It should be noted that the nine o'clock round of film screenings on Mondays and Tuesdays at the Charles has been cut, starting this week. So, if you show up and the doors are locked, there is a reason.
Also, handmade posters for a series of midnight movies have been placed in the lobby of the theater. Robocop, Back to the Future, and Home Alone are the chosen films. They will be shown on Fridays and Saturdays at midnight over weekends in December. I did not jot down the order, but will edit when the information becomes available.
These three are certainly not traditional "midnight movie" picks. They may reflect the tastes of the current crop of college students who would be in a position to make it out to such screenings. Have such films been screened in New York and Los Angeles in such a way sucessfully? I am curious to know.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Film Exhibition in Baltimore (October 2008)
One thing I would like to improve upon in the future would be my coverage of other revivals and film series in Baltimore city. You would think that this aspect of Baltimore begins and ends with the Charles and the (gone but not forgotten) BMA series. There is more going around town, needless to say.
For example, there is a series at the Enoch Pratt Free Library which has been unearthing prints from their extensive archive and exhibiting them for free for some time. I have found the schedule a bit difficult to follow, but things seem to happen mostly on Saturdays, often putting the series in conflict with other things going on around town for me.
This Saturday, their "RARE REELS: The Best Films You've Never Seen" series will be showing a print of Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight), a film worth the time of any Orson Welles admirer or Shakespeare film buff. The film screens at the Central Branch on Saturday, November 15th at 2PM. Go here to learn more.
Another series I have been meaning to say more about would be the Fall Film series at MICA, with which the Maryland Film Festival is involved. I rarely make it out to this one as Tuesday nights are bad for me, but have made the time in the past for a Fassbinder series and the occasional film unavailable on the big screen anywhere else. The series this year has played a number of noteworthy films so far, and will be ending with two excellent selections.
I saw Medicine for Melancholy at the 2008 Maryland Film Festival, and have attempted to advocate heartily for the film ever since. Many more people know who Wyatt Cenac is now than they did then, as his star is clearly on the rise. The film is the best take on gentrification, modern love, and racial identity to come down the pike in a long time. The film screens Tuesday, November 18th, at 7:30.
The MICA series concludes on Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:30 with a screening of local gem Hamilton. The director, Matt Porterfield, will be in attendance. I have had the opportunity to see the film twice now, and have took away different things each time. As a former resident of that Baltimore neighborhood, I am astounded and inspired by the lyrical richness that the filmmaker has drawn from Baltimore workaday realities. As a filmgoer, I am proud that such an accomplished work has come from my hometown, something that can stand up next to the best work of Malick and Van Sant. If you haven't seen it yet, I say go for it.
In other news, the change at the Senator I spent so much time scrutinizing may be finally coming to some kind of frutiion. Several benefits are being held to help pay for the conversion of the Senator to a "not for profit" entity. The impact of this decision is hard to predict until the details emerge, but it hard for me to see the place operating in the manner that it has been once such a change comes to pass.
Also, we are back to "grab bag" revivals at the Charles, beginning with a screening of a restored print of Rosemary's Baby this Saturday, November 15th, at noon. After that, who knows?
For example, there is a series at the Enoch Pratt Free Library which has been unearthing prints from their extensive archive and exhibiting them for free for some time. I have found the schedule a bit difficult to follow, but things seem to happen mostly on Saturdays, often putting the series in conflict with other things going on around town for me.
This Saturday, their "RARE REELS: The Best Films You've Never Seen" series will be showing a print of Falstaff (Chimes at Midnight), a film worth the time of any Orson Welles admirer or Shakespeare film buff. The film screens at the Central Branch on Saturday, November 15th at 2PM. Go here to learn more.
Another series I have been meaning to say more about would be the Fall Film series at MICA, with which the Maryland Film Festival is involved. I rarely make it out to this one as Tuesday nights are bad for me, but have made the time in the past for a Fassbinder series and the occasional film unavailable on the big screen anywhere else. The series this year has played a number of noteworthy films so far, and will be ending with two excellent selections.
I saw Medicine for Melancholy at the 2008 Maryland Film Festival, and have attempted to advocate heartily for the film ever since. Many more people know who Wyatt Cenac is now than they did then, as his star is clearly on the rise. The film is the best take on gentrification, modern love, and racial identity to come down the pike in a long time. The film screens Tuesday, November 18th, at 7:30.
The MICA series concludes on Tuesday, December 2nd at 7:30 with a screening of local gem Hamilton. The director, Matt Porterfield, will be in attendance. I have had the opportunity to see the film twice now, and have took away different things each time. As a former resident of that Baltimore neighborhood, I am astounded and inspired by the lyrical richness that the filmmaker has drawn from Baltimore workaday realities. As a filmgoer, I am proud that such an accomplished work has come from my hometown, something that can stand up next to the best work of Malick and Van Sant. If you haven't seen it yet, I say go for it.
