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Klaus at Gunpoint
Klaus at Gunpoint - 16 - December 2014 The National Film Registry is a big deal to me. It’s a record that exists forever, theoretically. It records what mattered in the history of American Film, and American Film is where I grew up! So, it matters to me a lot. Andthisyear’slistof25newfilmstotheRegistryiskindadisappointing. Yes,TheBigLebowskiisonthelist.It’sawonderfullyquirkyfilm, andoneof themost culturally significant. It’s not theCoenBrother’sbestfilm.Infact,Icannamefourthatarebetter-Rais-ingArizona,Miller’sCrossing,TheManWhoWasn’tThere,andNoCountryForOldMen.TheotherCoenfilmontheRegistry,Fargo,iseven less impressiveaselection.The fact thatMiller’sCrossingisn’t on bothers me. Saving Private Ryan was put on the Registry. To me, this is utterlydisappointing.It’snotabadmovie,butfilmsthatarefarbet-terinthesamearena(TheBigRedOne,CrossofIron,TheGreenBerets)andseveral thatwere farmore influencial (Platoonbeingthe biggest crime of them all!) and I can’t see why Saving Private Ryan’s up there. It just annoys me. Yes, it’s nice to see the Registry moving the bar forward, in-cludingmorefilmsfromthe1980sand90s,butafilmlike13Lakesfrom2004wasanawful choice. If itwasmeant to stand forex-periementalfilms,thenchoiceslikeNutria,ScorpioRising,oranyofDavidLynch’sartierfilms.Ifitwasmeanttostandinforcircuitfilms,where’s Rejected by Don Hertzfeld? It’s not a bad choice in the long run,butit’saveryweakchoicewhenyouconsiderfilmsthatwerepassed over. TheRegistryalsomadesomehighlyappaulableriskychoic-esFootagefromanunreleaedBertWIlliamsfilmisagreataddition,as is footage from Sam Fuller of his war time. They always manage somegoodacross-the-boardstuff,andthisyearwasagoodexam-ple of what they try to do most years.
2EditorChristopher J [email protected]
EditorVanessa Applegate
http://journeyplanet.weebly.com
Thisisthefirstthingonthelist,andthefirstoneIhavenotseen. It’s also one of few movies that are on the Registry that was never completed. TheProductionwasoneofthefirsttohaveaninterracialproduction team, with three directors, two of which were white, oneofwhichwasblack.ThestarwassupposedtobeBertWilliams,whowas a huge star and had yet tomake his run at BroadwaywherehewouldbecomeaHUGERstar. WhenMoMAwentthroughtheirBiographfilmcollection,theycameacrosssevenreelsof footage thatwasuntitled.Whenthey looked it over, they found that it was one of the first fea-turefilmsever,PLUSthefirstknownfeaturewithablackcast.Thatmakesitanincrediblefind,buttherewasnothingelse.Nostills,noscript,nothingbutanobituarythatmentionedthefilmbeingmade. Thescriptwasrecreatedthecoolestwaypossible-byhir-ingalip-readertogetdownwhatfolksweresaying!TheMoMAputtogether a cut that ran over an hour. I guess that would mean that thefilmiseligible,becauseitwascreatedin1913,butnoteligiblebecauseitwasfinishedin2014! I really hope thatMoMAfinds away to release this as itwould be something I’d be really excited to own.
3“I named all my children after flowers. There’s Lillie and Rose and my son, Artificial.” Bert Williams
Bert Williams was the only actor to perform in blackface in
the film.
BertWilliamsLimeKilnClubFieldDay(1913)
This is one of the most beloved movies of the last twenty years.Andwhynot?It’soneofthequirkiestfilmsevermade,andsomuchfun!GreatgagglesofpeoplebecameattractedtoitonDVD,andwhileitdidOKintheatres,itwasonHomeViewingthatitbe-came a cult classic. Ihated it thefirst time I tried towatch it. Idon’t think Imade it more than twenty minutes. I tried again, with a group of friends, and that’s when it turned around for me. The Dude, played with perfect timing by Jeff Bridges, is an unwilling detective, who onlycomesaroundtotryingwhenthingsgetweird.JohnGoodmangivesoneofhisbestperformancesasWalter,amanhamstringedbyhisex-wifeandangerissues. Thereisanabsurditytothefilmthatisbeautiful.Thestoryis convoluted, and at the same time completely misunderstood. It’s notaboutthekidnappingthattheDudeishiredtosolve,it’saboutwhat theDude goes through to keep the laid-back lifestyle he’smade forhimself.He’s aBuddhistnotbecauseof themind-bodyconnection,butbecauseitallowshimtoincreasehisslack. TheCoensthroweverythingatthescreen.MusicalnumbersthatreflectBusbyBerkeley,visualsymbolismBergmanwouldhaveappreciated, and music that calls forth many different genres and milleau. In other words, it’s a brilliant mess.
