JULY
July EXHIBITION: The Gender Show
The show opened on June 15 and runs through October 13, 2013 in all of the museum galleries. The Gender Show explores how photographs have presented gender—ranging from archetypal to non-traditional to subversive representations—and the performances that the act of photographing or being photographed can encourage. The exhibition comprises more than 150 photographs from the George Eastman House collection and fifty contemporary artworks (including four videos) on loan from artists and private collectors.
July 3 Wednesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
July 6 Saturday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE MUSEUM TOUR
Signed 45-minute house tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
July 10 Wednesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
July 11 Thursday, 12:15 p.m.
FOCUS 45 LECTURE: MY YEAR OF DISCOVERY AT EASTMAN HOUSE
Photographer Nick Brandreth was inspired to move to Rochester to learn historic photographic processes as an intern for Eastman House historian Mark Osterman. Brandreth will share his experiences and show examples of his work as part of the monthly 45-minute lecture series known as “Focus 45.” No reservations needed. Included with museum admission or $6 for the talk only ($3 students). Bring your lunch or purchase in the Eastman House Café. Lecture is in the Curtis Theatre.
July 17 Wednesday, 6 p.m.
GARDEN VIBES CONCERT with NRBQ
The popular summer concert series, on George Eastman’s grounds and gardens, is back for its 20th season. One of the most endearing and enduring rock & roll bands of all time, this skilled combo is known for delivering heart- stopping great live shows. Admission: $12 adults; $8 members; $5 youths (ages 13–18); and free to children ages 12 and under. The ticket includes admission to George Eastman House and children's lawn activities. Bring blankets and/or chairs and your own picnic supper, or purchase concessions from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Abbott’s Frozen Custard, or Eastman House Café. No rain dates. No refunds. For more information visit eastmanhouse.org or call (585) 271-3361.
July 18 Saturday, 8 p.m.
FILM EVENT: Curator's Choice
Dr. Paolo Cherchi Usai, senior curator of motion pictures at Eastman House, presents The Fall of Otrar (Ten zavoevatelya, ili Gibel Otrara/Otarardan kujreui, Ardak Armikulov, USSR/Kazakhstan 1990, 155 min., Kazakh, Mandarin, Mongolian w/ subtitles, 35mm) as his Curator’s Choice for the July/August film calendar. Written and produced by Alexei Guerman, this is a feverish, hallucinatory rendering of the story of Mongol emperor Genghis Khan. Eastman House is proud to present the only extant 35mm sepia-tinted print of this unclassifiable work. Regular Dryden admission: $8 general/$6 students and members.
July 20 Saturday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE MUSEUM TOUR
Signed 45-minute house tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
July 24 Wednesday, 12:15 p.m.
PHOTO FINISH 5K INFO SESSION
Charity teams and individuals interested in participating in the Photo Finish 5K in October are encouraged to attend an info session to learn how to set up a charity page and create a team. Each session will run from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in Eastman House’s Curtis Theatre, which is accessible through the Eastman House Café entrance off the parking lot. Brown bag lunches or meals from the Eastman House Café are welcomed. The sessions are open to the public and one can RSVP by calling (585) 271-3361 ext. 445, or emailing photofinish5k@geh.org. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, so they can get started during the session.
July 31 Wednesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
AUGUST
August 1 Thursday, 8 p.m.
FILM EVENT/ Bert Stern and Director Shannah Laumeister IN PERSON
Director Shannah Laumeister will introduce her documentary Bert Stern: Original Madman, alongside renowned advertising and celebrity photographer Stern himself. Regular Dryden admission: $8 general/$6 students.
August 3 Saturday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE MUSEUM TOUR
Signed 45-minute house tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
August 8 Thursday, 12:15 p.m.
FOCUS 45 LECTURE: THE HIDDEN MOTHER
Assistant curator of photographs Jessica Johnston will discuss the nineteenth- century practice of “hiding” the mother in children’s commercial photographic portraits as part of the monthly 45-minute lecture series known as “Focus 45.” No reservations needed. Included with museum admission or $6 for the talk only ($3 students). Bring your lunch or purchase in the Eastman House Café. Lecture is in the Curtis Theatre.
August 13 Tuesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
August 14 Wednesday, 6 p.m.
GARDEN VIBES CONCERT with The Ifs
The popular summer concert series, on George Eastman’s grounds and gardens, is back for its 20th season. The Ifs incorporate the looks and sounds of the early British Invasion, with a few twists—rich four-part harmonies, slashing guitars, and playful drums Admission: $12 adults; $8 members; $5 youths (ages 13–18); and free to children ages 12 and under. The ticket includes admission to George Eastman House and children's lawn activities. Bring blankets and/or chairs and your own picnic supper, or purchase concessions from Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Abbott’s Frozen Custard, or Eastman House Café. No rain dates. No refunds. For more information visit eastmanhouse.org or call (585) 271-3361.
August 21 Wednesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
August 22 Thursday, 12:15 p.m.
