In 2006 CBGB, the most famous rock club in the world, closed its doors forever. Everybody associated it with bands such as Blondie, The Ramones and The Talking Heads, but no one remembers that what made it legendary were the hardcore matinées in the 80s.
Walter Schreifels, of several influential NYC hardcore punk bands, tells us a story not only about some kids and their music but of New York and its changes, too.
Starring: Gunner Hansen, Brinke Stevens, Randy Clower, TJ Myers
From director Bret McCormick (The Abomination) comes one of the most screwball, brain-melting late 90s direct-to-video entries ever made. At a top-secret military facility, a group of scientists and army brass work on the “The Replicator Project,” which quickly goes awry when it turns all the male soldiers into gorgeous, scantily clad nymphets who then morph into alligators when they reach the peak of sexual excitement! Starring original Leatherface Gunner Hansen and iconic scream queen Brinke Stevens.
Hosted by Matt Desiderio of Horror Boobs with free giveaways of Blu-rays, DVDs and collectibles. Followed by an after party in Lo-Res where Desiderio will DJ an all-vinyl set.
Starring: Stefanie Estes, Olivia Luccardi, Eleanore Pienta, Dana Millican, Melissa Paulo, Jon Beavers
Playing out in real time, Soft & Quiet is a runaway train that follows a single afternoon in the life of an elementary school teacher, Emily, who organizes an inaugural club meeting of like-minded women. When they all decide to move the meeting to Emily’s house to keep the wine flowing, they stop at the local store to pick up refreshments. At the store, an altercation breaks out between a woman from Emily’s past and the group, leading to a volatile chain of events.
Starring: Lee Sung-jae, Bae Doo-na, Byun Hee-bong
Released in 2000, Bong Joon Ho’s debut feature film Barking Dogs Never Bite arguably remains the most under-seen of his works. Though the movie, which follows academic Yun-ju (Lee Sung-jae) as he desperately vies for a job as a professor, was critically fairly well-received, it bombed at the box office, to the point that Bong thought he might never work in the industry again. Perhaps as a direct result, Bong has since described the film as “very stupid” and actively discouraged audiences from seeking it out. Against his advice, we are screening it at Nitehawk now.
While the film isn’t as airtight as his later works, it is something of a blueprint for the rest of Bong’s oeuvre, as the story explores shifting scales of morality and class division. It’s also quite stylistically playful, as lively camerawork and an unusually jazzy score lend a noir-like feel to a movie that is, in plot, somewhat mundane. As Yun-ju despairs over his unemployment, his sense of frustration finds focus in canine form. Annoyed by the constant sound of a dog’s barking throughout the apartment complex in which he lives, he resolves to kill the unfortunate pooch, thus setting off a chain of misunderstandings, not least of his own ability to actually do the deed. Meanwhile, Hyun-nam (Bae Doona), an aimless young woman who works at the same complex, decides to investigate the recent string of missing dogs.
Revered as a visual masterpiece and one of the greatest documentary films ever made, Man with a Movie Camera (1929) gives historical context to the current Russian invasion and lays bare the costs of the ongoing humanitarian crisis. The joyful original score by Montopolis celebrates the beauty and resilience of Ukraine’s people and aims to inspire American audiences to support the country in its time of need.
“Sherburn counts a day job in Okkervil River, but has made a name for himself with his chamber outfit Montopolis’ stunning, hour-long score to the famous 1929 Russian silent. The capacity audience at Alamo Drafthouse last weekend gave the local sextet a well-deserved standing ovation at the conclusion of the film and its accompanying live performance. This is rich Austin culture with an already storied legacy made even more so by this latest entry. Your summer blockbuster has arrived.” – Raoul Hernandez, The Austin Chronicle
100% of the revenue from poster sales at these events are donated to UNICEF to support the refugee crisis in Ukraine
Earlier this year, Liam Gallagher defied all expectations and returned to Knebworth, some 26 years following Oasis’ historic 1996 shows. Performing to 170,000 fans across two sold out nights in one of the first major stage shows following the pandemic, this year’s event coincided with a third solo album, C’mon You Know, attaining Liam’s third number one spot for a studio release in the album charts.
