Ahead of Interstellar's launch, here's a selection of 10 underappreciated sci-fi films about space travel...
Christopher Nolan's Interstellar wears many of its influences proudly. The director has openly said that his film is inspired by such acclaimed pieces of cinema as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff, as well as the human warmth of Steven Spielberg's 80s output. Interstellar depicts a near future where life on Earth teeters on the brink of extinction. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former test pilot turned farmer, joins a last-ditch mission to enter a wormhole in space and find a new home for humanity; he realises that the only way to save his family is to leave it behind.
It's the latest film to tap into our fascination with the depths of space - a topic that has been explored many times since the earliest days of cinema.
Christopher Nolan's Interstellar wears many of its influences proudly. The director has openly said that his film is inspired by such acclaimed pieces of cinema as 2001: A Space Odyssey and Philip Kaufman's The Right Stuff, as well as the human warmth of Steven Spielberg's 80s output. Interstellar depicts a near future where life on Earth teeters on the brink of extinction. Cooper (Matthew McConaughey), a former test pilot turned farmer, joins a last-ditch mission to enter a wormhole in space and find a new home for humanity; he realises that the only way to save his family is to leave it behind.
It's the latest film to tap into our fascination with the depths of space - a topic that has been explored many times since the earliest days of cinema.
- 11/3/2014
- by ryanlambie
- Den of Geek
Toronto’s Images Festival celebrates it’s 25th anniversary on April 12-21 at theaters, galleries and other venues all over the city. They are celebrating with a massive event with films and videos, live performances, installations, artist talks and other events.
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
Below is the lineup for Images’ specific film screening events and some live performances. The fest’s Opening Night film is John Akomfrah’s The Nine Muses, which takes a poetic look at the immigrant experience, particularly through using images of Caribbean and African migrants in the 1950s and ’60s.
The fest will close with a live score by alt-rock band Yo La Tengo accompanying the avant-garde scientific underwater films by French documentary filmmaker Jean Painlevé. Yo La Tengo has been performing “Sounds of Science” since they were commissioned for the project by the San Francisco Film Festival in 2001.
In between these two events is a lineup of feature-length experimental works,...
- 4/9/2012
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Usama Alshaibi’s Profane debuted in Berlin last week and the film already garnered a review by Ceven Knowles. To be honest, I haven’t read it yet because I’m waiting to see the film first without preconceptions. But, I think it’s a positive write-up.Actually, there are lots of write-ups coming from the Berlinale. On Electric Sheep, Pamela Jahn and Alison Frank review films Road to Nowhere, The Devil’s Double, Tomboy and Dance Town.Robert Koehler has several write-ups. First, he says Miranda July’s The Future isn’t good, but Marie Losier’s The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye is excellent. Then, this round-up of several films makes the fest sound pretty dismal overall.Kinemastik reviews some Berlinale short films.Clint Enns has a completely excellent review of Jaimz Asmundson’s phenomenal short film The Magus, cluing us in on many of the fine...
- 2/20/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Tomorrow might be Valentine’s Day, but how about showing these great sites some love today?
To start things off on an inappropriately sleazy note: The Phantom of Pulp has several awesome — and one extra incredible — poster for one of my favorite horror movies, Maniac. “Underground film” means different things all over the world. In China, it just means government-repressed artists just trying to express themselves. Candlelight Stories has the full documentary Digital Underground in the People’s Republic by Rachel Tejada. Kimberly Chun as a lengthy dip into the current San Francisco experimental film scene on the site Bold Italic. Not sure what it is recently, but I keep digging up classic Chicago Underground Film Festival info. This week it’s the poster from their 4th edition designed by acclaimed graphic novelist Chris Ware. That’s from 1997 when the special guests were John Waters and Beth B. Also from...
To start things off on an inappropriately sleazy note: The Phantom of Pulp has several awesome — and one extra incredible — poster for one of my favorite horror movies, Maniac. “Underground film” means different things all over the world. In China, it just means government-repressed artists just trying to express themselves. Candlelight Stories has the full documentary Digital Underground in the People’s Republic by Rachel Tejada. Kimberly Chun as a lengthy dip into the current San Francisco experimental film scene on the site Bold Italic. Not sure what it is recently, but I keep digging up classic Chicago Underground Film Festival info. This week it’s the poster from their 4th edition designed by acclaimed graphic novelist Chris Ware. That’s from 1997 when the special guests were John Waters and Beth B. Also from...
- 2/13/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Landscape becomes digital in Richard Kerr‘s minimalist and hypnotic experimental film pictures of sound. Although the camera was set to record the islands just off of Vancouver, the actual image is so washed out and indistinct, land, water and air are reduced to basic color gradations. Every once in awhile, a boat enters the picture with its arrival punctuated by unnatural digital blurt, accentuating the man-made object’s intrusion into the natural order of things. Except, the image has become so degraded, nothing seems natural any more.
