The Bitter Ash, September 24th, Bytowne Cinema

The Bitter Ash Larry Kent, 80 min, 1963, Canada, 35mm, Bytowne Cinema, Sept. 24thStarring Philip Brown, Alan Scarfe, and Lynn Stewart. 26 year-old UBC student Larry Kent directed The Bitter Ash in the early 1960's in Vancouver at a time when English Canadian feature films were rarely produced anywhere in the country, let alone on the West Coast. The plot concerns a young man, Des (Alan Scarfe), who abandons his girlfriend on a whim to explore the seedy counterculture at the fringes of Vancouver's otherwise “respectable” society. It's an ambitious tale of class conflict, social upheaval and generational change, punctuated with sex, drugs and jazz music. Kent, who had moved to Canada from South Africa when he was 20, produced the film with almost no money, so he was forced to stretch every dollar to get it made. His actors were students from UBC's drama department, the opening credits are hand-drawn illustrations, and the film was shot on black-and-white 16mm film without a budget for live sound recording, so all the sound had to be added in during post-production. Though it looks and sounds somewhat “rough” by today's standards, it still manages to pack a powerful dramatic punch, owing mostly to its audacious editing, and its bold, clear-eyed, and critical look at the sexual and cultural revolution about to sweep the nation. Provincial censors in B.C. didn't like the racy content and banned it from appearing in theatres in the province. Deciding to bypass Canada's theatrical distribution system entirely, Kent took the film on a roadshow screening tour of schools across the country. It was enthusiastically received by university audiences, but, dogged by censorship, Kent only managed get it shown in four schools after numerous others decided it was too subversive to screen. Kent went on to direct many other independent Canadian films, notably When Tomorrow Dies (1965) and Mothers and Daughters (1992). For years, the master print of The Bitter Ash was thought lost, but it re-emerged serendipitously in the possession of Kent's old landlord and a restoration process was initiated. A restored version of The Bitter Ash will be screened for the first time in Ottawa on a newly-transferred 35mm film print courtesy of Library and Archives Canada. Director Larry Kent will be at the screening and will be available for a Q&A with the audience after the film. For more on the film go here

Cinema Under The Stars V Aug. 9th Raven's Knoll Campground

 

For all the info go here

Trust the Unknown: A Tribute to Ed Folger, Thursday May 1st Club SAW

Trust the Unknown: A Tribute to Ed Folger

Thursday, May 1st 2014, 7:30pm

Club SAW, 67 Nicholas Street

Free admission

Edward Folger was a filmmaker, nomad, pioneer, mentor, father, and friend. A technologically inquisitive artist, his experimentations with film, video and computers were tempered by a soul steeped in poetry, philosophy and music. His sudden and premature passing in November 2013 left a hole in the fabric of our community. Join us in paying tribute to Ed’s artistic legacy and remarkable spirit as we screen his groundbreaking 1977 feature film Nanook Taxi, the first dramatic feature made in Northern Canada featuring an Inuk cast. Nanook Taxi will be preceded by a compilation of videotaped interviews with Ed and a selection of his short films including The River of Life and Lessons in Democracy.

For more about Ed Folger go here.

Presented in partnership with SAW Video

Trust the Unknown is part of VideoCity at SAW Video. In 2014, SAW Video will devote its entire programming year to celebrating media artists from the Ottawa-Gatineau region, past and present.

Canadian Cameos Archival Short Films, Tuesday April 29th Mayfair Theatre

The Canadian Cult Revue Series is proud to present a rare selection of Canadian Archival shorts from the Library and Archives vaults.

 All on 35mm film for National Canadian Film Day! April 29th, 9:15pm

Most are from the "Canadian Cameos" series directed by Gordon Sparling 1930's-1950's

Rhapsody in Two Languages, 1934

The most famous of the Canadian Cameo series, Rhapsody in Two Languages by Gordon Sparling depicts a 24-hour period in Montreal from sunrise to sunrise. Its rapid cross-cutting blends Howard Fogg's original music with a succession of positive and negative images and optical effects. The integration of music and visuals is remarkable.

Hockey Star's Summer, 1950  

Grey Owl's Little Brother, 1932

Bye Bye Bunting, animated short by Bryant Fryer, 1934

Canadian Headlines 1952

Fair and Cold, 1933

Push Back the Edge, 1952

Sitzmarks the Spot, 1948

Progress Parade, 1931

The program runs approx. 80mins.

Shivers, March 25th, 8:45pm, Mayfair Theatre

Shivers, 87 minutes, Rated R, David Cronenberg, Canada, 1975

PRESENTED BY THE CANADIAN CULT REVUE | RESTORED DIGITAL PRINT

Cronenberg's first commercial film, about genetically-engineered parasites turning the residents of a luxury high-rise into sex maniacs, shows the shape of things to come in his career; it “scares and shocks us because it's so cleverly made." (Roger Ebert)

Full review here

Shivers Courtesy of TIFF's Film Reference Library

 

 

John and the Missus Mayfair Theatre Jan. 28th 2014

John and the Missus, 1987, 35mm Archival print, 95mins,  Mayfair Theatre, Jan. 28th 9pm

John and the Missus is the story of one man’s passionate attempt to fight for the land he loves and the way of life he believes in. Set against the rugged beauty of Newfoundland’s coastal landscape, this romantic drama unfolds during the early sixties when the future of an isolated mining community is threatened by the government’s planned resettlement program.

When a cave-in at the Cup Cove copper mine gives a government representative the opportunity to permanently close the mine – and, by extension, the town – John (Gordon Pinsent) fights back to save the mine and the town he loves. This struggle tests not only the deep love that John and the Missus (Jackie Burroughs) have for each other and their family, but John’s own sense of self. When resistance proves futile and everyone around him has given in, he literally uproots his house and sails away.

John and the Missus was clearly a labour of love for Gordon Pinsent, who directed and stars in the film and adapted the screenplay from his own novel. In many ways, it is a companion piece to Peter Carter’s The Rowdyman (1972). Also written by and starring Pinsent, The Rowdyman focuses on a young rabble-rouser who stirs up trouble in his Newfoundland village, while John and the Missus depicts the importance and sanctity of community to a more mature and wiser man. A sentimental look back to a time when small Newfoundland communities were a way of life to be treasured, the film was nominated for six Genie Awards and won for Leading Actor (Pinsent) and Music Score (Michael Conway-Baker).

 From the Canadian Film Encyclopedia

The Silent Partner, Dec.10th Mayfair Theatre

The Silent Partner, 1979, Directed by Daryl Duke, 106mins, 1.85, mono, rated R, 35mm original print, Mayfair Theatre Dec. 10th 9:15pm

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.