Murder in Harlem
mon. 2/14, 7pm, @Barbes, 376 Ninth St., 965-9177, barbesbrooklyn.com * US. 1935. (100 min). Oscar Micheaux is one of the few early Black directors to have made it into cinema history books. From 1919 to 1948, he produced 48 feature films. His most famous is probably Body and Soul, in which Paul Robeson made his screen debut. Murder in Harlem is the story of black watchman falsely accused of murdering of white woman. Directed by Oscar Micheaux
Part Two: “Revolution (1750-1805)”
fri. 2/10, 6pm, @Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Ave., 230-2100, brooklynpubliclibrary.org * This is the story of two American revolutions: the fight for independence from Britain and the struggle of enslaved Africans for freedom. Despite its idealistic rhetoric, the new country refuses to reconcile the fact that it is a nation of liberty built on a foundation of slavery.
Tarzan
sat. 2/11,11am,@Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Ave., 230-2100, brooklynpubliclibrary.org * (1999) The lord of the jungle soars though the trees as never before in this Disney favorite, thanks to a revolutionary advance in animation that integrates hand-painted characters with computer-generated backgrounds. Your children will dig the story as Tarzan (Tony Goldwyn) tries to fit in with his adopted ape family and then has to save them and Jane (Minnie Driver) from a villainous poacher.
Hercules
sat. 2/18, 11am, @Grand Army Plaza and Flatbush Ave., 230-2100, brooklynpubliclibrary.org * A retelling of the mythical Greek legend, who reclaims his birthright after battling Hades and monsters- with lots of help, jokes and songs from his friends. (1997)
A Film About London
sun. 2/12, 7pm, @Ocularis @Galapagos Art and Performance Space, 70 North 6th St., 388-8713, ocularis.net * By Paul Kelly and Kieran Evans. Presented and scored by Saint Etienne, the film takes us on a journey from the suburbs into the heart of the city over an imaginary 24 hours. Along the way we hear from characters that have influenced or been a part of the Saint Etienne story. Finisterre features the observations and reminiscences of Lawrence from Felt/Denim, Mark Perry, the editor of original punk fanzine Sniffin' Glue, as well as Vic Godard from Subway Sect and artist Julian Opie, folk singer Vashti Bunyan, London-centric author Shena Mackay, and Nick Sanderson from Earl Brutus. Through the interviews and imagery we see London from an insider's perspective. The result is a hymn to London, and an extraordinary record of the city today. Digitally shot and edited, Finisterre evolved alongside the Saint Etienne album of the same name. Initially conceived as a way of channelling the money allocated for music videos into something more substantial, it became in every sense an independent production. Its development is unique: early sequences were projected as visuals behind the band during their latest tour, while the film played recently to cinema audiences in London and Tokyo.
What Have You Done Today, Mervyn Day?
mon. 2/12, 9pm, @Ocularis @Galapagos Art and Performance Space, 70 North 6th St., 388-8713, ocularis.net * It is set on 7 July, the day after the Olympic announcement that will mean development erasing this zone. Radio-news fragments about the London bombings serve as an evil counterpoint. To this visual hymn to the dream-London of their songs, Saint Etienne add melancholy flutes, guitar pulses and choral harmonies. It's a triumphant cross-media performance. At its finish, the band are cheered as if they've played their greatest hits. The piece's impact is proven at the interval bar, where everyone talks urgently about their own slice of London. A primal sense of place has been awoken.” – Nick Hasted, The Independent, on a screening at Barbican in London.
Hot on the Heels of Love
mon. 2/13, 8pm, @Ocularis @Galapagos Art and Performance Space, 70 North 6th St., 388-8713, ocularis.net * It's all you need, sure, but it's also Hell, a stranger, a battlefield and colder than death. Prepare your heart for Valentine's Day with this lip-smacking Whitman's sampler of love. That many-splendored thing brings together stalkers, straphangers, doppelgangers and enormous pink poodles. And never forget: it's a bitch and it stinks, but it's also forever. Work to be screened: Hop on the Bus, Gus, Jeff Krulik, 1996, 2 min; Joe Dimaggio 1, 2, 3, Anne McGuire, 1991, 7 min; You Gotta Problem, Toni Basil, 1982, 3 min; Lovemaking, Scott Bartlett, 1970, 13 min; Love is All, Oliver Harrison, 1999, 4 min; Mit Mir, Kerstin Cmelka, 2000, 3 min; Papillon d'amour, Nicolas Provost, 2003, 4 min; Endless Obsession, Glen Fogel, 2001, 5 min; The Memo Book (Aus Der Ferne), Matthias Müller, 1989, 28 min. Programmed by Thomas Beard and Ed Halter.
Children's Matinee
sat. 2/18, 1pm, @Ocularis @Galapagos Art and Performance Space, 70 North 6th St., 388-8713, ocularis.net * Charles Silver, Associate Curator in the Film and Media Department at MoMA, returns to Ocularis with another terrific lineup of children's films from the Museum's collection. His last visit took us to the moon! The circus! We even got to meet Prince, King of Dogs. And his new selection promises to be just as exciting, a program featuring mischievous kittens, singing icicles, the first appearance of Woody Woodpecker and more…Work to be screened (all 16mm): The Merry Dwarfs, 1929, Walt Disney Silly Symphony by Ub Iwerks, 6 min; Dizzy Red Riding Hood, 1931, Max Fleischer, with Betty Boop and Bimbo, 6 min; Snow White, 1933, Max Fleischer, with Betty Boop, Bimbo, Koko, and Cab Calloway, 7 min; Windy Day, 1967, John and Faith Hubley, with the voices of Emily and Georgia Hubley, 9 min; Merry Kittens, 1935, Burt Gillett, 7 min; Knock Knock, 1940, Walter Lantz, with Woody Woodpecker, 6 min; Laughing Gravy, 1931, Hal Roach, with Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, 20 min; Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor, 1936, Max Fleischer, with Popeye, Bluto, Olive Oyl, Wimpy, et al, 15 min.
Pride & Prejudice
tues. 2/14, 2 and 6pm, @St. Francis College, 180 Remson St., 489-5272, stfranciscollege.edu * Based on Jane Austen's beloved novel, the classic tale of love and values unfolds in the class-conscious England of the late 18th century. The five Bennet sisters – including strong-willed Elizabeth (Keira Knightley) and young Lydia (Jena Malone) – have all been raised by their mother (Brenda Blethyn) with one purpose in life: finding a husband. When a wealthy bachelor takes up residence in a nearby mansion, the Bennets are abuzz. Amongst the man's sophisticated circle of friends, surely there will be no shortage of suitors for the Bennet sisters. But when Elizabeth meets up with the handsome and – it would seem – snobbish Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen), the battle of the sexes is joined.
