The Lost Dominion Screening Collective

The River of Life, Or The Case Against Certainty leap day screening

2012-01-26T12:34:00.001-05:00

The River Of Life, Or The Case Against Certainty

World Premiere
71mins, DCP 2K, Feb. 29th, 6:50pm Bytowne Cinema

Directed by: Edward Folger

In a tribute to the work of his friend, the late Canadian/Bolivian/Dutch artist Juan Geuer, Canadian/American filmmaker/poet Edward Folger builds a jig-saw vision of his life in Ottawa, in the form of a graphic raga, evolving, like classical Indian music, from a leisurely beginning, into a frenzied ride on the force of nature. He draws from his history with media – still photography, feature films, early consumer video; moving on to standard digital and state of the art, high definition video; and finally, into online virtual worlds.

From New York, New England, Ottawa, rural Ontario, and the vast digital world of Second Life, in concert with artists from France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark, each stanza of this video poem twists in a new direction – drama, documentary, animation, still montage, experimental, music video. The worldview that Folger shared with Juan Geuer is the glue holding all the pieces together. Portions of the film have been screened previously at various galleries and international film festivals and some chapters were produced with the support of the City of Ottawa and SAW Video Media Arts Centre.

– Lost Dominion Screening Collective

Folger’s work leaps forward into the Twenty-First Century, visualizing String Theory and M-Theory, vibrating in the full eleven dimensions of reality.

– László Fontoskodó, Director of the Institute for Post-Quantum Critical Studies

One of the Lost Films Playing March 28th

2012-01-26T12:29:00.002-05:00

THE MAN FROM GLENGARRY, 35mm, Reel 3 of 6
Playing March 28th at the Bytowne Cinema with Live music.

Ottawa Film Productions, Ltd., 1922

Directed by Henry MacRae; Script by Kenneth O’Hara, Faith Green; Cinematography by Jacques Bizeul, Barney McGill; Editor, Elmer J. McGovern.

Cast: Anders Randolph, Warner P. Richmond, Harlan E. Knight, Pauline Garon, Marion Swayne, E.L. Fernandez, Frank C. Badgley, Jack Newton, William G. Colvin, Marion Lloyd.

The Canadian premiere of Cameron of the Royal Mounted at the Imperial Theatre in Ottawa on February 10, 1922 afforded the perfect occasion for producer Ernest Shipman to publicize his forthcoming film. Before an invited audience of local investors and politicians, Shipman announced to great fanfare the creation of Ottawa Film Productions Ltd., his new company that would specifically make films based on author Ralph Connor’s novels of the Glengarry lumber industry. For the inaugural project, Shipman chose to adapt “The Man from Glengarry; a Tale of the Ottawa”, the popular 1901 novel about a young man’s trials and tribulations at a lumber camp that was considered to be Connor’s best work.

The Man from Glengarry is set at the St. Clair lumber camp run by Big ‘Mac’ Macdonald (Anders Randolph), a hard-fighting Scotsman whose dogmatic religious beliefs are guided by Reverend Alexander Murray (Harlan E. Knight). Mac’s authority is challenged by Louis Lenoir (E.L. Fernandez), a godless renegade French-Canadian who runs a rival lumber camp in Glengarry County. When Lenoir ultimately kills Mac in a bar room brawl, his son Ranald (Warner P. Richmond) initiates a blood feud to avenge his father’s death. Though he initially refrains from direct confrontation with Lenoir at the pleadings of his sweetheart, Kate Murray (Marion Swayne), Ranald is eventually provoked into a gang fight between the rival camps that erupts on the log slides on the river. The climactic duel between Ranald and Lenoir is suddenly interrupted by Kate, who attempts to stop their struggle but ends up slipping between the grinding logs and is swept away towards the torrential rapids down river. Abandoning his attack on Lenoir, Ranald successfully rescues Kate just before the brink of disaster at the edge of a whirlpool. Grateful for the intervention that spared his life, Lenoir experiences a reformation that later proves to be of service when Ranald finds himself out of his element in the city, stumbling into a crooked deal with Frank De Lacey (Frank Badgley) and Mamie St. Clair (Pauline Garon), the jealous daughter of Eugene St. Clair (Jack Newton), the owner of the lumber camp. With Lenoir’s help, Ranald virtuously refuses involvement in the scheme, scorns the advances of Mamie, and ultimately marries Kate to finally prove himself worthy of his father’s legacy.

For Shipman and his production team, the key challenge in filming The Man from Glengarry as a faithful adaptation was staying true to the environments of the story rather than slavishly adhering to the novel. To accurately represent the physical and social milieus depicted in Connor’s novel, the resources and amenities of the greater Ottawa area were fully utilized in order to retain a sense of authenticity in the film. The grandeur of the wild forests in the Mattawa area served as the natural scenery for the film’s many outdoor action sequences that showcased the log slides driving down river towards Ottawa. For the city sequences in the film, actual Ottawa landmarks such as the Chateau Laurier and Rockcliffe Park were used to contribute a sense of actuality to the exterior settings. The most crucial detail of the film in this context was the ability to present a realistic portrayal of life in a lumber camp. This was made possible by the Booth Lumber Company, who offered their facilities for location shooting and lodging, as well as providing an actual crew of their lumbermen to serve as extras. It was left to director Henry MacRae to present these elements in a genuine and convincing fashion, and the fact that he was the “locally born” son of a Glengarry lumberman gave him an extra layer of credibility with the cast and crew with respect to his ideas of authenticity and verisimilitude .

During the shooting of The Man from Glengarry, MacRae insisted that the cast be immersed in the world of the lumber camps in order for them to fully live their parts throughout the two month shoot, to the extent that the actors were looked upon as their characters by the entire crew. Thus, Anders Randolph was treated as Big MacDonald and was accordingly respected, whereas E.L. Fernandez was ostracized as if he were actually Lenoir. MacRae’s approach to performance authenticity also extended to his direction of the action sequences, where he tended to place higher priority in athletic ability over acting ability. Actors were expected to perform their own stunts for the sake of realism, which led to near tragedies on location during shooting. Such was the case of Ralph Faulkner, the actor originally cast as Ranald, who was replaced by Warner Richmond after a miscalculated stunt during rehearsal left him unable to work. MacRae’s intense attention to verisimilitude in this context informed his overall approach to the structure of the film, trimming the tale down to stark essentials: rapid action, colour, balance, contrast, climax, and denouement.

The Man from Glengarry was publicly previewed in Ottawa on December 11, 1922, under the distinguished patronage of the Governor General, Lord Byng. The initial response to the film was dominated by praise for the “sure-fire realism” of the spectacular forestry that was shot “amidst the scenes which inspired the writer” . The authentic representation of the real-life locations was seen to be the most appealing quality of the film, a welcome alternative to the popular cinematic images of Canada as a perpetual land of ice and snow and a move away from the use of “makeshift and incongruous sets in a foreign studio” . When the film was commercially released on March 18, 1923, the international reception noticeably lacked the nationalist enthusiasm evidenced in the domestic reception. While American and British critics generally acknowledged the film’s magnificent scenic features, these observations were balanced by blunt criticisms regarding the poor quality of the acting, the weakness of the characterizations, and the blandness of the melodrama. These critical differences highlight the discursive tensions surrounding the film (national and international, realism and melodrama, athleticism and acting), all of which were duly noted in the mixed reception which may ultimately account for its modest box-office success.

The Man from Glengarry is not entirely a lost film, though it no longer exists in its complete form. Library and Archives Canada holds excerpts from the first and third reels of the film, alongside a small collection of photos of the production and promotional material. These remnants provide us our only glimpses of this super-production of Canadian life that was entirely shot, processed and edited in Ottawa. What these glimpses also provide are insights into an early conception of a Canadian cinema that tried to contribute to the viability of a Canadian film industry.

Nick Nguyen

Tina Harvey

Videodrome, Jan. 25th Bytowne Cinema

2012-01-03T10:56:00.002-05:00

Videodrome, 1983, rated R, 90mins, 35mm Archival print, 7pm Jan 25th at the Bytowne Cinema

Anyone familiar with pioneering Toronto television station City-TV, particularly its daring, fly-by-the-seat-of-its-pants incarnation in the 1970’s and 80’s, will recognize the inspiration for the fictional CIVIC-TV station in David Cronenberg’s Videodrome. CIVIC is where Max Renn (James Woods) works as a producer seeking out the most provocative programming to drive up the ratings, always keeping an eye on finding the next big thing to scoop the competition. It’s this search that leads Renn to uncover an international conspiracy involving a mind- and flesh- altering signal hidden within violent images originating from the United States.

Videodrome still has the power to provoke philosophical reflection and disturb in equal measure nearly thirty years since its release. Like many of Cronenberg’s early films, it’s constructed around tropes of out-of-control technology, physical mutation, and sex and violence as social contagion. It’s the triumphant culmination of the first phase of his career, blending elements of science fiction, horror, and film noir in a deftly executed mix of genres. It’s noteworthy for being the first film where he started getting respect as a filmmaker of real intellectual substance, and not just a shockmeister intent on delivering cheap gory thrills.

For Canadian viewers, the fact that the film is set largely in an identifiable Toronto, and makes such great use of uber-Canuck references like Moses Znaimer and Marshall McLuhan, makes it all the more fun. Oscar-winner James Woods, always an interesting actor, makes for a compellingly flawed anti-hero, and he shares the screen with a cadre of fine supporting players, including rock star Deborah Harry, Sonja Smits (CBC’s ‘Street Legal’) and the perfectly-cast Jack Creley (Dr. Strangelove and TVO’s ‘Write On!’), who plays the McLuhanesque video-theorist Dr. Brian O’Blivion. To that we say: Long live the New Flesh!

– Lost Dominion Screening Collective

The Dog Who Stopped the War, Dec. 28th 1pm

2011-12-14T07:05:00.002-05:00

The Dog Who Stopped the War, Dec. 28th 1pm, 35mm, Mayfair Theatre

English-language version of the Quebec film "La Guerre des tuques". From the height of the Cold War comes a tale of a real cold war: kids competing over a giant snow fort. A super-smart dog, toboggans, plenty of snowballs, and a subtle anti-war message make for wintertime fun that the whole family can adore.

Also from the same producer we have the Peanut Butter Solution in March!

Janis, Dec 7th 7pm at the Bytowne

2011-11-10T08:28:00.002-05:00

Janis, 1975, 35mm, 96mins. A beautiful print provided by Library and Archives Canada.
One night only! December 7th at 7pm, Bytowne Cinema

Ottawa filmmaker Budge Crawley produced Janis through his company, Crawley Films, Canada`s largest independent film studio. This rock`n`roll documentary is one of the many highlights of an astonishing film career that lasted from the late 1930`s until the early 1980`s, with over 5000 films produced during that time.