4“Oh, the usual. I bowl. Drive around. The occasional acid flashback.” The Dude
“We believe that the Dudeist tradition started as a response to the excesses of civilization.”
TheBigLebowski(1998)
A serious disappointment on one level, and a great moment inAmericanfilmonanother.Firstoff,thiswasagreatdebutfilm.BettyGrablebecameastaroffofthisfilm.BeforeshemadethatamazingposterthatturnedoneveryGIinWorldWarII,shewasan actress who wasn’t exactly great. She certainly had charisma, andlooks,butshewasn’tagreatactress.TherealgemisCarmenMiranda, the Brazillian import who made her American debut here. She was sizzlin’ and really made this picture her own. But it’s not a great picture, and when you consider the other filmsfromthelikesofHope-and-Crosbythataren’tontheRegistry,you gotta wonder. The musical numbers are memorable, as is Don Ameche’sperformance,butasafilm,itbarelyholdstogether. Butitdoeslookgorgeous,andnotjustbecauseoftheac-tors. It’sshotincrispTechnicolor,byLeonShamroy(4-timeOs-carwinner!)andRayRennahan,whoshotGonewiththeWind.Thecinematography is really strong, and that allows the actors to really shine. The costumes, designed by the legendary Travis Banton, are vibrant and perfect for the story. Now,thinkofthefilmasanexcellentexampleofthelate30s, early 40s popcorn cinema.Theequivilent in the early 2000swouldbeafilmlikeHeadOverHeels-notagreatfilm,butwatch-able with a memorable performance or two.
5“Observed without either of those ladies within the camera’s range, it is just a sprawling Technicolored musical picture
concocted out of some flashy production numbers and a few specialty acts.“
The New York Times
DownArgentineWay(1940)
NotthebestsilentfilmfeaturingaJapanese-Americancast,but a decent one. To me, the reason to even consider it is the fact that it was shot largely in Yosemite and the vistas are spectacular. Thecinematographyisgreat,eveninblack-and-white,there’saradi-ancetothisfilm. SessueHayakawawasamajorsexsymbol,andoneofthemost extravagant of all partiers in Hollywood during the teens. He was famous and though he is largely forgotten today, he was proba-blythefourthorfifthbiggeststarinHollywood.Hewasprobablyathis best in The Tong Man (though he was great in The Bride on the RiverKwaiaswell)andherehe’sreallygood.ofcourse,Japandidn’tlikethisfilm,butwhatareyougonnado? I’dliketoseethisgetamuchbetterDVDreleasethanit’sgotten.There’salottotalkabout!
6“A film about Japan that does not properly depicts Japanese customs is very hard to watch
for us Japanese.”Katsudo Kurabu magazine
in 1919
TheDragonPainter(1919)
I’ve never seen this one, but I’ve heard of it and have wanted to see it for years. It’s a documentary that covers the life of a young girl livinginWatts.It’softencitedasoneofthebestexamplesoftheAfrican-AmericanexperienceinLAinthe1960s. TheshortfilmhasbeenshownallovertheUS,and influ-encedagenerationofyoungfilmstudentsbecauseitwasshownatfestivals.Firstoff,itwasmadebyfilmstudentsatUCLA,anditwasmarketedtoschoolsandothereducationalinstitutions.Thisledtoit being used in schools all over the country, and becoming a major influenceoverfilmmakers.It’sdoneinastylethatIlove:first-per-sonnarrationoverimages.It’saclose-upheavyfilm.NotasmuchassomethinglikeFakeFruitFactory,butthatshowssostronglyindocumentariesofthelastfiftyyears. I still need to see it!
7In many ways, Felicia is the predecessor to the LA Rebel-lion, which was responsible for
another film on the Registry, Bless Their Little Hearts.