Kerr was one of the early members of the Escarpment School film movement in Canada in the late ’70s and ’80s that was centered around activity at Sheridan College. The Escarpment School was a loosely defined group of filmmakers joined by a similarity in themes based around an exploration of landscape and its effect on the personal. A few of Kerr’s own films,...
Kerr was one of the early members of the Escarpment School film movement in Canada in the late ’70s and ’80s that was centered around activity at Sheridan College. The Escarpment School was a loosely defined group of filmmakers joined by a similarity in themes based around an exploration of landscape and its effect on the personal. A few of Kerr’s own films,...
- 2/12/2011
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Feb. 12
7:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Cinematheque
100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3B 1H3
Hosted by: Brett Kashmere
Filmmaker/curator/publisher Brett Kashmere continues his survey of the influential Escarpment School film movement that took place in Canada in the late ’70s and ’80s. Kashmere began the series with a screening back in November. This screening post on Bad Lit for that event goes into the history of what the Escarpment School was all about.
This new screening covers the evolution of the movement from social-based documentaries to more personal ones. Also, many of the films from this period focused on waterways as a major theme, in films such as Richard Kerr‘s Canal, Rick Hancox’s Waterworx and Philip Hoffman’s river, where the filmmakers chronicled their trips to the “landscapes of their youths,” according to Kashmere.
Kashmere further describes these films:
Exploring geographies of identity, these films take place...
7:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Cinematheque
100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3B 1H3
Hosted by: Brett Kashmere
Filmmaker/curator/publisher Brett Kashmere continues his survey of the influential Escarpment School film movement that took place in Canada in the late ’70s and ’80s. Kashmere began the series with a screening back in November. This screening post on Bad Lit for that event goes into the history of what the Escarpment School was all about.
This new screening covers the evolution of the movement from social-based documentaries to more personal ones. Also, many of the films from this period focused on waterways as a major theme, in films such as Richard Kerr‘s Canal, Rick Hancox’s Waterworx and Philip Hoffman’s river, where the filmmakers chronicled their trips to the “landscapes of their youths,” according to Kashmere.
Kashmere further describes these films:
Exploring geographies of identity, these films take place...
- 2/10/2011
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Nov. 6
7:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Cinematheque
100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3B 1H3
Hosted by: Brett Kashmere
Filmmaker, curator and professor Brett Kashmere will begin a months-long study of the Canadian “Escarpment School” movement of the 1970s with this opening event entitled “A Map Turned to Landscape.”
This particular screening consists of 7 short films by members of the loosely-defined Escarpment School produced between 1977 and 1992. The filmmakers who will be represented at this event are George Semsel, Lorne Marin, Rick Hancox, Philip Hoffman, Richard Kerr, Mike Hoolboom and Steve Sanguedolce. The actual list of films screening is at the bottom of this article.
Now, what is the “Escarpment School” actually? It was a group of “Ontario-based filmmakers that came together in the late-70s at Sheridan College, under the tutelage of Rick Hancox and Jeffrey Paull,” according to Kashmere’s promotional materials.
Members of the group include the filmmakers represented at this screening,...
7:00 p.m.
Winnipeg Cinematheque
100 Arthur Street
Winnipeg, Mb R3B 1H3
Hosted by: Brett Kashmere
Filmmaker, curator and professor Brett Kashmere will begin a months-long study of the Canadian “Escarpment School” movement of the 1970s with this opening event entitled “A Map Turned to Landscape.”
This particular screening consists of 7 short films by members of the loosely-defined Escarpment School produced between 1977 and 1992. The filmmakers who will be represented at this event are George Semsel, Lorne Marin, Rick Hancox, Philip Hoffman, Richard Kerr, Mike Hoolboom and Steve Sanguedolce. The actual list of films screening is at the bottom of this article.
Now, what is the “Escarpment School” actually? It was a group of “Ontario-based filmmakers that came together in the late-70s at Sheridan College, under the tutelage of Rick Hancox and Jeffrey Paull,” according to Kashmere’s promotional materials.
Members of the group include the filmmakers represented at this screening,...
- 11/3/2010
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
Over the last five years, it’s nice to have watched the Wndx Festival of Film and Video Art in Winnipeg grow into such a terrific powerhouse of showcasing the best Canadian avant-garde and experimental media. It’s fifth killer edition will run on Sept. 30 — Oct. 3.
There’s one great non-Canadian exception this year, though. Wndx honors the life and work of the legendary Brooklyn-bred underground filmmaker George Kuchar. There will be three retrospectives of his films, chronicling his career from his early ’60s Hollywood-inspired pastiches to his more recent autobiographical videos.
Also screening as part of the Kuchar celebration will be Jennifer M. Kroot’s hit documentary It Came From Kuchar about George and his twin filmmaking brother Mike. Of course, George will be there in person attending the festival and on Sunday, Oct. 3, he will join Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin for a panel discussion that’s not to be missed.
There’s one great non-Canadian exception this year, though. Wndx honors the life and work of the legendary Brooklyn-bred underground filmmaker George Kuchar. There will be three retrospectives of his films, chronicling his career from his early ’60s Hollywood-inspired pastiches to his more recent autobiographical videos.