In other news, the change at the Senator I spent so much time scrutinizing may be finally coming to some kind of frutiion. Several benefits are being held to help pay for the conversion of the Senator to a "not for profit" entity. The impact of this decision is hard to predict until the details emerge, but it hard for me to see the place operating in the manner that it has been once such a change comes to pass.
Also, we are back to "grab bag" revivals at the Charles, beginning with a screening of a restored print of Rosemary's Baby this Saturday, November 15th, at noon. After that, who knows?
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Films Viewed (October 2008)
Religulous
The Miracle of Morgan's Creek
I Served the King of England
Hail the Conquering Hero
Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist
Frozen River
Appaloosa
Miracle at St. Anna
Momma's Man
Sunshine for Shady People
Easy Living
Passions Just Like Mine
Mall Crawlers
The Great McGinty
Sex Drive
Quigley
------------------------------------------------------------
Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark
Other (DVD, Suburban Multiplex, Wind-Up Space)
Total: 14 features, 2 short films (13 in theaters)
------------------------------------------------------------
Notes: September turned into October so quickly I almost marked off Bill Mahr's film essay Religulous on the ledger for last month. The film, a scathing indictment of organized religion, had me highly entertained until the last few minutes, when the gut punch was delivered in no uncertain terms.
---------------------------------------------------
I spent quite a lot of time at Charles taking in their retrospective of the films of Preston Sturges in which the greatest hits as well as lesser known works were screened. Many films were checked off the list over the course of the month. The last film in the series screens this Saturday, and I do wonder what is next. Will we be getting another series with a clear thesis, or are we in store for another "grab bag" of great prints? I am game for either.
---------------------------------------------------
Quality films like Frozen River, Momma's Man, and (the overlong, still worthwhile) Miracle at St. Anna made quick bows but were worth catching. Michael Sragow championed two other films that came and went without me getting a chance to check them out. His article on the realities of current arthouse economics was appreciated.
---------------------------------------------------
The Windup Space screened a documentary investigating the phenomenon of Morrissey's fervent Latino fanbase entitled Passions Just Like Mine. I was glad to get a chance to see it, and hope that film screenings continue at the Windup. I also checked out Mall Crawlers by local filmmaker N.O. Smith, which featured the music of Human Host. It is available for sale at local music shops, and I would say it is worth tracking down if you have ever felt profoundly alienated at Towson Town Center.
----------------------------------------------------
One true oddity was Quigley, a movie that defies description. Essentially, Gary Busey plays a mean person who is brought back to earth after his apparent death as a cute, furry dog whose mission it is to right the wrongs for which he was responsible. Maybe clips will help? Totally mind-bending and available for rent at the Charles Village Video Americain in the New (to Us) section, if it has not been moved to the Cult Film section yet.
----------------------------------------------------
Up next, something to say about film exhibition in general this past month, as well as some great opportunities to see some little-seen films making the rounds of distribution.
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
And then, one year later...
Well, it has been a year of trying to keep this blog up and running. It was started on the eve of a great seismic shift the moviegoing/film distribution landscape of Baltimore city. My goal was to keep track of the changes in my movie habits and the patterns of film exhibition around town.
Here we are one year later, and things are certainly looking a lot different. Perhaps the best example of this change is evident at the Charles. One year ago, the theater was showing films like Into the Wild and The Darjeeling Limited. Now it is showing films like Sex Drive and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
Times have changed, in more ways than one.
Here we are one year later, and things are certainly looking a lot different. Perhaps the best example of this change is evident at the Charles. One year ago, the theater was showing films like Into the Wild and The Darjeeling Limited. Now it is showing films like Sex Drive and High School Musical 3: Senior Year.
Times have changed, in more ways than one.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
OMG WTF HSM3?
So... today's City Paper announced that High School Musical 3: Senior Year is coming to the Charles theater this Friday. It will replace films like Before I Forget, a French film about an H.I.V. positive gay hustler contemplating his mortality.
HSM 3 at the Charles is certainly not the first sign of the end times, but still a shocking development, at least at first.
After some time to compose myself, I could see some precedent. The theater did show the musical version of Hairspray, which co-starred Zach Ephron, chief heartthrob of the series. It is also true that the theater has an opportunity to show a popular film in a time when clearance keeps most films of that stripe far away.
Still, with Sex Dive opening the same day at the Charles, is this an indicator of things to come?
HSM 3 at the Charles is certainly not the first sign of the end times, but still a shocking development, at least at first.
