and possibly most impressively, was the voice of the creepy mounted deer head (and other possessed objects) in "Evil Dead II." Best of all, the amazing William Preston Robertson will be in attendance at the screening for a Q&A!! Yes, you will have the chance to meet the famous voice from Evil Dead II and director of this hip and bizarre doc!! 07/20/2007 Electric Purgatory: The Fate of the Black Rocker  A documentary examining the struggles of black rock musicians and the industry's ambivalence towards them. Director Raymond Gayle spent the better part of a year traveling around the United States interviewing many of Black Rock's elite including Fishbone, Vernon Reid, Adam Falcon, Jimi Hazel and Cody Chesnutt. Distinguished journalists such as Flip Barnes, Darrell McNeil, Charlie Braxton, and Greg Tate, share their opinions and insight on the dilemma facing these artists. Also contains plenty of archival footage!
We're working on some speakers for this night, too. We'll update if/when we're able to pull that together! 07/27/2007 Why Lie, I Need a Drink  A very special advance rough-cut screening of local comedian and filmmaker Keith Lowell Jensen's new feature length doc on panhandling!
Keith set out to not only take a look at panhandling, panhandlers and attitudes towards them, but also to dive in and try various methods of panhandling himself. We haven't even seen this yet ourselves, but knowing Keith, we'd bet there's a pretty fair mix of irreverence, humor, and sobering reality in this. Keith Lowell Jensen will be in attendance for this screening for a Q&A and to get feedback on this rough cut following the film. 06/01/2007 Dead End Drive-In  This Australian indie B flick from 1986 actually has a lot more to offer than just trashy action. Set in the future of 1994 in a globally unstable society, drive-ins are being used by the Australian government as defacto concentration camps in which the unemployed and undesirables are entrapped.
Mixing violence, sex, and cheesy 80's synth with social critiques about government control, racism and unemployment? Yep, they did it with this. And while much of it may appear dated, the messages are just as pertinent today as they were then. Not an intellectual film by any stretch of the imagination, but it's always been an interesting cult film due to the collision of fun trash and important social commentary. You say you want intellectual also? Well take a gander at June 8 and June 15!! 06/08/2007 Frozen  Shirley Henderson ("Trainspotting," "Harry Potter," "Bridget Jones's Diary") plays Kath, a woman still haunted by the mysterious disappearance of her sister Annie two years earlier. When she steals a security camera videotape from the police that captures Annie’s last moments, Kath believes she finds a mysterious image on it. As she retraces Annie’s last steps, she has recurring visions of Annie in an otherworldly landscape. Whilst Kath becomes convinced that her sister is trying to reach her, those around her become increasingly skeptical of her claims.
So has Kath really found a way to access the afterlife. Or is she losing her grip on reality? And what exactly did happen to Annie? Set in the stark beauty of Morecambe Bay, north west England, "Frozen" is a story about unresolved loss and the inherent danger of hope turning into obsession. Breathtakingly stark cinematography further the feeling of coldness throughout and provide a beautifully bleak feel to the film. Note: there are some fairly thick accents in this. 06/15/2007 The Guatemalan Handshake  In the confusion following a massive power outage, an awkward demolition derby driver vanishes, setting in motion a series of events affecting his pregnant girlfriend, his helplessly car-less father, a pack of wild boy scouts, a lactose intolerant roller rink employee, an elderly woman in search of her lost dog, and his best friend a ten-year-old girl named Turkeylegs.
Pieces of the mystery begin to come together as Turkeylegs sets out to find her missing friend. Cars drive circles in the dirt, a woman attends her own funeral, the sun rises sideways and an orange vehicle trades hands again and again. Everything eventully culminates in a massive demolition derby that throws all of the characters into different directions. As the trailer states: A feast for the senses. A challenge for the brain. This amazing film features Will Oldham ("Matewan," "Old Joy"), Katy Haywood (who by the fifth grade had already produced a one-act play!), Ken Byrne (former VP of Topps turned stage actor) and Cory McAbee ("The American Astronaut"). It's highly unlikely you've ever seen anything quite like "The Guatemalan Handshake." "Convention-defying filmmaking that suggests what Jacques Tati may have done with rural America" Variety "Todd Rohal's wonderful debut feature, 'The Guatemalan Handshake,' is more inventive in its first ten minutes than the entire duration of many films at the [Sundance] festival." GreenCine 06/22/2007 The Quiet Earth  This New Zealand indie from 1985 features the great Bruno Lawrence as Zac, a scientist who awakes one day to find that all people have vanished from the face of the Earth due to a global experiment going awry. Zac's mind slowly deteriorates due to the solitude until he stumbles upon another survivor, Joanne (Alison Routledge), and later a Maori (Peter Smith) named Api. The three band together and slowly realize that the forces unleashed by the experiment are destined to happen again.
This film has a phenomenal ending which you'll likely be puzzling out in your head for weeks, if not years! 06/29/2007 The 10th Victim  This 1965 cult classic has inspired many films which followed, but more importantly, presaged the reality TV craze that currently permeates our culture.