Knebworth 22 is a new feature-length documentary that traces Liam back to the site of his former band’s defining performances, including all-new interviews, behind the scenes and concert footage captured from 20 camera positions. The film also goes a little bit further, seeking out stories and perspectives from collaborators and fans of different generations from around the world, transposing the emotional and social context of the 90s’ shows versus the tumult of our current era.
After Liam Gallagher’s Knebworth, join us in the Trees Lounge for a throwback afterparty celebrating the moment when Brits ruled rock radio. “Music Video Time Machine presents UK90s” will mine the Britpop era for the greatest music videos from Oasis, Blur, Pulp, Elastica, Supergrass, Happy Mondays, the London Suede, Charlatans UK, Travis and more. Join us for hoisted pints & props to England’s rock reign in the 1990s!
Starring: Frank Lovejoy, Edmond O’Brien, William Talman
Make it a Noir November with The Future of Film is Female‘s screening of Ida Lupino’s The Hitch-Hiker. To make an additional $10 donation to The Future of Film is Female, select the “Event + Donation” ticket on the checkout screen.
The first mainstream noir film directed by a woman (Ida Lupino who also co-wrote the film), The Hitch-Hiker is perhaps better remembered as simply one of the most nightmarish motion pictures of the 1950s. Inspired by the true-life murder spree of Billy Cook, The Hitch-Hiker is the tension-laden saga of two men on a camping trip who are held captive by a homicidal drifter. He forces them, at gunpoint, to embark on a grim joyride across the Mexican desert.
Renegade filmmaking at its finest, The Hitch-Hiker was independently produced, which allowed Lupino and ex-husband/producer Collier Young to work from a treatment by blacklisted writer Daniel Mainwaring, and tackle an incident that was too brutal for the major studios to even consider.
Before The Hitch-Hiker, we’ll be screening a special treat, also by Ida Lupino!
The third documentary in Kenneth Thomas’ trilogy about indie music culture, It Came from Aquarius Records explores the adventurous independent record shop that helped shape the tastes of San Francisco area residents and beyond for nearly a half a century.
Aquarius Records closed in 2016 after establishing itself as one of the greatest champions of underground and experimental sounds, turning the world onto sound and music of limitless varieties, some of which would soon explode in popularity out of the independent music scenes.
Filmed over six years and featuring over 50 interviews, the film takes an in-depth look at the heartbreak of shuttering the beloved store amid the city’s wave of gentrification and traces its long history of influencing music and culture in the city.
Make it a full night of film and live music! After the film, head over to Union Pool (484 Union Ave) to see live performances from one of the bands that Aquarius Records loved, Oneida, preceded by a DJ set from Steve Shelley and Emil Amos! Discount admission into Union Pool for those that attended It Came from Aquarius Records at Nitehawk. Use your seat number to receive the discount.
Starring: Sue Lynn Sanchez, Bill Ushler, Dave Bonavita
One of the most beloved and recognizable ‘shot on video’ movies of the last two decades, and both a Red Letter Media and Rifftrax favorite! When a giant bloodthirsty Bigfoot goes on a killing spree in a sprawling suburban park area of Pennsylvania, it’s up to a couple of park rangers, a novice reporter and a mystical Native American Warrior to try and stop Sasquatch’s limb-ripping, blood-drinking and massive pectoral rampage.
Starring: Nika Feldman, Preston Miller, Arik Roper, George Crowley, Fred Schneider
Co-presented by Screen Slate. Choose the “Repertory Reserved + $5 donation” ticket to add on a $5 donation to support Screen Slate with your ticket purchase!
Teri (Nika Feldman) is a punk who speeds away from her South Carolina hometown in search of more excitement in the New York City scene, where she plans to try to score interviews with bands for her zine “Skid Marks.” Hoping to avoid her biological father, who left her family after coming out as gay and moving to the city, bad luck forces her to his door, and she must reckon with the fact that she was misled to believe he abandoned her.
Shot mostly on digital video in the late 90s, Esther Bell’s film played at the New York Underground Film Festival, then briefly on the Showtime network, but has yet to be available streaming or on home video. Also noteworthy: the cast includes Fred Schneider of the B-52s, Julianne Nicholson (Mare of Easttown) with cameos from cult filmmakers Sarah Jacobson and Bill Plympton.
