FanFare

A filmmaker recalls his childhood, when he fell in love with the movies at his village's theater and formed a deep friendship with the theater's projectionist. [more inside]
posted by pwnguin on Mar 17, 2024 - 1 comment

Basil Dearden's landmark 1961 noir about gay men in London victimized by a blackmail ring is credited with helping shift British attitudes about homosexuality. Closeted actor Dirk Bogarde plays the guilt-ridden lawyer who decides to fight back. Surprisingly thrilling, and sympathetic to a range of gay characters who are presented with minimal stereotyping (for the time). Banned from wide release in the US because Dearden refused to make concessions. 100/87 at Rotten Tomatoes, on HBO and the Criterion Channel. [more inside]
posted by mediareport on Apr 8, 2023 - 2 comments

Romulus and Remus, two shepherds and loyal brothers, end up taking part to a journey that will lead one of them to be the founder of the greatest nation ever seen. However, the fate of the chosen one will pass from killing his own brother. [more inside]
posted by AlonzoMosleyFBI on May 22, 2021 - 1 comment

In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier seeks to protect the city of Loudun from the corrupt establishment of Cardinal Richelieu. Hysteria occurs within the city when he is accused of witchcraft by a sexually repressed nun. [more inside]
posted by naju on Mar 20, 2017 - 4 comments

This movie looks absolutely insane, blasphemous, reprehensible, and devoid of all merit. In other words, it's a perfect fit for Strange Club. It's also been super unavailable and impossible to track down in uncut form, UNTIL NOW: it appeared on the streaming service Shudder yesterday in a 109-minute unrated cut - "the most complete version of the film in existence." Lots of people are justifiably freaking out. Let's watch it. [more inside]
posted by naju on Mar 16, 2017 - 1 comment

Let's schmooze a while in the Gaming Hut as we spitball a game based on social experience points. [more inside]
posted by graymouser on Feb 26, 2016 - 5 comments

A man continually trying and failing to get his wife to stay dead; a self-absorbed ad agency creative director who comes up with one unworkable inane idea after another; a British hitman who only wants to know everyone's function in life; and an unfortunate office worker and father whose brain is left scrambled after a stage hypnotist is murdered in mid-performance. Starting off as unrelated plot lines, they intertwine with each other as they continue on their respective ways.
posted by naju on Dec 31, 2015 - 9 comments

What should you look for when revising a scenario? The Gaming Hut holds the answers. Cinematic technique, legacy and mortality all come out to play in the darkened space of the Cinema Hut as we delve into Robin’s powerful response to the documentary Hitchcock/Truffaut. Then Ken and Robin Recycle Audio, specifically more clips from Robin’s Q&A at FanExpo in Toronto. Men in black peer into the windows of the Eliptony Hut as we round up the career of sardonic Fortean investigator John A. Keel.
posted by graymouser on Dec 12, 2015 - 6 comments

We have nothing in the Strange Club queue at the moment, but it makes sense to do one more movie to close out the year. For the selection, I'm seeking recommendations for strange cinema that has a holiday or Christmas element to it. Or just plain winter/snow/seasonal. The theme can be very loose. But it should be bizarre and/or cult and/or artsy. Please share your suggestions!
posted by naju on Dec 3, 2015 - 6 comments

On his deathbed, Uncle Boonmee recalls his many past lives. [more inside]
posted by naju on Aug 17, 2015 - 25 comments

Today we deliberate over careers, redundancy, hair dye and the Royals eating hot dogs. Answer Me This! Episode 308 is a surprisingly jobs-themed episode, with questions about whether your tertiary education should prepare you for one, to how your hair can affect your ability to get one, to what you do when you lose one. [more inside]
posted by jazon on Feb 20, 2015 - 0 comments

Based upon Stephen’s riveting and suspenseful short-story from "Full Dark, No Stars", A Good Marriage tells the story of Darcy Anderson as she learns the inconceivable truth about her husband of 25 years. [more inside]
posted by joseph conrad is fully awesome on Oct 3, 2014 - 1 comment