Felicia(1965)
Perhaps JohnHughes’ comedymasterpiece.TheBreakfastClubwashisbestfilmoverall,andoneofthemostunderrateddra-masofthe1980s,butFerrisisthemostinfluentialofthe1980scom-edies,andevenmoreimportantly,itkickstartedthenarrator-drivencomedy.Everything fromMalcolm in theMiddle toElectionusedthetechniqueanditreallymadeitpossibleforasinglecharismaticactor to carry a comedy much more easily. ThekeytoFerrisBuellerisFerris,playedbythemagicalMat-thewBroderick.Henotonlycarriesthemovie,buthealsochangedthewaypeoplerememberthe80s.Addtothatthebrilliantlypoint-edperformancesofbothJeffreyJonesandJenniferGrey,andyou’vegot an actor’s picture. Hughes’direction,andthesmartscript,coupledwithakeeneyeforthehistoryoffilm,allowedthistoearnaspotontheNa-tional Film Registry, but more than that, it also forces the viewer to considerwhichweare-CameronorFerris.Arewethemover&shakerwhoisbelovedevenwhenheliesandspendsalotofhistimemugging.OrareweCameron,theguywhohasfacedhisprobleemsby retreating into a sort of staged depression. He’s withdrawn to thepointofnearcatatonia.OrareweEdRooney,theprincipalwhocan’tabidebythebreakingofrules,andisjealousoftheattentionand/or love that Ferris gets. Whichareyou?
8“When Cameron was in Egypt’s land... let my Cameron go!””
“ Hey, Cameron. You realize if we played by the rules right
now we’d be in gym?”
FerrisBueller’sDayOff(1986)
AnotherCarmenMirandafilm, and really, theonly thing IrememberfromwatchingthisbackwhenIwasincollegeweretheBerkeleymusicalnumbers.Hewasamazinginthegrandvisionshechoreogaphed,andtheonesinTheGang’sAllHerearereallygood. IguessIneverknewthatBennyGoodmanwasinit. Thewholefilm’sareallyfunlittlepieceoffluff,andI’veseenitreferredtoasaCampClassic.I’mnotentirelysureI’dgothatfar,but it’s light and fun. ThethingisthatCarmenMirandawasaGIANTstar,thoughat this point, she was probably as big as she’d get in America. She was probably the biggest star ever in Brazil up to that point. She waslesspopularbytheendofWWII,butshewasalwaysaround.Perhaps the reason she’s not nearly as remembered as her imae is thatshediedin1955. Andherimageliveson.WeseetheFruitHatandweknow,wejustknow,whatthingsareabout.
9 “But in the main, The Gang’s All Here is a series of lengthy and lavish production numbers
all arranged by Busby Berkeley as of money was no object but titillation was.” New York Times
TheGang’sAllHere(1943)
Myfavorite3Dpicture.DialMForMurderisabettermovie,butIloveHouseofWaxbetter.Why? VincentMotherfucking’Price! The man was amazing, in a way campy, but ultimately creepy. IreallylovedhisperformaceastheartistrunningaWaxMuseum.Thisisatoncecompletelygimmickyandtotallysincerefilmmaking.The paddleball guy is a gig, a fun one, but a gig, and the jumping out is awesome, but really, it’s a movie that uses the receeding of the settingaswellasanyother1950s3Dfilm. 3Dwas,ofcourse,areactiontotheadventoftelevision,butitwasalsoare-imaginingofwhatfilmwassupposedtobe.Itwasn’ttrying tomakean imageanymore; it turnedfilm intoadiarama.Itwasn’taboutthestory;itwasaboutthesetting,anditwasin3dimensions.Basically,itre-createdfilmasTheatre,withthescreenservingasastage.Intheevolutionoffilmfromparlortricktosto-rytellingmedicinetoamusementparkride,itwasthebeginningofthe third act.
10“I’m afraid that the visit of a such distinguished critic may cause my children to become
conceited. To you they are wax, but to me their creator, they live and breathe.”
HouseofWax(1953)HouseofWax(1953)
Oscar-winningdoc,abouttheHolocaust?Sold! This is one of the most impressive documentaries about WorldWarIIheroism,coveringtheincredibleKindertransportthatbroughttensofthousandsofJewishchildrenfromCentralEuropetoEngland. Atmywork,IknowacoupleofpeoplewhowerebroughtfromPolandtoEngland in theKindertransport.The fact that I’vemanaged to see the evidence of what happened in my everyday life. Thisisaslickdocumentary.It’sareallygoodone,powerful,with excellent narration by the legendary Judi Dench. The way the movie moves is great, and it’s an impressive doc, and I hope it’s the firstofaset fromthe2000timeframetoget in.Spellbound,TheWeatherUnderground,TheKidStaysinthePicture,GhengisBlues,and maybe Legacy. All of them are worth including on the Registry. Ireallysuggestfindingthisandgivingitawatch.