In the 21st Century, those with violent urges are allowed to enroll in a game of legalized murder wherein contestants hunt one another until only one is left alive. Ursula Andress, in all her stunning 60's glamor and beauty, as Caroline Meredith is set against Marcello Mastrianno in what will be for Caroline, her 10th and final victim. Along with her sponsor, the Ming Tea Company, Caroline plots out the perfect kill in front of TV cameras for the benefit of the viewing public. Rolling up romance, social satire and 60's Euro sex romp into one gorgeous pop culture retro cool stew with a soundtrack that Andy Warhol claimed to be one of his favorites, The 10th Victim is not to be missed. We believe this is the first use of the "double-barreled bullet bra". Oh, and did we mention Andress' S&M dance at the Club Masoch? That's worth the price of admission all on its own! Shown with the original Italian soundtrack with English subtitles. 05/04/2007 Freeway  This 1996 low-budget black comedy indie from Executive Producer Oliver Stone features Reese Witherspoon as the nearly illiterate Vanessa who flees her crack-addicted prostitute mother (Amanda Plummer) and abusive stepfather (Michael T. Weiss) in search of her grandmother. Yep, it’s Little Red Riding Hood all over again, but this time around, the Wolf is a lot worse. When Vanessa’s car breaks down, she’s picked up by youth counselor Bob Wolverton (Keifer Sutherland) who turns out to be the serial killer known as the I-5 Murderer. Vanessa violently turns the tables on him and continues on her way to grandma’s house (or rather, trailer park). A side trip into the criminal justice system ensues along the way and finally culminates in a violent climax. Simultaneously funny, chilling and at times disturbing, Freeway is an odd and unique presentation of our culture of violence. While not really gory, this is also not necessarily for the weak of stomach. Also with Brooke Shields, Brittany Murphy and Dan Hedaya. Nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 1996 Sundance Film Festival.
``Freeway'' illuminates our secret appetites. Like all good satire, it starts where the others end. And its actors wisely never ever act as if they're in on the joke. Like it or hate it (or both), you have to admire its skill - Roger Ebert "Freeway" is rude in the way the truth is rude - only funnier. The movie seduces with its humor, all the while presenting a realized vision of a harsh, absurd world. Has wit and complexity. -- San Francisco Chronicle With one foot in the grind house and one in the art house, the smarts in "Freeway" are more than equal to its visceral kick. The most impressive debut film I've seen all year. -- Salon.com 05/11/2007 Your Mommy Kills Animals  Sacramento Sneak Preview
We are extremely excited to bring an advance look at this new doc from Academy Award winner Curt Johnson to Sacramento. Currently planned for a theatrical release later this year. About the movie: Johnson set out to provide a neutral portrait of the current state of the animal rights movement, inspired by the US government naming animal rights activists as the #1 domestic terrorist threat to America. It provides a look at the history of animal rights activism, animal rights vs. animal welfare, the hypocrisy involved on all sides, and an examination of the Stop Huntington Animal Cruelty (SHAC) criminal terrorist trial. Underlying all of this is the issue of whether free speech is destined to be a casualty. Features appearances by Jessica Biel, Katherine Heigl, Betty White, Bo Derek, Margot Kidder, Tippi Hedron, Drew Carey, Moby, Gloria Estefan, P.J. O’Rourke, the Barbi Twins, James Cromwell and many, many more! Your Mommy Kills Animals is one of my top 5 favorite films in the past decade. If you care about your freedoms, run don't walk, to see this film. -- Larry Flynt An easy Oscar contender. This is what documentary filmmaking is all about. -- Stan Lee (yes, THAT Stan Lee) The bravest American film I've ever seen in my life. --Cinephile Magazine A great no-holds-barred film. --Ain't It Cool News A brilliant documentary --Portland Weekly A smart piece of investigative journalism. --Portland Mercury 05/18/2007 Mojave Phone Booth  With 42 official selections and 9 awards to-date, this fascinating and well crafted dramatic narrative finally makes its way to Sacramento! Starring Steve Guttenberg (in a decidedly different performance from his role in the Police Academy series), Annabeth Gish (Mystic Pizza, The X-Files, The West Wing), and Christine Elise McCarthy (ER, American Hardcore). In the middle of the Mojave desert, just outside Las Vegas, rests an abandoned phone booth, riddled with bullet holes, graffiti, its windows broken, but otherwise functioning. Word of the phone booth initially spread via the Internet in the mid 1990’s, and for years, travelers would make the trek down a lonely dirt road and camp next to the booth in the hopes that it might suddenly ring, and they could connect with a stranger - often from another country. This is the story of four disparate characters whose lives intersect with this mystical outpost, and the common voice they seek on the other end of the line. Exploring themes of love, death, the mystery of the universe, and the phenomenon of inter-connectivity, Mojave Phone Booth pitches us into the psyches of these characters, examines the double-lives we lead, and the sacrifices we must make to survive in these challenging times.
More info on the legendary Mojave Phone Booth can be found here: Deuce of Clubs. 05/19/2007 Special Saturday screening! Equality California, Shiny Object, Fools Foundation, and the Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival present a fundraiser for Equality California with a very special screening of the documentary We the People!
We The People could not have come along at a better time in American history. At a time when Spain and Canada have embraced the concept and legalized same sex marriages, the United States finds itself teetering on the edge of conflict. We The People promotes understanding and compassion and attempts to bridge the chasm of intolerance that divides this great nation. It provides an opportunity to meet same sex couples and their families, with the hope that a greater understanding and acceptance will be born based upon reality not upon political rhetoric. We The People isn't a film about a minority group; it's a film about people you know! West Sacramento Mayor, and recently-announced state Assembly candidate Christopher Cabaldon will be in attendance and speaking following the film. We’re also working on lining up one more special guest speaker. EQCA is currently working on some other events for the evening as well. Please note: doors open at 6:30 PM on this evening, and advance tickets are on sale here (no service charge) at: www.eqca.org/wethepeople. Advance tickets are recommended. Suggested minimum donation for admission is $10.00, sliding up to $15.00 depending on what you can afford. Movies on a Big Screen gift certificates will not be accepted for this event. Equality California is a great and active organization, working towards reducing discrimination and intolerance directed towards LGBT Californians. We urge you to take a look at their site to learn a bit more about what they do: Equality California. 05/25/2007 Gothic  Forget your backyard beer and bbq this Memorial Day weekend and load up on your favorite opiate for an evening of twisted Ken Russell weirdness!