PHOTO FINISH 5K INFO SESSION
Charity teams and individuals interested in participating in the Photo Finish 5K in October are encouraged to attend an info session to learn how to set up a charity page and create a team. Each session will run from 12:15 to 1 p.m. in Eastman House’s Curtis Theatre, which is accessible through the Eastman House Café entrance off the parking lot. Brown bag lunches or meals from the Eastman House Café are welcomed. The sessions are open to the public and one can RSVP by calling (585) 271-3361 ext. 445, or emailing photofinish5k@geh.org. Attendees are encouraged to bring their laptops, so they can get started during the session.
August 24 Saturday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE MUSEUM TOUR
Signed 45-minute house tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
August 28 Wednesday, 11 a.m.
SIGN-LANGUAGE GARDEN TOUR
Signed 45-minute garden tours are led by docent Bob Menchel. No reservations required. Included with museum admission. (Private signed tours are also available with advance notice; contact Heather Gray at hgray@geh.org.)
August 29 Thursday, 6 p.m.
IN PERSON: Photographer Nathan Lyons and Photo Curator Jessica McDonald
In conjunction with his exhibition at Artisan Works, Nathan Lyons will discuss his work with Jessica McDonald, chief curator of photography at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center in Austin, Texas. A book signing will follow. Admission: $6; free to Eastman House and Artisan Works members.
# # #
GEORGE EASTMAN HOUSE EXHIBITIONS
JULY/ AUGUST 2013
The Gender Show
June 15 to October 13, 2013
All museum galleries
Photo/Film History Timeline
Ongoing
Potter Peristyle
Machines of Memory
Ongoing
North Gallery
# # #
DRYDEN THEATRE FILM CALENDAR
JULY/AUGUST 2013
FEATURED FILM SERIES
AMERICA, AMERICA
In honor of our nation’s birthday, we present an extensive series of films that record, examine, and mark key points in American history. From the Declaration of Independence to the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, this diverse selection of comedies, musicals, and dramas spans nine decades of American cinema and raises the question: how much of our heritage is formed by the cinematic stories we tell? In other words, which came first—the facts or the legends? With films like the bold ’n’ brassy Gold Diggers of 1933, the studio-system landmark The Best Years of Our Lives, and the artful but scathing meditation on the oil industry There Will Be Blood, the Dryden presents a cinematic portrait of our nation’s history and invites you to join us in celebrating the link between movies and our national mythology.
Wednesday, July 3, 8 p.m.
1776
(Peter H. Hunt, US 1972, 169 min.)
Wednesday, July 10, 8 p.m.
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
(John Ford, US 1939, 100 min.)
Wednesday, July 17, 8:30 p.m.
GO WEST
(Buster Keaton, US 1925, 68 min.)
Wednesday, July 24, 7 p.m.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
(Paul Thomas Anderson, US 2007, 158 min.)
Wednesday, July 31, 8 p.m.
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
(Orson Welles, US 1942, 88 min.)
Wednesday, August 7, 8 p.m.
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933
(Mervyn LeRoy, US 1933, 97 min.)
Wednesday, August 14, 8 p.m.
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
(William Wyler, US 1946, 172 min.)
Wednesday, August 21, 8 p.m.
HAIRSPRAY
(John Waters, US 1988, 92 min.)
Wednesday, August 28, 7 p.m.
PARIS, TEXAS
(Win Wenders, France/Germany/US 1984, 147 min.)
SUMMER VACATION
For this series, we’ll be finding out how a variety of characters—from Cameron Crowe to Willie Nelson to William Holden—spent their summer vacations. Teen rock journalist, script- writer, and eventual director Crowe’s youthful experiences inspired the modern classic Almost Famous, as warm a coming-of-age film ever made, while the harsh realities of contemporary Mexico lend a sobering backdrop to Alfonso Cuarón’s acclaimed international break- through Y Tu Mamá También. We’ll bring two outdoor concerts inside with the classic Jazz on a Summer’s Day and a rare screening of Willie Nelson’s 4th of July Celebration, a never-on-video, nearly-lost late-70s concert doc that’s a must-see for fans. Finally, we’ll jump forward to Labor Day with a beautiful print of the 1950s classic Picnic, in which a shirtless Holden stirs up small town passions and keeps the temperature rising. (But don’t worry ... we’ll crank up the air conditioning.)
Tuesday, July 2, 8 p.m.
ALMOST FAMOUS
(Cameron Crowe, US 2000, 122 min.)
Thursday, July 4, 7 p.m.
WILLIE NELSON'S 4th OF JULY CELEBRATION
(Yabo Yablonsky, YS 1979, 100 min.)
Tuesday, July 9, 8 p.m.
JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY
(Aram Avakian and Bert Stern, US 1959, 85 min.)
Tuesday, July 16, 8 p.m.
Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN
(Alfonso Cuaron, Mexico 2001, 106 min., Spanish w/subtitles)
Tuesday, July 23, 8 p.m.
PICNIC
(Joshua Logan, US 1955, 115 min.)