In 1970, Budge Crawley decided to make the film after seeing Joplin during the Festival Express concert tour, which crossed Canada just months before Joplin died of a heroin overdose.

Crawley spent the next four years, and many thousands of dollars, securing the rights to concert performances, rehearsals and interviews — all of the footage available — including sequences from the Woodstock and Monterey Pop festivals.

Janis is a unique rock documentary that is as compelling for its musical sections as it is for its frank interviews with Joplin. The film was completed and released with the approval of Joplin's parents.

Janis won an Etrog as best nonfiction feature at the Canadian Film Awards in 1975 and was a considerable box office success.”

- Canadian Film Encyclopedia

Don't Miss Carry On! on Nov 9th 7pm

2011-11-04T11:10:00.003-04:00

This is your one chance to see a rare Canadian War film on 35mm with a live band! for only $10.

Carry on, Sergeant (1928), 35mm, Black and White, Nov. 9th, 7pm at the Bytowne Cinema.

Carry On, Sergeant! Nov. 9th

2011-10-27T08:27:00.001-04:00

Carry On, Sergeant, 1928, 35mm, 98mins, 7pm, Bytowne Cinema, Nov 9th

Accompanied by LIVE MUSIC from Mike Dubue and Mike Essoudry!

Carry On, Sergeant! was shot at Trenton Studios in Ontario and in the surrounding countryside by British Director Bruce Bairnsfather, with legendary Canadian filmmaker Gordon Sparling working as his assistant director. With a budget of $500,000, it was the biggest-budget film produced in Canada up to that time. Much of that budget went to recreating WWI-era France, with sprawling sets and battlefield scenes featuring hundreds of extras.

The story follows a group of workers from Hamilton who join the army to fight in WWI, and the travails and temptations that befall them during the war. The film has excellent production values and presents a drama that may feel surprisingly modern to today’s audiences. Bairnsfather’s insistence on portraying the soldiers as flawed human beings resulted in some criticism from those who expected a straightforward glorification of Canada’s war effort.

Produced as a silent film just as theatres were transitioning to sound, it had only a brief run at the box office before it was removed from circulation in January 1929. It fell into obscurity for many years before Gordon Sparling donated a print to Library and Archives Canada, resulting in a complete restoration of the film. That restored print is the same one we will be showing with a brand-new live soundtrack composed by Ottawa’s own Mike Dubue (Hilotrons). Similar screenings of other silent films that have been held around town in the past couple of years have sold out quickly, so please make sure to show up early to ensure a seat.”

Rabid, Oct. 26th Bytowne Cinema 6:50pm

2011-10-03T10:47:00.002-04:00

Rabid, 35mm, Rated R, 91mins, Bytowne Cinema, 6:50pm

Rabid stands as one of David Cronenberg’s most political, and most explicitly Canadian, horror films. It’s a tale of medical experimentation gone wrong, resulting in a parasite-borne plague rapidly spreading from an isolated rural medical clinic to the big city of Montreal, along with concomitant anarchy. The film initially gained its notoriety for featuring Ivory Snow soap box model/porn star Marilyn Chambers in one of her short-lived attempts to ‘go legit’. She is actually one of the film’s strongest features, putting in an unsettling performance as the plague’s ‘Typhoid Mary’ who infects the male populace of the city with the insanity-inducing parasites.

Astute viewers will note that Rabid offers a jaundiced view of Canada’s society as one in which powerful institutions, both public, and private, cannot be trusted to fulfill their duties without some measure of negligence and/or incompetence. With the Quebec setting of the late 70s there are naturally echoes of the earlier October Crisis, an event that will always have some place in the psyche of Canadians when considering issues of social order and governmental authority.

Rabid is the only Cronenberg film that wears its Canuck identity proudly on its sleeve. French accents, wintry locales, and rural farmlands reaffirm the sheer Canadian-ness of it all. The Canadian location is paramount, since the threat posed in Rabid is most effective in a society with a concentrated governmental control of services. Rabid proposes a broad examination of the cautions of state control…It is an effective film, biting, clever, dark, timely and ultimately Canadian.

– Canuxploitation.com

Ivory Tower September 28th 7pm Bytowne Cinema

2011-09-21T08:19:00.001-04:00

Wednesday September 28th 7pm, Ottawa Premiere, Director in Attendance, 2k Digital Cinema Presentation. 5.1 sound

Ivory Tower is Canadian director/musician/puppeteer Adam Traynor’s feature film debut. The Ottawa-born Traynor treats this ‘existential sports comedy’ as an exercise in high silliness, with just enough family drama to give the action some emotional heft.

Set in the world of international chess competition, it features the sibling rivalry between two chess prodigies fighting over the game and the same woman. The film is infused with the rhythms of both chess and music, and stars a roster of talented Canadian musicians, including multi-instrumentalist and Grammy-nominated producer Chilly Gonzales, Juno-Award winning DJ/producer Tiga, and internationally-renowned raunch rocker Peaches. Music fans should also watch for appearances by indie-pop superstar Feist and underground pop sensation The World Provider.

Gonzales, best known for producing Feist’s albums and having his music appear in the Apple iPad commercial that launched the product last year, stretches himself here not only as a musician (by providing the film’s soundtrack) but also as an actor and writer. Traynor and French filmmaker Céline Sciamma – writer and director of the provocative 2007 film Water Lilies – also share scripting credits. Their combined talents result in a comedy thatCahiers du Cinema compared (positively!) to the work of both Will Ferrell and Wes Anderson, and which Toronto.com described as ‘sweetly nutty’. Perhaps having doubted that a group of non-actors and a first-time director could pull off such a high-concept comedy with any degree of success, the Montreal Gazette ended up declaring it ‘a hilarious and surprisingly accomplished satire.’ With such a talented group of collaborators, perhaps it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise after all.

– Lost Dominion Screening Collective

This screening marks the debut of the Canadian Cult Revue film series at the ByTowne, presented by the Lost Dominion Screening Collective.

Regular admission prices apply, or you can buy a series pass: 11 movies for $45.

Canadian Cult Revue Starts Sept 17th with Deadly Eyes

2011-09-02T09:23:00.004-04:00

Deadly Eyes, Rated R, Sept. 17th at 10pm, Mayfair Theatre

The Lost Dominion Screening Collective presents a gorgeous 16mm print of the Canadian camp classic "Deadly Eyes" (1982), in which Toronto is overrun by giant killer rats!

Disgruntled maintenance worker Scatman Crothers wants a vacation, scream queen Lisa Langlois wants to bed the gym teacher, and noted rat-ologist Cec Linder just wants to talk your ear off, but these losers are no match for the swarm of genetically mutated rodents - actually dachshunds in fur coats! - who set out to eat their extremities for dinner.

In spite (because?) of a forehead-slapping screenplay and an overweening preponderance of love interests, this howler is by far the most entertaining Canadian killer-rat movie of the 80s. Import director Robert Clouse, best known for his many Bruce Lee flicks, makes the most of his tax-shelter budget; the film keeps on catching you by surprise with unforgettable set pieces in bowling alleys, movie theatres and subway tunnels. They even eat a baby.

Jonathan Culp - programmer at "Toronto's Classiest Cinema". Trash Palace - will be there in person to introduce this rare gem, one of the most entertaining films ever to be utterly forgotten by its nation of origin.

Canadian Cult Revue Season II (September - April)

2011-06-14T08:32:00.115-04:00

Festival Passes are only $45.00 for 11 films!

Most of the films will play at the Bytowne Theatre, with our late night debut and afternoon children's films showing at the Mayfair.

All films playing at the Bytowne start around 7pm. Check the Bytowne calendar for the exact time.

Normal ticket prices at the door. Festival Passes can now be bought at the Bytowne box office and Invisible Cinema at Bank and Lisgar.

Films playing at the Mayfair will have various start times and prices. Please check the Mayfair schedule for the exact times.

More info to come.

Canadian Cult Revue Season II
September 17th 2011 - April 4th 2012

2011

Sept 17^thDeadly Eyes, 16mm, 1982, 87mins, Mayfair Theatre, LATE SHOW 11pm-ish

Giant rats attack Toronto… starring Scatman Crothers (The Shining) and Canadian TV-staple Sarah Botsford (E.N.G.). The rats are in fact wiener dogs dressed up in hairy coats!

Sept 28^thThe Ivory Tower, HD, 2011, 77mins, Ottawa Premiere, Bytowne Cinema, 7pm ish

Director/musician/puppeteer Adam Traynor's feature film debut, a chess-epic starring a gamut of cult Canadian musicians including piano prodigy/iPad commercial composer/Grammy-nominated producer Chilly Gonzales, Juno-Award winning DJ Tiga, and internationally-renowned raunch rocker Peaches. Guest appearances by indie-pop superstar Feist and underground sensation the World Provider.

Adam Traynor was raised in Old Ottawa South, went to Hopewell Elementary School and attended Glebe Collegiate, making us very pleased to get the chance to debut his film in Ottawa.

Oct. 26^th Rabid, 35mm 1.85, 1977, Rated R, Bytowne

Early Cronenberg: rabid Montrealers run wild, infected by Marilyn Chamber's parasitic underarms.

Nov 9^th Carry on Sergeant! (1928) (Silent film) 35mm 1.37, PG, 100mins, Bytowne

Canada’s dramatic take on the Great War well before Paul Gross's Passchendaele. The biggest-budget Canadian movie of the 1920's had the misfortune to be produced as a silent film just as theatres were transitioning to sound. By the time it was released audiences were already enamored of the new audio era, and the film failed at the box office and fell into obscurity. We now revive it with a live soundtrack by Ottawa composer Mike Dubue (Hilotrons).

Dec 7^th Janis, 35mm, 1.85, 1974, AA, 100mins, Bytowne

60’s music icon Janis Joplin rocks it out, produced by Ottawa’s own Crawley Films. Amazing footage of a musical legend at her peak.

Dec 28^thThe Dog Who Stopped the War, 35mm, 88mins, Family, 1984, Mayfair Theatre, 1:30pm

This 1980's kid's classic was produced in Quebec as La guerre des tuques. Familiar to many as "that film with the giant snow fort".

2012

Jan 25^thVideodrome, 35mm, 1.85, 88mins, rated R, 1983, Bytowne

Long live the new flesh! Starring Blondie's lead singer Deborah Harry and Oscar-winner James Woods. Video mutates humanity in this genuinely creepy Marshall-McLuhan-influenced horror classic.

