settima

biography

Street of Dreams – Musical Mirror Maze [Tiny Tim's Street of Dreams] (Martin Sharp, 1988)

Dec

4

Street of Dreams - Musical Mirror Maze (1988)

Tiny Tim performing in front of the Luna Park's fantastic entrance gate (via). DPs: Russell Boyd, Geoff Burton, Tom Cowan, Michael Edols, David Sanderson & Simon Smith.

A theme park*, or in this case, amusement park.

“Just take it from me I'm just as free as any daughter I do what I like Just what I like and how I love it

I'm right here to stay when I'm old and gray I'll be right in my prime Living in the sunlight, loving in the moonlight Having a wonderful time”

– Tiny Tim, Livin' in the Sunlight, Lovin' in the Moonlight (Al Sherman & Al Lewis, 1930), from God Bless Tiny Tim (1968)

Tiny Tim is a personal hero of mine. A decade after his mainstream TV debut, Tiny's career had taken a tumble but he still was – God bless him – Tiny Tim, and he performed a two-hour-and-seventeen-minute singing marathon at Luna Park Sydney. Just months after that, tragedy hit the park's Ghost Train ride. A fire, arson as it was determined decades later, killed seven. Fellow Tiny-aficionado and OZ artist Don Lane saw a connection between these two events and spend years cutting and editing the musical marathon, nude drunken interview and disaster footage, and Tiny wandering around a mirror maze into a narrative.

 

Lane passed in 2013 and, in respect of his family's wishes, Street of Dreams remains unfinished.

 

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

Ciao Manhattan (John Palmer + David Weisman, 1972)

Nov

21

1971

spoiler warning: click to toggle image Ciao Manhattan (1972)
spoiler warning: click to read

A newspaper, partially obscured blares “[…], Andy's Star of '65, Is Dead at 28”. The article mentions she (Edie/Susan) died “a week ago today”, making the newspaper's date November 21. DPs: John Palmer & Kjell Rostad.

“It's sort of like a mockery, in a way, of reality, because they think everything is smiles and sweetness and flowers, when there is something bitter to taste. And to pretend there isn't is foolish.”

– Susan

20 de noviembre de 1936 ¿Te acuerdas de esta fecha, compañero? [20th of November] (1937)

Nov

20

1936

20 de noviembre de 1936 ¿Te acuerdas de esta fecha, compañero? (1937)

Soldiers in silhouette. Disclaimer: I am not 100% sure this still is from the correct film. DP: anonymous.

A documentary made by the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo in honour of anarchist Buenaventura Durruti, who was murdered on November 20, 1936.

“Fascism is not to be debated, it is to be destroyed.”

– Buenaventura Durruti

Na wylot [Through and Through] (Grzegorz Królikiewicz, 1972)

Nov

4

1933

Na wylot (1972)

Maria (Anna Nieborowska) and Jan (Franciszek Trzeciak) in court. The film is based on the 1933 Jan and Maria Malisz’s Case. DP: Bogdan Dziworski.

Il caso Mattei [The Mattei Affair] (Francesco Rosi, 1972)

Oct

27

1962

Il caso Mattei (1972)

A group of well-dressed men, somewhere in a field, with Enrico Mattei (Gian Maria Volontè) in the centre. DP: Pasqualino De Santis.

“IF they want to kill me, let them do it.”

– Enrico Mattei

1943-1997 ['43 – '97] (Ettore Scola, 1997)

Oct

16

1943

1943-1997 (1997)

The boy (Francesco Cencioni) on the run in a locked down town. DP: Carlo Tafani.

El chacal de Nahueltoro [Jackal of Nahueltoro] (Miguel Littin, 1969)

Sep

23

1960

El chacal de Nahueltoro (1969)

The condemned (Nelson Villagra) in his penitentiary cell, swapping out his sandals for leather dress shoes. Two members of the Gendarmería de Chile wait for him to finish. DP: Héctor Ríos.

Full title: En cuanto a la infancia, andar, regeneración y muerte de Jorge del Carmen Valenzuela Torres, quien se hace llamar también José del Carmen Valenzuela Torres, Jorge Sandoval Espinoza, José Jorge Castillo Torres, alias el Campano, el Trucha, el Canaca, el Chacal de Nahueltoro

The UFO Incident [Interrupted Journey] (Richard A. Colla, 1975)

Sep

19

The UFO Incident (1975)

Betty Hill (Estelle Parsons) observed from above. It's night, and tire tracks are visible. DP: Rexford L. Metz.

Le vampire de Düsseldorf [The Vampire of Dusseldorf] (Robert Hossein, 1965)

Sep

5

Le vampire de Düsseldorf (1965)

Robert Hossein as Peter Kuerten [sic]. DP: Alain Levent.

Flic Story [Cop Story] (Jacques Deray, 1975)

Sep

3

1947

Flic Story (1975)

A close-up of a man's feet hastily walking along a corridor. Superimposed it reads 3 SEPTEMBRE 1974. DP: Jean-Jacques Tarbès.