LORETTA YOUNG SIN-TENNIAL
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Loretta Young, one of Hollywood’s most versatile and enduring talents. She is best remembered as an exemplar of beauty, elegance, and class through her roles in such films as 1947’s The Bishop’s Wife—as well as the haute couture gowns she wore on her TV series, The Loretta Young Show. Yet some of Young’s most memorable cinematic work came in the early 1930s, when she starred in a series of films that rank among some of the sassiest, slyest product ever to come out of Hollywood. Witty, fast-paced, risqué, and endlessly entertaining, these films present a pre-gown, Pre-Code Young at the top of her game. To celebrate her centennial, we’ve selected three of the best: the department store exposé Employees’ Entrance, co-starring the legendary (and legendarily mustached) Warren William; Frank Borzage’s powerful and moving Man’s Castle; and the truly wild Midnight Mary, whose title just about says it all.
Thursday, July 11, 8 p.m.
EMPLOYEES’ ENTRANCE
(Roy Del Ruth, US 1933, 75 min.)
Thursday, July 18, 8 p.m.
MAN’S CASTLE
(Frank Borzage, US 1933, 75 min.)
Thursday, July 25, 8 p.m.
MIDNIGHT MARY
(William A. Wellman, US 1933, 74 min.)
MALE/FEMALE
In conjunction with the exhibition The Gender Show (on view through October 13), the Dryden presents films that explore concepts of masculinity and femininity, with an emphasis on works that challenge, rather than uphold, traditional ideas of gender. The most recent film in the series, Alain Berliner’s Ma vie en rose, was a surprise art-house hit that explores a young boy’s homosexuality (and his parents’ difficulties accepting it) with charm, grace, and wit. Those last three terms can also be applied to I Was a Male War Bride, a classic Howard Hawks collaboration with Cary Grant that allows co-star Ann Sheridan to steadily break down Grant’s “manly” image to hilarious effect. On the flipside, Sam Fuller’s Forty Guns gives Barbara Stanwyck full command of the titular group of cowboys in a wild scenario that makes Johnny Guitar look like a kiddie serial. Finally, we’ll conclude with one of the most subversive cinematic looks at gender ever made: Edward D. Wood Jr.’s Glen or Glenda, a film in the form of a bargain-basement Z-movie that veers between unbelievable camp and deeply moving confession.
Tuesday, August 6, 8 p.m.
MA VIE EN ROSE
(Alain Berliner, Belgium/UK/France 1997, 89 min.)
Tuesday, August 13, 8 p.m.
FORTY GUNS
(Samuel Fuller, US 1957, 79 min.,)
Tuesday, August 20, 8 p.m.
I WAS A MALE WAR BRIDE
(Howard Hawks, US 1949, 105 min.)
Tuesday, August 27, 8 p.m.
GLEN OR GLENDA
(Ed Wood, US 1953, 65 min.)
INDOOR DRIVE-IN
Ah, the drive-in: the once-futuristic concept of viewing movies from the comfort of your car has now become something nostalgic, honorably continued by a small number of theaters throughout the country (including Vintage Drive-In in Avon, Silver Lake Twin Drive In Theatre in Perry, and Sunset Drive-In in Middleport, which deserve your utmost support!). To celebrate the 80th anniversary of the drive-in and the films it spawned, we’ve picked four classics to perk up Friday nights in July, moving chronologically through the field’s biggest trends. First up is The Giant Claw, a classic example of 1950s teen exploitation fodder that most likely reduced the “passion pits” to fits of delirious laughter. Then, it’s Night of the Living Dead, George A. Romero’s groundbreaking horror masterpiece that took the genre to new disturbing and socially conscious levels. Bruce Lee represents the martial arts genre with the still-undefeated Enter the Dragon, and Burt Reynolds brings things full circle with Smokey and the Bandit, a car movie that brought more cars to the drive-in than almost any other.
Friday, July 5, 8 p.m.
THE GIANT CLAW
(Fred F. Sears, US 1957, 75 min.)
Friday, July 12, 8 p.m.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
(George A. Romero, US 1968, 96 min.)
Friday, July 19, 8 p.m.
ENTER THE DRAGON
(Robert Clouse, China/US 1973, 98 min.)
Friday, July 26, 8 p.m.
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
(Hal Needham, US 1977, 96 min.)
FRANCE WHEN IT SIZZLES
France: how many love affairs have you spawned, both real and fictional? If Paris is the most romantic city in the world, and French the language of love, it would only make sense that some of film’s finest romances have taken place in the City of Lights. This summer, a ticket to the Dryden is your passport to cross-continental romance. Hollywood royalty William Holden and Audrey Hepburn find love with a little help from the movies as a screenwriting duo in the rarely screened charmer Paris When It Sizzles. Greta Garbo is at her most alluring (and funny!) as a Russian agent in Ernst Lubitsch’s comic delight Ninotchka, and Juliette Binoche is a baker who casts a spell on Johnny Depp in the perennial foodie-film favorite Chocolat. Finally, our screen will be set aflame by Anouk Aimée and Jean-Louis Trintignant in the date movie of the 1960s, A Man and a Woman. Vive l’amour, and vive le cinéma!