11
IntotheArmsofStrangers:StoriesoftheKindertransport(2000)
This is the one that made Dustin Hoffman a major actor. Notabignamestar,hewasalreadythat,buthereheagesfrom18allthewayto121.It’sagreatperformance,neverfailingtohithismarks.It’sawonderfulperformancethatislargelysympathetictotheCheyennepeoplewhotookinayoungJackCrabbe. Now, there are somany things to like about thismovie,from the increbile performance of Hoffman, to wonderful support-ingturnsfromRichardMulliganasGen.CusterandMartinBalsam,tosomeincrediblemake-uptomakeHoffmanlooklikehewas121.It’ssogreat,andit’safilmthatIalwayskindathoughtwouldgetoneventually. Now, let me suggest that Faye Dunaway was a huge star comingoffoffilmslikeBonnie&Clyde,buthereshewassoveryverygood.ChiefDonGeorgewasreallygood,andhegotalotofattention, and an Academy Award nomination! Arthur Penn, though,was at the peakof his powers as adirector. He captured lighting with Hoffman, but it’s his eye in not getting in the way of his actors that really pays off here.
12 “Arthur Penn’s most extravagant and ambitious movie, an attempt to capture the essence of the
American heritage in the funny, bitter, uproarious adventures of Jack Crabb.” New York Times
LittleBigMan(1970)
Timetorant.IamaComputerAnimationguy.Ihavestudieditprofessionally,I’vewatcheditsinceIwaslittle.IamSTEEPEDinComputerAnimation,IevenloveLuxo,Jr.(Iwroteaboutitathttp://www.computerhistory.org/atchm/pixars-luxo-jr/)andIthinkit’sim-portantandComputerAnimationasawholeisprobablyunder-rep-resented on the Registry. Pixarisover-represented. Yes, Pixar is probably the single most important company in thehistoryofComputerAnimation,butputtingLuxo,Jr.inbeforeanyofthereallyimportantexperimentalpieces,oranynon-Pixarcomputeranimatedfilm,isjustflatwrong.AlreadyontheRegistryisToyStory(andabsolutelyifanyComputerAnimationisgoingtobeontheRegistry,that’sthefirstone!)andTinToy,andyoucouldarguethatTheComputerAnimatedHandbyJohnLassiter,whichisalsoon,isaPixarfilm,andI’dagreeethatitshouldbethereaswell.But before they put Luxo on, they should have honored the pio-neeringworkofAlvyRaySmithandEdEmshwillerwithSunstone or Hummingbird byCharlesCsuriandJamesShafferoranyofthereally importantworkpre-1980.That’sabadthing,plustherearelotsofMid-1980s films that should beon, includingDire Straits’video for Money For Nothing. That said, I still love Luxo, Jr.!
13 “It was perhaps the first computer-animated film that enabled viewers to forget they
were watching computer ani-mation,”
David Price
Luxo,Jr.(1986)
Whenyouprogramanimated shorts, there are anumberoftypesyouimmediatelybegintoidentify.One,andapersonalfa-vorite, is the morphing animation. It’s not a surprize that so many computer animations of the 1980s and 1990s relied onMorph-ing - traditionalanimatorshavebeendoingthatsortof thing fordecades!At the 2014Cinequest,we had awonderful film calledSalmonDeadlySinsthatusedthattechniquewell.TheFirsttimeIcanrememberseeingananimationlikethatwasintheearly1980swhen I saw Lisze Bechtold’s lovely, and strange, Moon Breath Beat. IshowedthistoEvelynwhenshewaslittle.Shelikedtheim-ages, but she put her hands over her ears. The sound is strange, and the images are as well. It was done while Bechtold was a student at CalArts,beforeshebecameoneofthemostimportantanimatorswout there, including being the Principal for Ferngully. Thefilm’salovelypiece,surrealisticandengaging.1980wasa good year for animation, and this is a great addition.
14In addition to making her own animations, and Ferngul-ly, Bechtold also worked on
various Disney films, like all CalArts grads!
MoonBreathBeat(1980)
Itwaspushedas“TheFirstChicanoFilm”,andwhilethat’ssomethingofanover-statement(therewerealotofsmall-timeindyChicanofilmmakersworkinginbothEnglishandSpanish),thiswascertainly one of the most important to me. Yousee,it’snotthatit’sagreatfilm,thoughIthinkit’sverygood, it’s that it hit me at the exact right moment. I was a sopho-moreatEmersonandourLatinostudentsorganization,AMIGOS,showed it. Itwasan incrediblefilm,powerfulandreally tellingofthekindofsituationthatmyDad’sgenerationofMexicanslivedDi-rectorandStarEfrainGutierrezwasreallygood,butitwasn’tthequalityofthefilmthatgotitlisted.It’sthebestexampleofregionalcinemathatIcanthinkof.Itwasshot,anddistributed,aroundSouthTexas,andwithinthatmarket,itwaswell-knownamongtheMex-icancommunity.I’mstillkindofshockedthatitmadeittoBostonwhere I could see it! This year’s Registry seems very interested in theHispanicfilm,andIcouldthinkofonlyacouplethatfitthebillofSmallIndyChicanoCinemabetterthanPleaseDon’tBuryMeAlive!
