settima

music

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (Todd Haynes, 1987)

Feb

4

Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (1987)

A brunette Barbie doll representing Karen Carpenter makes a statement in front of the White House. DP: Barry Ellsworth.

“Mother, didn't you know there are children starving in Africa?”

– “Karen Carpenter”

All My Life (Bruce Baillie, 1966)

Jan

18

roses

All My Life (1966)

A still of a red rose bush next to a fence. Image via à pala de walsh. DP: Bruce Baillie.

Roses for the end of the Wars of the Roses (note: January 18 is when Henry VII married Elizabeth of York in 1486; the wars would continue until June 16 the following year).

“All my life, hold me close to your heart But all else above Hold my love, darling, just hold my love”

– Ella Fitzgerald, All My Life (Sidney D. Mitchell & Sammy Stept), 1936

In one continuous shot, the camera tracks a fence and rose bushes while Ella Fitzgerald's 1936 debut song All My Life is playing.

Times Square (Allan Moyle, 1980)

Jan

10

1967

Times Square (1980)

A bus on Times Square with a large (expensive) ad asking people to be on the lookout for a Pamela Pearl, born January 10, 1967. DP: James A. Contner.

“Yes, it's story time on WJAD in the heart of Times Square, New York, New York. The city so nice, they named it twice.”

– Johnny LaGuardia, on the air

St. Louis Blues (Dudley Murphy, 1929)

Dec

20

Walter “Wolfman” Washington's birthday

St. Louis Blues (1929)

Bessie “the Empress of Blues” Smith, singing her blues away. DP: Walter Strenge .

Featuring rhythm and blues, funk or blues, for Walter “Wolfman” Washington's birthday (1943)

“I hate to see the evening' sun go down I hate to see the evening' sun go down It makes me think I'm on my last go 'round

Feeling' tomorrow like I feel today Feeling' tomorrow like I feel today I'll pack my grip and make my getaway”

Saint Louis woman with her diamond rings Pulls that man around by her apron strings Wasn't for powder and the store-bought hair The man I love wouldn't go nowhere, nowhere

I got them Saint Louis Blues; just as blue as I can be He's got a heart like a rock cast in the sea Or else he wouldn't have gone so far from me”

– Bessie Smith, St. Louis Blues (W. C. Handy)

Die Sage vom alten Hirten Xeudi und seinem Freund Reiman [The Legend of the Old Shepherd Xeudi and His Friend Reimann] (Hans-Jakob Siber, 1973)

Dec

11

International Mountain Day

Die Sage vom alten Hirten Xeudi und seinem Freund Reiman (1973)

The two friends setting off on their track of the Swiss mountains. Their chalet can be seen in the foreground. DP: Hans-Jakob Siber.

Mountain living on International Mountain Day. Available to watch via the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste's media archive.

Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (Gimpo, 1995)

Dec

9

Techno Day

Watch the K Foundation Burn a Million Quid (1995)

A British banknote on fire. DP: Gimpo.

A techno music scene for Techno Day (Juan Atkins' birthday).

“We wanted the money but we wanted to burn it more.”

– Bill Drummond

Black Sabbath – Live in Paris (Jacques Bourton, 1970)

Dec

6

Metal & Beer Fest

Black Sabbath - Live in Paris (1970)

Tony Iommi.

A heavy soundtrack for the Decibel Magazine Metal & Beer Fest: Denver.

“Heavy boots of lead Fills his victims full of dread Running as fast as they can Iron Man lives again”

– Black Sabbath, Iron Man (1970)

Despite its title, Live in Paris was filmed in Théâtre 140 in Brussels by Yorkshire Television and is Sabbath's first recorded live concert.

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

Die Sage vom alten Hirten Xeudi und seinem Freund Reiman [The Legend of the Old Shepherd Xeudi and His Friend Reimann] (Hans-Jakob Siber, 1973)

Sep

3

potatoes

Die Sage vom alten Hirten Xeudi und seinem Freund Reiman (1973)

Gloomy potatoes and a small metal peeler on a wooden surface. DP: Hans-Jakob Siber.

Available to watch via the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste's media archive.

Ο Δράκος [O Drakos / The Ogre of Athens / The Ogre / The Vampire] (Nikos Koundouros, 1956)

Jan

2

Martini

Ο Δράκος (1956)

The boss, Hondros (Giannis Argyris), pours out a stiff drink on the floor of his cabaret with Mr Tomas (Dinos Iliopoulos) in the background. DP: Kostas Theodoridis.

The first film dinner of 2024.