Feb 29th LEAP DAY SCREENING!

The River of Life, or The Case Against Certainty, DCP 2K, 71mins, Directed by Edward Folger

In a tribute to the work of his friend, the late Canadian/Bolivian/Dutch artist Juan Geuer, Canadian/American filmmaker/poet Edward Folger builds a jig-saw vision of his life in Ottawa, in the form of a graphic raga, evolving, like classical Indian music, from a leisurely beginning, into a frenzied ride on the force of nature. He draws from his history with media – still photography, feature films, early consumer video; moving on to standard digital and state of the art, high definition video; and finally, into online virtual worlds.

From New York, New England, Ottawa, rural Ontario, and the vast digital world of Second Life, in concert with artists from France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Denmark, each stanza of this video poem twists in a new direction – drama, documentary, animation, still montage, experimental, music video. The worldview that Folger shared with Juan Geuer is the glue holding all the pieces together. Portions of the film have been screened previously at various galleries and international film festivals and some chapters were produced with the support of the City of Ottawa and SAW Video Media Arts Centre.

Folger’s work leaps forward into the Twenty-First Century, visualizing String Theory and M-Theory, vibrating in the full eleven dimensions of reality.

– László Fontoskodó, Director of the Institute for Post-Quantum Critical Studies
March 14^st Peanut Butter Solution, 35mm 92mins, PG, 1985, Mayfair Theatre 1:30pm

Children's classic (sort of about the crisis of premature balding?) from director Michael Rubbo (Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller).

March 28^thLost Films from Library and Archives Canada, 35mm,1.37, Non-rated, Bytowne

Bits and pieces of various lost films from the vaults of Library and Archives Canada, set to new live musical scores. More information to come.

April 4^thJesus Christ Superstar, 35mm, 2.35 scope, 106mins, 1973, PG, Bytowne

Norman Jewison’s musical about the last few weeks of Jesus Christ's life, heavily affected by the cultural haze of the 60’s and 70’s.

A look at Chris Chapman editing "A Place To Stand" 1967

2011-05-30T14:22:00.000-04:00

70mm Frames from "Ontario" Osaka Expo 70'

2011-05-26T12:45:00.001-04:00

For the 70mm film junkies here is a rare look at the Expo 70' film "Ontario" directed by Christopher Chapman. The film was later shortened for the opening of Ontario Place and renamed "Festival" which we played at last years 70mm festival.

Ontario, 1970, 26mins, 70mm 5-perf, 6-track mag (though apparently at the Expo 70' screening it ran 12 track, 6 tracks on the the film, an six more running interlock on fullcoat mag.

An interview segment with Chris Chapman about the film.

This abridged interview, recorded in 1989 and transcribed by Patricia Thompson, the late editor of Film Canada Yearbook, was conducted by Gerald Pratley, then head of the Ontario Film Institute. It was edited by Risa Shuman and Gerald Pratley, with additional material by Christopher and Francis Chapman and Wyndham Wise, 2010. © Ontario Film Institute

GP How did your film for Expo 70, in Osaka, Japan, come about?

CC I was in Los Angeles working on The Happy Time when James Ramsay came down and persuaded me to come back to Toronto to do an Ontario film for Expo 70 in Japan. I knew in a sense that I was asking for trouble; but I was keen to communicate to Oriental audiences because I felt there was something in the relationship between nature and man, and work and play, which was universal. I felt I would like to try this again.

GP You didn't want to repeat yourself. You didn't want another 'Ontari-ari-ario.'

CC No! Actually, I was thinking lyrically; I wanted to take big pan shots and move them slowly across the screen. And I went out and did this. It was not going to be A Place to Stand and it wasn't going to be music from one end to the other. I wanted to take pieces of a music camp up north, or a June Mardi Gras in Ottawa, or the calliope in Western Ontario - all this things that gave it a spirit somewhat different from A Place to Stand. Bill McCauley was musical director and worked closely with me composing the linking music. I was asked to make a longer film, which was fatal; the crowds were just too big for anything longer. Francis joined me, and we called the film Festival.

The first thing James Ramsay from the ministry did at the initial screening in Toronto was to give out a questionnaire asking audiences to compare it to A Place to Stand, which just killed me. The whole idea of even trying to compare the two was the wrong way to go about it. Anyway, it obviously wasn't A Place to Stand, and was never intended to be. So it went to Japan - the longer version - [but] the Ontario Pavilion was an absolute disaster. And I was tied in with its program. There was a monumental multi-slide show that didn't work properly, and it was confused with my film. I went to Japan feeling very depressed after hearing all the bad publicity in Ontario, but in Japan I was greeted warmly and they said the film was an enormous success. The theatre was supposed to hold 650 people, but 1,200 were trying to get in. There were several items in the papers about the success of the film, and it raised my spirits somewhat. Some reviewers considered it one of the most Japanese of all the films at Expo. But despite the fact it won an award at Expo, the ministry considered the whole venture a failure and they didn't even announce the award.

GP And you've never been asked to make a film for Ontario since?

The closing flying shot going over and down Niagara Falls, filmed in 65mm

CC Oh, no, and it would be wrong for me to do another. There are great young talents who should be given a chance. But I will say this, Ontario Place was built and put up entirely as a result of the success of Expo 67. They had Cinesphere, but they weren't going to put in an IMAX screen. IMAX was nearly bankrupt. I convinced Ontario Place that an IMAX system should be included on the grounds that it is a very exciting new medium; it's Ontario, and it's going to be sold to the States if they don't adopt it. So they decided to install an IMAX projection system. In 1973 the new director of Ontario Place, Ian McLennan, asked me to do Toronto the Good, a multi-media show using 36 slide projectors in combination with 35-mm film, and I enjoyed working with Francis again. It was done in remarkably short time, and the possibilities were so exciting; the film part was going to be there all the time, but over the seasons we could change all the slides. They were designed for that purpose, so there was always something new. It did very well and there were some tremendously nice comments.

For more of the interview go here

The Lost Dominion goes to the woods

2011-03-04T09:28:00.002-05:00

Our second "Cinema Under the Stars" will be held at Raven's Knoll Campground on the August 26-27th.
Check back for details regarding the films. We will be screening two films one on Friday August 26th at dusk and the second on August 27th. The films will be projected on 35mm film and the movies are free for campers. Raven's Knoll is located close to Eganville, Ontario.

Extreme Documentaries Double Bill Feb. 16th

2011-01-20T11:09:00.007-05:00

February 16th at the Mayfair Theatre, $10

The Man Who Skied Down Everest 7pm, New 35mm print, 1975, 88mins, 2.35 Cinema Scope

The Man Who Skied Down Everest, produced by Ottawa's own Crawley Films, is a monumental movie in more ways than one. Founded by Budge Crawley in the late 1940's, Crawley Films grew into Canada's largest independent film studio, and even rivaled the NFB for cinematic output. It produced everything from Canada's second animated feature film (Return to Oz) in 1962, to industrial films, tv commercials, feature films and documentaries. Based in Ottawa/Gatineau, with a studio in Old Chelsea and a branch office in Toronto, it produced over 5000 films and won numerous awards over its 43 year history, including the Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary in 1976 for The Man Who Skied Down Everest (the first Academy Award ever won by a Candian feature film). This film follows Japanese adventurer Yuichiro Miura as he attempts to sky down the tallest mountain in the world. Very popular with both audiences and critics of the time, this is a film that deserves being seen on the big screen.

Life Without Death, 8:45pm, New 35mm print, 2000, 83mins, 1.37

Ottawa director Frank Cole created an epic existential documentary with Life Without Death, a personal tale of survival set in one of the harshest environments imaginable – the elemental and unforgiving landscape of the Sahara Desert. By attempting to become the first person to cross the Sahara on foot, Cole presaged the popular reality-based tv shows like Man Vs. Wild and Survivor Man, but it's closer to Lawrence of Arabia than anything comparable on reality TV. This film has gained a devoted cult following with good reason. Cole's chronicle of his struggle against the desert at the limits of human endurance is mesmerizing in its intensity and stunning in its stark and poetic visual-composition. In it, Frank Cole manages to confront the most basic realities of human existence in a herculean test of fortitude and will. This is a documentary that stays with you long after you have seen it.

For more on the films read John Yemen's preview here.

Whispering City + Scanners Jan. 19th at the Mayfair Theatre $10

2010-12-30T13:30:00.005-05:00

7pm Whispering City, 1946, Directed by Fedor Ozep, 91mins, 1.37, mono, Rated PG, 35mm new archival Black and White print.

Whispering City is a film noir mystery set in Quebec City in the late 1940's. Directed by Russian-born director Fédor Ozep (also known as Fyodor Otsep), english and french versions of this film were produced with different casts at the same time (in french it was called La Forteresse). A modest hit at the time, Whispering City very effectively uses Quebec City as a backdrop and is notable for its excellent musical score. Starring Mary Anderson (from Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat) and Paul Lukas (20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Best Actor Oscar-winner from 1943's Watch on the Rhine).

For more on this Quebec Noir double bill see John's writeup in Unfolding.

8:45pm Scanners, 1981, 35mm print, Rated R, directed by David Cronenberg, the print is supplied by the Library and Archives Canada.

How best to describe Cronenberg’s tale of an underground organization of people with telepathic abilities bent on taking over the world? How about "mind-blowing"?

A new project for a new year...

2010-12-29T19:37:00.002-05:00

"Cinema of the Lost Dominion".

The Lost Dominion goes into production.... check back for more info.

Title change for Jan. 19th SCANNERS!

2010-12-08T11:28:00.001-05:00

Unfortunately Alliance Atlantis who told us a while back they had a 35mm print of Le Confessional has now told us they infact do not have one or own the rights anymore. We had to make a quick change as the Mayfair is printing their January schedule early because of the holidays. We will now be playing David Cronenberg's Scanners as the second show on Jan 19th at 8:45pm.

Scanners, 1981, 35mm print, directed by David Cronenberg, the print is supplied by the Library and Archives Canada.

70MM DTS!

2010-12-05T15:49:00.000-05:00

The Lost Dominion has aquired a DTS Cinema processor (XD10) and two 70mm DTS readers for the next 70mm Festival. We can now play new prints that only have a DTS track on them. Films with DTS only inculde: Tron, New prints of 2001, Cleopatra, Pattoon, Doctor Dolittle, etc...

