settima

fantasy

Sueños de hielo [Dreams of Ice] (Ignacio Agüero, 1994)

Jul

15

Arctic Sea Ice Day

Sueños de hielo (1994)

Arctic ice in transit from Antarctica to Seville. DPs: José Luis Arredondo, Germán Liñero, Gastón Roca & Luis Roca.

Flammes [Flames] (Adolfo Arrieta, 1978)

Jul

15

Flammes (1978)

Barbara (Caroline Loeb) – in a patterned firetruck-red dress – descends a grande staircase. At the bottom of the stairs a long, beautifully set table with well-dressed guests. The seat at the head of the table is empty. DP: Thierry Arbogast.

盘丝洞 [Pan si dong / The Cave of the Silken Web] (Dan Duyu, 1927)

Jul

14

Pandemonium Day

盘丝洞 (1927)

Pandemonium happening, with Tang Sanzang as its object of desire (gif via. DP: Ganting Dan.

Dan Duyu's 盘丝洞 is, in its most literal sense, a fantastic silent interpretation of Wu Cheng'en's 西遊記 / Journey to the West. Monk Tang Sanzang (Meikang Jiang) finds himself trapped in a cave with seven beautiful sisters. Two of Tang Sanzang's faithful disciples, Sun Wukong (the Monkey King) and Zhu Bajie (Pigsy: half man, half pig), need to save him before one of the sisters takes the celibate monk as her husband. What follows is a vigorous display of #wuxia, horror, monkey shenanigans, and – during the pandemonium unfolding in the final act – a small glimpse into the vast pantheon of China's gods and demons.

“Today is our Queen's wedding day, let us drink it up!”

Note that some of the reels are still missing, and the English translation I found is subjective at best, so have a translation app at the ready. Nevertheless, take a moment to dim the lights, and accompany Tang Sanzang, the Monkey King, and Pigsy on their pilgrimage. Even if only for a little while.

Lisztomania (Ken Russell, 1975)

Jun

16

National Richard Day

Lisztomania (1975)

The cover of November 1975's films and filming (NSFW). Richard Wagner (Paul Nicholas) appears as a vampire in a German sailor uniform to Franz Liszt (Roger Daltrey). DP: Peter Suschitzky.

“No, Wagner! Stay in Hell where you belong!”

– Franz Liszt

The Man Who Could Work Miracles (Lothar Mendes + Alexander Korda, 1936)

Jun

15

fruit

The Man Who Could Work Miracles (1936)

George McWhirter Fotheringay (Roland Young) waking up to an abundance of tropical foods in a crystal bowl, plus multiple expensive watches. His ill-fitting pajamas miss a button. DP: Harold Rosson.

“As I want it, so it will be!”

– George McWhirter Fotheringay

A Midsummer Night's Dream (William Dieterle + Max Reinhardt, 1935)

Jun

10

Superman Week

A Midsummer Night's Dream (1935)

Oberon (Victor Jory) – King of the Fairies – on his horse with Puck (Mickey Rooney) – a trickster sprite. While they ride of, Oberon's cape flows behind them through the trees, supported by the fae. A lot of the other-worldly fairy sparkle was accomplished by generous amounts of DuPont® cellophane and cinematographer Hal Mohr's contribution of trimming the trees with aluminium paint, cobwebs, and small metal particles. DP: Hal Mohr.

Capes, cloaks, and mantles are everywhere in Dieterle and Reinhardt's lavishly outfitted A Midsummer Night's Dream. The dreamlike #CostumeDesign by Max Rée and the uncredited Milo Anderson is as much as a personality as #Shakespeare's characters are.

“Now, until the break of day, Through this house each fairy stray…”

– Oberon, Act 5, Scene 1

Any reports of Kenneth Anger's presence as the Changeling Prince are greatly exaggerated.

Sinong lumikha ng yoyo? Sinong lumikha ng moon buggy? [Who Invented the Yoyo? Who Invented the Moon Buggy?] (Kidlat Tahimik, 1979)

May

30

National Creativity Day

Sinong lumikha ng yoyo? Sinong lumikha ng moon buggy? (1979)

Kidlat Tahimik test driving his moon buggy, closely followed by faithful crew member Gottlieb (Kidlat Gottlieb Kalayaan). DP: Kidlat Tahimik.

Kidlat, while on Earth, wonders if on the Moon a yoyo behaves any differently. Thanks to his brilliant crew of Bavarian toddlers, his parents' collective aspirations, and generous donations from the First World in the form of assorted junk, he launches the first Filipino space program to find out.

“If you don't eat too many Gummy Bears you could be my co-pilot.”

– Kidlat Tahimik, speaking to a budding crew member

Sinong lumikha ng yoyo? is a remarkable display of imaginative filmmaking. Together with Kidlat we ponder about practicalities, suddenly see connections that were obscured by too much thinking, and realise all the new possibilities we have in life. Part documentary, part animation, part fantasy, part sci-fi, Kidlat transports us to yet unexplored spaces!

Happy Ever After [Tonight's the Night] (Mario Zampi, 1954)

May

13

Leprechaun Day

Happy Ever After (1954)

Jasper O'Leary (David Niven) giving Serena McGlusky (Yvonne De Carlo) a stern talking-to. DP: Stanley Pavey.

Rathbarney is a typical small Irish town inhabited with a bunch of eccentrics, including a few leprechauns and a ghost, who all live in general harmony with each other, mostly at the local pub. (via IMDb)

“I've not lived long enough in Ireland to appreciate the logic of that remark.”

– Jasper O'Leary

You the Better (Ericka Beckman, 1983)

May

8

VE-Day

You the Better (1983)

One of the players, an handsome young white man, celebrates a score. He wears blue pants with a yellow string, a blue shirt with a blue T-shirt underneath. On his head a red and white hat. The bill hides part of his face. He's got his right arm raised in victory. Behind him other players in identical kits. On the back of shirts a a symbol that looks like a surprised smiley, or a bowling ball.

They say, the house always wins. In You the Better, the House is an unseen character. The other character – a constantly changing team of athletes wearing blue uniforms and caps and coached by artist Ashley Bickerton – play a baffling hybrid of craps, dodgeball, and roulette while arcade game noises and Brooke Halpin's catchy chants accompany the players. While You the Better suggests repetitiveness, a theme of winning, losing, and competitiveness reveals itself.

“HANDS UP PUT YOUR HANDS UP GIMME MORE GIMME GIMME MORE BETTER GIMME MORE”

– recurring chant

You the Better is part of Beckman's The Super-8 Trilogy, a multimedia art project that explores play in Western society.

Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera [Lemonade Joe or The Horse Opera] (Oldřich Lipský, 1964)

Apr

27

Kola Loka

Limonádový Joe aneb Konská opera (1964)

A tough cowboy takes a bite out off a fiddle. DP: Vladimír Novotný.

“The Kola Loka is the law!”

– Limonádový Joe