settima

FilmDuJour

Altered States (Ken Russell, 1980)

Jan

7

Wed

Altered States (1980)

Eddie Jessup (William Hurt) in his tank. Around him visions of clouds, fishes, the ocean. DP: Jordan Cronenweth.

“I'm a man in search of his true self. How archetypically American can you get?”

– Eddie Jessup

X2000 (François Ozon, 1998)

Jan

1

2000

X2000 (1998)

A young, naked man holding a drink observes two men asleep in a sleeping bag on the floor. On the wall behind them the text “2000” spelled out with tinsel garlands. DP: Pierre Stoeber.

儀式 [Gishiki / The Ceremony] (Nagisa Ōshima, 1971)

Jan

1

儀式 (1971)

A boy in school uniform has his ear pressed against the ground. DP: Tōichirō Narushima.

The Book of Life (Hal Hartley, 1998)

Dec

31

1999

The Book of Life (1998)

The “New York News” of December 31, 1999. The headline reads LAST DAY OF CENTURY BELIEVERS PRAY FOR END. DP: Jim Denault.

“It was the morning of December 31, 1999 when I returned, at last, to judge the living and the dead. Though still, and perhaps always, I had my doubts.”

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.

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

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