15This independent film, a slice-of-barrio- life that was shot and exhib-ited in South Texas. It is a compel-
ling film about the dilemmas facing a young Chicano in the spring of 1972 amid the Chicano Movement.
PleaseDon’tBuryMeAlive!(1976)
I’veneverseenthisone,thoughIcertainlyknowalotaboutit.There’salwaysbeenthisideathatitwasthePrototypeforWelles’Kane,anditwouldmakesenseasPrestonSturgeswasagoodfriendsofWelles.SpencerTracyplaysarailroadtycoonandit’sapowerfulfilm,fromwhatIhear. ThiswasthefirstfilmsoldbythelegendaryPrestonSturges.Hesoldthescriptfor17K,andthengotabackenddealthatmadehimrich.Smartmovie,anditwasoneofthefirstofthatkindofdealtomakeit. Whateveryone talksaboutwhen itcomes toThePowerandTheGloryistheword‘Narratage’whichisanon-chronologicalform of storytelling. Up until Pulp Fiction, everyone saidCitizenKanewasthefirsttodothat,butNO!
16““Hollywood, big on ballyhoo but short on real self-respect, failed to transfer the nitrate negative to
safety stock, and modern prints of The Power and the Glory are tattered remnants.” Pauline Kael
ThePowerandtheGlory(1933)
Supposedly,HowardHawksandJohnWaynemadeRioBra-vo as a response toHighNoon.Waynehated the storyofHighNoon andhow itwas ametaphor forMcCarthyism.Thatwouldmakesense,Iguess.TheproblemisthatRioBravo,whileareallyfunfilm,isnowherenearthelevelofHighNoon. True,therearesomeremarkableproductionnotes,includ-ingthelackofclose-ups,butwhenyouweightitagainstsomeoftherealheavyweightsinthehistoryofTheWestern,itjustcomesupabit short. Tombstone, with it’s ballet of violence and incredible perfor-mancesfromValKilmerandSamElliott,wouldhavebeenamuchbetterchoice.Or,fromthesameera,AliasJesseJamesisacomedywestern that would have been a better choice. The Alamo should havebeenonyearsago,anditwasdirectedbyJohnWayne! TheLeighBrackettscriptforRioBavoisstrong,andthewaythestorymovesisexcellent,anditwasaninfluentialfilm,especiallyonQuintainTarrantino.Theproblemisit’snotthefilmthatshouldstand for the period. ThatfilmisalreadyontheRegistry.It’scalledHighNoon.
17“When I’m getting serious about a girl, I show her Rio
Bravo and she better like it.” - Quentin Tarantino
RioBravo(1959)
ThismightbethefirstmoviewithCharlesGrodintoentertheRegistry!Woohoo! Thisisoneofthecreepiestfilmsevermade,andonethatIcouldwatchoverandover.I’mnotshockedittookawhiletomakethe list, as the Registry isn’t great with horror, as the absense of The BlairWitchProjectandHalloweenshows,butitwassuretomakeitsooner-or-later ThebestpartaboutRosemary’sBabyisthatyoucanlookat it just about anyway and itworks!You’ve the sumbolic form,whereitstandsasatestamenttothecreepinginfluenceofsatanicelements(andit’snottoomuchofastretchtoseeitasacritiqueofmuchoffilmtheory),orasastraight,popcorn-and-Cokehorrorpic.Eitheroneworks! The directior byRoman Polanski is solid, but the perfor-mance of Mia Farrow is, without a doubt, the best of her career. Seriously, she was amazing, and you can watch it again and again and not catch all the nuances to her crafting of a brilliant character. Seriously, read the script and get a vibe from it, then watch Farrow playwiththosewordsandyou’llseehowgreatshewas1
18“Pregnant women are supposed to gain, not lose weight!”Hutch
“This is no dream! This is really happening!”
Rosemary
Rosemary’sBaby(1968)
ThisisafilmIsawYEARSago,andIrememberthreethings.ThefirstisthatCharlesLaughtonisoneofthegreatestactorswhoeverlived.Two,thatfilmsofthe1930swerestillfiguringoutwhatitmeanttousesoundfordialogue.Three-ZaSuPittsisBRILLIANT! ThisisthestoryofanAmericancouplewhowinaGentle-man’svaletandbringhimbackhometotheAmericanWest.Thatmeans it’s a fishoutofwater story at its pointy little heart, butthere’smoretoitthanthat.It’sfunny,it’sgotthekindofscriptthatyou don’t see a lot of these days, and it let the actors do their thing insideanot-so-restrictivebox. Laughton is always great, just watch a few minutes of Mutiny on the Bounty to prove that, and here he’s golden. He plays comedy betterthannearlyanyEnglishactorIcanthinkof,Hehadawarmthtohisperformancesthatmadethedarknessofmanyofhischarac-terssomuchdarker.Pitts,alwaysgreat(especiallyinherworkwithThelma Todd) was prob ably the best comedy actress ever!
