EC revisits ‘Star Wars’
October 19th, 2009 by Scott Marks
I have sinned against you, my readers. Marty forgive me for what I’ve done. Saturday night found me neck deep in enemy territory where I actually chatted up Chewbacca! It was for a good cause, so I can’t be too mercenary, but it did take its toll on this reporter. That plodding John Williams theme continues to wreak havoc on my cerebral cortex.
Normally the CommCinema crew (both of us) is the first to arrive for an outdoor show, but when I rolled up to the 4S Ranch on Saturday afternoon the place was already teaming with hundreds of “Star Wars” junkies. I reached for a Zanax, but the cupboard was bare.
Tonight’s show was going to be more than an average screening. It was a benefit to help raise money for Olivia’s Fund. Earlier this year 7-month old Olivia Susan Ferrandi was diagnosed with a neurological disorder known as Canavan Disease. This rare debility (less than 300 reported cases in the U.S.) makes it impossible for the child to crawl, walk, sit or talk.
According to MyLocalNews.com, “in most cases the children’s ancestry includes Ashkenazi Jews from eastern Poland, Lithuania and western Russia, or a Saudi Arabian heritage, the disease can affect all ethnic groups.
There is no cure for the disease, but there are treatments available to potentially help improve the quality of life and prolong Olivia’s lifetime. If you are in any position to throw a few bucks Olivia’s way it would be greatly appreciated. To donate to Olivia’s Fund click here.
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All right. I did my mitzvah for the decade, now let’s have some fun.
Continue reading EC revisits ‘Star Wars’
Tags: alec guinness, bob luce, carrie fischer, chewbacca, Chicago Movie Theaters, commcinema, Daffy Duck, darth vader, disco star wars, edens theater, george lucas, harrison ford, Irv Kupcinet, mark hamill, meco, olivias fund, outdoor movies, peter cushing, San Diego, san diego star wars society, STAR WARS, Video, wookieFiled Under Rants
Restored RASHOMON will expose new audiences to Kurosawa classic
September 22nd, 2009 by Scott Marks
For too long it appeared as though no major 35mm restorations of classic films were going to make their way from Hollywood down the 5 to pay a week-long visit to San Diego. I had to schlep all the way to Landmark’s Nuart in West L.A. to see the “American premiere” of Jean-Luc Godard’s “Made in USA” and that goes double for the dazzling revival of Max Ophuls’ “Lola Montes” completed with supersaturated color and restored stereo tracks.
It’s been years since I have seen Akira Kurosawa’s “Rashomon,” the “film that introduced the world to Japanese cinema.” The critically acclaimed, much beloved favorite was a sensation when it came out in 1950 and has long been a staple of Film History classes. Told in flashback, “Rashomon” recounts a rape and murder from four varying points-of-view. If memory serves, it’s a handsome, well-crafted work that’s a tad dry and suffers from a somewhat pat resolution.
Honestly, I fought to keep Kurosawa out of my Film History class, my logic being that most serious film students would have a much easier chance of catching up with his frequently revived films. I did take pleasure in occasionally showing “The Hidden Fortress” if for no other reason than exposing “Star Wars” obsessed students to just what kind of a plagiarizing whore George Lucas is. My motivation was also purely selfish. It’s my goal to see every extant Ozu film and at the time, New Yorker had a fairly extensive 16mm library of The Master’s work. Succumbing to pressure from my department chair, I did screen “Rashomon” once, but the print had one subtitle for every ten sentences of dialog. I immediately called the distributor to complain and they overnighted me a print of “The Brothers and Sisters of the Toda Family.” Even when I lost, I won.
According to the Film Forum Repertory, “The basis for this stunning new restoration was a 35mm print created in 1962 from the original camera negative; while the print itself was in good physical condition, the source material from which it was made was extremely battered. Due to the extensive printing and handling it had received over its lifetime, many shots were already starting to shrink and warp, and there were numerous scratches, dust, and dirt in the damaged negative. Scanned at 4k resolution, that 47-year-old print has been meticulously cleaned both digitally and by hand, complete with a new, seamless soundtrack. This essential restoration has been made possible by the Academy Film Archive, the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo and Kadokawa Pictures, Inc., with funding provided by Kadokawa Cultural Promotion Foundation and Martin Scorsese’s Film Foundation.”
“Schindler’s List” and “Lilies of the Field” notwithstanding, any chance of seeing a newly struck 35 mm print of a black-and-white movie in this day and age (and city) is a cause celebre. The film will play at Landmark’s Nuart Theatre from October 2 - 8 and arrive in San Diego for a weeklong run at Landmark’s Ken Cinema on December 18, just in time for Christmas!
If this trailer is any indication, the film has never looked better.
Tags: akira kurosawa, Landmark Theatres, Martin Scorese, rashomon, Rashomon restored, STAR WARS, the ken cinema, Trailer, yasujiro ozuFiled Under News
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