The story is embellished from events which allegedly took place at the Swiss villa of Lord Byron (Gabriel Byrne) on the night of June 16, 1816 which supposedly led to the creation of the novel Frankenstein. Byron's guests include poet Percy Shelley (Julian Sands) and his future wife Mary (Natasha Richardson); Mary's half-sister Claire (Myriam Cyr) and Byron's leech-happy personal physician Dr. John Polidori (Timothy Spall). Byron promises them a night of horror like only a mad poet can deliver after partaking of laudanum and other hallucinogens, the guests tell ghost stories while exploring the dark corridors of his home. From here, Russell dives headlong into madness, discarding plot structure in favor of fever-dream setpieces in which the guests confront living manifestations of their own fears and insecurities creative, mortal and sexual, among others. As the Washington Post synopsis includes: “Things get out of hand. Four-posters squeak with sexcapades. There's perpetual thunder and lightning. Bugs scramble out of people's mouths. Women stroke snakes. And there are enough rats in the basement to send the Pied Piper back to music school. It's a Hell of a weekend.” 04/06/2007 Rock 'n Tokyo While most of Japanese society still preaches uniformity and order, there is an important underground world, where people lead a freer life. This is the Tokyo of “Rock N Tokyo.” This recently completely doc by Pamela Valente which just had its California premiere at the SF Independent Film Fest, is packed with live footage of the leather-clad legends Guitar Wolf, the wildly fun garage rock of the 5.6.7.8’s (featured, of course, in “Kill Bill”), the naked punk mayhem of the incredible Jet Boys and Nine playing at a mall. Interspersed throughout is footage of various members from the bands shopping, flipping through porn mags, hanging out and even singing karaoke. But really, this film is all about the incredible live performances, and it definitely delivers. Mostly in Japanese, with English subtitles mostly present during interview and spoken segments.  04/13/2007 Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea A documentary by Chris Metzler & Jeff Springer Narrated by John Waters 
The second film we screened back in September 2006 was this. Now, it’s
coming back, and along with it, and director Chris Metzler returns as well
for another informative and engaging post-film discussion and Q&A! If you
attended the September 2006 screening, you know that you have to come back
for this. If you missed it - well -- don't make that mistake twice!
About the film: Winner of 28 Best Documentary awards to date! Once known as the "California Riviera," the Salton Sea is now called one of America’s worst ecological disasters: a fetid, stagnant, salty lake, coughing up dead fish and birds by the thousands. Yet a few hardy eccentrics hang on to hope, including a roadside nudist waving at passing European tourists, a man building a religious mountain out of mud and paint, beer-loving Hungarian Revolutionary Hunky Daddy, and the real-estate "Ronald McDonald" known simply as The Landman. Through their perceptions and misperceptions, the strange history and unexpected beauty of the Salton Sea is revealed. "Accidentally" created by an engineering error in 1905, reworked in the 50’s as a world class vacation destination for the rich and famous, and then suddenly abandoned after a series of hurricanes, floods, and fish die-offs, the Salton Sea has a bittersweet past. Congressman Sonny Bono himself was once dedicated to saving the lake, until he went skiing one day... Now amongst the ruins of this man-made mistake, these few remaining people struggle to keep a remodeled version of the dream alive. However, this most unique community is now threatened by the nearby megalopolises of Los Angeles and San Diego, as they attempt to take the agricultural run-off that barely sustains the sea. The fate of this so-called ecological time bomb and the community that surrounds it remain uncertain, as the Salton Sea might just dry up. "Fascinating! An alarming yet highly entertaining documentary." - Hollywood Reporter "A heartbreaking, sidesplitting parade of humanity." - Village Voice "An interesting, disturbing, and humorous look at environmental disaster." - Berkeley Daily Planet "I don't know whether to laugh or cry. A must see." - Kansas City Star Just in time for Earth Day and the return of skyrocketing gas prices! 04/20/2007 The End of Suburbia: Oil Depletion and the Collapse of The American Dream  Since World War II, North Americans have invested much of their newfound wealth in suburbia. As the population of suburban sprawl exploded in the past 50 years, Suburbia became the American Dream. But as we enter the 21st century, serious questions are beginning to emerge about the sustainability of this way of life. With brutal honesty and a touch of irony, "The End of Suburbia" explores the American Way of Life and its prospects as the planet approaches a critical era, as global demand for fossil fuels begins to outstrip supply. World Oil Peak and the inevitable decline of fossil fuels are upon us now, some scientists and policy makers argue in this documentary.
