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Buster Keaton fans can start celebrating this master, independant director who defined slapstick and invented film techniques still used to this day; Kompletely Keaton opens this weekend.  As part of the Webster Film Series, this special series presents films of one of the most imitated directors starting this weekend.  On Friday September 28th, that series will premier with Three Ages,
follwed by Our Hospitality on Saturday,
and Shelock Jr. on Sunday.  All these films start at 8pm and will screen in the Winifred Moore Auditorium.

The 10th annual Manhattan Short Film Festival takes place this Saturday, September 29th via Cinema St. Louis.  Things go underway arounf 7pm in the Centene Center for the Arts and Education (4th floor), for the mere price of $6.  Woody Allen will not be there, but you should.
On Sunday be sure to attend the three Fabulous Flicks at the Fox (theater that is), including Phantom of the Opera at 1pm, ET at 3pm, and Chcago around 6pm.  And you can dance in the streets in between.

Don’t cry just because this season of Frontyard Features is rounding out; Evita will play in Lafayette Park this Satruday, September 29th.  The truth is you’ll want to be there around 7pm to rub shoulders with your neighbors that night.

Unlike the film’s protagonist, you will not be able to relive the screening of Donnie Darko (director’s cut) since it’s playing this weekend as part of the Reel Late series at the Tivoli Theater @ midnight.

Planning the same dull weekend of yard raking?  Spice up your life this weekend with “Spice World”.  Yes, that “Spice World“.  The 1998 narrative interpretation of “A Hard Day’s Night” as told by Ginger, Sporty, Scary, Baby, and Posh Spice…will be screening this Friday-Saturday at midnight (and Sunday @10pm) Septemeber 21-23rd in Tivloi Theater. 
If you think the Reel Late series needs a little salt, show up early to check out ”The King of Kong (a fistful of quarters)”, a documentary about getting that all-time high score.  Following two champions as they tour the country competing at that game is better than Mortal Kombat. 

“East of Bucharest” is more than a film, it’s a revolution.  You see, 16 years ago the town had it’s residents marching down the streets, chanting “down with Ceasescu!”.  The only question is, was it actually a revolution.  This deapan comedy will be screen as part of the Webster Film Series this Friday through Sunday September 21-23rd @ 8pm in the Winifred Moore Auditorium.

Those of you who prefer watching your films outside, surrounded by your neighbors (as opposed to those of us who prefer sitting in dark, isolated, air-conditioned silence) might be interested in watching “To Kill a Mockingbird“, screening in the Whitaker Pool Pavilion of Tower Grove Park this Saturday September 22nd.  It’s actually better than you remember watching it in your 9th-grade english class, although my money’s still on the groundbreaking book (you can take time to read that next week for class).
“Earth vs. The Flying Saucers” on the lawn in front of the St. Louis Science Center’s Planetarium this Saturday September 22nd, although if it should rain you’ll find shelter inside the planetarium where other film geeks will be watching the film (and dry).  Both films will start  around dusk (maybe closer to 7:30 or so these days), so show up early especially if rain were being forecast.

Frontyard Features (fyfstl.com) is screening Ocean’s 11 Thursday, September 13th on the Pershing Tennis Courts for all you Rat Packs out there.  Later on Friday September 14th they’ll screen The Phantom of the Opera in Lafayette Square Park (but really, it’s there…inside your mind).  Finally they’ll wrap up the weekend with a special screening this Saturday, September 15th of 1960’s Time Machine (the good version) on the lawn of the St. Louis Science Center’s Planetarium lawn, although instead of moving back in time should it rain they’ll just move the show inside the planetarium.  As usual, all these films will start around dusk and will be free (just bring a lawn chair).

Webster Film Series (webster.edu/filmseries) will screen The Seventh Seal this Friday-Sunday September 14-16th @ 8pm.  Another special compilation screening will be held tonight (September 13th) @ 7pm feature three documentaries of James Bogan called The Brazilogy.  This Both of these films will screen in the Winifred Moore Auditorium on Webster University, but will set you back $4-6.

