“Put the mask on, now!”The Mask [Eyes of Hell / The Spooky Movie Show] (Julian Roffman, 1961)
Jul
22
Jaws 3D release day
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Rudi Linschoten as Dr Allan Barnes' alter ego in one of the jaw-dropping 3D scenes. With red/cyan glasses you can see the 3D effect in all its eye-popping glory! DP: Herbert S. Alpert.
What would you do if someone sends you a mysterious jade mask that, according to the ill-fated now-dead previous owner, causes terrifying nightmares? Well, you put it on, now! In the name of science Dr Allan Barnes (Paul Stevens) does exactly that and transports him and us – wearing our own Magic Mystic Masks – to a hallucinatory dreamworld with Zardoz-styled floating skulls and their robed devotees.
– recurring on-screen prompt
Julian Roffman's The Mask is an extremely watchable psychotronic affair. The 3D effects during the nightmarish Andreas Vesalius-inspired sequences are well implemented and yes, there's stuff flying at you for all the right reasons. Not quite #WilliamCastle gimmicky, but made with lots of love for the potential of 3D.
Canada
Le temps d'une chasse [Once Upon a Hunt / The Time of a Hunt] (Francis Mankiewicz, 1972)
Jul
17
after hours coffee
A Hopperesque glimpse through a corridor reveals a young woman (Frédérique Collin) sitting at a mostly empty dinner table. There are two coffee cups and a fruit bowl, and a bare bulb hanging from the ceiling. DP: Michel Brault.
American Dreams: Lost and Found (James Benning, 1984)
Feb
24
National Trading Card Day
A Hank Aaron trading card from director James Benning's personal collection. Below it a scrolling text quoting from Arthur Bremer's diary.
“One grilled cheese, two slices of toast, two coffees. One pepper steak no chili and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. Two glasses of milk. One plate of spare ribs. A chicken in a basket with three cups of honey. One lean smoked meat sandwich with pickles and mustard. One two-cream coffee and two club sandwiches. Two clubs.”Françoise Durocher, Waitress (André Brassard, 1972)
Feb
9
freebie: Customer Service Day
A few of the 24 performers portraying waitress Françoise Durocher. DP: Thomas Vámos.
23 actresses and one person in drag play the part of Québécois waitress Françoise Durocher in seven monologues.
– Françoise Durocher
Watch the short on the NFB website.