19 What you want is... is... is... some more of this imprisoned
laughter of the pleasant maids of France.”
RugglesofRedGap(1935)
I hate this movie.While there are some impressive mo-ments, I really consider it oneof themost significantly over-rat-edfilmsofall-time.It’sSpielbergathismostepicHollywood,andtome,that’sjustshowycrap.Thebestmoments,likethemessagepassing scene, are really great, but he’s using them within a context thatisatoncesimperingandover-powering.Itgetscreditfortherealism,butwhenIwatchit,Ijustfeellikehe’sdesperatelytryingtofiredirectlyintomychest. Therearesomanybetter,andmoreimportant,WorldWarIIfilmsout there.TheBigRedOne,Crossof Iron,TheThinRedLine, and The Longest Day are all far more impressive, and for just war films, Platoon andBornon the Fourth of July should be upthere. ButSpielbergisabigdeal,andthere’safilmofhisthatgotalot of love so it needs to be included. Still, from me, meh.
20“For all the care and thought-fulness that follow in the story, I never could shake the impres-
sion that all I was watching was every other war film Spielberg had ever seen.” Ben Rosenbaum
SavingPrivateRyan(1998)
The San Francisco Silent Film Festival is a great way to get afilmontheRegisty.Everycoupleofyears,afilmthatisfeaturedas a part of it ends up on the Registry having gotten new exposure through the festival. I’ve never seen Shoes, though it did come up a numberoftimeswhenIwasonabigWomenDirectorskickaboutten years ago. LoisWeberwasagreatdirector.Inmanywaysshewasthemodel for Social Justice directors who have come in the years since. Herfilmstackledallsortsof issues,andwhilenotallweregreat,they all told their message clearly and well. The Blot is her mas-terpiece,withoutquestion,andHypocritesthemostimportantofherfilms,butShoesisgreataswell.Webertookmassiveamountsofcontroloverherwork,andwiththeexceptionofGriffith,wasprobablythedirectorwhohadthemostcontrolovertheirfilms.She’snotaswell remembered todayasGriffith,perhapsbecauseherfilmsweren’tasbrazen.
21“I did missionary work in the slums of New York … especial-ly among young girls .... I know them and their problems, and
not a few of my stories have been suggested by incidents recalled from those early expe-riences.” Lois Weber
Shoes(1917)
TherehavebeenthreefilmedversionsofStateFair,twomu-sicalsandthiswonderfulWillRogersversion.Ireallylikethe1945version,butthere issomuchcharm in JanetGaynorandRogersthat you can’t help but love State Fair! Two of the reasons have to be excellent performances and thefactthat it’sapre-Codefilm.Therearescenesthatsuggestasexualrelationshipandseduction,whichwouldhavebeenano-noundertheHayesCode.Thatalonegivesthisabitmoreumphthanthe1960sversion,anditishandledwithgrace,ifnotexplicivity. Thefilmwasasmallerbudgetthanmost,andmadealotofmoney, but it was a big artistic success, especially since it was riding awaveofpopularityforGaynorandRogers. Sadly,Ireallythinkthisistheonlyfilmthatactuallyshowcas-es Rogers’ level of talent.
22“Watching this film is almost as interesting as going to a State fair, for nothing seems to be
neglected during the week in which it is supposed to take place.” The New York Times
StateFair(1933)
Awful selection, and not because it’s a series of static shots oflakes.It’saseriesofbeautifulstaticshotsoflakesthatissupposedtomakeyouthinkaboutnature,andthenatureoffilmviewing,butintheend,reallymakesyouconsidertheworldinwhichyoulivemore than the world in which these images are presented. And compared to real cinematic experimentation, it’s a bust. I often point to Eraserhead orThe SaddestMusic in theWorldasincredibleexamplesofexperimentation,buttherealoneweshouldbelookingathereisanotherfilmontheRegistry-FakeFruitFactorybyChickStrand. It’s just a seriesof close-upswithvoice-overoffactoryworkerstalkignaboutlifeandsex.Thatmakesa point, and while the imagery is every bit as pointless as the images in13Lakes,itactuallydoessomething. I can remember watching Lumiere and Company, wheretheyhadabunchoffilmakersuseLumierecamerastomake1min-utefilms.Lynchdidanamazingsemi-Noirmoodpiecethatkilled,butoneofthefilmmakersmadeafilmthatwasastaticshotoftheHiroshima Memorial, the trees gently blowing. It was a waste of a minute, even though I fully got what they were going for. Same with 13Lakes.Thereisamessage,buttellitbetter.