Seema Enterprises (seemaent.com) premiers Dhamaal this Fridsay-Saturday September 14-15th @ 9pm in the St. Charles 18 Cine.  I’d like to use their description if I might - “No Romance, No Drama, No Action, Just Dhamaal” if you know what they mean.

Reel Late @ the Tivoli will show This is Spinal Tap @ midnight this Friday and Saturday and at 10pm this Sunday.  You probably already heard about it though, so tell ‘em Chuck Klosterman sent ya.

You might remember our Film Festival post a little while back, which documented the otherwise little know Idaho Avenue Film Festival, now in it’s third year of offering the best student, amateur, and local short films.  I can still remember the festival’s first show, and I was delighted to find out it will still take place in the same house. Besides a myspace page, these submission flyers, and a video on You Tube, there isn’t too much info available about the film lineup, although we do know there will be free popcorn.  Only to say that this free film festival will take place this Saturday September 8th @ 7:30 PM, and don’t forget your lawn chair (since the films will screen in the backyard).

Frontyard Features (fyfstl.com) is screening “Anchorman” this Thursday, Septmeber 6th @ dusk around 8:30pm on the Pershing Tennis Courts.  You’ll need to bring a lawn chair (or a blanket) to this screening as well, but at least it’s free. 

Webster Film Series (webster.edu/filmseries) presents “Summercamp!” on Thursday September 6th @ 7pm and “The Devil Came on Horseback” Friday-Sunday September 7-9th @ 8pm. Both this documentary about the secret lives of summer camp kids (former) and another doc exposing the hidden genocide taking place in Dafur, Sudan will screen in the Winifred Moore Auditorium on Webster University. ($4-6)

Learn about more films playing in Saint Louis this weekend - (more…)

Should, for whatever reason, you have not made plans this weekend or just prefer the air conditioned theater to the summer heat amplified by your BBQ pit, this should give you a few options.

Frontyard Features is screening Ghost on Thursday, August 30th @ dusk on the Pershing Tennis Courts.  Because I really needed an excuse to plug the KWMU story on this series after my previous article, and I’m ghost like Swayze. (Free!)

St. Louis Art Museum will screen Northwest Wind on Friday August 31st @ 7pm in the Auditorium.  Pirates, Frenchmen, Lust, and Post-Modernism will be on display, but not in the gallery. ($5)

Webster Film Series presents Lights in the Dusk on August 31-September 2 @ 8pm in the Winifred Moore Auditorium.  This Finish comedy has been described as smart deadpan, but it’s also described as heartbreaking by the film series programmers.  You might also be interested in seeing Holy Modal Rounders on Thursday. ($6)

Seema Enterprises will show Hey Babyy Friday August 31st @ 9pm and Saturday September 1st @ 3pm and 9pm in the Wehrenberg St. Charles 18 Cine.  More Bollywood comedy, please!  ($10)

Reel Late @ the Tivoli is showing The Shining on Friday-Saturday Aug 31-Sept 1 @ midnight and Sunday August 2nd @ 10pm.  Because all work and no play this weekend makes this a dull blog. ($6)

Cinemania @ Grand Center is screening Pee Wee’s Big Adventure on Saturday August 1st @ 9pm.  Of course you’ll want to get there early to take part in their costume contest @ 8:30pm, because it’s hard to ride your bike in platform shoes. (Free!)

Although you won’t find it on the Webster Film Series calendar just yet, there will be a free screening this and the next 6 Tuesday nights.   Why?  In the grand tradition of film students, this semester’s film studies topics class is “the Films of Robert Altman” will require public screening.  This week’s film, McCabe & Mrs. Miller, is described thusly in a film series e-mail:

Set in winter in the Old West. Charismatic but dumb John McCabe (Warren Beatty) arrives in a young Pacific Northwest town to set up a whorehouse/tavern. The shrewd Mrs. Miller (Julie Christie), a professional madam, arrives soon after construction begins. She offers to use her experience to help McCabe run his business, while sharing in the profits. The whorehouse thrives and McCabe and Mrs. Miller draw closer, despite their conflicting intelligences and philosophies. Soon, however, the mining deposits in the town attract the attention of a major corporation, which wants to buy out McCabe along with the rest. He refuses, and his decision has major repercussions for him, Mrs. Miller, and the town.