After some time to compose myself, I could see some precedent. The theater did show the musical version of Hairspray, which co-starred Zach Ephron, chief heartthrob of the series. It is also true that the theater has an opportunity to show a popular film in a time when clearance keeps most films of that stripe far away.
Still, with Sex Dive opening the same day at the Charles, is this an indicator of things to come?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Film Exhibition in Baltimore- September 2008
This month I will concentrate on some scant data involving two local theaters.
Someone I work with in my main job mentioned that the Charles theater had been sold. I found this pronouncement baffling, so I decided to investigate. I found the following article, which explained the situation.
John Standiford has sold his share of the Charles to James "Buzz" Cusack. John remains on as a projectionist and a programmer of the revival series. As I am a dedicated follower of that series, this is great news.
It does not seem like a deal is imminent, but it does give one pause to consider the next life cycle for the place. Buzz and John have had a heck of a run with it, but it has changed hands in the past, and seems clear it will do so again. The idea of the theater joining a chain of other independent theaters sounds promising, as it would give them some muscle against the Landmark.
Certainly, business has picked up, and based on the Charles theater website, there are operas, ballets, and even a contemporary French film series on the horizon. Still, we are left with the question of what the future holds for the Charles, a question that is not being asked for the first time.
Over at the Senator, they recently celebrated their sixty-ninth anniversary quietly, running a series of ads in the newspaper. There were several lines that stuck out, at least to me. Here is the text as it ran in the Sun on Sunday, October 5th. I have emphasized the lines I find most interesting:
Today is the Senator's Sixth-Ninth Anniversary!
On October 5th, 1939 a gala was held to celebrate the Senator's opening. The new theater's graceful, art-deco design, state-of-the-art amenities & technical sophistication was praised by all. It was an inspiring vision of the future at a time when our nation's future was threatened and uncertain.
During its 69 year history of family ownership & operation the Landmark Senator has achieved reknown as "the people's theatre."
As we celebrate the theater's illustrious past, the Senator's primary mission is the continue to project a bright & shining vision of the future.
A transition is underway at the Senator.
As the Senator approaches its 7oth anniversary it will evolve & expand its capabilities & become the premiere entertainment venue in the region.
After reading this statement, along with another one that differs in some key ways that ran in the Saturday paper, it dawned on me that maybe the Senator isn't going to show movies anymore.
I have no factual basis for this claim. Still, you have to notice that there is no mention of films or movies anywhere in the write-up, even when mentioning the original opening. It is also implied that any changes that are made are in alignment with the original vision of the theater. We are also living in a time when "our nation's future is threatened and uncertain," and a theater like the Senator, which has been noted as being in debt so severe at to warrant an analogy with a terminally ill patient on life support, mentioning this is to me interesting as well. Certainly, if you can't make money after your competition has been pushed aside by clearance and you are running the No. 1 movie in America at all times. how can you make money in the movie exhibtion business?
In the Saturday ad, there were some differences in an abbreviated version of the text I consider worth examining.
As we celebrate the Senator's rich history, its primary mission is to evolve with the times & remain a futuristic, innovative facility.
An operational transition is in progress at the Senator...
Certainly, an operational transition sounds more intense than just a simple transition, but I can't put my finger on why. I also think that to evolve with the times you need to stop going to the movies so much and watch movies you stole on your laptop, like most people.
Certainly, the Senator would make a top-notch music/ event hall, and I think once you go in that direction, it is hard to maintain a regular screening schedule, as exhibtion contracts state you have to show such and such a movie on so many occasions a day for such and such a length of time (for proof of this, look at some of the movies limping along at a screening a day at theaters like the Muvico 24). How can you do that if Garrison Keillor is dishing out his homespun wisdom at your place for the weekend?
Time will tell. Certainly, the movies did very well during the last depression. We shall see how they fare this time.
Someone I work with in my main job mentioned that the Charles theater had been sold. I found this pronouncement baffling, so I decided to investigate. I found the following article, which explained the situation.
John Standiford has sold his share of the Charles to James "Buzz" Cusack. John remains on as a projectionist and a programmer of the revival series. As I am a dedicated follower of that series, this is great news.
It does not seem like a deal is imminent, but it does give one pause to consider the next life cycle for the place. Buzz and John have had a heck of a run with it, but it has changed hands in the past, and seems clear it will do so again. The idea of the theater joining a chain of other independent theaters sounds promising, as it would give them some muscle against the Landmark.
Certainly, business has picked up, and based on the Charles theater website, there are operas, ballets, and even a contemporary French film series on the horizon. Still, we are left with the question of what the future holds for the Charles, a question that is not being asked for the first time.