The consequences of inaction in the face of this global crisis are enormous. What does Oil Peak mean for North America? As energy prices skyrocket even more in the coming years, how will the populations of suburbia react to the collapse of their dream? Are today's suburbs destined to become the slums of tomorrow? And what can be done NOW, individually and collectively, to avoid The End of Suburbia? Hosted by Barrie Zwicker. Featuring author and New York Time contributor James Howard Kunstler, Peter Calthorpe (urban planner, author and lecturer), Professor Michael Klare (contributor to The Nation, Scientific American and numerous others), Richard Heinberg (Peak Oil educator and research fellow at the Post Carbon Institute), Matthew Simmons (CEO of Simmons and Co, former energy advisor to George Bush and one of the world’s leading experts on Peak Oil), Michael C. Ruppert (From the Wilderness), Julian Darley (founder, Post Cabon Institute), Colin Campbell (retired petroleum geologist for Texaco, BP, etc, and author of “The Coming Oil Crisis”), Kenneth Deffeyes (Princeton professor and former associate of M. King Hubbert), Ali Samsam Bakhtiari (Senior Expert in the Corporate Planning Directorate of the National Iranian Oil Co) and Steve Andrews (Denver-based energy consultant). Dan Jacobson, Legislative Advocate for Environment California will be in attendance to speak about statewide issues related to the subject matter of "The End of Suburbia," and we are currently working on one more speaker to discuss this from a more local angle. 04/27/2007 Hannah House  Set in 1904, a young couple desiring to own land is convinced by a distant cousin to leave their comfortable city life to pursue homesteading in the Nebraska Prairie. A neighbor's house and land has become vacant, and the couple is told they can have it. Possibilities of a new life and future for their unborn child overshadow any questions about what happened to the previous occupants of the house. Based on a true story, this chilling account written, directed and produced by brothers Chad and Smith portrays the hardships and desolation of prairie life as the young family unearths the horrifying details of the house and its past.
"Hannah House," essentially a silent film, utilizes visual textures similar to those that occur now in many of the decomposing silent films from the 20's. By capturing the imperfections of scratches, skips, dirt and trapped hairs, the result is like watching a painting of the desolate prairie come alive, and are also used as a narrative element to further the disturbing tone of this film. Note: this film contains a "birth" scene, so there is some brief, graphic (yet simulated) nudity. We often include quotes from Variety, Village Voice, etc. Which is great and all, but in this case, we’re including a quote from someone you've met if you have gone to a screening before - someone who is not particularly thrilled to be seeing this film again due to its prior impact on him: "This film is hauntingly disturbing. Its convulsive sepia-toned images come at you like an opium flashback from a previous life. It will stay with you for days, and not in a good way..." - Korey, Floor Manager (aka. "the door guy"), Movies on a Big Screen 03/30/2007 Who is Bozo Texino? With filmmaker Bill Daniel in attendance!  Who is Bozo Texino? is a film on the 100-year-old tradition of hobo and
railworker graffiti. The project is the result of a 20-year study of
"monikers" and is fabricated from hours of 16mm and super 8 film, most of
it shot on freight trips across the western US. The film includes
interviews with some of the railroad's greatest graffiti legends: Colossus
of Roads, The Rambler, Herby (RIP) and the granddaddy of them all, Bozo
Texino. The film also catches some of the socioeconomic history of hobo
subculture from its roots after the Civil War to the present day. Included
are interviews with tramps that Daniel encountered in his travels. The
range of the interviews, and the film's style deal with both the cliches
and the harsh realities of tramp life.
This spectacular travel adventure faithfully photographed in realistic black and white film at considerable risk from speeding freight trains and in secret hobo jungles in the dogged pursuit of the impossibly convoluted story of the heretofore untold history of the century-old folkloric practice of hobo and railworker graffiti and the absurd quest for the true identity of railroading's greatest artist will likely amuse and confound you in its sincere attempt to understand and preserve this artform. Filmmaker Bill Daniel (who also worked on Craig Baldwin's Sonic Outlaws) will be in attendance for a Q&A. He'll also be bringing along a short film or two and maybe some other stuff! Daniel manages to say more about life, art, America and the simple joy of filmmaking than most directors manage in decades. - Neil Young's Film Lounge Bill Daniel's homegrown epic is as kinetic and raggedly beautiful as the trains he hopped to make it. a film about freedom as literal passage across the land. Corporations brand things to say they own them, but there are ways in which humans have marked things to say they cant be owned. - Jem Cohen Daniel and Renwick make some of the liveliest work on the microcinema circuit, wherein film, video art, and music collide with edgy, confrontational, unpredictable and often exuberant intensity. - The Washington Post 03/02/2007 X: The Unheard Music One of *the* great punk rock docs! Focuses specifically on the LA band X and packed with early live footage and interviews, all interspersed with pop culture references, including clips from commercials. With Brendan Mullen, Rodney Bingenheimer, Jello Biafra (briefly), and Ray Manzarek. 03/09/2007 Encore Screening: Independent America - The Two-Lane Search for Mom & Pop We originally screened this in October of last year and are bringing this important film back around for those who missed it and those who want to see it again. 
These days, you have to go out of your way if you want to do business with Mom & Pop. One couple
has taken that notion a little bit farther, 13,000 miles farther to be exact.
Independent filmmakers and award-winning journalists, Hanson Hosein and Heather Hughes, take
the road less traveled in a thought provoking new documentary, which uncovers the growing opposition
to big box retail across the U.S. and the often desperate fight being waged by independent
retailers to stay alive.
 Independent America: The Two Lane Search for Mom & Pop is an entertaining account of Hosein and Hughes’s expedition through 32 states as they look for an America unchained by corporate retail. Self-imposed road rules bar them from major highways and corporate chain retail. Traveling on
alternative roads, the duo can only do business with Mom & Pop.