Also screening as part of the Kuchar celebration will be Jennifer M. Kroot’s hit documentary It Came From Kuchar about George and his twin filmmaking brother Mike. Of course, George will be there in person attending the festival and on Sunday, Oct. 3, he will join Winnipeg filmmaker Guy Maddin for a panel discussion that’s not to be missed.
- 9/23/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Bad Lit’s inaugural Underground Film Links post last week proved to be pretty popular, so here’s a second edition with hopes to keep it going:
In case you missed it, Jonas Mekas has a spiffy new website after splitting with the Stedhal Gallery last year. His old website is now completely dead. The new site has an RSS feed and he’s already put up a couple blog posts already with video clips. It’s a really nice site befitting the man and his work. Bookmark or subscribe! Also in case you missed it, I’ve made the Jonas Mekas entry on my own Underground Film Guide much more detailed with tons of links, book and DVD references and a YouTube video player with lots of videos. If I missed something that should be included — and I’m sure I have, feel free to let me know. Not...
In case you missed it, Jonas Mekas has a spiffy new website after splitting with the Stedhal Gallery last year. His old website is now completely dead. The new site has an RSS feed and he’s already put up a couple blog posts already with video clips. It’s a really nice site befitting the man and his work. Bookmark or subscribe! Also in case you missed it, I’ve made the Jonas Mekas entry on my own Underground Film Guide much more detailed with tons of links, book and DVD references and a YouTube video player with lots of videos. If I missed something that should be included — and I’m sure I have, feel free to let me know. Not...
- 4/11/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
The 48th annual Ann Arbor Film Festival is another exciting celebration of underground film past and present, featuring two retrospectives of two master filmmakers and dozens of short films and features from some of the most gifted talents working today.
For the retrospectives, first, Kenneth Anger will be in attendance at the festival for two programs of his classic work, including Fireworks and Scorpio Rising. Plus, for the first Anger screening, the filmmaker will be joined on-stage by film critic Dennis Lim for a discussion of his work and career. The second retrospective is of the work of the late Chick Strand, who sadly passed away in 2009. Strand’s Angel Blue Sweet Wings (1966) will actually open the entire festival, then there will be two retrospective screenings of her work, the first of which will be presented by film scholar Irina Leimbacher.
The rest of the Aaff lineup reads like a...
For the retrospectives, first, Kenneth Anger will be in attendance at the festival for two programs of his classic work, including Fireworks and Scorpio Rising. Plus, for the first Anger screening, the filmmaker will be joined on-stage by film critic Dennis Lim for a discussion of his work and career. The second retrospective is of the work of the late Chick Strand, who sadly passed away in 2009. Strand’s Angel Blue Sweet Wings (1966) will actually open the entire festival, then there will be two retrospective screenings of her work, the first of which will be presented by film scholar Irina Leimbacher.
The rest of the Aaff lineup reads like a...
- 3/8/2010
- by Mike Everleth
- Underground Film Journal
Dec. 17
9:30 p.m.
Cinema Parallele
3536 Boul. St-Laurent
Montreal, QC
Hosted by: Double Negative Collective
The definition of “parataxis” is to slam two distinct phrases of language together without any connective tissue. “Parataxis” in cinema achieves the same goal, but with images instead of words. The Double Negative Collective presents a dozen short films by Montreal filmmakers that make surprising connections through the juxtaposition of diverse images and sounds
One of the films, j. directed by Alexandre Larose & Solomon Nagler, was reviewed by Bad Lit when it was included on the DVD anthology A Rebours released by Cinema Abattoir. The film is indeed a beautiful and haunting work that weaves together stark B&W images, possibly from old films, that may or may not tell a story.
Here’s the full lineup of films screening:
Perceptual Subjectivity, dir. Philippe Leonard
Columns in the Sea, dir. Nancy Baric & Nicolas Renaud
A L’est Des Vents,...
9:30 p.m.
Cinema Parallele
3536 Boul. St-Laurent
Montreal, QC
Hosted by: Double Negative Collective
The definition of “parataxis” is to slam two distinct phrases of language together without any connective tissue. “Parataxis” in cinema achieves the same goal, but with images instead of words. The Double Negative Collective presents a dozen short films by Montreal filmmakers that make surprising connections through the juxtaposition of diverse images and sounds
One of the films, j. directed by Alexandre Larose & Solomon Nagler, was reviewed by Bad Lit when it was included on the DVD anthology A Rebours released by Cinema Abattoir. The film is indeed a beautiful and haunting work that weaves together stark B&W images, possibly from old films, that may or may not tell a story.
Here’s the full lineup of films screening:
Perceptual Subjectivity, dir. Philippe Leonard
Columns in the Sea, dir. Nancy Baric & Nicolas Renaud
A L’est Des Vents,...
- 12/16/2009
- by screenings
- Underground Film Journal
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