Since 1959 at the age of five, David “The Weatherman” Wills has been recording and reporting on his life, self, and anything he likes (such as the weather, toilets flushing, and intercepted cell phone conversations) and broadcasting it to anyone interested. Together with childhood friends Richard Lyons and Mark Hosler he formed Negativland, which quickly became an absurd and noisy multimedia world without boundaries, ownership or privacy. Negativland’s complex chaos of plunderphonics poses both serious and silly questions about the nature of sound, media, technology, control, propaganda, power and perception in the United States of America.
Is what you’re hearing and seeing true or simply familiar? The medium reveals that any message is all in our heads.
Starring: Joan Crawford, Sterling Hayden, Mercedes McCambridge
On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna (Joan Crawford) owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin’ Kid (Scott Brady) and his gang. Another patron of Vienna’s establishment is Johnny Guitar (Sterling Hayden), a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man’s death, Emma Small (Mercedes McCambridge), Vienna’s rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna’s saloon — even without proof of her wrongdoing.
Starring: Charlize Theron, Art Parkinson, Matthew McConaughey, Ralph Fiennes, George Takei
Young Kubo’s (Art Parkinson) peaceful existence comes crashing down when he accidentally summons a vengeful spirit from the past. Now on the run, Kubo joins forces with Monkey (Charlize Theron) and Beetle (Matthew McConaughey) to unlock a secret legacy. Armed with a magical instrument, Kubo must battle the Moon King (Ralph Fiennes) and other gods and monsters to save his family and solve the mystery of his fallen father, the greatest samurai warrior the world has ever known.
Starring: Noémie Merlant, Kit Harrington, Meredith Hagner
The FOFIF presents a special preview screening of the new pregnancy horror film, BABY RUBY with writer/director Bess Wohl in conversation. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
Baby Ruby, the debut feature film by Bess Wohl, tells the story of Jo (Merlant), a successful, French lifestyle entrepreneur who is happily pregnant, awaiting the arrival of her first child. But soon after Jo welcomes baby Ruby home, something starts to feel off– even though she’s assured it’s all perfectly normal. Is something wrong with her? Is something wrong with Ruby? And why are the seemingly perfect neighborhood moms so desperate to befriend her? As Jo fights to protect herself and her baby, she is plunged into a waking fever dream where everyone is a threat and nothing is what it seems. At last, she must confront the truth of her own darkness and contend with the ultimate human sacrifice: the one mothers make for their children.
Starring: Michael Douglas, Glenn Close, Anne Archer
For Dan Gallagher (Michael Douglas), life is good. He is on the rise at his New York law firm, is happily married to his wife, Beth (Anne Archer), and has a loving daughter. But, after a casual fling with a sultry book editor named Alex (Glenn Close), everything changes. Jilted by Dan, Alex becomes unstable, her behavior escalating from aggressive pursuit to obsessive stalking. Dan realizes that his main problem is not hiding his affair, but rather saving himself and his family.
Starring: Désirée Nosbusch, Bodo Steiger, Simone Brahmann, Jonas Vischer, Helga Tolle
Simone worships a pop singer until he tells her that he does not love her. She feels a murderous rage that threatens to overcome them both.
Starring: Austin Stoker, Darwin Joston, Laurie Zimmer, Martin West, Tony Burton, Charles Cyphers
A brand new 4K restoration of John Carpenter’s explosive triumph
Written, directed, scored and edited by John Carpenter two years prior to Halloween, Assault on Precinct 13 combines the template of Night of the Living Dead with the spirit of Rio Bravo to forge a movie like no other. The story follows a group of police offers (including the mighty Austin Stoker) and convicts as they join forces inside a soon-to-be-closed L.A. police station. The reason? They must defend themselves against Street Thunder, a vicious gang who have taken a blood oath to kill someone trapped inside the precinct. Combining gritty action with arthouse style, Assault on Precinct 13 features powerful Cinemascope compositions, a pulsing synth score, and an immersive mood that only Carpenter can deliver.
Starring: Michael J. Fox, James Garner, Cree Summer, Leonard Nimoy, Don Novello, Claudia Christian, Jim Varney
An inexperienced young adventurer becomes the key to unraveling an ancient mystery when he joins up with a group of daredevil explorers to find the legendary lost empire of Atlantis. A naive-but-determined museum cartographer Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox), dreams of completing the quest begun by his late grandfather, a famous explorer. When a journal surfaces, an eccentric billionaire funds an expedition and the action shifts to high gear.
Starring: Renée Zellweger, Ewan McGregor, Sarah Paulson, David Hyde Pierce, Rachel Dratch
A riff on ‘60s romantic comedies from Bring It On director Peyton Reed, Down With Love stars Renée Zellweger as Barbara Novak, an author confident that her debut book will change the lives of women forever. Touting a rejection of romance in favor of casual sex, Novak assures women that they can achieve as much professional success as men. The book is such a massive success, even the initially dismissive journalist Catcher Block (Ewan McGregor) is enticed to profile its author. A chronic womanizer, Block is captivated by Novak, who seems above his advances.
Dismissed by some as pastiche some twenty years ago, Down With Love is a clever and charming movie buoyed by support performances by Sarah Paulson and David Hyde Pierce that has slowly been finding a devoted fan base.
Starring: Edward Woodward, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Diane Cilento, Lindsay Kemp, Ingrid Pitt
Sergeant Howie (Edward Woodward) arrives on the small Scottish island of Summerisle to investigate the report of a missing child. A conservative Christian, the policeman observes the residents’ frivolous sexual displays and strange pagan rituals, particularly the temptations of Willow (Britt Ekland), daughter of the island magistrate, Lord Summerisle (Christopher Lee). The more Sergeant Howie learns about the islanders’ strange practices, the closer he gets to tracking down the missing child.