 What the filmmakers find during their travels is the re-emergence of independent retail as individuals and communities band together to preserve not only their livelihoods but also their local communities. Pockets of resistance across the country add up to a nationwide opposition: Starbucks is vandalized in Colorado. Supporters of an anti-big box law in Arizona are compared to Nazis. A rebellious Texan city forces Borders Books into retreat. Patriotic residents of America’s "Fourth of July" capital in Nebraska start to turn on their new super center. And an entire town in Wyoming goes into business for itself after it’s abandoned by its chain department store.
*** This will be showing with the Meerkat Media Arts Collective short film "How Wal-Mart came to Haslett"  03/16/2007 Hot Chicks 7:00pm!   Jack Chick has been producing religious tracts for 37 years - they are little comic booklets stressing a wide range of activities that will send you to Hell - including Dungeons & Dragons, homosexuality, rock music, going to parties, Trick-or-Treating, and, well, it just gets worse from there. Over the years, the tracts have been revered by followers, derided by the Catholic Church, and collected and/or mocked by others and had provided ispiration for album and magazine art. P. David Ebersole and Todd Hughes decided to pull together a group of (mostly novice) filmmakers to adapt 9 of these religious tracts to film. So far, this has only played at the Los Angeles Film Festival, OutFest, NewFest and one exclusive gallery screening in Hollywood. And we're really excited to be bringing this to Sacramento. And if you don't go to the screening, it is our understand that you WILL go to Hell! So you might want to think twice about missing this... 03/16/2007 Once More With Feeling: A Late Night Buffy the Vampire Slayer Audience Participation Event. 10:00pm! 
 Audience participation with the Buffy episode "Once More With Feeling" has
swept cities from New York to Tucson, and now it's coming to Sacramento!
On March 16th, show up at Fools Foundation to yell and sing along with this beloved episode of Buffy! Tell Dawn to "Shut Up!" (and maybe call her a shoplifter - you know you've always wanted to). Put on monster finger puppets! Shove vampire teeth in your mouth and just try to sing along with "Rest in Peace" and see just how much it sucked to be James Marsters (pun intended). Come armed with your best call back lines for this! And your best (or preferably, worst) singing voice! We hope to have goodie bags available for sale, and tip sheets (for free) to get you headed in the right direction - but then, the amount of fun you have will be up to YOU! Dress up as Buffy (guys can too, you know)! Dress up as Spike (girls can too, you know)! Heck, throw on your best bunny suit! There's no particular need for airborne objects however - this ain't Rocky Horror, and this is an art gallery and all... Kicking off the night will be some special Buffy - and maybe even some non-Buffy - stuff to get you going. So show up on March 16. Special 10:00 PM screening. There will be around 2 hours of stuff to hopefully keep you entertained! Advance tickets are on sale at Brown Paper Tickets - the first and only fair trade ticketing agency who donates part of their profits to worthwhile causes. Advance tickets are strongly recommended, as this could sell out. You can get them here: Brown Paper Tickets 03/23, 03/24 & 03/25/2007 Nobelity --Admission: $7.00 Three days of screenings! Friday March 23 at 7:00 PM, Saturday March 24 at 7:00 PM and Sunday March 25 at 3:00 PM. Advance tickets are on sale at Brown Paper Tickets - the first and only fair trade ticketing agency who donates part of their profits to worthwhile causes. Advance tickets are recommended. You can get them here: Brown Paper Tickets   A stunning look at the world's most pressing problems through the eyes of
nine Nobel Laureates, "Nobelity" follows filmmaker Turk Pipkin's personal
journey to find enlightening answers about the kind of world our children
and grandchildren will know. Filmed across the US, and in France, England,
India, and Africa, "Nobelity" combines the insights of nine distinguished
Nobelists with a first-person view of world problems and the children who
are most challenged by them.
The nine laureates featured are Steven Weinberg, Richard E. Smalley, Harold E. Varmus, Jody Williams, Ahmed Zewail, Wangari Maathai, Joseph Rotblat, Amartya Sen and Desmond Tutu. They discuss issues such as hunger, poverty, nuclear disarmament, climate change, African development, education to build understanding between cultures, clean water, global health and health disparities, the ability for one person to make change, and much more. Content is appropriate for all ages. On Friday night, Amber Stott from Freedom From Hunger will be in attendance to speak and field questions. NOTE: Dr. Harry Wang, president for Sacramento Physicians for Social Responsibility will be unable to attend Saturday evening's screening as previously announced. In his place, Dr. Bill Durston, former president of Sacramento PSR (and former Congressional candidate) is currently scheduled to be in attendance. The filmmaker, Turk Pipkin, is scheduled to be interviewed (via phone) on the Sacramento NPR program, "Insight," on Thursday March 22 between 2 and 3 PM, regarding the film and the weekend of screenings here. A portion of the proceeds go to the Nobelity Project, "a certified education and action non-profit working towards a better future for all of our children by connecting people with reliable information and innovative thinking all over the world on pressing global problems, as well as working on specific well-defined projects (such as construction of a water system for the St. Joseph's Mahiga Primary School in Kenya)."  02/02/2007 Six-String Samurai The Six-String Samurai is Buddy, a mysterious and powerful hero of the post-apocalyptic future, who must fight his way to Lost Vegas and ditch a bothersome orphan kid if he's ever to become the next King of Rock 'n' Roll. Along the way, they encounter bounty-hunting bowlers, a cannibalistic "Cleaver" family, a Windmill God and even the Russian army. Winding up at the gates of Vegas, Buddy finds himself in an epic battle with Death over the child's soul and comes to realize just what it means to be King.