The Silent Partner + Black Christmas Dec 15th at the Mayfair

2010-11-13T10:23:00.002-05:00

Dec. 15th: Xmas Chills Double Bill, Mayfair Theatre $10

The Silent Partner, 1979, Directed by Daryl Duke, 106mins, 1.85, mono, rated R, 35mm original print

Christopher Plummer gets to play big, bad, and bold as the villain of The Silent Partner, a thriller set in late 1970's Toronto. Using the Eaton Centre as a prime location, The Silent Partner also stars Elliot Gould as a bank clerk out to thwart Plummer's plans. Great fun, and more than a little shocking at times for its ferocious depiction of ruthless criminality. This film was written by Curtis Hanson, who later went on to direct L.A. Confidential, The River Wild,Wonder Boys and 8 Mile. A highlight of the Tax Shelter Years, this film was one of the more polished films of the era. Also starring Susannah Yorke. Watch for an appearance by John Candy.

Black Christmas, 1974, Directed by Bob Clark, 98mins, 1.85, Mono, rated R, 35mm original print

Director Bob Clark owns the distinction of having produced one of the most beloved Christmas movies of the past 40 years (1983's A Christmas Story) and also the scariest in 1974's Black Christmas. Both were filmed mostly in Canada. Clark is often credited as the inventor of the slasher genre that went on to great commercial success in the 1980's (Halloween, Friday the 13th etc), but that credit does him a bit of a disservice, conjuring up images of generic slice-em dice-em exploitation films with little artistic merit. If Black Christmas belongs to the slasher genre, it is surely one of the best, and one that uses old-fashioned suspense to scare its audience and rather than excessive gore. With an star-studded cast including Keir Dullea (star of Stanley Kubrick's 2001), Margot Kidder (Superman), Andrea Martin (SCTV), John Saxon (Enter the Dragon), and Argentinian beauty Olivia Hussey (Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet).

For a more detailed preview of the double bill by John Yemen go here

Lest We Forget Double Bill Nov 10th @ the Mayfair

2010-10-21T08:26:00.009-04:00

Canadian Army News Reels 7:00pm + Guy Maddin's Archangel 9:10pm
Mayfair Theatre, Nov. 10th, Ottawa, Ontario

Canadian Army News Reels, 1942-46, 90mins, 1.37, Non rated, 35mm archival prints.

In honour of Remembrance Day, we are proud to present a series of rarely-seen Canadian Army Newsreels from the Second World War. Some of you may recall a special screening of Casablanca at the Mayfair a couple of years ago that was preceded by a newsreel that film conservator Paul Gordon retrieved from Library and Archives Canada. The rapturous reception by the audience convinced us that Ottawans were ready for more. The prints we are going to show have been fully restored (cleaned up, and re-printed from their original sound and film elements) and will give the audience a chance to experience the progress of the war the way the so many on the home front would have done at the time. There's nothing quite like seeing a newsreel on the big screen to experience the real-life drama and struggle of war. We invite you to bring your Remembrance Day to life and join us in honouring our veterans and their sacrifice in this unique and moving tribute. We will be screening 8-9, 10 minute newsreels many that were only seen by Canadian troops and never to the general public back home.

For the complete DVD box set of the newsreels produced by the Canadian War Amps go here

For a Toronto Star article on the War Amps News Reel box set go here

A a more detailed preview by John Yemen go here

Archangel, 1990, Directed by Guy Maddin, 82mins, 1.37, mono, rated AA, New 35mm print from the Winnipeg Film Group

Set in World War One, Archangel is a strange and atypical war movie brought to the screen by the king of arch-stylization, Winnipeg's own Guy Maddin. Filmed in the style of a silent film, Archangel is at once dreamlike and disturbing. Using the trope of amnesia to explore the horror of war, Archangel is about as far away from a standard war movie as you can get without floating into pure abstraction. Yet, it is precisely this lack of sense that makes perfect sense, because with war, after all, is the least sensible creation of the human mind. A worthwhile journey, for those prepared to enter the dream.

The companion booklet on the film by the Winnipeg Film group is here

Oct. 20th Ginger Snaps + American Psycho

2010-09-30T15:47:00.003-04:00

Mayfair Theatre, Halloween Double bill $10

Ginger Snaps, 2000, Directed by John Fawcett, 108mins, 1.85, 35mm print, Rated R

A darker Canadian counterpart to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Ginger Snaps, directed by John Fawcett in the year 2000, explores the darkness lurking in the Canadian suburbs where teenagers know that things are not all well. If you ever thought adolescence had a monstrous side, Ginger Snaps is for you. A tale of two sisters, and the things go bite in the night, Ginger Snaps is both an effective scary movie and smart social commentary, exploring the world of the modern teenager with a wit seldom seen outside of the films of John Hughes. It's a biting wit, and to its credit, it's a film that's not afraid of the horrific underbelly of high school.

American Psycho, 2000, Directed by Mary Harron, 101mins, 2.35 Cinemascope, 35mm print, Rated R

Bret Easton Ellis’s best selling novel is transformed by Canadian director Mary Harron into the first cult classic of the 21 century. Set in the 80’s world of big business Patrick Batemen (Christain Bale) takes no prisoners and whips out all competition in his strive for power and perfection in the corporate world. Mary Harron puts a female spin on the story and adds a lot of humour to this serial killer romp.

“The film regards the male executive lifestyle with the devotion of a fetishist. There is a scene where a group of businessmen compare their business cards, discussing the wording, paper thickness, finish, embossing, engraving and typefaces, and they might as well be discussing their phalli. Their sexual insecurity is manifested as card envy". Roger Ebert.

The cinemascope photography, shot in Toronto, also perfectly suits the film. The Director of Photography used the lowest speed film stocks and almost all the lights available to him on set to give the film a deep focus, sterile look. The end result is a film that is visually stunning on the big screen. Also starring Willem Dafoe, Reese Witherspoon and Jared Leto.

For a more detailed review by collective member John Yemen go here.

70MM Here We Come!

2010-08-31T08:21:00.012-04:00

UPDATE:

Famous Film Archivist Robert Harris will be attending the festival and doing Q&A's after Vertigo, Spartacus and Lawrence of Arabia.

The Lost Dominion 70mm Film Festival is just around the corner (Sept. 24-26th). Our program is now getting around town, tickets can now be bought at the Museum of Civilization's Box office and festival passes at Invisible Cinema. Come out and support large format films, we have something for everyone!

The Lost Dominion Screening Collective is proud to present the first annual Lost Dominion 70mm Film Festival at the Canadian Museum of Civilization September 24th, 25th, and 26th, 2010.

We will be showing a selection of some of the most popular large-format films of the 20th Century released in 70mm format as well as some Canadian films that haven't been seen on the big screen since the late 1960's and early 1970's.

Although popular in the rest of the world, there hasn't been a film festival devoted to 70mm film in the Ottawa area in almost twenty years, and there have been very few individual screenings of 70mm films in over ten years. One reason for the dwindling amount of exhibition is that theatres capable of showing 70mm films have been slowly disappearing. The Canadian Museum of Civilization has the last screen in the Ottawa/Gatineau area capable of showing standard 70mm film prints with their original six-track magnetic soundtracks, so this will be a rare chance for audiences to see these large-format films in all their original big-screen glory.

The Lost Dominion 70mm Festival, co-presenting with the Canadian Film Institute (CFI), will feature fully restored 70mm prints of three great Hollywood classics:

● Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo (1958), starring James Stewart and Kim Novak;

● Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus (1960), starring Lawrence Olivier and Kirk Douglas (just in time to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of its release); and,

● David Lean's Lawrence of Arabia (1962), starring Peter O'Toole and Omar Sharif.

Film restorer Robert A. Harris, the man who led the teams that restored all three films, is currently planning to attend the festival. If all goes as planned he will be available for Q&A sessions at some of the screenings.

Along with the Hollywood classics, the 70mm Film Festival will also feature a selection of Canadian short films originally produced for Expo 67 in Montreal, Expo 70 in Osaka, Japan, the opening of the Ontario Place Cinesphere in Toronto in 1971. Most of these films have not been seen on the big-screen since their original runs, including Christopher Chapman's A Place to Stand (1967) winner of the Oscar for Best Live Action Short Subject and a Canadian “Film of the Year” Award (predecessor to the Genie Awards).

A Place to Stand was the featured attraction at the Ontario pavilion at Expo 67 and was conceived as a mural-in-motion using a pioneering kaleidoscopic editing technique that influenced countless other feature films, television shows, and music videos. Brilliantly scored with Richard Morris' and Dolores Claman's “Ontari-ari-ario” musical theme, it is a true Canadian classic.

Other Canadian films will include:

● L'Homme Multiplié/Multiple Man (1969), a commemoration of the “Terre des Hommes” theme of Expo 67, with footage shot at Expo 67 and around the world;

● Festival (1970), produced for Expo 70 by Christopher Chapman as a portrait of Ontario using many of the same techniques he used in A Place to Stand;

● Seasons in the Mind (1971), a portrait of Eastern-Ontario produced for the inaugural season of the Ontario Cinesphere (featuring some scenes shot in Arnprior) with a soundtrack by Ottawa-area composer Larry Crosley (who received a Canadian Film Award for the music); and

● Where the North Begins (1970), a portrait of life in north-central Ontario featuring glorious photography of the Canadian Shield landscape, also produced for the Cinesphere.

The 70mm Film Festival will also feature films such as:

● The Untouchables (1987), starring Robert DeNiro, Kevin Costner, and Patricia Clarkson, and featuring an Oscar-winning supporting performance by Sean Connery;

● Star Trek VI:The Undiscovered Country (1991), by Nicholas Meyer (the same director as Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan) and featuring Canadians William Shatner, Christopher Plummer, and Kim Cattrall;

● Baraka (1992), director Ron Fricke's hugely impressive poetic exploration of nature and humanity. It is one of the few films shot in 65mm in the last twenty years and released in 70mm (Fricke has just completed a sequel to be released in 2011 called Samsara, also shot in 65mm); and

● Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968), the fantastical family classic based on a story by James Bond creator Sir Ian Fleming with a screenplay co-written by children's author Roald Dahl (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

The schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY September 24

1:30pm Vertigo

4:00pm Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

7:00pm Vertigo

9:30 Baraka (+ A Place to Stand)

SATURDAY September 25

10:30am Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

2:00pm Spartacus

7:00pm Lawrence of Arabia

SUNDAY September 26

11:00am Canadian Shorts

1:00pm Lawrence of Arabia

6:30pm Baraka (+ Seasons in the Mind)

9pm The Untouchables

Background on 70mm:

70mm was the format of choice for releasing Hollywood's widescreen films of the mid-20th century up until the 1990's. There were a number of competing large-screen formats used for filming (Panavision, Todd-AO, VistaVision etc), but when released to movie theatres most were printed and distributed on standard 70mm film prints. Commonly, film was shot on 65mm film stock, and then printed and released on 70mm with the extra 5mm devoted to the magnetic sound track.

