Greetings From Los Angeles 1978: Super 8 Film by George Porcari

George Pocari made this film of Los Angeles in 1978. It’s beautiful and it shows the things one sees every day without really noticing. Films like this one turn out to be incredibly valuable glimpses of the past. It’s funny how home movies end up getting closer to art films as they age. But this one actually started off as a kind of art film. It’s very well made.

 

Light Up: Animation by Aveline Stoquart and David Duvieusart

‘Light Up’ is a short animation by Aveline Stoquart and David Duvieusart.  Students at the Haute École Albert Jacquard in Namur, Belgium also worked on the film.   A girl who is into astronomy lives in a totally starless world. One evening she sees something new and gets into her little flying machine to investigate. I love the scene in the little plane. It’s a very simple charming little story, gently told and well-animated.

 

Send Me to the ‘Lectric Chair: Short Film by Guy Maddin

Canadian filmmaker Guy Maddin made this short in 2009 with Isabella Rossellini in the lead role of a woman who finds ecstasy in an electric chair. The film moves beautifully with its music and entertains with its silent film mystery and accelerated movement. However, I will say that Maddin’s films seem to me overly concerned with silent film technique. This tends to turn the films into curiosities rather than genuine works of art. That’s a tricky area because the films put so much virtuosity on display. But you can hide enormous failures behind that ‘old film look.’ I’m not sure that’s what Maddin is doing, but my suspicions are growing. Maddin might be interested at some point in working with less budget.

Thank you to filmmaker Fred. L’Epée.