"It’s The Road Warrior with a rock ’n’ roll beat, Buddy Holly doing his best Toshiro Mifune, a Sergio Leone gang picture set in a fantasy future, directed with the flash and panache of a Hong Kong action flick and the sleek style of a samurai film. Lance Mungia’s high energy genre soup is a hoot, a low budget indie action film that embraces its limitations with a spare grunge-chic look spiced with flashy visuals, jazzy editing, and plenty of punk attitude." - Nitrate Online "Six String Samurai" is pure cinematic enjoyment." - Film Threat 02/09/2007 This Film is Not Yet Rated  You really need to see this. Oscar-nominated director Kirby Dick set out to lift the veil on the practices and membership of the MPAA and documented the whole thing. Hiring a PI, they worked to uncover the innermost secrets of the workings of the MPAA, and to expose just how much films have to be altered to fit their whims, paying particular attention to how an NC-17 can essentially be the death of a film. If you see movies, you must see this one! With John Waters, Matt Stone, Kevin Smith, Dan Rather, Darren Aronofsky, Kimberly Peirce, Maria Bello and many more.
And to pair up with this - we're giving you one more chance to see the hilarious 1997 Shock Productions (producers of "Strangers With Candy") short film "Shock Asylum" with Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello and written by Dan and Paul Dinello with Stephen Colbert. A twisted black comic tale of a routine psychological examination gone horribly awry! 02/16/2007 Let Me Be Your Band  See what wows Bowie, tunes in Beck and inspires the Cramps. It's a heart-pumping plunge off a curvy West Virginian highway that leads to the infamous One-Man-Rockabilly-Wild-Man, Hasil Adkins. From Bob Log III, former bus driver turned punk infused Delta Blues band, to Washboard Hank performing on his kitchen-sink tuba, all of the One-Man-Bands documented are undoubtedly the best at what they do, for the simple reason that they are the only ones who can do what they do! Eric Royer's self-built 5-piece Blue Grass band is a long way from his early days playing punk music with Rob Zombie... or is it? Come hear the forbidden rhythms of the Lonesome Organist, Mayor Mc Ca, and the Mysterious Asthmatic Avenger. Witness the world's only One-Man-One-Woman band and be blown away by the King Louie hurricane of sound. Very, very cool. Come see this, then make the 3-4 block walk to 22nd & J to see if Sacto's own local one man band is over there (he almost always is) and luxuriate in his Acoustic Sanctuary! 02/23/2007 Media That Matters Short Film Festival  We think this is the first time this short film fest has been brought to Sacramento. A collection of 15 short films, all under 8 minutes, covering a diverse set of issues such as: race, sexism, military recruitment tactics, the importance of locally-grown food, media manipulation, gay rights and so much more. All shorts were made by independent and youth filmmakers. Extremely important viewing and guaranteed to make you think.
Sundays: 3pm, $5 (unless otherwise noted) 02/04/2007 Scarlet Street  Skip the Super Bowl! Launching our Sunday series of afternoon screenings is this lesser-known disturbing Fritz Lang film noir classic from 1945 with Edward G. Robinson, Joan Bennet and Dan Duryea. Plot concerns a quiet cashier, Christopher, who dreams of being a great artist. Upon meeting the beautiful but manipulative Kelly, he falls in love, yet she is really in love with small-time crook Johnny. In an effort to impress, he overstates the money he makes from his paintings, which later drives him to embezzle from his employer to keep Kelly, all the while not realizing that Kelly and Johnny are making money off of his paintings. As deceptions are uncovered, Chris is driven to a particularly violent act. We can't say much beyond this without giving away the ending, but you won't necessarily walk away from this "with a song in your heart."
02/11/2007 Metropolis  Following up Fritz Lang's "Scarlet Street" is this silent science fiction classic from 1927. Mixing workers' rights with science fiction, this masterpiece had some of the most amazing sets of the time and remains breathtaking to this day. It also influenced countless later films including Dr. Strangelove, 2001, Star Wars and many, many others.
02/18/2007 His Girl Friday  This 1940 remake of The Front Page features Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in a hilarious, hyperventilating romantic comedy which delivers dialog at break-neck speed. Cary Grant portrays newspaper editor Walter, whose ex-wife and star reporter is Hildy (Russell). One day Hildy shows up to tell him she's quitting and getting re-married, Walter convinces her to take on one last "easy" assignment - an interview with a death-row inmate found guilty of killing a policeman. Throw in a jailbreak, a suicide, a shooting, corrupt city officials and you've suddenly got one of the first and best screwball comedies ever!
02/25/2007 The Most Dangerous Game  "King Kong" directors Ernest B. Schoedsack and Merian C. Cooper simultaneously collaborated on this chilling 1932 release, also starring Fay Wray and Robert Armstrong. In it, big game hunter Bob Rainsford (Joel McCrea) is the sole survivor of a yacht accident who seeks refuge on a nearby island only to find the insane Count Zaroff (Leslie Banks). He is introduced to Zaroff's other "guests," brother and sister Martin and Eve Towbridge (Armstrong and Wray), and soon enough it is revealed that Zaroff now hunts "the most dangerous game" - man. Taut with suspense and tension and with not a scene wasted, this runs at only 63 minutes, so we will be adding a short (to be announced) to this afternoon. Note: if parts of the island look strangely reminiscent of Skull Island, it's because they are - the King Kong jungle sets were utilized for this film.