What all the large-screen formats shared were superior colour and resolution to standard 35mm film, at roughly double the width and four times the resolution. Surprisingly, the 70mm format exceeds the current technical standards for High Definition Video as well as those of the Digital Cinema of today. 70mm film has superior image quality and resolution, with a far cleaner, and brighter, image.

70mm films also featured the first real use of multi-track “surround sound”, with six discrete magnetic sound tracks. It was the highest-quality sound format available until the emergence of multi-track digital audio in the early 1990's. In fact, many people assert that 70mm films still have superior sound quality compared to today's films.

When 70mm soundtracks were created the technicians could take advantage of five “behind-the-screen” sound channels plus the surround channels to the side and rear of the theatre. The actors' dialogue could move between the channels depending on where people were positioned on-screen, giving a greater degree of verisimilitude to the audio mix. This sort of position-based, flexible sound mixing is not typically done for the digital-audio mixes used in theatres today. Instead, for current films, dialogue is locked onto the centre sound channel, and surround channels are reserved for music and sound effects (similar to the home-theatre style sound mixing found on DVDs).

Many audio purists also argue that the warmth and dynamic range of analog-based magnetic sound is superior to the digital sound found in today's films, particularly as digital sound can sound harsh if it not equalized properly, or is “over-driven”. Magnetic soundtracks tend to have a greater dynamic range, and a warmer, more organic feel. They are thus particularly friendly to the human voice and symphonic musical scores. So if you ever wondered why the Hollywood epics of yesteryear sounded “better”, more “realistic”, or more “impressive” than the films of today, you can thank the six-track magnetic sound.

The 70mm format was so good that many films not originally shot in large format were reprinted in 70mm to take advantage of the superior picture and sound quality. Even a film shot in 35mm but released on a 70mm print ended up having superior image and sound quality to a standard movie release.

The 70mm format was an evolutionary step towards to one of the most popular film formats of today: the Canadian-developed IMAX. IMAX is the only format currently in wide-use that can hold a candle to classic 70mm in terms of quality. Interestingly, audiences are rediscovering some of the joys of classic-70mm-style film through new IMAX releases, with films such as Christopher Nolan's Inception, that was shot in 65mm and released to IMAX theatres this summer. Hopefully it is the start of a new trend. Now, if only we could convince filmmakers to go back to magnetic sound...

Ticket Information:

Tickets ($10) for individual shows can be purchased at the door on the day of, or in advance at the Museum of Civilization's Box Office (w/surcharge).

Festival passes ($40) can be purchased at:

The Invisible Cinema 319 Lisgar Street, Ottawa, ON K2P 0E1 (613) 237-0769

Open Mon-Thu Noon-9pm; Fri-Sat Noon-10pm; Sun Noon-8pm

or Online through Paypal to lostdominion@gmail.com

The Brain + Search and Destroy Double Bill

2010-08-25T15:41:00.004-04:00

Sept. 22nd, Mayfair Theatre, $10

The Brain, 1988, Directed by Ed Hunt, 90mins, 1.85, Dolby A, rated AA, Perfect colour.

The advent of the vcr enabled many lower-budget filmmakers to thrive in the 1980's with a built-in audience of b-movie addicts, with action and horror genres dominating the most successful rentals. If these films received theatrical release at all, it was the video store where they received their second and more appropriate lease on life. If you can see past the cheesy monster effects and get past the other hilarious elements of the story, The Brain is a horror movie with a message: the importance of independent thinking. Proving that The Brain is a movie with (at least some) brains.

Check out this online review of the film here:

Search and Destroy (AKA Striking Back), 1979, Directed by William Fruet, 92mins, 1.85, mono, rated PG, 35mm original print, colour has faded and some wear.

William Fruet, the writer of Goin' Down The Road directs this revenge film centred on the traumatic after-effects of the Vietnam War. The tax-shelter years of the 1970's created an opportunity for Canadian productions that might not have gotten off the ground in previous years, often using imported American stars, often providing surprisingly rich opportunities for Canadians to see their own country on film as Canada. You can debate just how “Canadian” these stories are, but what's not debatable is that they established a commercial industry that fostered many of the films of the English Canadian film renaissance of the 1980's. This exciting thriller is set in Niagara Falls, starring George Kennedy, tv stalwart Perry King (Riptide, Melrose Place), and Tisa Farrow (younger sister of Mia Farrow).

70mm tickets now on sale at the Museum of Civilization!

2010-08-19T12:17:00.008-04:00

You can now buy individual show tickets at the Museum of Civilization box office for the 70mm festival (Sept. 24-26th)

Festival passes ($40.00) can only be bought at the Invisible Cinema (319 Lisgar St.) or by paypal through the Lost Dominion.

Invisible Cinema
319 Lisgar Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 0E1
(613) 237-0769

A Place to Stand, 1967, 70mm, 6-track mag

Crimewave = 16mm by hand.

2010-08-19T09:02:00.002-04:00

Thanks to all who came out for the 16mm double bill. You got a very rare chance to see two "Lost Canadian Classics" A massive thank you also goes out to the Matthew the Projectionist for dealing on the fly with some warped 16mm house reels. He had to guide the film by hand while it ran. Standing for three hours straight is not easy!

70MM FESTIVAL PASSES on sale!

2010-08-09T12:51:00.008-04:00

Festival Passes for the 70mm film festival go on sale Wednesday (Aug. 11th at the Invisible Cinema, Bank an Lisgar).

Passes are $40.00 and get you into all the screenings. For more on the schedule go here.

Passes can also be bought during the Canadian Cult Revue screenings at the Mayfair Theatre. The next one is Aug. 18th then Sept. 22nd. Or you can Paypal us the payment and we will mail you the festival pass. Our Paypal account is lostdominion@gmail.com

Invisible Cinema

319 Lisgar Street
Ottawa, ON K2P 0E1
(613) 237-0769

Open Mon-Thu Noon-9pm; Fri-Sat Noon-10pm; Sun Noon-8pm

70MM FESTIVAL SCHEDULE UPDATE

2010-08-02T10:11:00.000-04:00

70mm Festival Schedule update:

FRIDAY, Sept. 24th 2010

1:30pm Vertigo, 1996 restoration

4:00pm Star Trek 6: Undiscovered Country

7pm Vertigo

9:30 Baraka (A Place To Stand Plays before Feature)

SATURDAY. Sept. 25th 2010

10:30 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

2pm Spartacus, 1991 restoration

7pm Lawrence of Arabia, 1989 restoration

SUNDAY, Sept 26th 2010

11:00am Canadian Shorts on 70mm

1pm Lawrence of Arabia

6:30pm Baraka (Seasons in the Mind plays before feature)

9pm Untouchables

New title added to 70mm Festival!

2010-07-30T15:21:00.002-04:00

VERTIGO! 70mm print from the1996 restoration.

We are currently juggling the schedule to fit a couple screenings of Vertigo. The full locked down schedule will be on-line by Tuesday Aug. 3rd. We will also start selling festival passes in early August. Festival passes are $40.00 CND. We also have a official hotel which is across the street from the venue, the Four Points Sheraton. With a discounted rate starting at $119.00 for a double room. For more on the festival go here.

August 18: Crime Wave + Skip Tracer

2010-07-12T09:26:00.006-04:00

August 18: Indy 16mm Double Bill, Mayfair Theatre, $10.00

Crime Wave, 1985, Directed by John Paizs, 80mins, 1.37, mono, rated AA, 16mm print from the Winnipeg film group, expect some print wear.

John Paisz's Crimewave is one of the best films produced out of the Winnipeg Film Group in the 1980's. Along with Guy Maddin, Paisz was able to deftly capture a bit of the uniqueness of the “Centre of the Country” filtered through classic film genres and cinema history. More accessible than the works of Maddin, Paizs' Crimewave is a good-natured look at the process of film making itself. Paisz later went on to direct many of the mini-filmed segments of the CBC series Kids in the Hall, and a similar off-kilter sensibility is equally on display here. A true gem of a film. Go here for an interview with director John Paizs.

Skip Tracer, 1978, Directed by Zale Dalen, 94mins, 1.37, mono rated AA, 16mm print from Queens University

Skip Tracer, 1977, Directed by Zale Dalen

Director Zale Dalen's feature film debut, Skip Tracer was shot on location in Vancouver in the late 1970's. It's a hardscrabble drama concerning a bill-collector attempting to regain past glory by tracking down all his “skips” - people who have skipped out on paying their bills. Enthusiasts of this little-seen film insist that it is a lost classic, one of the best Canadian films produced in the past 40 years, and a stringent commentary on life as lived in the back-alleys and “mean streets” of our cities. Rarely seen on the big screen since its debut, this is your chance to make up your own mind

for more information on these two films read John Yemen's preview at Unfolding Magazine.

Neil Young Double Bill July 21st

2010-07-02T11:06:00.001-04:00

July 21st: Neil Young Double Bill

Mayfair Theatre, 7pm $10.00 gets into both films.

Lots of prizes before the show including the Greendale Comic.

Rust Never Sleeps, 1979, Directed by Neil young, 103mins, 1.85, Dolby A, rated PG, original 35mm print, may have some wear.

Neil young has directed a number of musical based films including Déjà Vu, Greendale, Human Highway, and Journey Through The Past. Rust Never Sleeps is generally considered the best pure music film out of the bunch because it’s just Neil and his band playing for 90 minutes (there's a reason Neil Young fans are often called “Rusties”). This film documents a 1978 concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Young's performance and set list really make this film soar, starting with an acoustic set on a 12-string a guitar and moving onto some grungier rock stuff with his backing band Crazy Horse. Young is in top form and the film captures a momentous time period in the history of rock n' roll and Neil Young's career: Punk is in, bloated progressive rock is on the way out, and the 80’s will be a mess, but Neil will make it out alive. Warning: this original print of Rust Never Sleeps includes old film stock, so expect it to be a little rusty around the edges…but still totally watchable.

Greendale, 2004, Directed by Neil Young, 87mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital/DTS, rated PG, 35mm studio print

Neil Young's Greendale project involved a concept album and tour captured live in this feature film. It ties together a lot of his artistic preoccupations including the faded idealism of the 60's generation, the crisis of the environment, the personal failings of his flawed protagonists and his hopes for the next generation. Set in the fictional town of Greendale, California, using an interconnected series of vignettes of characters, with their lives and struggles expressed through songs. Rather than following the approach of a traditional stage musical, instead we see actors appear with Neil Young singing for all the characters. The film is also shot in glorious Super-8 film format (the old home-movie format) which adds to the film’s “home made” rough-around-the-edges aesthetic. Greendale is a project that could have easily fallen apart if it had been approached in a heavy-handed manner. However, Neil Young's trademark sly sense of humour, attention to songwriting craft, clever use of the “school play” structure lift this project out of the ordinary. Ambitious and fresh, it proves once again that Neil Young is Canada's superlative songwriter, and not a bad filmmaker either.

