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Space Coast (Ross McElwee + Michel Negroponte, 1979)
Jan
26
NASA Day Of Remembrance
Cape Canaveral space journalist Mary Bubb, 59, determined to never miss a launch – shows up at a rocket launch.
“I'll take you to the horses. I'll take you to the Moon.”
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The Noah (Daniel Bourla, 1975)
Jan
25
Burns Night
Noah (Robert Strauss) singing Auld Lang Syne. DP: Jerry Kalogeratos.
“On old long syne my Jo,
On old long syne,
That thou canst never once reflect,
On old long syne”
– Robert Burns, Auld Lang Syne (1788)
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Mingus: Charlie Mingus [Mingus / Mingus In Greenwich Village] (Thomas Reichman, 1968)
Jan
20
National Charlie Day
Charles Mingus and Carolyn sharing an intimate father/daughter moment in their studio. DPs: Lee Osborne & Michael Wadleigh.
Thomas Reichman follows bandleader and musician Charles Mingus in those tense hours on November 22, 1966, right before he's forced to evict his #GreenwichVillage studio.
“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
Between the banter (“This is the same gun they shot Kennedy with”) and magical moments between the giant and his little daughter, we see and hear Mingus perform at Lennie's-On-The-Turnpike in Peabody, Massachusetts.
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Pamela and Ian (David Greene, 1971)
Jan
18
National Michigan Day
Filmed on campus of the University of Michigan and inspired by Alain Robbe-Grillet's concept of characters being born at the start of the film, and dying at the end.
Outside of this framework, the characters do not exist.
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Alice's Restaurant (Arthur Penn, 1969)
Jan
13
Stephen Foster Memorial Day
Arlo (Arlo Guthrie, son of legendary folk musician Woody) jams with his film-dad Pete Seeger. DP: Michael Nebbia.
A songwriter as the lead.
“This song is called 'Alice's Restaurant', and it's about Alice. And the restaurant. But Alice's Restaurant is not the name of the restaurant, that's just the name of the song. And that's why I called the song 'Alice's Restaurant'.
– Arlo Guthrie, intro to “Alice’s Restaurant Massacree” (1967)
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Grand Hotel (Edmund Goulding, 1932)
Jan
8
World Typing Day
Despite Flaemmchen – Joan Crawford in her breakout role – is introduced as a “little stenographess”, that's clearly a typewriter on her desk. DP: William H. Daniels.
“Grand Hotel… always the same. People come, people go. Nothing ever happens.”
– Flaemmchen
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Le Pétomane du Moulin Rouge [The Fart Maniac] (1900)
Jan
7
National Pass Gas Day
Flatulist Joseph Pujol blowing out a candle with his derrière.
Witness the world famous pétomane shot on location at the Moulin Rouge (and amazingly not at Edison's Black Maria), as saved for prosperity by Edison Studios. The large trumpet-like contraption that can be seen on the left, the Edison Kinetophone, also present in The Dickson Experimental Sound Film (William Dickson, 1894/95), recorded the sound on a cylinder, that then could be played back in synch with the picture.
The original audio recording that accompanied this film is lost; do check your attic.
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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (Frank Capra, 1939)
Jan
6
National Smith Day
Mr. Jefferson Smith (a squeaky young Jimmy Stewart) holds up a travel-guide of Washington, D.C. to Saunders (Jean Arthur). DP: Joseph Walker.
“The Chair recognizes… Senator Smith!”
– President of Senate
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The Spider (Kenneth MacKenna + William Cameron Menzies, 1931)
Jan
4
World Hypnotism Day
A masked Alexander (Howard Phillips) seated on a curule on stage. DP: James Wong Howe.