Thursday, August 8, 8 p.m.
PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES
(Richard Quine, US 1964, 110 min.)
Thursday, August 15, 8 p.m.
A MAN AND A WOMAN
(Un homme et une femme, Claude Lelouch, France 1966, 102 min., French w/ subtitles)
Thursday, August 22, 8 p.m.
NINOTCHKA
Ernst Lubitsch, US 1940, 110 min.)
Thursday, August 29, 8 p.m
CHOCOLAT
(Lasse Hallström, US/UK 2000, 121 min.)
# # #
July/August Films
Tuesday, July 2, 8 p.m
ALMOST FAMOUS
(Cameron Crowe, US 2000, 122 min.)
It’s 1973 and William, the son of an overbearing and conservative mother, finds the opportunity of a lifetime in a band named Stillwater. Traveling with them on tour to cover the story for Rolling Stone, he falls in love with the beautifully enigmatic “band-aid” (don’t call her a groupie!) Penny Lane. Heartwarming, honest, and deeply personal, Crowe’s homage to the youthful exuberance and freedom of rock and roll is based on his own experience as a teenage journalist, touring with the likes of the Allman Brothers, Led Zeppelin, and Yes.
Wednesday, July 3, 8 p.m.
1776
(Peter H. Hunt, US 1972, 169 min.)
Based on the popular Broadway musical, 1776 brings to life the days leading up to the Second Continental Congress as John Adams and Ben Franklin try to push the issue of independence through petty squabbles and Southern obstinacy. Meanwhile, Thomas Jefferson is encouraged to author the document that would begin a new nation. Though then- President Nixon successfully lobbied to have a song about conservatism excised from the finished product, the film still manages to humanize an important time in our nation’s history and to reiterate what we as a country stand for two centuries later.
Thursday, July 4, 7 p.m.
WILLIE NELSON’S 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION
(Yabo Yablonsky, US 1979, 100 min.)
While Woodstock is the quintessential counter-cultural concert film of the peace and love generation, Yablonsky’s document of Willie Nelson’s second annual “picnic” offers a far-out view of a different sort of hippie culture. Mesmerizing and tranquil, this seldom-screened film of the three-day concert that drew 25,000 people captures the sun-soaked, beer-drenched, smoky affair with candor and admiration for the audience and the performers. Deemed a “national treasure” by the Library of Congress, the film features footage of greats such as Leon Russell, Waylon Jennings, and Doug Kershaw, among others.
Friday, July 5, 8 p.m.
THE GIANT CLAW
(Fred F. Sears, US 1957, 75 min., 35mm)
There are many things that beggar belief in drive-in cinema, and The Giant Claw represents nearly all of them: a ridiculous, semi- mobile puppet monster; actors who can barely maintain a straight face while delivering goofball dialogue; and special effects that are not so much employed as avoided altogether. A film so absurd it feels like a postmodern parody of itself, The Giant Claw is the tale of a—wait for it—giant turkey from outer space that comes to Earth to terrorize humankind. Perhaps the most unbelievable part? A 35mm print exists, and we’ll be screening it!
Saturday, July 6, 8 p.m.
Sunday July 7, 2 p.m.
SAFETY LAST!
(Fred C. Newmeyer and Sam Taylor, US 1923, 70 min.)
Although Harold Lloyd enjoyed great popularity in the 1920s, his legacy as a master of silent comedy is often eclipsed by his more recognizable contemporaries. An immensely involved actor and producer, Lloyd presented some of the most artfully executed sequences in all of silent cinema. In his most celebrated effort, Lloyd stars as “The Boy” who sets off to find success in the big city but instead finds only trouble. His madcap adventures culminate in a now-iconic climb up a clock tower, a testament to Lloyd’s physical and cinematic talents. Join us for the screening of this new restoration from Janus Films, with a new score by famed composer Carl Davis.
Tuesday, July 9, 8 p.m.
JAZZ ON A SUMMER’S DAY
(Aram Avakian and Bert Stern, US 1959, 85 min.)
Jazz comes out of dark clubs and into the sun in this compelling documentary on the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival. Billed as “embarrassingly intimate,” the film captures the thriving spirit of this truly American art form. Featuring extended performances by jazz giants Thelonious Monk, Sonny Stitt, Dinah Washington, Louis Armstrong, and more, Aram Avakian and Bert Stern’s document belongs next to Woodstock, Monterey Pop, and The Last Waltz as one of the great concert films. (Stop by again on August 1, when we’ll be screening the new documentary Bert Stern: Original Madman with Stern and the director in person!). Members admitted free.
Wednesday, July 10, 8 p.m.
YOUNG MR. LINCOLN
(John Ford, US 1939, 100 min.)