For more on Neil Young film's read John Yemen's Article on Unfolding.ca

Coming Soon! 70mm Film Festival and Canadian Indies on 16mm

2010-07-01T13:11:00.009-04:00

Don't forget about the 70mm Film Festival we are hosting Sept. 24-26th. Tickets and programs will be available mid-Aug from our website or at the Museum of Civilizations box office. Check back in early August for more details.

Get ready for some classic 70mm epics and 80's action on 70mm film with 6-track sound.

For more on the festival go here

Also in August we are presenting two very rare 16mm Canadina features. These films are not on DVD so this could be your only chance to see two unknown classics.

Don't Miss Our Canada Day Eve Triple Bill!

2010-06-28T18:09:00.006-04:00

Join the hosers of the Lost Dominion Film Collective for our
Canada Day Eve Triple Bill! @ The Mayfair Theatre Wednesday, June 30th 2010.

This triple bill highlights the best and brightest of the Canadian big screen starting at...

7:00 Goin' Down the Road, a great 35mm print brought to you by Library and Archives Canada! a Canadian classic about two maritimers who go to Toronto to try and make it big

8:45 Strange Brew
Bob and Doug Mackenzie drink the largest beer ever in their hoser-fied version of Hamlet

10:20 Fubar
"If I have five words left and I'm about to fuckin' expire and all I have left to say is to curse fuckin' Tron, I'm probably not going to say, Tron funkin' blow."

** and don't forget it's $10 for 3 movies!!**

For a article by collective member John Yemen about triple bill beer fest go here

Back to God's Country

2010-06-01T11:38:00.005-04:00

Follow this link to read a fascinating monograph on the restoration of Back to God's Country by film archivist D.J. Turner from Library and Archives Canada (it's a large file so please give it time to load). Turner recounts the great technical challenges as well as the strokes of luck that went into saving this important part of Canada's cinema heritage. We will be showing this same restored print on June 25th at 9pm with live music by HILOTRONS founder/composer Mike Dubue. Very few Canadian feature films from the early days of cinema still exist, and the restoration of Back to God's Country is a case to cheer. Not only did Turner restore a piece of Canadian cinema history, he also helped bring attention to the pioneering career of Nell Shipman. She was a true trailblazer - writing, producing and starring in the film. As with many of her roles, she portrays a heroine fighting to survive against impossible odds in the wilderness. It features a dastardly villain, wild animals, rugged landscapes, a husband in need of rescue, and a bonus nude scene from Shipman who knew how to entice an audience into the theatre. This film became her greatest success, and cemented her reputation as a maverick filmmaker. Modern audiences may be shocked at just how "modern" this silent film is...don't miss it!

HOSER TRIPLE BILL JUNE 30th!!

2010-05-20T11:17:00.019-04:00

HOSE-O-RAMA TRIPLE BILL JUNE 30th at the MAYFAIR!
Lots a Canadian themed prizes, O'Canada and more.

Goin' Down the Road , 1970, Directed by Donald Shebib, 100mins, 1.37, Mono, Rated AA, 35mm archival print (reprinted in 2000) 7pm

Director Don Shebib's 1970 film is ranked high on the list of all-time Canadian classics. A story of two Maritimers heading to the big city to find a better life, this film is at once serious, hilarious, and heartbreaking. Goin' Down The Road resonates strongly 40 years later in a Canada where regional economic disparities still shape the lives of many. It was also the start of the “hoser-trend” in Canadian Cinema, but its heart is in a grittier, darker place than the comedies that followed. Think Midnight Cowboy instead of Strange Brew.

Strange Brew, 1983, Directed by Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas, 90mins, 1.85, mono, rated PG, Digital video presentation (for now...no film prints currently available in Canada, but we are still looking...) 9pm

Strange Brew is an under appreciated film in Canadian film history. Perhaps because it's squarely aimed at the broad donut-and-beer filled mid-sections of the Canadian populace, it's never quite received the critical attention that it's deserved. In fact, it's never received the commercial attention it's deserved. Any other country that produced a film this successful, with characters as popular, would have produced a stream of sequels. Sadly, (for lovers of comedy) this stands as the only big-screen adventure of the SCTV-spawned hoser brothers known as Bob and Doug. This film is far more clever, and better made, than it's generally given credit for, and it's also a load of laughs. From our perspective, any film that mixes Hamlet, Max Von Sydow and Oktoberfest deserves a big screen viewing

Fubar, 2002, Directed by Michael Dowse, 81mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm studio print. 10:40pm

As with so many Canadian films, most audiences discovered the 2002 comedy FUBAR on video, where it quickly gained a devoted following of repeat-viewing fans eager to “Giv'r” at the prospect of spending time with Terry and Dean, prototypical Albertan party guys. Like his later film It's All Gone Pete Tong, director Michael Dowse is sure to include some winks and nudges to the smarter members of his audience, letting us know that there's a price to be had for good times. Still, if the party can't go on forever, it's a lot of fun extending it as long as possible, and with the guys from FUBAR, you're with good company (if good company for you includes guys with Mullets who like heavy metal).

$10 for three films!

Bonus Canadian Cult Revue Screening of Back to God's Country with Live Music

2010-05-14T14:00:00.003-04:00

One of the oldest surviving Canadian feature films - Back to Gods's Country (1919), written and produced by star Nell Shipman - will be playing at the Mayfair Theatre, June 25th at 9pm with live music by HILOTRONS member and Mayfair Orchestra leader Mike Dubué. The 35mm tinted print is coming from the Library and Archives Canada. Don't miss this unique event! $10.00 for Mayfair Members, Students and Seniors.

70mm FESTIVAL POSTER!

2010-05-07T09:02:00.002-04:00

Poster created by Jacob Rolfe

For more on the festival taking place Sept. 24-26th 2010 go here

Slacker Counter-Culture Triple Bill! May 19th

2010-04-22T08:11:00.003-04:00

Slacker Counter-Culture Triple Bill @ The Mayfair Theatre
May 19th, $10.00 for 3 films!

For John Yemen's preview of the triple bill go to Unfolding Magazine.

Monkey Warfare, 2006, Directed by Reginald Harkema, 75mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital, Rated 14A, 35mm Studio print.

Steadfast Canadian actor on McKellar is one of the stars of Reg Harkema's Monkey Warfare, a tale of the counter-culture, or what remains of it. A love triangle of sorts about the romance of revolution, and what happens when that revolution fails, it asks the obvious question: can that spark be re-ignited? (if you're thinking molotov cocktails, then the answer might be yes). Also starring Tracy Wright, a supporting actress familiar from such notable films as The Five Senses, Blindness, and Last Night, who was widely praised for her lead performance here. This film won a Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and Katrina Onstad (CBC, Globe and Mail) named it one of the top ten films of 2006. Onstad praised its stylistic cribbing from the French New Wave and said “This is the sort of film that all young filmmakers with no money should aspire to”. That's the sort of endorsement we can get behind. Join the revolution.

Work, Bike Eat, 1971, Directed by Keith Lock and James Anderson, 40mins, 1.37, mono, Black and White, not rated, 16mm (filmmakers personal print) Keith Lock in Attendance!!!

“Work, Bike, Eat” is about youth and being young. The intention in making the film was to catch people and the relationships between things in as natural a way as possible, and to minimize the apparent intrusion of the filming process into the subject matter. The story is really a collection of vignettes from everyday life: getting a job, eating a meal at home with your parents, chance meetings with strangers, taking a nap. A carefree camaraderie pervades the film.. Lock and Anderson won a student prize for excellence for their documentary film Touched at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1970 and Work, Bike, Eat is similarly excellent. A companion film called Arnold was also produced.

Waydowntown, 2000, directed by Gary Burns, 83mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm Studio Print

Waydowntown is director Gary Burns' (Kitchen Party, Radiant City) humorous take on his home town of Calgary, told through a contest between a group of co-workers who are competing to see who can stay inside the longest. Anyone who's visited Calgary in the past twenty years will recognize the pervasive phenomenon of the “Plus 15” system of elevated walkways connecting nearly every building in the downtown. Similar in nature to Montreal's Underground City and Toronto's PATH system, the Plus 15 is what happens when the harsh Canadian climate meets the soft heart of Canadian civilization, and civilization decides to go shopping (so as to avoid the climate).

Quest for Fire + Black Robe Double Bill, April 21st @ the Mayfair

2010-03-25T08:23:00.009-04:00

Quest For Fire, 1982, Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, 100mins, Cinemascope 2.35, Dolby A, Rated AA, 35mm original studio print (may have colour fading and print wear) 7pm

French director Jean-Jacques Annaud takes on the dawn of man. Shot in Canada, Scotland and Kenya and set 80,000 years ago, this science-fantasy is a unique take on our early history. The film follows three cavemen, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi and Everett McGill on a quest to find fire, but the real star of
the film is 20 year old Canadian Rae Dawn Chong, who they meet on their way. “I saw this film a couple years after its release at the Museum of Man (now the Museum of Nature) back when they still projected film and had a nice 300 seat theatre. A friend and I snuck into the upper balcony and were soon kicked out by the ushers - the film was rated AA and we were alone and about 10 years old. I got my dad on the phone and he told them it was okay for us to watch the film. We loved it! Who wouldn’t?: Sabre-tooth tigers, woolly mammoths, cave bears, cannibal Neanderthals, primitive humour, nudity, sex and caveman battles. The film still holds up today in part because of the great locations, CinemaScope photography and the use of Desmond Morris and Anthony Burgess (author of A Clockwork Orange) who worked on the early human body language and languages for the film. Another interesting note is that the more advanced tribe that Rae Dawn Chong is from speaks Inuktitut. Apparently if you speak it, you will be rolling in the aisles. A friend of mine also claims that Quest for Fire is a perfect date flick. Here's your chance to find out.” - Paul Gordon

Black Robe, 1991, Directed by Bruce Beresford, 100mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm Studio print, 9:10pm

Black Robe explores the meeting of, and clash of, cultures in early Canada. It artfully resists taking sides and instead portrays a balanced look at the strengths and weaknesses our founding cultures, both native and European. This beautifully shot, intelligent, and at times brutal, film features a standout performance by Lothair Bluteau (Jesus of Montreal) as a missionary sent to convert the “savages” of the North. Well worth seeing on the big screen.

