settima

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Sprawa Gorgonowej [The Gorgon Case] (Janusz Majewski, 1977)

Dec

30

1931

Sprawa Gorgonowej (1977)

Ewa Dałkowska as governess Rita Gorgonowa. DP: Zygmunt Samosiuk.

Canon City (Crane Wilbur, 1948)

Dec

30

1947

Canon City (1948)

A calendar page. It's December 30, 1947. DP: John Alton.

“We're not here to play dominoes.”

La noche de los Inocentes [Night of the Innocents] (Arturo Sotto Díaz, 2007)

Dec

28

La noche de los Inocentes (2007)

The cast in the hospital. Lighting and stances appear theatre-like. DP: Ernesto Granado.

姿三四郎 [Sugata Sanshirō / Judo Saga] (Akira Kurosawa, 1943)

Dec

26

8 p.m.

姿三四郎 (1943)

A letter beckoning to come to Ukyō-ku, on December 26, at 8 o'clock. DP: Akira Mimura.

“On the night of December 26, at 8:00 on Ukyō-ku.”

Balada pro banditu [Ballad for a Bandit] (Vladimír Sís, 1979)

Dec

24

Christmas Eve – Nikolas

Balada pro banditu (1979)

The bandit and his bride. DP: Viktor Růžička.

A Nikolas or Nicholas for Christmas Eve.

 

The tale of legendary highwayman Nikola Šuhaj from Koločava.

大佛廻國 [Daibutsu kaikoku / The Great Buddha Arrival] (Yoshirō Edamasa, 1934)

Dec

22

Daibutsu kaikoku (1934)

Buddha takes a holiday. A gigantic Buddha statue rests his hand on a multi-story building in possibly Kyoto. In front and sprawling out are multiple small wooden establishments with people in kimono and several bicycles in front of them. A tram, the only thing that suggests the 20th century, can be seen almost off-screen. (via). DPs: Haruzo Ando & Harumi Machii.

Something tall*

 

In this very early kaiju moving picture, Buddha returns and goes on a sightseeing trip through Japan.

 

* the Bales 2025 Film Challenge for December has a few dateless themes. This is one of them.

Nowhere to Go (Seth Holt + Basil Dearden, 1958)

Dec

22

Tue

Nowhere to Go (1958)

A man checks into a hotel. A wall calendar reads December 22, a Tuesday. DP: Paul Beeson .

“Sloane! Be lucky!”

– Paul Gregory

Die Blechtrommel [The Tin Drum] (Volker Schlöndorff, 1979)

Dec

21

winter solstice

Die Blechtrommel (1979)

Little Oskar with his tin drum. DP: Igor Luther.

Something short for winter solstice.

“He's growing! Look! See how he's growing! I have seen the Lord! The Lord! The Lord!”

– Schugger-Leo

On the eve of World War 2, little Oskar – just three years old – decides he doesn't want to grow anymore.

Accidente 703 [Los culpables] (José María Forqué, 1962)

Dec

21

Accidente 703 (1962)

A darkened room. People take care of a man slumped on a coach. A wall calendar tells us it's the 21st. DP: Juan Mariné.

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (Richard Winer + Barry Mahon, 1972)

Dec

20

Santa and the Ice Cream Bunny (1972)

A bunch of screaming children on top of a red firetruck stand right behind the driver, a stoic person in a pink bunny costume. DPs: William Tobin & Richard Winer.

“What is that? What is that I hear? Where's it coming from? I hear a siren, but I don't see any fire, I don't see any smoke. Whenever there's a siren, it means there's a fire, but I don't see any smoke. That siren. Where is it coming from? Where's that sound coming from?”

– Santa Claus