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Every week I’ve been collecting a short list of original films and screenings taking place around the Saint Louis area, so that film geeks like myself have a quick reference including directions and descriptions.  I’ve even written them on vacation.  Writing and hyperlinking a Film Geek Fridays post can take anywhere from 1 to 3 hours any given week.  But people read it, which means I’m helping.  Except the posts are usually read after the weekend they cover.  This is probably because fewer people surf on weekends, preferring to get out (which is what I’m trying to encourage).

So last week I decided to take a break.  And while I’m hopeful I’ll help someone find something they’d like to watch this weekend, I don’t think this feature will return.  If anything this feature may re-surface as a mid-week feature, so that people might actually make plans involving film.  Your feedback can/will help determine what that looks like, so if you regularly read this feature Please leave a comment.

One more Film-Geek Friday after the Bump.

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While we may have written about this film festival a little earlier, we can’t emphasize enough how large the Filmgate Int’l Student Film Festival looms on our film-geek calendar.  Featuring films from around the world and in our own backyard, this 2nd annual film festival shows the best in student film work available, probably for the first and last time you’ll ever be able to see the films.  Our friends from the Webster Film & Video Society will be on hand to organize this start of the fall season in the Webster Film Series.

It all goes down this Friday-Sunday, August 17-19, with each 2+hour film programs starting at 8pm (except Sunday, which starts at 2pm).  Each film will be screened in the Winifred Moore Auditorium at Webster University, with tickets selling for only $4 (and cheaper rates for multi-day passes).  You can start exploring the films program schedule on the festival’s website, to help sort out which films you’re interested in seeing.  And after you view the films, you’ll be able to rate and review the films you watched and share them with your friends.

I am keenly aware that more than a couple readers might hear “student film” and run away.  But to be sure there would be films people actually want to see, I participated in a selection panel for the narrative film category (although there will be documentary and animation/experimental films as well).  Here’s a few mostly incoherent notes I managed to write about these films selected, for you to use/decipher (after the bump):

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We’ve already tried to get you out to theaters this week, much less our effort to encourage film screening attendance on a weekly basis.  Now, during the dog days of summer, comes a reasonable excuse for inviting your friends to revel in the voyueristic glory that is good film.  But seeing as our taste for film is exceedingly local this season, here are a few films you simply must see in St. Louis this weekend if you’re going to see them at all.

Premier Screening

• 10 MPH @ 3pm on Saturday August 11th in the Tivoli Theater
  
  This inventive take on the road trip genre of films tells the story of two aspiring filmmakers who try to find meaning somewhere between Seatle and Boston - except doing so on Segway scooters. If that doesn’t sound original enough, you’ll get a chance to harass the film’s creators in a Q&A after the film. But don’t take your time, because unlike this films’ protagonists, this film will be going somewhere soon.

Reel Late @ The Tivoli

• Dead Alive (aka Braindead) @ midnight on Friday-Saturday August 10-11th, and 10pm on Sunday August 12th
  
  This early film of Peter Jackson’s (yes, that director) is probably one of the bloodiest zombie/horror films ever made. And while this film might not be for the squeamish, you’ll also want to bring along your sense of humor, if not merely irony/poetic justice. A must see for fans of the genre, much less audiences inclined by the midnight format.

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Just because the Webster Film Series is on break until August 17th, when it will host the Filmgate Int’l Student Film Festival, doesn’t mean you have to miss out on great films this weekend.  And speaking of taking a breaks, I’ll have to leave you to do a little research yourself this week since I am taking a holiday weekend.

Reel Late @ The Tivoli

• Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas @ midnight Friday & Saturday August 3-4th, and 10pm Sunday Audust 5th

Saint Louis Art Museum

• Utamaro and His Five Women @ 7 pm in the Auditorium on Friday, August 3rd

Unity Spiritual Movies

• Cool Hand Luke @ 7pm in Unity Christ Church on Friday August 3rd

Frontyard Features (40 Films/40 nights)

• U2 Concert(?) @ dusk in Soulard Market Park on Friday, August 3rd