settima

crime

The Bat Whispers [The Bat] (Roland West, 1930)

Nov

19

Play Monopoly Day

The Bat Whispers (1930)

Board and planchette at the ready for a little game of Ouija. DPs: Ray June (23mm) & Robert H. Planck (70mm).

It's just a little game. But then you wonder if Ouija, the Wonderful Talking Board is actually just that. Two neat little ladies playing that quirky 1891 novelty game in Roland West's The Bat Whispers summon the aforementioned bat, black-clad fiend and Batman predecessor.

– Get the Ouija board. – It's got the Bible on top of it, keeping it quiet.

Who is he? What does he want? And how can he be stopped? Do you know the answer?
YES NO
GOOD BYE

کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک [Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk / Close-Up] (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990)

Nov

8

Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk (1990)

Hossain Sabzian as himself. He sits behind a low table holding various refreshments, presented by his host. DP: Ali Reza Zarrindast.

Matinée (Jaime Humberto Hermosillo, 1977)

Nov

4

National Easy Bake Oven Day

Matinée (1977)

Friends Aarón (Rodolfo Chávez Martínez) and Jorge (Armando Martín) having a grownup discussion about the situation. DP: Jorge Stahl Jr..

Two boys skip class to catch a movie – Alexander Mackendrick's thematically similar A High Wind in Jamaica (1965) – and end up as members of a violent gang instead. While Matinée has elements of a typical 70s #ComingOfAge movie, the more fascinating element is the role reversal of the two children and the robbers. As the kids are forced to grow up, fast, the criminals live out their childhood fantasy of never having to listen to anyone ever again. And bicker over comics.

 

Robert Rodriguez stated that the fearsome criminals in his El Mariachi (1992) never outgrew their childhood nicknames. I start to suspect that once upon a time, a little boy named Robertiño skipped class and went to the matinee.

みな殺しの霊歌 [Minagoroshi no reika / I, the Executioner] (Tai Katō, 1968)

Oct

26

みな殺しの霊歌 (1968)

A claustrophobically framed black-and-white shot of a man (Makoto Satō) handling chopsticks close to his face. DP: Keiji Maruyama.

Orlacs Hände [Die unheimlichen Hände des Doktor Orlac / The Hands of Orlac] (Robert Wiene, 1924)

Sep

25

Orlacs Hände (1924)

Paul Orlac (Conrad Veidt) stretched out on a wooden bench in a tavern. A strange man sits on a second bench on the other side of the table. DPs: Hans Androschin & Günther Krampf.

Gimme Shelter (Albert + David Maysles, Charlotte Zwerin, 1970)

Sep

13

Uncle Sam Day

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Mick Jagger seen from the back wearing an Uncle Sam top hat, in front of an unseen crowd. DPs: Albert Maysles, David Maysles & Gary Weis.

It's December 6, 1969 and just like that, the 60s were over. It started out great, the West Coast edition of Woodstock. Santana, Jefferson Airplane, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, a 300.000 strong crowd and, of course, The Rolling Stones on the final leg of their US tour. And, of course too, Hells Angels armed with motorcycle chains, sawed-off pool cues and $500 worth of beer, hired to stop fans from climbing the stage. And not in the least due to its proximity to Frisco, lots of bad drugs mixing with that crowd.

“Well, The Rolling Stones tour of the United States is over. It wounded up with a free concert at the Altamont Speedway for more than 300,000 people. There were four births, four deaths and an awful lot of scuffles reported.”

– Stefan Ponek, KSN Radio

Even before a single note had come out of Mick's mouth, someone had punched him in the head. More scuffles, Grace Slick begs the audience to keep their bodies off each other unless they intend love. The Grateful Dead, regular deployers of peaceful Angels security, wisely forfeit their performance. The Stones open their set, the final set of the day. By then, the Angels are far into their $500 beer bounty, and the audience far out of their mind. Meredith Hunter, high on drugs, had brought a gun. And the Angels did what they were ordered to: stop anyone from getting close.

0課の女 赤い手錠 [Zeroka no onna: Akai wappa / Zero Woman: Red Handcuffs] (Yukio Noda, 1974)

Sep

12

National Police Woman Day

0課の女 赤い手錠 (1974)

Rei (Miki Sugimoto) wielding the red chain of her handcuffs. DP: Yoshio Nakajima.

Rei (Miki Sugimoto) is a member of Division Zero, a top secret division of #Tokyo's police department. Hired to investigate a high-profile #kidnapping, she infiltrates the gang and kills them off with her signature blood-red handcuffs.

 

Ostia [A Violent Life] (Sergio Citti, 1970)

Sep

11

supper

Ostia (1970)

A group of vulgar looking people eating outdoors at a very long table in front of an old crumbing wall at a very long table. The scene is a re-enactment of Da Vinci's Il Cenacolo / Last Supper. DP: Mario Mancini.

Warum läuft Herr R. Amok [Why Does Herr R. Run Amok] (Michael Fengler, 1970)

Sep

11

National Boss Employee Exchange Day

Warum läuft Herr R. Amok (1970)

Der Chef (Franz Maron) berates Herr R. (Kurt Raab). DP: Dietrich Lohmann.

Mr R. (Kurt Raab), his full name is irrelevant, is a hardworking, almost invisible man. He laughs along when his coworkers make stale jokes to shorten the long days. He neatly completes his draftman's assignments and politely nods when the boss berates him. He smokes too much, 80 a day, and at the yearly checkup is told to cut the habit down. His son fails at school and Mrs R. wishes for nicer furniture and a skiing holiday, when Mr R. is promoted.

“No, no, geh' nicht vorbei, als wär' nichts gescheh'n, Es ist zu spät, um zu lügen, Komm und verzeih, ich werd' mit dir geh'n, Wohin dein Weg auch führt, Und die Welt, sie wird schön.”

– Christian Anders, Geh nicht vorbei (1969)

So why does Herr R run amok?

Ostia [A Violent Life] (Sergio Citti, 1970)

Sep

10

National Pet Memorial Day

Ostia (1970)

Bandiera and Rabbino and their beloved Rosina, thoughtfully covered with a woollen blanket. DP: Mario Mancini.

Bandiera and Rabbino, two young bumpkins, find that Rosina, their beloved ewe, has been butchered by their father. Years later, the two share their lives with a beautiful blonde who they found believing to be dead.