Drink in Charles Burnett - Airs Nov 13th

Charles Burnett on The Drunk Projectionist
Critic Terrence Rafferty of GQ called "Killer of Sheep," a film by Charles Burnett, "one of the most striking debuts in movie history." Host Todd Melby interviews writer/director Burnett, about this important film. "Killer of Sheep" examines the black Los Angeles ghetto of Watts in the mid-1970s through the eyes of Stan, a sensitive dreamer who is growing detached and numb from the psychic toll of working at a slaughterhouse. Frustrated by money problems, he finds respite in moments of simple beauty: the warmth of a teacup against his cheek, slow dancing with his wife, holding his daughter. The movie offers no solutions; it merely presents life - sometimes hauntingly bleak, sometimes filled with transcendent joy and gentle humor. The film was shot in roughly a year of weekends on a budget of less than $10,000, and also out of the pocket of Burnett himself. Filmed on location, the picture offers an episodic narrative with gritty documentary-style cinematography. 
Favorite Melby-haunt, The Trylon Cinema, is currently hosting a series of Burnett's work -- visit trylon.org for movies and showtimes.
Frederick Wiseman on The Drunk Projectionist
Documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman discusses "Titicut Follies," his controversial 1967 film about a hospital for the criminally insane. In this interview with Todd Melby, he also reveals why he shot most of his movies on 16mm, how his films are structurally similar to plays, and why he hates the term "cinema verite." The film "Titicut Follies" launched Wiseman's trademark style of filmmaking: no interviews, no music, no restaging of events, no crawl of type identifying subjects or places. His documentaries - he’s made more than 35 films in 50 years - are his and his alone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dr. Frankenstein's Monster - Airs Oct 29th

Image
The Frankenstein Family Crypt from The American Forces Network In 1952, announcer Carl Nelson's producers sent him to the Frankenstein Castle near Darmstadt , Germany to explore the family crypt. Little did he know, they had set up a prank which was waiting for him. Despite the rising fear in his voice, Nelson dutifully reports everything as it happens, even going so far as to examine a grotesque statue he thinks he saw moving. Panic and terror rightfully ensue. Frankenstein from The Witch's Tale The Witch's Tale was the first horror radio serial . The series ran from 1931-1943 and was created, written, and directed by St. Paul's own Alonzo Deen Cole . The stories were hosted by an old Salem witch and her black cat, Satan.  In this episode , a young scientist named Victor conducts experiments into human anatomy, physiology, and electro-chemistry; intent on improving the human race. Eventually he succeeds in creating life but is instantly repulsed by his cre
Read more

Computer Love - Airs Feb 19th

Image
Love and Robots by Anton Foek Dr. David Levy ,  an expert in artificial intelligence,  argues that the automata we once deemed cold and mechanical will soon become the objects of real companionship as well as human desire. He explores many aspects of human relationships and how they have changed over time. Levy believes it inevitable that these same attachments will eventually extend to love for robots . My Sex Robot by Audrey Quinn Brooklyn make-up artist Jessica Jacobs desperately needed a job . Because she had experience sculpting and special effects for the movies , a friend asked her to take over on a very special assignment. We'll hear how this girl-next-door became the woman behind the world's first sex robot, Roxxxy .  TI-99/4A from The Optimist What could be more fun than a Texas Instruments home computer , a dot matrix printer, and a text adventure game on a cassette drive!? Well, all of this and some poorly written BASIC programming awaits you at
Read more

Capturing Noise - Airs Nov 5th

Image
Life in the City  from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening Professor David Hendy considers the comforts and irritations of next-door's noise . As cities grew, neighbor's hullabaloo became increasingly hard to escape. We will explore the writer Thomas Carlyle ’s grumpy attempts at soundproofing, before travelling to New York to imagine the teaming, boisterous world of the Lower East Side tenements in the early twentieth century. Capturing Sound from Noise: A Human History of Sound and Listening Sounds were ephemeral until recording technology made it possible to capture them. Professor Hendy of the University of Sussex introduces bottled moments from the past, including the voices of Robert Browning and Florence Nightingale as well as 9/11 answerphone messages.
Read more