“The house takes care of itself.”
Burnt Offerings (Dan Curtis, 1976)
Jul
1
The chauffeur (Anthony James). DP: Jacques R. Marquette.
– Roz Allardyce
– Why do you always wear those dark glasses? – A souvenir of unrequited love for my homeland.
Popiół i diament [Ashes and Diamonds] (Andrzej Wajda, 1958)
Jun
27
National Sunglasses Day
Maciek Chelmicki (Zbigniew Cybulski) wearing his sunglasses in a dark, almost German Expressionist space, embellished with meandros. DP: Jerzy Wójcik.
[The best] sunglasses in film for National Sunglasses Day (USA)
According to IMDb, the sale of sunglasses in Poland went through the roof after this film was released and Cybulski became his country's very own James Dean.
“Although the villagers had forgotten the ritual and lost the original black box, they still remembered to use stones.”
The Lottery (Larry Yust, 1969)
Jun
27
Drawing lots from a box. DP: Isidore Mankofsky.
This, or any other adaptation of Shirley Jackson's story.
– Shirley Jackson, The Lottery (1948)
Ikarie XB 1 [Icarus XB 1] (Jindřich Polák, 1963)
Jun
26
An astronaut passing a perfectly symmetrical walkway, similar to the ones seen in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). DP: Jan Kališ.
“I don’t have the inhibitions that a practicing Catholic would in that I’m not paralysed by the sacredness of the text, nor do I have the inhibitions of a lapsed Catholic who would view approaching the story of Jesus as compromising his Marxist beliefs, of sinking back into conformity.”
Il vangelo secondo Matteo [The Gospel According to Matthew] (Pier Paolo Pasolini, 1964)
Jun
22
National Kissing Day
Judas (Otello Sestili) kisses Jesus (Enrique Irazoqui) in intimate closeup. DP: Tonino Delli Colli.
A [favourite] movie kiss for National Kissing Day (USA*), not to be confused with International Kissing Day aka World Kiss Day which falls on July 6.
– PPP, via
An neorealist, straightforward adaptation of the Gospel of Matthew, populated by non-actors (“Jesus” is a 19-year Catalan trade unionist picked for his resemblance to El Greco's Christ), intellectuals, and anachronistic characters based on biblical art through the ages.
According to said Gospel, apostle Judas kissed prophet Jesus to signal to the police who of the 13 men present was the one to arrest.
Interestingly, the word Matthew chose to describe the kiss is καταφιλέω, the same word used by philosopher Plutarch to describe the kiss between Alexander the Great and his eunuch Bagoas
* no one wants to kiss you anymore, America
“Have you seen Mr Tavernier tonight?”
Ascenseur pour l'échafaud [Elevator to the Gallows] (Louis Malle, 1958)
Jun
18
International Panic Day
M Tavernier (Maurice Ronet) seated in an elevator, calmly smoking. Around him several items speak of less calm moments. DP: Henri Decaë.
A character in panic mode on International Panic Day
Julien Tavernier has a plan about how to run off with his boss' wife. There's just this one snag. No time to panic, c'est cool c'est cool.
“Instead of leaving this morning, I'm still here. Among friends.”
Strategia del ragno [The Spider's Stratagem] (Bernardo Bertolucci, 1970)
Jun
15
Sat
A clock face. It's 9:54 on Saturday June 15. DPs: Franco Di Giacomo & Vittorio Storaro.
The two-page story this film is based on – Jorge Luis Borges' Tema del traidor y del héroe [Theme of the Traitor and Hero] (1944) – takes place on January 3 and August 2.
– Athos Magnani
Morte a Venezia [Death in Venice] (Luchino Visconti, 1971)
Jun
11
Say HI Day
Von Aschenbach (Dirk Bogarde) and Tadzio (Björn Andrésen). DP: Pasqualino De Santis.
Characters say or wave hello on Say HI Day
A sickly composer meets and becomes infatuated with a boy during his stay in Venice.
“I'm going with this one.”
O Menino e o Vento [The Boy and the Wind] (Carlos Hugo Christensen, 1967)
Jun
8
National Best Friends Day
The two friends in intimate embrace. DP: Antônio Gonçalves.
[Favourite] best friends in film for National Best Friends Day (USA)
– Zeca de Curva, running into the storm
The close friendship between two young men raises suspicion when the younger of them disappears..
Лісова пісня. Мавка [Lisova pisnya. Mavka / A Story of the Forest: Mavka] (Yuri Ilyenko, 1981)
Jun
7
National Trails Day
Mavka (Lyudmila Efimenko) and the Spirit of the Forest (Boris Khmelnitskiy). DP: Yuri Ilyenko.
A movie that takes place in nature for National Trails Day (USA)
Mavka, a forest nymph, falls in love with mortal Lukash, who in his turn is punished by the Spirit of the Forest for marrying another mortal instead. Curse upon curse, Lukash is turned into a wolf, and Mavka into a weeping willow.
The colours, mood and impact of the four seasons on mortal and sprite alike is there, not only made visible by Ilyenko's ethereal, spiralling camera, but somewhere blooming deep inside us, observing.