23“His choice of form turns time into an aesthetic question, and the viewer’s short-lived restless-
ness is a natural first response.”Andrew Chans
13Lakes(2004)
ASerialandoneI’veneverseen.GraceCunardandFran-cisFordwroteanddirectedit,andthat’sapowerfulteam.Cunardwasn’tquiteLoisWeber ineithertalentorControlFreakishness,but she was a very talented director and actress. Francis Ford was thelittlebrothertoJohnFord,andmuchliketheDemmebroth-ers, he was of a different cloth than his sibling. John was Johnathan Demme, fine director of incredible, genre-changing films. FranciswasTedDemme,competentbutlessEart-shattering. I’ve never seen it, and there’s not a lot of info on it. She did someworkwithThomasInce,andsheactedwell intothe1940s.Infact,the40swereagoodtimeforformerSilentactorsastheywere replacing many of those stars who went off to the war effort. Fordwasafairlybigstar,butCunard,whilestillworking,wasmostlystuckinB-pictures.
24“The films’ success led to Cu-nard’s nickname of “The Serial Queen,” and by 1916 she and
Ford were ranked among the most popular stars in Holly-wood. “ from IMDB
Unmasked(1917)
Iknewthisexisted,andImayhaveseenapieceortwoofit in documentaries, but I am so glad this made the Registry. It’s footage shot by the legendary director Sam Fuller of the liberation oftheFalkennauconcentrationcamp.It’sincrediblethatthisexists,andit’ssoimportantthattheRegistryincludessomethinglikethis.It’sfirst-personfootagebyasignificantmemberofFilm’sPantheon.of an event that changed human history. Ihavesaid it several times,mostrecently inaDrinkTankissuewithasectiondedicatedtothefilmsofWWII,thattherea-sontherewasnoWorldWarIIIisthatwehadincredible,thoroughfootagefromWorldWarII,andthisisthekindoffootagethatre-minds us of what can happen if we forget. IreallyhopethatthisfootageendsupgettingaBlu-Rayre-lease with all sorts of extras. It’s what every school that teaches about theWar should show. It’s not the battles, it’s not footageexpertlyshotandeditedtoelicitaresponse;it’sexactlywhathap-pened,shotandpresentedthroughacamera’sunblinkingeye.
25“I write with the camera. It is my typewriter.”
“I hate violence. That has never prevented me from using it in my films.”
V-E+1(1945)
Puppets-youeitherlove‘emoryouhate‘em.Ihappentolove‘em.FrankTashlin’sclassicfilms,suchasWillSuccessSpoilRockHunter?aretotallydifferentthanthiswonderfulfilmthatfollowsthebirthofEarthtousblowingourselvesupinaNucleararmaged-don. These things happen, no? Thestrangethingisthatfewofhisotherfilmshaveanysortofpreachyelement,andIbelieveatthetimefewwouldworkwithLewAyers,whohadbeenaconsciousobjectorduringWorldWarII.That’sabigdealin1947. Ifirstsawthisin1993inHighSchool.WehadasectionofCivics thatcoveredpacificismand thiswasavideotheyshowed.Was it incredibly well-done?Yup.Was it appropriate to show aschool group? Maybe not. Why?Becauseit’sHELLAChristianpreaching!No,it’snotquiteWhateverHappenedtotheHumanRace,butit’sclose!
26“The film premiered at Constitution Hall in Washington D.C., with more than 2,700 in attendance, including
members of Congress, representatives of the Supreme Court and 750 leaders from various branches of government.”
TheWayofPeace(1947)
Iknowyou’llhatemeforit,butIreallydolovetheJohnnyDeppversion.The1971version,aclassicforsure,messedmeupasakid.Itwasabrilliantlymadefilm,butitscombinationofpsychade-lic imagery and bombastic message all made me pained. Still,thesongsaregreat,GeneWilderisamarvel,andthekidsaresoveryverygood.EventhelackofDeepRoy,whomadeTimBurton’sversionsogood,wasnotenoughtomakemehateit! TwoimportantthingstothinkaboutwiththisonegoingontheRegistry.Thefirstthinghastobethatit’sahugelyinfluentialfilm,notonlyonotherfilmmakers(AndBurtonisagreatexample),butalso on writers, as so many of the Fantasy authors of today cite it as aninfluence. The screenplay was written by Roald Dahl himself,, which is whyitretainssomuchofthenastinessoftheoriginalbooks.There’sa certain amount of taming down that happened, but not nearly as muchasifanotherwriterhadtackledit. And then there’sGeneWilder. Perfectly cast, a delicious-lytouchedperformance,oneofthedefiningperformancesofthe1970s.Hereallyhelpedmessupagenerationofkids!
