IOHTE: Ryland Walker Knight

"IOHTE" stands for "I Only Have Two Eyes"; it's my annual survey of selected San Francisco Bay Area cinephiles' favorite in-the-cinema screenings of classic films and archival oddities from the past year. An index of participants can be found here.

Contributor Ryland Walker Knight is a writer and filmmaker.His latest short film Inside Voices screens at SF IndieFest this month.

Screen capture from Winner World Korea DVD

My favorite repertory screening in 2014 was seeing Streets of Fire at The Castro on 35mm. Somehow, I’d never seen this Walter Hill classic before, and I can easily say it was the most fun I had at the movies in that last calendar. A couple beers helped, as did the presence of my best friend, but the film is a welcome antecedent to whatever it is Tarantino’s up to with his “Westerns”, except this one is pure fantasy in dramaturgy as well as genre tropes.

The other great experience was re-seeing Robert Altman’s The Company, which I have our host to thank for, and a big thanks it is. The last time I saw the film was on a DVD, before I “came of age” in my cinephilia, and as such it felt like a whole new film for me. I want to say I saw it in theatres, but I cannot say that with confidence, so I’m going to tell myself this was the first time I saw it on film, and I love those early-aughts digital films printed to celluloid for how the process transformed the quite common artifacting into rare textures of emulsion—a blown out light source becomes a flash of burnt celluloid where the white bleeds blue and red in an instant. It’s a mistake in a lot of professional registers, I suppose, but what a lovely index of pure presence, announcing the document and its artificiality equally.

My greatest regret when it comes to my 2014 repertory notebook is how thin it is, as seems the case with me each year this decade. I feel at fault, indebted so much to this art, not doing my part to sustain my ardor, especially when the PFA ran so many Godards on 35. Then again, we see what we want to, and I cannot complain about what I did venture forth to seek on screens.

IOHTE: Maureen Russell

"IOHTE" stands for "I Only Have Two Eyes"; it's my annual survey of selected San Francisco Bay Area cinephiles' favorite in-the-cinema screenings of classic films and archival oddities from the past year. An index of participants can be found here.

Contributor Maureen Russell is a cinephile and Noir City film festival volunteer.

There is a lot of noir on my list for 2014.

Screen capture from Strand DVD of Victims Of Sin

1) Noir City 12– The Castro Theatre, Jan. 24 – Feb. 2
The theme of international noir brought rarities and classics from around the globe. Seeing French alongside American, British, rare Argentinian and European selections provided great context, as filmmakers adapted what others were doing and made their own mark. Highlights include the Kurosawa directing Toshiro Mifune double feature Stray Dog (1949) with Drunken Angel (1948) and the wildly fun Mexican musical noir Victims of Sin / Victimas del Pecado (1951) with great music and dance numbers.

2) SF Silent Film Fest
Highlights: the creative Russian film The Extraordinary Adventures of Mr. West in the Land of the Bolsheviks, USSR (1924). Musical Accompaniment by the Matti Bye Ensemble

Underground, UK (1928). Directed by Anthony Asquith, Musical Accompaniment by multi-instrumentalist Stephen Horne. This love triad turns dark, set in working class London with beautiful cinematography.   

Also Dragnet Girl, Japan (1933). Directed by Yasujiro Ozu, Musical Accompaniment by Guenter Buchwald

3) The French Had a Name for It / French Film Noir 1946-64 San Francisco's Roxie Theatre from November 14-17
Great festival with many sold-out screenings. My favorite was Witness in the City (Un Temoin Dans La Ville) (1959) for its story, characters, tension, location shooting and chase scenes through the streets of Paris, and beautiful cinematography.

4) A Hard Day’s Night (1964) New 4K restoration for the 50th Anniversary – The Castro Theatre
A double bill with Richard Lester’s next film, The Knack…and how to get it (’65). Seeing the beautiful restoration, I wasn’t sure if I’d even seen this on the big screen. The audience seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the Fab 4 as much as I was. The Knack is a farce set in Swinging London.

