Program

Program for April 14 to June 2 :

C-VA =Cinéma VA-114, 1395 René Levèsque O.
(Guy or Lucien l’allier metro)

C-JA = Cinéma J.A. deSève, 1400 deMaisonneuve O.
(Guy or Lucien-l’Allier metro)

Doors: 6 :30 p.m.
Projection: 7 p.m.
Major sponsor:  Mel Hoppenheim School Of Cinema (Concordia)

April 14
VA-114
BASIC INSTINCT
(1992 , U.S., 128 min.) Paul Verhoeven

One of the most controversial films of the 1990s is offered here in 35mm on the big screen in an uncut European version.
Sharon Stone plays Catherine Tramell, the ultimate post modern femme fatale, who is accused of brutally murdering her lover. Detective Nick Curran (Michael Douglas) is assigned to investigate but quickly falls for the icy blond’s charms. As she spins her web of intrigue around him, doubt is cast on her innocence, Will the detective be her next victim? This much-copied, trend-setting erotic thriller hits the viewer squarely in the heart… not unlike an icepick.

April 21
VA-114
LORD OF THE FLIES *50th Anniversary screening*
(1963, U.K., 92 min.) Peter Brooks

The innovative director took a bold risk in tackling William Golding’s famed novel with a cast of mostly amateur child actors on a remote exotic island but he succeeds beautifully in making this a powerful work by way of realist camera technique and measured pacing. Its visual beauty shimmers on the big screen like silver sand in b&w.

April 28
VA-114
DIARY OF A CHAMBERMAID
(1964, France /Italy, 101 min.) Luis Bunuel

Although this is “enfant terrible” Bunuel’s most accessible work, it still retains his sharp critical view of social class. The lovely Jeanne Moreau plays Celestine, a chambermaid hired by the rather bizarre and wealthy Monteil family. Celestine confronts skirt-chasers, frigidity, fetishism and murder in a world where sexuality and mystery intertwine. ‘
For your added viewing pleasure, we offer a beautiful cinemascope print. Also see the most notorious short film ever; UN CHIEN ANDALOU by Bunuel and Salvador Dali.

May 5
VA-114
JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS  *50th Anniversary screening*
(1963, U.S., 104 min.) Don Chaffey & Ray Harryhausen

Fifty years after its release, this film is still the best argument for stop motion effects surpassing modern digital trickery for the sheer wonder of its craftsmanship. It contains some of the most imitated scenes in fantasy-cinema history including the terrifying skeleton sword-fight. An absolute must for fans of the genre and fans of quality animation as only Ray Harryhausen can deliver. Also screened will be early short works by the stop-motion master.

Our guest speaker Erik Goulet has worked for Academy-award winning 3-D effects company Softimage (Jurassic Park, Titanic), now teaches animation at Concordia University and is the director of the ever-growing Montreal Stop-Motion Festival that takes place in October.  He is naturally a big fan of Ray Harryhausen and can’t wait to tell you all about the magic of this wonderful art form!

May 12
VA-114
W.R. MYSTERIES OF THE ORGANISM (+ guest)
( 1971,Yugoslavie/W.Germany, 84 min.) Dusan Makavejev

The power of orgasms, sexual liberation in communist Yugoslavia of the 1970s and the works of psycho-philosopher Wilhelm Reich will collide and explode in Dušan Makavejev hallucinogenic, free-form, episodic collage-like oddity, W.R.: Mysteries of the Organism – a subversive counter-culture masterpiece in the truest of senses, blending documentary, fiction, sex and politics into a provocative whole, initially banned in its home country and soon-to-be presented in an uncut film print at your favourite Film Society.

GUEST: Originally from the former Yugoslavia, Dejan Krajalcic is a film scholar, writer, critic, filmmaker and co-founder of a popular international comic book festival in Belgrade, Serbia.

May 19
VA-114
THE MAGIC BOX
(1951, U.K., 118 min.) John Boulting

The Magic Box is the story of the British inventor William Friese-Greene (Robert Donat), the alleged inventor of the motion picture camera and projector. It is about his lifelong struggle to develop a “moving picture camera” –– a single-minded pursuit that leads to a life of poverty and crushing personal conflicts.
The film, in part, inspired Martin Scorsese’s 2011 award winning film “Hugo”. During his cameo in “Hugo”, Scorsese pays homage to this film. When asked, “Can you remember the first time you sat in the cinema and were really inspired by a film”, Scorsese replied “the film that I think created the biggest impression on me about film and about filmmaking – the one that prompted me to say ‘maybe you could do this yourself’ – was The Magic Box”.

For those who are interested in the origins of cinema, and its earliest experiments, this is a “must see” film. Historical footage is brilliantly incorporated into the story. Master cinematographer Jack Cardiff creates beautiful images of the era including old wood and brass magic lanterns and early movie equipment. There are many wonderful re-enactments, such as the Victorian photo studio where customers have to stand absolutely still for 30 seconds or more to get their photo taken!
The cast stars just about every major British star of the time. The most famous cameo is by Sir Laurence Olivier, as the astonished policeman who witnesses Friese-Greene’s first triumph, the first projection of moving images of Hyde Park on an improvised sheet screen.
Screened will be a very rare genuine Technicolor print along with a display of antique movie projectors from the C/FS collection.

Saturday May 25
THE GENERAL (+guest)
(1926, U.S., 107 min) Buster Keaton
L`eglise Westmount Park United Church, 4695 deMaisonneueve O. (métro Vendome)

Keaton’s comic masterpiece never fails to get an audience laughing from the beginning and applauding by the end. To help recreate a 1920s night at the movies, the film will be accompanied by live musicians and every attendee will receive a vintage-style souvenir program.

GUEST:Our very special guest is Gerald Potterton who directed the Hollywood legend in THE RAILRODDER (1966). He also worked on YELLOW SUBMARINE(1968) and directed the animated cult film HEAVY METAL (1980). The whole event takes place in a magnificent Gothic church and is definitely not to be missed! (adm.:$12, $9 for students and 65+)

June 2
VA-114
REPULSION (+guest)
(1965, U.K., 105 min.) Roman Polanski

Here is a tale of sexual repression where the victim becomes the victimiser. Catherine Deneuve’s beauty and quiet intensity are fascinating to watch on the big screen.
« From today’s perspective, (this early Polanski) is a virtual catalog of the tell-tale trappings of the ‘neurotic woman’ horror film – the insular plot, the dis-integrated characterization  stylistic flourishes such as repeated mirror shots, disembodied hands that grope the protagonist, the actual or optical enlargement of sets to create disorientation, the low angle shots of woman swiping maniacally at her victim – but REPULSION is perhaps the godmother of them all.» – K. Janisse.

GUEST: Kier-La Janisse is a writer and film programmer based in Montreal, Canada. She is the Director of The Miskatonic Institute of Horror Studies, Web Director at Fangoria.com, the film curator for POP Montreal and a programmer for SF Indie. She has been a programmer for the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema and Fantastic Fest in Austin, founded the CineMuerte Horror Film Festival in Vancouver, co-founded Vancouver’s Criminal Cinema and Montreal’s Blue Sunshine Psychotronic Film Centre and was the subject of the documentary Celluloid Horror. She has written for many top film magazines and has had her work published in several important books on genre cinema. She will be signing copies of her latest book, House of Psychotic Women: An Autobiographical Topography of Female Neurosis in Horror and Exploitation Films. This book was beautifully produced by FAB Press in 2012 and contains quite a few rare and stunning illustrations. It is something you will cherish in your library for a long time so do bring a few extra dollars to pick up a copy while they last!