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Something borrowed, something blue | Photo courtesy of Nina Paley
The world's biggest democracy brings the world's biggest films to center stage, as the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles returns to the Arclight. This year, the line-up boasts Bollywood blockbusters My Name is Khan (presented in its international director's cut), 3 Idiots (the highest-grossing Bollywood film of all time), Kaminey and Ashes to Ashes (a 20th-anniversary re-cut of rape-revenge thriller Raakh). No time for epics? Try either of the two shorts programs, comprising animated, live-action and documentary shorts from India and the diaspora. Look past the song-and-dance for documentaries about commercial surrogacy (Babies Made in India), "invisible" day-laborers (At My Doorstep) and international politics (The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom). This last film also has a companion outside the festival, Tibet in Song, screening for free at the Hammer. The masala keeps coming with the charming Sita Sings the Blues, in a one-week run at Laemmle's Music Hall, and experimental period drama India Dance, which plays for free as part of LACMA's tribute to late film critic Manny Farber.
Elsewhere, I learn that asking very nicely (and sacrificing a goat or two) summons all sorts of screams to the silver screen. Titan of trash Lloyd Kaufman celebrates Troma Entertainment's 35th anniversary at the New Beverly with 35mm prints of two of his finest, The Toxic Avenger and Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead. There's also a costume contest, so bring your best chicken zombie, drunken samurai or radioactive deformity. The blood continues to flow when Shock Till You Drop and New Beverly Midnights present creepy clip compilation Terror in the Aisles - it's a million midnight moments rolled into one, and it'll never get cleared for official re-release! If that's not enough wanton violence, head over to Laemmle's Sunset at midnight on Friday, where newcomer Cinema Slaughter screens Neighbor, starring America Olivo (of Bitch Slap and Playboy covergirl fame) as the girl next door who's just dying to play with you. God bless America - unless you live next door...
Full list appears below. See you at the movies!
A picture is worth a thousand playbacks | Photo courtesy of Fox Searchlight
All Week
8 1/2 (1963) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
Beautiful Losers (2008) (Downtown Independent)
City Island (2009) (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
The City of Your Final Destination (2007) (Laemmle's Playhouse 7) (Laemmle's Royal Theatre) (Laemmle's Town Center 5)
Five Easy Pieces (1970) (Nuart Theatre)
Handmade Nation (2009) (Downtown Independent)
In My Sleep (2010) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
The Joneses (2010) (Laemmle's Fallbrook 7)
No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) (The Landmark)
Paper Man (2009) (The Landmark)
The Secret of Kells (2009) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Sita Sings the Blues (2008) (Laemmle's Music Hall 3)
TCM Classic Film Festival (Egyptian Theatre)
Vincere (2009) (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
When You're Strange (2009) (Laemmle's Monica 4-Plex)
Thursday 4/22
Baraka (1992) (w/ producer Mark Magidson and director Ron Fricke) (Aero Theatre)
Earth (1930) (Echo Park Film Center)
Fatso (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Forever the Moment (2007) (Korean Cultural Center)
Groundhog Day (1993) (Regency Academy) (Insomniac Cinema Midnight Movie)
The Idiots (1998) / The Humiliated (1998) (Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre) (Making Ofs...)
Kaminey (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.) (21+ screening)
Punishment Park (1971) (free event) (Melnitz Movies)
Shorts Program 2 (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
The Sun Behind the Clouds: Tibet's Struggle for Freedom (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
The Toxic Avenger (1984) / Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead (2006) (Troma 35th anniversary w/ Lloyd Kaufman) (New Beverly Cinema)
Friday 4/23
3 Idiots (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Blue Velvet (1986) (The Bay Theatre)
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) (Old Town Music Hall)
Christmas in July (1940) / The Exterminating Angel (1962) (LACMA) (A Tribute to Manny Farber)
Cinema Slaughter Horror Fest (Laemmle's Sunset 5)
Eggshells (1968) (midnight drive-in screening) (Steve Allen Theater)
Ladies of Leisure (1930) / Forbidden (1932) (Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre) (The Rise of Frank Capra) (Sexy Stanwyck & Pre-Code Capra Double Feature)
Mad, Sad, & Bad (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Nero's Guests (2009) / Babies Made in India (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Never on Sunday (1960) / Irma la Douce (1963) (New Beverly Cinema)
Paper Man (2009) (w/ Lisa Kudrow, Emma Stone and Co-Writer/Co-Director Kieran Mulroney at 7:20pm and 10:10pm shows) (The Landmark)
Predator 2 (1990) (Nuart Theatre) (Cine-Insomnia Midnight Movie)
Tibet in Song (2008) (free event w/ filmmaker Ngawang Choephel) (UCLA Film & Television Archive @ Hammer Museum)
Welcome to L.A. (1976) / Nashville (1975) (w/ composer Richard Baskin) (Aero Theatre)
Whatever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962) (Art Theatre of Long Beach) (Mondo Fridays)
Saturday 4/24
Ashes to Ashes (2010) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Celestial Navigations: The Short Films Of Al Jarnow (w/ Al Jarnow) (Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre) (Saturday Night Showcase)
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) (Old Town Music Hall)
The Florestine Collection Fundraiser (w/ filmmakers) (Echo Park Film Center)
The Godfather (1972) (Aero Theatre)
The Goonies (1985) (Art Theatre of Long Beach)
India Song (1975) (free event) (LACMA) (A Tribute to Manny Farber)
Intersections: Poetry/Film (Part 1) (Los Angeles Filmforum) (UCLA Film & Television Archive @ Hammer Museum)
Mondo Musicals Mix Night feat. Jailbird Rock (1988) (Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre) (HFS: Can't Stop the Musicals)
My Name is Khan (2010) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Never on Sunday (1960) / Irma la Douce (1963) (New Beverly Cinema)
Paper Man (2009) (w/ Lisa Kudrow, Emma Stone and Co-Writer/Co-Director Kieran Mulroney at 7:20pm and 10:10pm shows) (The Landmark)
Raspberry Magic (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (Sins O' The Flesh Midnight Show) (Nuart Theatre)
Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) (Midnight Insanity Midnight Show) (Warner Grand Theatre)
Scarface (1932) / The Mystery of Kaspar Hauser (aka Every Man for Himself and God Against All) (1974) (LACMA) (A Tribute to Manny Farber)
Searching 4 Sandeep (2007) / Woman Rebel (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Shorts Program 1 (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Terror in the Aisles (1984) (New Beverly Cinema) (New Beverly Midnights)
The Well (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Sunday 4/25
At My Doorstep (2009) / Wahid's Mobile Bookstore (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
Baby Chicks for Cairo (1985) (Goethe-Institut)
Blue Velvet (1986) (The Bay Theatre)
Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum (1940) (Old Town Music Hall)
The Godfather, Part II (1974) (Aero Theatre)
Gone With the Wind (1939) (New Beverly Cinema)
The Goonies (1985) (Art Theatre of Long Beach)
Intersections: Poetry/Film (Part 2) (Los Angeles Filmforum) (UCLA Film & Television Archive @ Hammer Museum)
The Man Beyond the Bridge (2009) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
The Purified (2002) / The Exhibited (2000) (Cinefamily @ Silent Movie Theatre) (Making Ofs...)
Shorts Program 2 (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
The Waiting City (2009) (Closing Night Gala) (Arclight Hollywood) (Indian Film Festival of L.A.)
That's all for this week. Where's my candy colored clown?
Compiled, as always, by the amazing and diligent Edward Yerke-Robins (and family!)