5) Marketa Lazarova (1967) – the Roxie 7/14 – new 35mm print Czechoslovakia I hadn’t heard of this classic Czech film before. Medieval setting shot using inventive technique.

6) Double feature at I Wake Up Dreaming noir festival, 5/25 – The Roxie
Brainstorm. Directed by William Conrad. (1965)
The Couch. Directed by Owen Crump. (1962)

Screen capture from Warner DVD

7) The Unknown (Director Tod Browning, 1927, USA, with Lon Chaney and Joan Crawford)
SFIFF – The Castro 5/6/14 – Silent film with live accompaniment by Stephin Merritt 
Shown with Guy Maddin's short Sissy Boy Slap Party (1995) 
I’d seen this film before: great characters, visuals and acting, with darkness and humor that Chaney and Browning can give. 

8) Inland Empire (2006) 
The Roxie 7/22 
David Lynch’s own 35mm print screened. I had never seen this and was waiting to watch it on the big screen. 

Screen capture from Celestial DVD

9) King Boxer (Five Fingers of Death) – Hong Kong, 1972
CAAM Fest – Great Star Theater 3/14/14 – Run Run Shaw Tribute
Released in the USA by Warner Bros. in March 1973, the film was responsible for beginning the North American kung fu film craze of the 1970s.

10) Burroughs at 100: The Films of William S Burroughs
February 3, 2014. City Lights Bookstore, with commentary by Mindaugis Bagdon.
A screening of the William S Burrough's films Towers Open Fire, The Cut-Ups, and Bill and Tony. (early 60s). It was great to be able to see entire short films using the cut-up technique, even if at least one film tested your patience.

IOHTE: Haroon Adalat

"IOHTE" stands for "I Only Have Two Eyes"; it's my annual survey of selected San Francisco Bay Area cinephiles' favorite in-the-cinema screenings of classic films and archival oddities from the past year. An index of participants can be found here.

Contributor Haroon Adalat is a designer, illustrator and video editor. 

From my perch now, my previous year could be characterized as one of recoil. Programming in the area was overwhelmingly lavish: for one, the Pacific Film Archive presenting the majority of works from Satyajit Ray, JL Godard and Kenji Mizoguchi on 35mm certainly left me feeling spoiled! And yet, 2014 was the year I kept my moviegoing to a (relative) minimum. Between a steady increase in digital projections, a constant lack of funds, and -- quite simply -- exhaustion, I stuck to the old-reliables or stayed home; and upon reflection, I missed things I regret immensely now...

Normal Love image provided by contributor

But, what do I remember? In 2014, there were several radiant and sublime and quite singular "discoveries". Sometime in October, Jerome Hiler (not unlike Nathaniel Dorsky) ushered in that magical, sweet, sustained silence that falls on rare screenings at the PFA. Much earlier across the bay, Jack Smith was twitching to life on new prints at the YBCA throughout January. I learned that there is often treachery when returning to objects of our past. I find the word “restoration” to be a bit dubious now. Of the films I revisited -- some for the very first time on a large screen -- my opinion of many slipped (yet, for others my affection renewed and doubled: Fellini Satyricon, the numerous Resnais films that graced local screens). In 2014, I settled on a drag name, GRETA GARBAGE (no, she doesn't have much of a personality or any gigs yet). She does possess a cache of images to cull from, though: few pleasures match the sight of Gene Tierney's darling face lit by Von Sternberg in The Shanghai Gesture, or Marlene Dietrich's supreme swagger as she races atop a man's back across a saloon during a rowdy flashback from Rancho Notorious (lessons to be learned, certainly...). I used "recoil" earlier as my suggestion for all those many things I avoided or merely ignored, but the following list should stand for the strands I still find enriching and confounding - the type of stuff that had me smiling on my bus commute last summer, or helped me pass time while waiting at a bar for a friend the day after that torrential storm in mid-December. In other words, the delightful things.