Short films from Shock Productions (January, 2007)  This month, in addition to the features, we will be running 3 Shock Productions short films from the hilariously twisted minds behind Strangers With Candy, and featuring some of the earliest on-screen work of Stephen Colbert!  01/05/07 Sonic Outlaws  Within days after the release of Negativland's clever parody of U2 and Casey Kasem, recording industry giant Island Records descended upon the band with a battery of lawyers intent on erasing the piece from the history of rock music. Craig "Tribulation 99" Baldwin follows this and other intellectual property controversies across the contemporary arts scene. Playful and ironic, his cut-and-paste collage-essay surveys the prospects for an "electronic folk culture" in the midst of an increasingly commodified corporate media landscape.
Sonic Outlaws is a rowdy crash course in '80s and '90s American counterculture. Craig Baldwin's unorthodox documentary rockets through the world of copyright infringement, fair use, and sound and image sampling: from its roots in the dada and cubist movements to Andy Warhol's soup cans, from Silly Putty to satellite downlinks, from billboard improvement to do-it-yourself Barbie surgery. According to these outlaws, tradition-based folk art cannot emerge in the present world because all significant images and sounds are strictly protected by copyright laws, and thus can't be used as parts of new works. A blizzard of visual and aural input. Provocative. Consistently engaging. - Variety Gleefully anarchic. Craig Baldwin is one of the most wildly inventive indie filmmakers working today. - New York Times Our sense of the shape of creativity and of originality must always be in question if we are to flourish. Sonic Outlaws does precisely that. - Chris Chang, Film Comment Thought-provoking images and statements flash by quicker than MTV on fast-forward. Baldwin has chosen to make Sonic Outlaws one giant media collage. At times, your senses may overload, but it's guaranteed to keep your synapses popping. - CityPaper.Net *** Sonic Outlaws will play with the 1994 Shock Productions short film How to Be Popular, a parody of 1950's educational films with Amy Sedaris, Paul Dinello, Mitch Rouse and narrated by Stephen Colbert. 01/12/2007 loudQUIETloud: a film about the Pixies  The band that inspired some of the most innovative rock acts of the new millennium reunites to conquer the globe 12 years after calling it quits, and filmmaker Steven Cantor is there to capture all the low-lights and highlights of their tentative reunion in a probing documentary exploring the re-birth of the Pixies. Plagued by personal problems from the beginning but driven to create such classic albums as Surfer Rosa and Doolittle, Frank Black, Kim Deal, Joey Santiago, and David Lovering smashed convention to deliver a wailing wall of chaotic but catchy riffs that, when combined with Black's disjointed lyrics and volatile vocals, gave birth to an entirely new sound. Initially self-destructing in 1993 and fragmenting into a variety of compelling offshoots, the Pixies weathered out the remainder of the decade and the first years of the new millennial crossover on their own before a series of jam sessions between the former bandmates led to a wildly successful 2004 North American tour.
Looks splendid, the sound is first-rate and numerous cameras provide a prowling appraisal of the band. Includes a great deal of inspired music and a solid perspective on art and tension. - Variety 01/19/2007 Fuck  The movie that dare not speak its name - aka. The Four Letter Word Movie. From the folks who brought you The Aristocrats. How can we NOT run a film with a title like this? And on top of that, look at the cast in this: Janeane Garofalo, Bill Maher, Pat Boone, Ron Jeremy, Ice-T, Hunter S. Thompson (in one of his last interviews), Drew Carey, Sam Donaldson, Alanis Morissette, Kevin Smith, Alan Keyes, Steven Bochco, Michael Medved and many, many more! Featuring animation by the great Bill Plympton. Documentary on the 600+ year old word focuses on free speech and censorship issues (including the spike in indecency complaints to the FCC since 2000), origin and history of the word and its cultural significance.
Surprising and thought-provoking. Fuck is as funny and cathartic as the word it celebrates, and nearly as perversely shock-happy. - LA Times. Appropriately colorful. Lively. Enlightening. - Hollywood Reporter We haven't actually seen this yet, but we'd bet it contains a fair amount of harsh language. Whether you are a linguist or the "F" word just makes you giggle, you should attend this Sacramento Exclusive screening. Admission will be $7. *** Fuck will play with the 1997 Shock Productions short film Shock Asylum with Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello and written by Dan and Paul Dinello with Stephen Colbert. A twisted black comic tale of a routine psychological examination gone horribly awry! 01/26/2007 The American Ruling Class  The world's first dramatic-documentary-musical! Written and narrated by Harper's Magazine editor Lewis Lapham, The American Ruling Class explores our country's most taboo topic: class, power and privilege in our democratic republic and attempts to answer the question, "Who rules America?" This one has another great and diverse line-up to it: Barbara Ehrenreich, James Baker III, Robert Altman, former US Senator Bill Bradley, Kurt Vonnegut, Walter Cronkite, Mike Medavoy (former chair of Tri-Star Pictures and co-founder of Orion Pictures), Pete Seeger, William H. Taft IV, and many more.
Like a documentary version of The Wizard of Oz as director John Kirby and Lapham attempt to illuminate the heart of darkness inside the American political-economic machine. What they find ain't pretty. - Montreal Mirror *** The American Ruling Class will play with the 1997 Shock Productions short film, "Beyond the Door" with Stephen Colbert and Paul Dinello. A dark irreverent comedy about a clergyman's battle to overcome his fear of doors. 12/01/06 Cocaine Cowboys Exclusive Sacramento premiere of the new documentary from Magnolia Pictures!  The cocaine trade of the 70s and 80s had an indelible impact on contemporary Miami. Smugglers and distributors forever changed a once sleepy retirement community into one of the world’s most glamorous hot spots, the epicenter of a $20 billion annual business fed by Colombia’s Medellin cartel. By the early 80s, Miami’s tripled homicide rate had made it the murder capital of the country, for which a Time cover story dubbed the city "Paradise Lost."