Over at the Senator, they recently celebrated their sixty-ninth anniversary quietly, running a series of ads in the newspaper. There were several lines that stuck out, at least to me. Here is the text as it ran in the Sun on Sunday, October 5th. I have emphasized the lines I find most interesting:
Today is the Senator's Sixth-Ninth Anniversary!
On October 5th, 1939 a gala was held to celebrate the Senator's opening. The new theater's graceful, art-deco design, state-of-the-art amenities & technical sophistication was praised by all. It was an inspiring vision of the future at a time when our nation's future was threatened and uncertain.
During its 69 year history of family ownership & operation the Landmark Senator has achieved reknown as "the people's theatre."
As we celebrate the theater's illustrious past, the Senator's primary mission is the continue to project a bright & shining vision of the future.
A transition is underway at the Senator.
As the Senator approaches its 7oth anniversary it will evolve & expand its capabilities & become the premiere entertainment venue in the region.
After reading this statement, along with another one that differs in some key ways that ran in the Saturday paper, it dawned on me that maybe the Senator isn't going to show movies anymore.
I have no factual basis for this claim. Still, you have to notice that there is no mention of films or movies anywhere in the write-up, even when mentioning the original opening. It is also implied that any changes that are made are in alignment with the original vision of the theater. We are also living in a time when "our nation's future is threatened and uncertain," and a theater like the Senator, which has been noted as being in debt so severe at to warrant an analogy with a terminally ill patient on life support, mentioning this is to me interesting as well. Certainly, if you can't make money after your competition has been pushed aside by clearance and you are running the No. 1 movie in America at all times. how can you make money in the movie exhibtion business?
In the Saturday ad, there were some differences in an abbreviated version of the text I consider worth examining.
As we celebrate the Senator's rich history, its primary mission is to evolve with the times & remain a futuristic, innovative facility.
An operational transition is in progress at the Senator...
Certainly, an operational transition sounds more intense than just a simple transition, but I can't put my finger on why. I also think that to evolve with the times you need to stop going to the movies so much and watch movies you stole on your laptop, like most people.
Certainly, the Senator would make a top-notch music/ event hall, and I think once you go in that direction, it is hard to maintain a regular screening schedule, as exhibtion contracts state you have to show such and such a movie on so many occasions a day for such and such a length of time (for proof of this, look at some of the movies limping along at a screening a day at theaters like the Muvico 24). How can you do that if Garrison Keillor is dishing out his homespun wisdom at your place for the weekend?
Time will tell. Certainly, the movies did very well during the last depression. We shall see how they fare this time.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Films Viewed (September 2008)
The Last Command
The Lady Eve
Tropic Thunder
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Cut)
Wizards
Barcelona
The Films of Kenneth Anger, Volume One
Who Gets to Call it Art?
Burn after Reading
The Palm Beach Story
Towelhead
Sweet Movie
Bombay Talkie
Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls
A Girl Cut in Two
------------------------------------------------------------------
Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark
Other (DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 13 features, 1 short film, 1 collection of short films (7 in theaters)
Notes: This month I got to see movies like The Last Command which was a silent film with live musical accompaniment from the Alloy Orchestra. I got to see movies like Towelhead and A Girl Cut in Two, which came and went without much fanfare (Towelhead clings to a screening a day at the Landmark). I got to see Burn after Reading which was funny and excellent once it got going (proximity to DC and exposure to that weird rarefied wealthy world may have helped a bit). I got to take in various Preston Sturges films at the Charles theater revival series. I got to rent a whole bunch of films from Video Americain, some wild, some woolly. In conclusion, these are the movies I got to see this month.
The Lady Eve
Tropic Thunder
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (Extended Cut)
Wizards
Barcelona
The Films of Kenneth Anger, Volume One
Who Gets to Call it Art?
Burn after Reading
The Palm Beach Story
Towelhead
Sweet Movie
Bombay Talkie
Helen, Queen of the Nautch Girls
A Girl Cut in Two
------------------------------------------------------------------
Key
The Charles
The Senator/ The Rotunda
The Landmark
Other (DVD, On Demand, Suburban Multiplex)
Total: 13 features, 1 short film, 1 collection of short films (7 in theaters)
Notes: This month I got to see movies like The Last Command which was a silent film with live musical accompaniment from the Alloy Orchestra. I got to see movies like Towelhead and A Girl Cut in Two, which came and went without much fanfare (Towelhead clings to a screening a day at the Landmark). I got to see Burn after Reading which was funny and excellent once it got going (proximity to DC and exposure to that weird rarefied wealthy world may have helped a bit). I got to take in various Preston Sturges films at the Charles theater revival series. I got to rent a whole bunch of films from Video Americain, some wild, some woolly. In conclusion, these are the movies I got to see this month.
(The following was written in the style of my freshman composition students, who are currently struggling with the art of the paragraph.)
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