In one of his best performances, Henry Fonda plays the titular lawyer who would become president. The story follows Lincoln from his Kentucky home and young love, Ann Rutledge, to his legal practice in Illinois, where he defends two brothers on trial for murder. Part courtroom drama, part historical romance, the film explores how one of our greatest leaders was molded. Released in the “Greatest Year in Movie History,” the film was also a high point for Ford, who released Stagecoach and Drums Along the Mohawk the same year.
Thursday, July 11, 8 p.m.
EMPLOYEES’ ENTRANCE
(Roy Del Ruth, US 1933, 75 min.
When down-on-her-luck Madeline (Loretta Young) is discovered hiding in a department store after hours by the ruthless store manager (Warren William), she lets him take advantage of her so that she can secure a job as a model. And that’s just the beginning. A risqué, fast-paced, and fun glimpse behind the counter during the Great Depression, Employees’ Entrance is an essential Pre-Code film, highlighted by the terrific performances of 20-year-old Young and the inimitable William, the pre-eminent cad of early ’30s cinema. Print courtesy the Library of Congress.
Friday, July 12, 8 p.m.
NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD
(George A. Romero, US 1968, 96 min.)
“They’re coming to get you, Barbara!” Witness the film that first unleashed flesh-eating zombies on the mainstream. Steeped in pop- culture iconography, Romero’s low-budget masterpiece and staple of drive-in culture continues to shock audiences with its no- holds-barred approach to an age-old legend. Working on a shoestring budget, Romero and his crew created what was once deemed the most profitable horror film made outside studio walls. Claustrophobic, menacing, and altogether terrifying, Night of the Living Dead has exerted powerful influence on both the horror genre and independent cinema in general.
Saturday, July 13, 8 p.m.
Sunday, July 14, 2 p.m.
RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK
(Steven Spielberg, US 1981, 115 min., 35mm) Following the major box office success of Jaws and Star Wars, Steven Spielberg and George Lucas joined forces to create one of the most beloved adventure franchises of all time. Harrison Ford stars in the now-iconic role of Indiana Jones, a professor and archaeologist whose fieldwork involves fighting Nazis, outrunning boulders, and spelunking in ancient, snake-filled tombs. Raiders of the Lost Ark represents Spielberg and Lucas at the height of their powers, perfecting a time- less formula that combines action, humor, and fantasy in a highly polished package.
Tuesday, July 16, 8 p.m.
Y TU MAMÁ TAMBIÉN
(Alfonso Cuarón, Mexico 2001, 106 min., Spanish w/ subtitles)
Abandoned by their girlfriends for the summer, Tenoch and Julio meet Luisa, a slightly older woman whose hypnotic beauty instantly captivates them. Convincing her to accompany them to “Heaven’s Mouth”—a beach that may or may not exist—they take the first steps toward their own self-discovery. Along the way they probe the depths of their inner desires and become exposed to the poverty and desolation that surrounds them in their beloved Mexico. With its combination of raw sexuality and poignant observations, Cuarón’s coming-of-age tale snagged the Academy Award® for Best Original Screenplay.
Wednesday, July 17, 8:30 p.m.
GO WEST
(Buster Keaton, US 1925, 68 min.)
Keaton preceded The General (1926) with this charming film of a ne’er-do-well who finally finds his place among the cows. After failing to find a job in his hometown and overwhelmed at the prospect of living in New York, Friend- less (Keaton) hops a train west. Unceremoniously deposited near a ranch, Friendless tries his hand at cow punching, ultimately discovering his own unorthodox type of success: the owner needs to transfer his cattle to a Los Angeles slaughterhouse in order to avoid bankruptcy, and Friendless is the ranch’s only hope to move the cows past a band of marauding cow thieves and on a train bound for L.A. Live piano accompaniment by Philip C. Carli.
Thursday, July 18, 8 p.m.
MAN’S CASTLE
(Frank Borzage, US 1933, 75 min.)
Unavailable on home video and rarely seen, Man’s Castle was considered “one of the most important American films of the 1930s” by noted film critic Andrew Sarris. Director Frank Borzage captures the grittiness and harshness of the Depression and wraps it up in an ethereal and lyrical love story set in a “Hooverville” along the Hudson River. Spencer Tracy plays Bill, a gruff, bullying, self- indulgent “bindlestiff” (hobo), but it is Loretta Young who steals the picture with one of the finest performances of her career as Trina, the hungry waif that Bill picks up on a bench in Central Park.
Friday, July 19, 8 p.m.
ENTER THE DRAGON
(Robert Clouse, China/US 1973, 98 min.)
An undisputed classic of the martial arts genre, Enter the Dragon was the first Chinese martial arts film financed by a Hollywood studio (Warner Bros.). Bruce Lee, in his final performance before his death in 1973, stars as a Shaolin disciple invited to a martial arts competition on a mysterious island, where he eventually finds himself at the center of a drug-smuggling conspiracy. Enter the Dragon lives on as the archetypal Bruce Lee picture, full of high-flying, acrobatic fight scenes showcasing his highly concentrated intensity.