March 24th Sci-fi Double Bill @ the Mayfair Theatre, The Start of the Canadian Cult Revue!

2010-01-13T08:39:00.005-05:00

eXistenZ 1999, Director by David Cronenberg, 97mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital, Rated R, 35mm, Studio print. 7PM

David Cronenberg's labyrinthine take on video games and virtual reality was most commonly compared to The Matrix when it was released in 1999, and the general consensus was that it suffered in comparison. Mainstream audiences were confused by its darker tone, and some critics, expecting dazzle, wrote it off as a lesser effort in the Cronenberg canon. In retrospect, eXistenZ is a much better science fiction film than The Matrix, with real ideas, and much better performances including ones by leads Jude Law, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Don McKellar. A fairer comparison is to Cronenberg's own reality-bending works, like Naked Lunch and Videodrome, and it stands up well. So yourself plug in, play the game, and watch for those clues.

Cube 1998, Directed by Vincenzo Natali, 90mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated R, 35mm, Archival print

9:15PM

Cube was the first feature film produced out of Norman Jewison's Canadian Film Centre. An impressive directorial effort from Vincenzo Natalie, Cube follows the trials of seven individuals as they mysteriously awake inside of, and try to escape from, the Cube, a morphing prison-puzzle filled with death-traps. A true representation of the sci-fi “What If” scenario, Cube acquits itself well both as a science fiction film and as a model of ingenious low-budget film making.

The 70mm Film Festival (The "Grandfather of IMAX")

2010-01-05T11:11:00.036-05:00

Another film series we are working on is the 70mm Film Festival to be held in September 24th-26th, 2010 at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. This festival will give audiences a chance to experience the once prominent, but now virtually "lost" wide-screen 70mm format with 6 track sound (the Museum has one of the only remaining 70mm projectors in the Ottawa area). For more detailed info go here.

The 70mm films booked so far include:

Lawrence of Arabia 6-track mag, Super Panavision 70

Spartacus 6-track mag, Technirama

Baraka 6-track mag, TODD-AO

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 6-track mag, Super Panavision 70

Untouchables (Blowup) 6-track mag, In 70mm Dolby Stereo

Star Trek VI (Blowup) 6-track mag, In 70mm Dolby Stereo

Top Gun (Blowup) 6-track mag, In 70mm Dolby Stereo
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (Blowup), 6-track mag, In 70mm Dolby Stereo

Canadian 70mm Short Films:

Seasons in the Mind, 1971, 6-track mag, In 70mm

A Place to Stand, 1967, 6-track mag, In 70mm

Multiple Man, 1968, 6-track mag, In 70mm (NFB Produced Short Film)

Where the North Begins, 1971, 6-track mag, in 70mm

Festival, 1971, 6-track mag, In 70mm

The Museum of Civilization's 500 seat theatre, and the Victoria 8, 70mm projectors

Passes on sale now!

2009-12-06T08:45:00.057-05:00

Passes for the Canadian Cult Revue series are on sale now.... $65.00 for 26 films!

Passes can be bought through Paypal, our Paypal address is: lostdominion@gmail.com

You can also mail a check to (checks should be made out to The Lost Dominion Screening Collective)

The Lost Dominion Screening Collective

102-429 Somerset Street West

Ottawa, ON

K2P 2P5

Canadian Cult Revue Schedule:

The first film starts at 7pm for all these screenings.

March 24th: Sci-fi Double Bill

eXistenZ 1999, Director by David Cronenberg, 97mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital, Rated R, 35mm, Studio print

Cube 1998, Directed by Vincenzo Natali, 90mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated R, 35mm, Archival print

April 21st: Early Contact Double Bill

Quest For Fire, 1982, Directed by Jean-Jacques Annaud, 100mins, Cinemascope 2.35, Dolby A, Rated AA, 35mm original studio print (may have colour fading and print wear)

French director Jean-Jacques Annaud takes on the dawn of man. Shot in Canada, Scotland and Kenya and set 80,000 years ago, this science-fantasy is a unique take on our early history. The film follows three cavemen, Ron Perlman, Nicholas Kadi and Everett McGill on a quest to find fire, but the real star of the film is 20 year old Canadian Rae Dawn Chong, who they meet on their way. “I saw this film a couple years after its release at the Museum of Man (now the Museum of Nature) back when they still projected film and had a nice 300 seat theatre. A friend and I snuck into the upper balcony and were soon kicked out by the ushers - the film was rated AA and we were alone and about 10 years old. I got my dad on the phone and he told them it was okay for us to watch the film. We loved it! Who wouldn’t?: Sabre-tooth tigers, woolly mammoths, cave bears, cannibal Neanderthals, primitive humour, nudity, sex and caveman battles. The film still holds up today in part because of the great locations, cinemascope photography and the use of Desmond Morris and Anthony Burgess (author of A Clockwork Orange) who worked on the early human body language and languages for the film. Another interesting note is that the more advanced tribe that Rae Dawn Chong is from speaks Inuktitut. Apparently if you speak it, you will be rolling in the aisles. A friend of mine also claims that Quest for Fire is a perfect date flick. Here's your chance to find out.” - Paul Gordon

Black Robe, 1991, Directed by Bruce Beresford, 100mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm Studio print

May 19th: Slacker Counter-Culture Triple Bill

Monkey Warfare, 2006, Directed by Reginald Harkema, 75mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital, Rated 14A, 35mm archival print (never played)

Steadfast Canadian actor Don McKellar is one of the stars of Reg Harkema's Monkey Warfare, a tale of the counter-culture, or what remains of it. A love triangle of sorts about the romance of revolution, and what happens when that revolution fails, it asks the obvious question: can that spark be re-ignited? (if you're thinking molotov cocktails, then the answer might be yes). Also starring Tracy Wright, a supporting actress familiar from such notable films as The Five Senses, Blindness, and Last Night, who was widely praised for her lead performance here. This film won a Special Jury Prize at the 2006 Toronto International Film Festival and Katrina Onstad (CBC, Globe and Mail) named it one of the top ten films of 2006. Onstad praised its stylistic cribbing from the French New Wave and said “This is the sort of film that all young filmmakers with no money should aspire to”. That's the sort of endorsement we can get behind. Join the revolution.

Work, Bike Eat, 1971, Directed by Keith Lock and James Anderson, 40mins, 1.37, mono, Black and White, not rated, 16mm (filmmakers personal print)

Filmmakers Keith Lock and James Anderson directed this film in 1969. What is this film about? Well... “Work, Bike, Eat” pretty much sums it up. Lock and Anderson won a student prize for excellence for their documentary film Touched at the Montreal World Film Festival in 1970 and Work, Bike, Eat is similarly excellent. A companion film called Arnold was also produced.

Waydowntown, 2000, directed by Gary Burns, 83mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm archival print (never been played)

Waydowntown is director Gary Burns' (Kitchen Party, Radiant City) humorous take on his home town of Calgary, told through a contest between a group of co-workers who are competing to see who can stay inside the longest. Anyone who's visited Calgary in the past twenty years will recognize the pervasive phenomenon of the “Plus 15” system of elevated walkways connecting nearly every building in the downtown. Similar in nature to Montreal's Underground City and Toronto's PATH system, the Plus 15 is what happens when the harsh Canadian climate meets the soft heart of Canadian civilization, and civilization decides to go shopping (so as to avoid the climate).

June 30th: Hoser Triple Bill

Goin' Down the Road, 1970, Directed by Donald Shebib, 100mins, 1.37, Mono, Rated AA, 35mm archival print (reprinted in 2000)

Director Don Shebib's 1970 film is ranked high on the list of all-time Canadian classics. A story of two Maritimers heading to the big city to find a better life, this film is at once serious, hilarious, and heartbreaking. Goin' Down The Road resonates strongly 40 years later in a Canada where regional economic disparities still shape the lives of many. It was also the start of the “hoser-trend” in Canadian Cinema, but its heart is in a grittier, darker place than the comedies that followed. Think Midnight Cowboy instead of Strange Brew.

Strange Brew is an under appreciated film in Canadian film history. Perhaps because it's squarely aimed at the broad donut-and-beer filled mid-sections of the Canadian populace, it's never quite received the critical attention that it's deserved. In fact, it's never received the commercial attention it's deserved. Any other country that produced a film this successful, with characters as popular, would have produced a stream of sequels. Sadly, (for lovers of comedy) this stands as the only big-screen adventure of the SCTV-spawned hoser brothers known as Bob and Doug. This film is far more clever, and better made, than it's generally given credit for, and it's also a load of laughs. From our perspective, any film that mixes Hamlet, Max Von Sydow and Oktoberfest deserves a big screen viewing.

Fubar, 2002, Directed by Michael Dowse, 81mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, Rated AA, 35mm studio print

July 21st: Neil Young Double Bill

Rust Never Sleeps, 1979, Directed by Neil young, 103mins, 1.85, Dolby A, rated PG, original 35mm print, may have some wear.

Neil young has directed a number of musical based films including Déjà Vu, Greendale, Human Highway, and Journey Through The Past. Rust Never Sleeps is generally considered the best pure music film out of the bunch because it’s just Neil and his band playing for 90 minutes (there's a reason Neil Young fans are often called “Rusties”). This film documents a 1978 concert at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. Young's performance and set list really make this film soar, starting with an acoustic set on a 12-string a guitar and moving onto some grungier rock stuff with his backing band Crazy Horse. Young is in top form and the film captures a momentous time period in the history of rock n' roll and Neil Young's career: Punk is in, bloated progressive rock is on the way out, and the 80’s will be a mess, but Neil will make it out alive. Warning: this original print of Rust Never Sleeps includes old film stock, so expect it to be a little rusty around the edges…but still totally watchable.

Greendale, 2004, Directed by Neil Young, 87mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital/DTS, rated PG, 35mm studio print

Neil Young's Greendale project involved a concept album and tour captured live in this feature film. It ties together a lot of his artistic preoccupations including the faded idealism of the 60's generation, the crisis of the environment, the personal failings of his flawed protagonists and his hopes for the next generation. Set in the fictional town of Greendale, California, using an interconnected series of vignettes of characters, with their lives and struggles expressed through songs. Rather than following the approach of a traditional stage musical, instead we see actors appear with Neil Young singing for all the characters. The film is also shot in glorious Super-8 film format (the old home-movie format) which adds to the film’s “home made” rough-around-the-edges aesthetic. Greendale is a project that could have easily fallen apart if it had been approached in a heavy-handed manner. However, Neil Young's trademark sly sense of humour, attention to songwriting craft, clever use of the “school play” structure lift this project out of the ordinary. Ambitious and fresh, it proves once again that Neil Young is Canada's superlative songwriter, and not a bad filmmaker either.

