settima

USA

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

Children's Party (Joseph Cornell, c. 1938/1969)

Dec

18

Las Posadas

Children's Party (1938)

Exuberant dancers at the children's party.

A festive child for Las Posadas

“Shadow boxes become poetic theaters or settings wherein are metamorphosed the element of a childhood pastime.”

– Joseph Cornell

Children of all ages are entertained by a menagerie of dancers, acrobats, talented fauna and bobbing apples in this exhilarating found-footage party. Part of The Children's Trilogy, together with Cotillion (c. 1938/1969) and The Midnight Party (c. 1938/1969).

The Last Broadcast (Stefan Avalos + Lance Weiler, 1998)

Dec

15

1995

The Last Broadcast (1998)

An anxious looking camera man in the woods on grainy VHS stock. DP: Lance Weiler.

“At 10 PM, in what will be the last broadcast, Fact or Fiction goes live.”

– David Leigh, the filmmaker

Panic in the Streets (Elia Kazan, 1950)

Dec

13

Panic in the Streets (1950)

A bunch of tough-looking guys at a table with what may be a sandwich. Even the sandwich is up to no good.. DP: Joseph MacDonald.

 

Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

Dec

11

Psycho (1960)

Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) in front of the family motel. DP: John L. Russell.

“The mattress is soft and there're hangers in the closet and stationary with “Bates' Motel” printed on it in case you want to make your friends back home envious.”

– Norman Bates

December 7th (John Ford + Gregg Toland, 1943)

Dec

7

1941

December 7th (1943)

A Japanese person paints over the Japanese characters on their store's sign. AZUMA PHONE and SUS[HI obscured] can stay. DP: Gregg Toland.

“If that's Americanism, it's very hyphenated.”

– narrator

Careful, Soft Shoulders [Lady in a Quandry] (Oliver H.P. Garrett, 1942)

Dec

7

1941

Careful, Soft Shoulders (1942)

Thomas Aldrich (James Ellison) and Connie Mathers (Virginia Bruce). DP: Charles G. Clarke.

The Lickerish Quartet (Radley Metzger, 1970)

Dec

5

The Lickerish Quartet (1970)

A 70s couple in a grainy black-and-white still. The frame looks damaged, suggesting a stag reel. The seemingly nude blonde pours a drink for her dark-haired man. She holds the cork between her teeth, seducingly. DP: Hans Jura.

– I've never seen a film like this before.

– Oh, it's different, alright.

Report (Bruce Conner, 1967)

Nov

23

1963

Report  (1967)

Television footage of JFK's state funeral with the caption “November 23, 1963”, superimposed over it.

Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968 [Mingus / Mingus In Greenwich Village] (Thomas Reichman, 1968)

Nov

22

1968

Mingus: Charlie Mingus 1968 (1968)

Charles Mingus and Carolyn sharing an intimate father/daughter moment in their studio. DPs: Lee Osborne & Michael Wadleigh.

“I pledge allegiance to the flag–the white flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of America. When they say “black” or “negro,” it means you’re not an American. I pledge allegiance to your flag. Not that I have to, but just for the hell of it I pledge allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. The white flag, with no stripes, no stars. It is a prestige badge worn by a profitable minority.”

– Charles Mingus