Saturday, July 20, 8 p.m.
Curator’s Choice THE FALL OF OTRAR
(Ten zavoevatelya, ili Gibel Otrara/Otarardan kujreui, Ardak Armikulov, USSR/Kazakhstan 1990, 155 min., Kazakh, Mandarin, Mongolian w/ subtitles)
It’s the story of Mongol emperor Genghis Khan, as seen from the eyes of his enemies in the barren, majestic landscapes of Central Asia. It has the epic sweep of Andrei Tarkovsky’s Andrei Rublev; the pictorial beauty of the battle scenes in Akira Kurosawa’s Ran; the humor and cynicism of a Sergio Leone western; the lyrical, folkloric soul of Sergei Paradjanov’s The Color of Pomegranates; and the relentless cruelty of a Mario Bava horror film (squeamish, beware!). It was written and produced by a master of Russian cinema, Alexei Guerman. With its feverish, hallucinatory rendering of the thirteenth century, The Fall of Otrar fully deserves the epithet of “one-of-a-kind” cinematic experience. George Eastman House is proud to present the only extant 35mm sepia-tinted print (with evocative splashes of color) of this unclassifiable work, newly acquired for the museum’s collections and not available on DVD.
Sunday, July 21-Monday, July 29
Jewish Film Festival
For titles and times visit www.rjff.org.
Tuesday, July 23, 8 p.m.
PICNIC
(Joshua Logan, US 1955, 115 min.)
Charismatic drifter Hal Carter (William Holden) arrives in a small Kansas town looking for his college roommate Alan Benson (Cliff Robertson) and a job. Instead, he falls for Alan’s beautiful girlfriend Madge (Kim Novak) and disrupts the lives of everyone he comes in contact with. The legendary Joshua Logan brings to the screen the play he directed on Broadway, capturing the essence of the Eisenhower era with stunning cinematography by James Wong Howe and Haskell Wexler. The wonderful supporting cast includes Arthur O’Connell, Susan Strasberg, Betty Field, and Rosalind Russell—in a heartbreaking performance as the schoolteacher Rosemary.
Wednesday, July 24, 7 p.m.
THERE WILL BE BLOOD
(Paul Thomas Anderson, US 2007, 158 min.)
Loosely based on Upton Sinclair’s 1927 novel Oil!, this film tackles the very American themes of religion and capitalism. Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), a self-made oilman, seeks to expand his empire in California. Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a self-made preacher who lives near Plainview’s oil fields, wants to grow his flock. Plainview needs Eli’s land to build his pipeline, and Eli needs Plainview’s money to build a church. An uneasy alliance builds to a deadly climax as the two men clash. Nominated for eight Academy Awards®, the film won for both Day-Lewis’s iconic performance and Robert Elswit’s masterful cinematography.
Thursday, July 25, 8 p.m.
MIDNIGHT MARY
(William A. Wellman, US 1933, 74 min.)
An MGM film in the Warner Bros. style, Midnight Mary is fast-paced, funny, and well-edited, thanks to the direction of “Wild Bill” Wellman, on loan from Warners. Loretta Young—also a Warner Bros. loan—is fantastic in the role of a good girl who makes the wrong choices to get ahead during economically hard times. Supporting Young is an excellent cast that includes Franchot Tone, Ricardo Cortez, Una Merkel, and Andy Devine. Print courtesy the UCLA Film and Television Archive.
Friday, July 26, 8 p.m.
SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT
(Hal Needham, US 1977, 96 min.)
In this smash hit that nearly singlehandedly sparked the CB craze of the 1970s, Burt Reynolds stars as Bo “Bandit” Darville, an ad- venturous trucker who agrees to take $80,000 to smuggle 400 cases of Coors from Texas to Georgia. Hiring his pal Cledus “Snowman” Snow (Jerry Reed) to drive the truck while he acts as a “blocker” in his speedy Trans Am, the two run afoul of Sheriff Buford T. Justice (a raucous Jackie Gleason). What ensues is a wild chase across state lines, complete with high-flying slomo stunts and a twangy soundtrack by Reed himself.
Tuesday, July 30, 8 p.m.—Rochester Premiere!
BEYOND THE HILLS
(Dupa dealuri, Cristian Mungiu, Romania/France/ Belgium 2012, 150 min., Romanian w/ subtitles, DCP)
Shortly after Voichita joins a convent, her lifelong friend Alina begs her to strip off her habit and escape to Germany. To Voichita, Alina displays the characteristics of someone possessed by an evil spirit, and as she attempts to rescue her the divide between the two widens. Marked by the same intensity and deliberation of Mungiu’s 4 Months, 3 Weeks, 2 Days, this psychological powerhouse unravels primarily in the closed setting of the convent. Based on Tatiana Niculescu Bran’s non-fiction novels about demonic possession, Beyond the Hills illustrates the perils of a country slowly crawling away from a troubled history where individual liberty is constantly at odds with the established order.