August 18: Indy 16mm Double Bill

Crime Wave, 1985, Directed by John Paizs, 80mins, 1.37, mono, rated AA, 16mm print from the Winnipeg film group, expect some print wear.

John Paisz's Crimewave is one of the best films produced out of the Winnipeg Film Group in the 1980's. Along with Guy Maddin, Paisz was able to deftly capture a bit of the uniqueness of the “Centre of the Country” filtered through classic film genres and cinema history. More accessible than the works of Maddin, Paizs' Crimewave is a good-natured look at the process of film making itself. Paisz later went on to direct many of the mini-filmed segments of the CBC series Kids in the Hall, and a similar off-kilter sensibility is equally on display here. A true gem of a film.

Skip Tracer, 1978, Directed by Zale Dalen, 94mins, 1.37, mono rated AA, 16mm print from Queens University

Director Zale Dalen's feature film debut, Skip Tracer was shot on location in Vancouver in the late 1970's. It's a hardscrabble drama concerning a bill-collector attempting to regain past glory by tracking down all his “skips” - people who have skipped out on paying their bills. Enthusiasts of this little-seen film insist that it is a lost classic, one of the best Canadian films produced in the past 40 years, and a stringent commentary on life as lived in the back-alleys and “mean streets” of our cities. Rarely seen on the big screen since its debut, this is your chance to make up your own mind.

Sept. 22nd: Tax Shelter and VCR Bonanza Years Double Bill

The Brain, 1988, Directed by Ed Hunt, 90mins, 1.85, Dolby A, rated AA, Archival print with perfect colour.

The advent of the vcr enabled many lower-budget filmmakers to thrive in the 1980's with a built-in audience of b-movie addicts, with action and horror genres dominating the most successful rentals. If these films received theatrical release at all, it was the video store where they received their second and more appropriate lease on life. If you can see past the cheesy monster effects and get past the other hilarious elements of the story, The Brain is a horror movie with a message: the importance of independent thinking. Proving that The Brain is a movie with (at least some) brains.

Striking Back (AKA Search and Destroy), 1979, Directed by William Fruet, 92mins, 1.85, mono, rated PG, 35mm original print, colour has faded and some wear.

Oct. 20th: Halloween Double Bill

Ginger Snaps, 2000, Directed by John Fawcett, 108mins, 1.85, Dolby Digital, Rated R, 35mm studio print

American Psycho, 2000, Directed by Mary Harron, 101mins, Cinemascope 2.35, Dolby Digital, Rated R, 35mm studio print

Nov. 10th: Lest We Forget Double Bill

Canadian Army News Reels, 1940-46, 100mins, 1.37, Non rated, 35mm archival prints

In honour of Remembrance Day, we are proud to present a series of rarely-seen Canadian Army Newsreels from World War Two. Some of you may recall a special screening of Casablanca at the Mayfair a couple of years ago that was preceded by a newsreel that film conservator Paul Gordon retrieved from Library and Archives Canada. The rapturous reception by the audience convinced us that Ottawans were ready for more. The prints we are going to show have been fully restored (cleaned up, and re-printed from their original sound and film elements) and will give the audience a chance to experience the progress of the war the way so many Canadians on the home front would have done at the time. There's nothing quite like seeing a newsreel on the big screen to experience the real-life drama and struggle of war. We invite you to bring your Remembrance Day to life and join us in honouring our veterans and their sacrifice in this unique and moving tribute.

Archangel, 1990, Directed by Guy Maddin, 82mins, 1.37, mono, rated AA, New 35mm print from the Winnipeg film group

Dec. 15th: Xmas Chills Double Bill

The Silent Partner, 1979, Directed by Daryl Duke, 106mins, 1.85, mono, rated R, 35mm original print

Christopher Plummer gets to play big, bad, and bold as the villain of The Silent Partner, a thriller set in late 1970's Toronto. Using the Eaton Centre as a prime location, The Silent Partner also stars Elliot Gould as a bank clerk out to thwart Plummer's plans. Great fun, and more than a little shocking at times for its ferocious depiction of ruthless criminality. This film was written by Curtis Hanson, who later went on to direct L.A. Confidential, The River Wild, Wonder Boys and 8 Mile. A highlight of the Tax Shelter Years, this film was one of the more polished films of the era. Also starring Susannah Yorke. Watch for an appearance by John Candy.

Black Xmas, 1974, Directed by Bob Clark, 98mins, 1.85, Mono, rated R, 35mm original print

Director Bob Clark owns the distinction of having produced one of the most beloved Christmas movies of the past 40 years (1983's A Christmas Story) and also the scariest in 1974's Black Christmas. Both were filmed mostly in Canada. Clark is often credited as the inventor of the slasher genre that went on to great commercial success in the 1980's (Halloween, Friday the 13th etc), but that credit does him a bit of a disservice, conjuring up images of generic slice-em dice-em exploitation films with little artistic merit. If Black Christmas belongs to the slasher genre, it is surely one of the best, and one that uses old-fashioned suspense to scare its audience and rather than excessive gore. With an star-studded cast including Keir Dullea (star of Stanley Kubrick's 2001), Margot Kidder (Superman), Andrea Martin (SCTV), John Saxon (Enter the Dragon), and Argentinian beauty Olivia Hussey (Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet).

Jan. 19th 2011: Quebec City Double Bill

Whispering City, 1946, Directed by Fedor Ozep, 91mins, 1.37, mono, rated PG, 35mm new archival print

Le Confessional, 1995, Directed by Robert Lepage, 101mins, 1.85, Dolby SR, rated AA, 35mm studio print

Quebec director Robert Lepage directed Le Confessional with his trademark, innovative style. Lepage is probably Canada's most accomplished theatre director, and is not far off when it comes to the cinema either. Tying strands of story together of Alfred Hitchcock's filming of I Confess with Montgommery Clift in Quebec City of the 1950's, and a tale of familial loss and discovery in the 1990's, Le Confessional succeeds brilliantly at capturing the myth and the mystery of Canada's walled city, the people who dwell within those walls, and the walls of time and loss.

Feb. 16th 2011: Extreme Docs Double Bill

The Man Who Skied Down Everest, 1975, Directed by Bruce Nyznik and Lawrence Schiller, 88mins, Cinemascope 2.35, mono, rated Family, 35mm archival re-mastered print

The Man Who Skied Down Everest, produced by Ottawa's own Crawley Films, is a monumental movie in more ways than one. Founded by Budge Crawley in the late 1940's, Crawley Films grew into Canada's largest independent film studio, and even rivaled the NFB for cinematic output. It produced everything from Canada's second animated feature film (Return to Oz) in 1962, to industrial films, tv commercials, feature films and documentaries. Based in Ottawa/Gatineau, with a studio in Old Chelsea and a branch office in Toronto, it produced over 5000 films and won numerous awards over its 43 year history, including the Academy Award for Best Feature Length Documentary in 1976 for The Man Who Skied Down Everest (the first Academy Award ever won by a Candian feature film). This film follows Japanese adventurer Yuichiro Miura as he attempts to sky down the tallest mountain in the world. Very popular with both audiences and critics of the time, this is a film that deserves being seen on the big screen.

Life Without Death, 2000, Directed by Frank Cole, 83mins, 1.37, mono, not rated, 35mm archival print

Canadian Cult Revue Schedule 2010-11

2009-11-16T15:33:00.017-05:00

All films will be playing at the Mayfair Theatre (1074 Bank St.) Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The series package is $65.00 or $10.00 at the door for each double bill/triple bill. Passes go on sale early Decemeber. The schedule is subject to change until Dec. 1st 2009. All films will be presented on 35mm film unless noted below. More info and a paper brochure to come.

March 24th Existenz (1999) + Cube (1996)

April 21st Quest for Fire (1981) + Black Robe (1991)

May 19th Monkey Warfare + Work, Bike, Eat (1972), 16mm + Waydowntown (2000)

June 30th Goin Down The Road (1970) + Strange Brew (1983) + Fubar (2002)

July 21st Rust Never Sleeps (1979)+ Greendale (2003)

Aug. 18th Crimewave (1985), 16mm + Skip Tracer 16mm (1976)

Sept. 22nd The Brain (1988) + Search and Destroy (AKA Striking Back) (1979)

Oct. 20th Ginger Snaps (2000) + American Psycho (2000)

Nov. 10th The best of the Canadian Army news reels (1940-46) + Archangel (1990)

Dec. 15th The Silent Partner (1978) + Black Christmas (1974)

Jan 19th Whispering City (1948) + Le Confessional (1995)

Feb. 16th The Man Who Skied Down Everest (1975) + Life Without Death (2000)

Our Upcoming Film Series

2009-11-09T22:03:00.002-05:00

Welcome to the Lost Dominion Screening Collective. We are a group of film professionals, enthusiasts, and students based in Ottawa, Canada whose goal is to bring some big-screen cinema excitement to audiences in the nation's capital and surrounding areas.

We plan three separate series of film screenings to be held in different venues in 2010 and 2011, with a special emphasis on Canadian films and films that are rarely-seen on the big screen. All the films will be projected on film (16/35/70mm) in their proper aspect ratio.

The Canadian Cult Revue (CCR)

Starting in March 2010, we will run a series of double and triple-bills of Canadian films at the historic Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa, playing once a month for a year as part of the Canadian Cult Revue (CCR). The CCR will be our largest film series, and will give audiences a chance to view many well-loved Canadian favourites, as well as a few "lost" gems recently uncovered in the film collection of Library and Archives Canada.

Tickets will be available in advance on a subscription basis, and will also be available at the box office on the night of the screenings. Our schedule and ticket information will be posted soon.

100% Real Maple Thrills

Our second series is a special fantasy/horror mini-series to be held outdoors at the Raven's Knoll Campground (near Eganville) in the Summer of 2010. Fans will experience all their thrills and chills (hopefully not too many chills) at this unique outdoor venue with films projected in true big-screen 35mm film format. Check back here in Spring 2010 for more information on the films, tickets and the venue.

The 70mm Film Festival

Our third series will be a 70mm film festival to be held in late 2010/early 2011 at the Museum of Civilization in Gatineau, Quebec. This festival will give audiences a chance to experience the once prominent, but now virtually "lost" wide-screen 70mm format, now known as the "Grandfather of Imax" (the Museum has the only remaining 70mm projectors in the Ottawa area). Our schedule and ticket information will be available in the Autumn of 2010.