With Cocaine Cowboys, filmmaker Billy Corben whose first feature caused a sensation at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival paints a dazzling portrait of a cultural explosion that still echoes as Hollywood myth, evidenced by the latest manifestation, Universal’s big screen version of Miami Vice. Composer of the original Miami Vice theme, Jan Hammer, provides the score for Cocaine Cowboys. A hyperventilating account of the blood-drenched Miami drug culture in the 1970’s and 80’s, the movie overflows with cops and coroners, snitches and smugglers, reporters and importers. Most resemble refugees from "Scarface," and all talk a mile a minute - except for the dead bodies, of course. - New York Times **** An uncommonly well-researched documentary which achieves an adrenalized, almost coked-up momentum. - Time Out New York Fascinating and genuinely engrossing. The tales of "the Godmother" make even Tony Montana’s antics in "Scarface" seem like kiddie fodder. - Miami Herald This has a R rating tied to it for "pervasive drug content, gruesome, violent images and language." And the MPAA is actually pretty accurate on this one. Please note: Admission for "Cocaine Cowboys" will be $7.00. 12/08/06 Orwell Rolls in His Grave 
The consummate critical examination of the Fourth Estate, once the bastion
of American democracy. Asking whether America has entered an Orwellian
world of doublespeak where outright lies can pass for the truth, Robert
Pappas explores what the media doesn't like to talk about: itself.
Meticulously tracing the process by which media has distorted and often dismissed actual news events, Pappas presents a riveting and eloquent mix of media professionals and leading intellectual voices on the media. Among the cast of characters in Orwell Rolls in His Grave are Charles Lewis, director of the Center for Public Integrity; Robert McChesney , Professor, University of Illinois; Greg Palast, Investigative Journalist; Peter Mitchelmore, Former Editor of the New York Post; Jeff Cohen, Founder of FAIR; Vincent Bugliosi, former L.A. prosecutor and legal scholar; Mark Crispin Miller; Author, Professor, New York University; film director and author Michael Moore; Rep. Bernie Sanders; Danny Schecter; author and former producer for ABC and CNN. On this night, we plan to have out representatives from Public Access and Common Cause. We are working on confirmations for indymedia and Free Speech TV and possibly some others for a brief presentation involving local alternative media options and media reform, as well as to be available to speak with folks! A marvel of passionate succinctness... if its biting analysis proves true, film is unlikely to ever be presented to the general public. The conviction and punch of the interviewees' commentary never becomes tedious. - Variety Enlightening, at times disturbing, and always provocative - L.A. Times Vivid and distressing... a deeply fascinating must-see for anyone interested in the slow morphing of news into mind-numbingly faux-informative entertainment. - Entertainment Today The most chilling of all new-wave political documentaries - Seattle Post Intelligencer The pattern that's documented in "Orwell Rolls In His Grave" should upset anyone who relies on TV, radio and newspapers for their news and information. - San Francisco Chronicle 12/15/06 Crime Wave From Kids in the Hall director John Paizs comes a true obscurity from
1985. Rarely screened or seen in the US, Shiny Object and Fools Foundation
are excited to bring this brilliantly bent oddity to Sacramento, thanks
entirely to Mr. Paizs himself. There's no realistic way to try to convey
this film in words, but the general plot centers on a quiet young man (also
played by Paizs) who is intent on writing "the greatest color crime movie
ever made," but can only write beginnings and endings - and only those by
streetlight. After befriending the young Kim, she tries to help him
complete his opus, but fails. Throughout the film, the various beginnings,
endings, and rejected "middles" are dramatized. Throw in a mysterious and
psychotic script doctor named Dr. Jolly, a private club for imaginary
friends, a quarantined city -- and you still won't come close to the idea
of what this film is really like.
Trivia note: Guy Maddin's first on-screen appearance was in a 1981 short by
John Paizs.
This is planned to show with the even more obscure 1982 short film by John Paizs, "Springtime in Greenland." 12/22/06 No Film Screening 12/29/06 Another classic film: The Last Man on Earth starring Vincent Price  This is the first film adaptation of Richard Matheson's I Am Legend from 1964 (the second being Heston's The Omega Man, and there's a third coming from Warner Brothers next year) starring Vincent Price. In this, Price plays a scientist who is the last survivor on Earth after a plague has turned the rest of the population into zombie-vampires. He manages to escape contagion due to a jungle virus he once had which makes him immune to the disease. He spends his time clearing bodies, killing the zombie-vampires, reinforcing his house against them, and reserves time to cling to what was a normal lifestyle prior to the plague.
This film was an admitted direct influence on Romero's "Night of the Living Dead" (he actually stated that Night was a "rip-off" of Last Man): the Red Scare commentary, the documentary style of filmmaking, the grim and pessimistic ending - it's all found in "The Last Man on Earth." Also interesting, Price plays a character which goes against his typically typecast roles, and quite effectively - humanism, sadness, despair are all here. We plan to run the original widescreen version of this film (it's usually seen in a full-screen pan and scan version).  11/03 Jericho's Echo 
Like the country itself, the punk rock music scene in Israel is young,
small, and passionate. The bands have differing political views, but they
share a struggle for freedom in a country where they feel restricted by
religious laws, ma |