Wednesday, July 31, 8 p.m.
THE MAGNIFICENT AMBERSONS
(Orson Welles, US 1942, 88 min., 35mm)
Welles’s follow-up to Citizen Kane traces an- other fall from affluence. This time it’s the all- American Ambersons, including George, the heir, who is suspicious of newcomer Eugene Morgan (Joseph Cotten) and resentful of the time he spends with George’s mother, Isabel. But Eugene and Isabel have a romantic history that they want to renew. Obsessed with keeping them apart, George becomes blinded to the changes in the world around him, as Welles parallels the family’s decline with the rise of American industrialism.
Thursday, August 1, 8 p.m.
BERT STERN: ORIGINAL MAD MAN
Director Shannah Laumeister and Bert Stern in Person
(Shannah Laumeister, US 2012, 89 min., DCP)
After working alongside Stanley Kubrick at Look magazine, Bert Stern became an original Madison Avenue “mad man,” his images helping to create modern advertising. (He also directed the film Jazz on a Summer’s Day, screening July 9.) Groundbreaking photos of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Bridget Bardot, and Twiggy, coupled with his astonishing success in advertising, minted Stern as a celebrity in his own right. After marrying the stunning bal- let dancer Allegra Kent, the kid from Brooklyn was sitting on top of the world . . . until his dramatic fall from grace. Filmmaker Shannah Laumeister uncovers all aspects of Stern, from his bad-boy antics to his iconic photography.
Friday, August 2, 8 p.m.
UPSTREAM COLOR—Rochester Premiere!
(Shane Carruth, US 2013, 96 min., DCP) One of the most audacious films of the year, Shane Carruth’s long-awaited follow-up to his cult hit, Primer, explores identity and humanity’s place in nature in a visually stunning manner that builds on the innovations of Kubrick and Malick. A young woman is abducted and implanted with a larva that strips her of free will and eventually dismantles her life. As she attempts to put the pieces back together—and notices a new sensitivity to the natural world—she finds that she is not alone. Part romance, part sci-fi head-scratcher, yet thoroughly unclassifiable, this thrillingly enigmatic film is not to be missed.
Saturday, August 3, 7 p.m.
HEAVEN’S GATE: DIRECTOR’S CUT—New Restoration!
(Michael Cimino, US 1980, 216 min., DCP)
Propelled by the success of The Deer Hunter, Cimino focused on creating a distinctive vision of the American frontier at the turn of the nineteenth century. Production of the film was fraught with problems, prompting constant negative press that tainted its reputation and caused it to be pulled from release and drastically (and incoherently) reedited. In recent years, however, the film has been reassessed, with many notable critics reclaiming it as an unjustly maligned masterpiece. Decide for yourself when the Dryden proudly presents a brand-new digital restoration of the film, painstakingly reconstructed by Cimino to best reflect his original vision.
Sunday, August 4, 7 p.m.
Toronto Film Society Double Feature
I DOOD IT
(Vincente Minnelli, US 1943, 102 min, 35mm)
CABIN IN THE SKY
(Vincente Minnelli, US 1943, 98 min, 35mm)
A showcase of the illustrious director at the beginning of his long and accomplished career. Both films highlight Minnelli’s whirlwind, theatrical style and anticipate the uproarious success of his later greats like Meet Me in St. Louis and An American in Paris.
Tuesday, August 6, 8 p.m.
MA VIE EN ROSE
(Alain Berliner, Belgium/UK/France 1997, 89 min.)
Thirteen-year-old Georges Du Fresne gives a powerful performance as Ludovic, who finds comfort and identification as a girl—much to the chagrin of his family and neighbors. As Ludovic explores his identity by donning his sister’s clothes and professing love for the son of his father’s boss, his parents struggle to cope with the boy’s “abnormality” and the backlash from the community. This equally controversial and heartfelt family portrait won international acclaim for its bold confrontation of mainstream prejudices as well as its remarkably rich cinematography.
Wednesday, August 7, 8 p.m.
GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933
(Mervyn LeRoy, US 1933, 97 min.)
In this follow-up to 42nd Street, Joan Blondell, Ruby Keeler, and Aline MacMahon star as out-of-work Broadway chorines—“gold diggers” who target Warren William, Dick Powell, and Guy Kibbee for both money and romance. Busby Berkeley choreographed the spectacular musical numbers that include the ironic “We’re in the Money” and the anthem to the depression and returning World War veterans, “Remember My Forgotten Man.” This is a sharp, funny, and cynical film, and one of the all-time best Pre-Code musicals. Print courtesy the Library of Congress.
Thursday, August 8, 8 p.m.
PARIS WHEN IT SIZZLES
(Richard Quine, US 1964, 110 min., 16mm)
After procrastinating on an assignment, veteran screenwriter Richard Benson (William Holden) is forced to hire a secretary (Audrey Hepburn) to help him complete the script in two days. They move into a Paris flat and attempt to hash out The Girl Who Stole the Eiffel Tower, a film that ends up running the gamut of Hollywood genres. Benson and his secretary begin step- ping into their own imaginary landscapes, falling in love in the process. A testament to the fantasy and romance of cinema, Paris When It Sizzles is an effervescent romantic comedy and a true forgotten gem.