Screen capture from Cinema Guild DVD

(1)
Los Angeles Plays Itself 
(2003; Thom Anderson; Castro Theatre; digital)

(2)
Flaming Creatures 
No President 
Normal Love 
(1963-1967; Jack Smith; YBCA; 16mm)

(3)
In the Stone House 
New Shores 
(1967-2012; Jerome Hiler; PFA; 16mm)

Fellini Satyricon image provided by contributor

(4)  

Chelsea Girls 

(1966; Andy Warhol; Castro Theatre; dual 16mm projection) 

Fellini Satyricon 

(1968; Federico Fellini; Castro Theatre; 35mm) 

(5) 

Je t'aime je t'aime 

(1968; Alain Resnais; Castro Theatre; 35mm)  

(6)  

Rancho Notorious 

(1952; Fritz Lang; Castro Theatre; 35mm)  

Johnny Guitar

(1954; Nicholas Ray; Castro Theatre; DCP)  

(7) 

Boy Meets Girl

Lovers on the Bridge 

(1984/1991; Leos Carax; Castro Theatre; DCP/35mm) 

Screen capture from Sony Pictures Classics DVD of Apu Sansar

(8) 

Pather Panchali 

Aparajito 

Apu Sansar 

(1955/1957/1959; Satyajit Ray; PFA; 35mm)  

(9)  

Macao 

Shanghai Gesture

(1952/1941; Josef von Sternberg; Castro Theatre, Noir City; 35mm)   

(10) 

The Exile 

Letter From An Unkown Woman 

(1947/1948; Max Ophuls; YBCA/Stanford; 35mm)

IOHTE: Adrianne Finelli

"IOHTE" stands for "I Only Have Two Eyes"; it's my annual survey of selected San Francisco Bay Area cinephiles' favorite in-the-cinema screenings of classic films and archival oddities from the past year. An index of participants can be found here.

Contributor Adrianne Finelli is an artist, curator, educator & film lover. She co-curates the GAZE film series at Artist Television Access; its next screening is February 13.

After a couple years of extended visits to the Bay Area, this past June I relocated here for love. Fortunately for me, my love of film is flourishing here as well. In the summer sun, my partner and I drove 2600 miles across the country straight to the Pacific Film Archive. Having only been here for six months of this year, I feel like I’ve missed a lot of treasures, but I’m grateful that I was able to see what I did. I’m looking forward to seeing much more in 2015. As requested by Brian Darr, whose film blog has become one of my bookmarks, here’s my list of my 10 favorite repertory film screenings of last year. Thanks to Brian and Hell on Frisco Bay for the invitation.

Favorites are fun, but they’re always so hard to whittle down:

Screen capture from Eclipse DVD

1) Sisters of Gion 

Kenji Mizoguchi (Japan, 1936) 

Pacific Film Archive  

This was my first opportunity to see a Mizoguchi film on the big screen; this screening also marked my first week in the area as an official resident. Apart from that, the film, Sisters of Gion, may be my favorite of his works and is a quintessential feminist film. Rebellious and decades ahead of its time, a critique of traditions and the clash of eras—the film looks deep into the lives and issues that the women of the Geisha tradition faced. Mizoguchi’s empathy is with the lives sold and not the salesman that are buying. Oh, that ending.  

2) A Woman of Rumor 

Kenji Mizoguchi (Japan, 1954) 

Pacific Film Archive  

Another poignant Mizoguchi feature about the personal lives of sex workers in Tokyo, that pays special attention to issues of what it means for these businesswomen to age. A fascinating portrait of two generations of women, somewhat Mildred Pierce, tragic drama of a mother and daughter in love with the same man. However, Mizoguchi does not let the man get off so easy, as the daughter’s love and empathy for her mother as a fellow woman grows and strengthens their bond. Such a beautiful film on so many levels, stunning and more mature camera, art direction and editing.