27If you want to view paradiseSimply look around and view itAnything you want to, do it
Want to change the world, there’s nothing to it
WillyWonka&TheChocolateFactory(1971)
Igrewup looking likeawhitekid,wearingaMexican lastname,andbeingconstantlyremindedthatIamanOhlone.Accord-ingtomyGrandmother,aRumsumOhlone.1/8Ohlonemixedinwith3/8Mexicanand1/2varyingAnglo.IamfarremovedfrommyGreat-Grandmother,MaryCota,whospokealittleofthelanguageof her ancestors, and I have always wondered if I have done them pround... or if there is any connection at all between the ChrisGarciathatwritesaboutfilmsandworksataComputerHistoryMuseum. BeyondRecognition,awonderfuldocumentaryonthefighttopreservespacessacredtotheOhlonepeople,mademeconsidermyviews,whatIam,andhowIlookattheworld.MichelleGraceSteinberg’sexcellentwork looks at the IndianPeopleOrganizingforChangeastheyattempttobringawarenesstotheshellmoundsthat have been bulldozed and covered over. AndthatmademethinkofShellmoundinEmeryville,whereIwouldwatchmovies,eat,readbooksattheBarnes&Noble.DidIknowitwasasitesacredtoabandofOhlone?Ofcourse.Diditstopmefromshoppingthere?Notatall.Doesthatmakemeaterrible person? Yeah, probably, but would I support it having never been built? Indeed I would have, but it is hard to resist this sort of attractor once it’s there.
A Reaction brought on by Beyond Recognition
Thefilmmademethink,andit’swonderfulproductionval-ues,andthewaythestoryplaysout,makeitafilmthatisasimport-ant to a thought process as it is pleasureable as a viewing experi-ence. ButitmadewewonderifIcoudldomore.CanIhelp?IwillsaythateveryoneshouldgototheofficialwebsitefortheIPOfC(http://ipocshellmoundwalk.homestead.com/)andseewhatyoucantake away from it.Also, look at the film’s official website, http://www.beyondrecognitionfilm.com/.It’llstarttheFestivalcircuitwiththeWild&ScenicFilmFestival,andwillplayasapartofCinequestaswell.It’sthirtywell-spentmonutesthatmedmetohoursofre-flection. Andthatreflectionwasdifficultonme,becauseIdowantto be able to honorthe traditions of my ancestors, but at the same time,Iamacreatureofatimeandplace.MyGreat-Grandmotherdidn’t much cotton to the traditions, and she complained that life would have been so hard had she had to live the traditional ways, butatthesametime,shetoldthestoriestomyGramma,tomyDad. Shemade SURE I knew that Iwas anOhlone, that I knewwhereIcamefrom,butatthesametimeencouragedthatthekidsgo tocollege, shewatchedTV, (yelledat theTVduringwrestling,accordingotmyDad),drankandsmokedandshoppedatSafewayeverySunday. Shemadechoices,butwhen youaskedherwhatshewasshe’dsay“I’mfromtheRumsunpeople.”andsheworethatwith pride. And so, what do I do? Iwantmybackgroundtobehonored,andIwanttolivealifewhereIcanbehappy,takecareofmyfamily,andnotturnmybackonthepast,whilenotignoringthattherearemanymanymanythings of the present that are so much better than were possible in the past. We should preserve the remaining shellmound, work topreservesitesthataresignificanttotheOhlonepeoples,fundache-ologicalwork,andmostimportantly,weMUSTgiverecognitiontovariousbandsthatconstitutetheOhlonesothatwecanensurethepreservation of the sacred sites. AndsotherearefewerpeopleplacedinthequandriesthatIfindmyselfhaving.
The2016NationalFilmRegistryAdditions I’d Most Love!
177620,000LeaguesUndertheSea
TheBigRedOneTheBlairWitchProject
TheCircusTheDeclineofWesternCivilization
EraserheadGhostbustersHoliday Inn
JFKLAConfidentialLes Miserables
MotherGooseGoesHollywoodNight&TheCity
ThePatterson-GrimlinBigfootfootagePlatoon
ReturnoftheSaucaucus7TheShiek
The Sin of Norma MoranSunstone
The Theiving HandWernerHerzogEatsHisShoe
WhateverHappenedtotheHumanRace?WhoisKillingtheGreatChefsofEurope
YourNationalGallery