Friday, August 9, 8 p.m.—Rochester Premiere!
LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
(Abbas Kiarostami, France/Japan 2012, 109 min., Japanese w/ subtitles, DCP)
Fresh from the triumph of his Tuscany-set Certified Copy, Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami travels farther abroad for this mysterious, comic, and romantic drama filmed in Japan. Revolving around the brief encounter between a sociology student/escort (Rin Takanashi) and an elderly professor (Tadashi Okuno), Like Someone in Love raises as many questions as Certified Copy and refuses easy answers in the same charming and enthralling way. Another wonderful character study from one of world cinema’s greatest directors, Like Someone in Love is as unforgettable as its predecessor.
Saturday, August 10, 8 p.m.
DAISIES—New 35mm Print!
(Sedmikrásky, Vera Chytilová, Czechoslovakia 1966, 76 min., Czech w/ subtitles, 35mm)
An anarchic, absurdist farce that follows two young women on a series of pranks in which nothing—food, clothes, men, war—is taken seriously. An aesthetically and politically adventurous film, Daisies is an entertaining barrage of color, effects, collage, slapstick, and surrealism, with Chytilová showing as little respect for “traditional” modes of moviemaking as her heroines do for the niceties of everyday living. This glorious sensory assault will be presented in a new 35mm print struck from the original camera negative in the Czech Republic.
Sunday, August 11, 2 p.m.
LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE
(Abbas Kiarostami, France/Japan 2012, 109 min., Japanese w/ subtitles, DCP)
Fresh from the triumph of his Tuscany-set Certified Copy, Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami travels farther abroad for this mysterious, comic, and romantic drama filmed in Japan. Revolving around the brief encounter between a sociology student/escort (Rin Takanashi) and an elderly professor (Tadashi Okuno), Like Someone in Love raises as many questions as Certified Copy and refuses easy answers in the same charming and enthralling way. Another wonderful character study from one of world cinema’s greatest directors, Like Someone in Love is as unforgettable as its predecessor.
Tuesday, August 13, 8 p.m.
FORTY GUNS
(Samuel Fuller, US 1957, 79 min., 35mm)
Barbara Stanwyck gives a hard-hitting performance as Jessica Drummond, the iron-fisted rancher who rules over a backwater frontier county with her all-male band of gunslingers. Tossing to the wind the typical role of women in westerns, Stanwyck commands the screen with a power and bravado usually associated with male icons of the genre. Fuller captures her powerhouse performance with breathtaking black-and-white Cinemascope, placing his actors against glorious vistas and showing his mastery of visual composition.
Wednesday, August 14, 8 p.m.
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
(William Wyler, US 1946, 172 min., 35mm)
The quintessential “coming home” film and winner of seven Academy Awards®—all shot in cinematographer Gregg Toland’s amazing deep focus photography. Three servicemen return home and find themselves out of place as they try to readjust to civilian life. A superb cast includes Fredric March, Myrna Loy, Dana Andrews, Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo, and
Thursday, August 15, 8 p.m.
A MAN AND A WOMAN
(Un homme et une femme, Claude Lelouch, France 1966, 102 min., French w/ subtitles, 35mm) Jean-Louis (Jean-Louis Trintignant) is a race car test driver who lost his wife. Anne (Anouk Aimée) is a script supervisor and the widow of a stuntman. After a chance meeting, sparks fly. Lelouch’s moving tale of the enduring power of love and the weight of the past— boasting the undeniable chemistry of Trintignant and Aimée—secured the Palme d’Or at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival and the Academy Award® for Best Foreign Language Film. Print courtesy the Academy Film Archive.
Friday, August 16, 8 p.m.
THE ACT OF KILLING—Rochester Premiere!
(Joshua Oppenheimer, Denmark/Norway/UK 2012, 115 min., 35mm, Indonesian and English w/ sub- titles, DCP)
The much-debated line between real-world violence and violence on screen plays out in stunning form in The Act of Killing (executive produced by Werner Herzog and Errol Morris). The film’s subjects are Indonesian death squad members who openly admit to murdering thousands of dissenters in the 1960s. Yet, instead of only interviewing the men, director Oppenheimer also gives them the chance to reenact their crimes as mini-movies inspired by the Hollywood films they loved. Unnerving and unforgettable in its examination of the mindset that can lead to mass murder, this film may very well “change how you view the documentary form” (The Los Angeles Times).
Saturday, August 17, 8 p.m.
MST3K: BRIDE OF THE MONSTER
(Kevin Murphy, US 1993, 97 min., DVD)
Join Joel, Servo, and Crow aboard the Satellite of Love as they are forced to sit through another Ed Wood Jr. classic. Wood’s film stars horror legend Bela Lugosi as Dr. Eric Varnoff, a