Screen capture from Ruscico DVD

3) Magdana’s Donkey 

Tengiz Abuladze, Rezo Chkeidze (USSR, 1955) 

Pacific Film Archive  

Simple and beautiful—a story about a working class widow and her day to day struggles to provide for her children. The family’s luck changes when they nurse an abandoned and abused donkey back to health, allowing Magdana to transport and sell more yogurt, but then she is brought to trial for stealing the donkey. There is definite documentary influence in this neorealistic drama, yet the rich black & white cinematography has its own style. I would love to see this film screened along side Bresson’s 1966 Au hazard Balthazar—donkeys might be the most honest animals in cinema.  

4) Sikkim 

Satyajit Ray (India, 1971) 

Pacific Film Archive  

I am so glad that I caught this, I had no idea how much I would learn and love about this film. A documentary about the sovereignty of Sikkim, a kingdom in the Himalayas situated between China and Indian, commissioned by the King of Sikkim and later banned until 2010. All copies were thought to be destroyed until one was uncovered at the British Film Institute. Very lyrical camera and sound—it’s more like a personal essay than a typical anthropological documentary of a foreign culture. Satyajit Ray’s refreshing and candid portrait has real heart and respect for the people and their traditions.

Screen capture from Columbia DVD

5) Lost Horizon  

Frank Capra (USA, 1937) 

Smith Rafael Film Center  

One of the few Capra films I had never seen, and maybe the strangest. Lost Horizon is a utopian film about an archetypal crew of five western passengers whose flight is hijacked and crashes somewhere in the Himalayan Mountains. The group is then escorted through the terrifying yet beautiful terrain to a magical palace—a warm and plentiful oasis from the harshness of the surroundings—known as Shangri-La. A dreamlike paradise where time is for passions and beauty, and no one ages. The story is bizarre and has a lot of political and social commentary embedded in it, and the set design and photography are worthy of seeing for their own merits.

6) A Night at the Cinema in 1914 

SF Silent Film Festival, Silent Autumn 2014 

Castro Theater  

A delightful collection of eclectic silent short films that were all produced in 1914 with live musical accompaniment by the brilliant Donald Sosin. A few of my favorite shorts to make note of are: Palace Pandemonium, a newsreel of Emmeline Pankhurst and 50 other suffragettes being arrested at Buckingham Palace; Lieutenant Pimple and the Stolen Submarine, endearing cardboard sets and lots of quirkiness; and The Perils of Pauline directed by Louis J. Gasnier and starring the adventurous Pearl White as a woman who wants to explore life before she gets married.  

However, the short that really stood out, Daisy Doodad’s Dial directed by Florence Turner, who also starred in the film as the main protagonist. A super silly, sassy and creative little tale about a couple that enters a face-pulling contest. The story employs a great use of the close-up and superimposition. The score that Donald Sosin composed for this film was half the joy of watching it, I wouldn’t want to see it any other way. One of my favorite things I’ve seen all year, and it was made in 1914!

7) Molba 

Tengiz Abuladze (USSR, 1967) 

Pacific Film Archive  

Like a poem in black & white, a visual metaphor with absolutely stunning cinematography and editing. Definitely one of the most unique films I have seen this year, and a film that most be seen in a dark theater, on a big screen, and on 35mm.

Screen capture from Indiepix DVD of It Came From Kuchar

8) A Criminal Account of Pleasure: The George Kuchar Reader with Andrew Lampert  

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 

Presented by SF Cinematheque 

Corruption of the Damned (USA, 1965) 

The Exiled Files of Eddie Gray (USA, 1997)  

What can I say? If you are not a Kuchar fan, then this isn’t for you. If you are, you should definitely pickup a copy of the The George Kuchar Reader edited by Andrew Lampert before it’s out of print. It’s an amazingly rich collection of journal entries, drawings, scripts, photos and other findings compiled into an impressive 336-page volume. I was so glad that I made it out to the event; Steve Polta of SF Cinematheque gave a moving account of George and introduced Andrew Lampert to read a few excerpts before the screening. Corruption of the Damned was screened on a 16mm print from Anthology Film Archives. It features a very baby-faced George in all his campy glory, and was a much more scripted and serious production than most of his later works. The pairing of this early film with The Exiled Files of Eddie Gray, a even more campy revisit or remake of sorts with some the original cast from the 1965 film, made the night for me. Shedding light, or rather pouring it, onto issues of aging and sexuality, through crude reenactments of love scenes from 32 years ago. There are no words to describe the fabulous Floraine Connors, I laughed so hard I cried.  

9) Flight of the Sparrows 

Teimur Babluani (USSR, 1980) 

Pacific Film Archive  

The first several minutes I was sure I disliked this film; it felt like a not-so-great student film—clunky, bad acting, horrible lighting. After letting my expectations drop, I was taken by surprise at what turned into a really dynamic camera matched by a fresh, beat driven pace. The story is really simple, but weird and oddly poetic and bittersweet. There are two men traveling on a crowded third-class passenger train among a large cast of characters whose diverse profiles become fixtures in the background of the confined camera. The two men are opposites, one a rough-looking rebel of few words whose only friend is the tiny sparrow he carries next to his heart, and the other a pretentious, bragging traveling salesman that leads people to believe he is a world renown opera singer. The final scene shifts to a barren landscape and a surprising battle ensues.      

Screen capture from vimeo trailer for Desire Pie

10) Radical Sex Educational Films from San Francisco’s Multi-Media Resource Center 

Curated by Herb Shellenberger 

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts  

A curious and alluring collection of extraordinarily artistic and avant-garde Sex Ed films, like a time capsule into a different, more radical era. I imagine we would all be better, more inventive lovers if we had the occasion to see these films in our health classes. Although every film different and compelling in its own right, three films really resonated and charmed me. The program opened with Jerry Abrams’ Eyetoon (1968) very easily the most experimental sex education film I’ve ever seen, a collage that combines a variety of techniques with a mesmerizing score. This film takes intimacy into another dimension. Constance Beeson’s hypnotic and lyrical Unfolding (1969) was a visual verse about the emotional side of lovemaking, a song for the two souls becoming one. Unfolding is a more sensitive portrait from a woman’s perspective, about the closeness of sex. Desire Pie (1976) by Lisa Crafts was a fun, tripped-out cartoon of the wacky and weird journey of sexual desires.  

It was also notable to see Alice Ann Parker’s Near the Big Chakra (1972) for the second time, having been lucky enough to meet her during her retrospective program at the 50th Ann Arbor Film Festival. It is such a radical educational film through pure observation.    

A special shout-out to the many generous venues and to the people behind the projectors and programming that make this city and the surrounding area an amazing place for those of us that love cinema. Thank you to those that tirelessly search through the archives, those that make new work from old, those that share and connect the community.  

Craig Baldwin & Other Cinema 

Pacific Film Archive 

Artists’ Television Access 

SF Cinematheque 

The Exploratorium 

Shapeshifters Cinema 

Black Hole Cinematheque 

Oddball Cinema 

Canyon Cinema 

Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 

SF Silent Film Festival 

Internet Archive 

Rick & Megan Prelinger 

California Film Institute 

Castro Theater 

Roxie Theater 

Kala Art Institute 

& the many others that made my first six months here unrepeatable.

IOHTE: Jonathan Kiefer

"IOHTE" stands for "I Only Have Two Eyes"; it's my annual survey of selected San Francisco Bay Area cinephiles' favorite in-the-cinema screenings of classic films and archival oddities from the past year. An index of participants can be found here.

Contributor Jonathan Kiefer is a critic for the SF Weekly and Village Voice; follow him on twitter at @Kieferama. 

Screen shot from Criterion DVD

Very briefly, I’d like to mention two moviegoing experiences here. The first was a mid-morning matinee, at the Vogue, of Alain Resnais’ Hiroshima mon amour. My SF Weekly review didn't mention that somehow I'd never seen it until now -- which was ok because this time and place proved mysteriously just right after all. Of course this cherished memory also reminds me of my greatest regret of the year, perhaps of many years: missing out on a rare glimpse of Resnais’ Je t’aime, Je t’aime when it showed up all too fleetingly at the Castro.