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Silverlake Film Festival
The 2007 Silverlake Film Festival heads into its second and final week. Highlights include…
El Benny - A biopic based on the life of Benny Moré, considered by many to be the greatest Cuban singer of all time. The film concentrates on a period in the early 1950s when Moré left the orchestra of Duany and founded his own "Banda Gigante."
The King of Kong - Washington resident Steve Wiebe decides that he is going to beat the high score record for Donkey Kong, which was set in 1982 by Florida resident Billy Mitchell. A cross-country battle of epic proportions ensues.
Lakshya - Directed by Farhan Akhtar, this Bollywood film stars Roshan Seth (Krrish) as a slacker (or "lakshya") who enrolls in the Indian Military Academy, after his girlfriend announces he needs to find a goal in life.
The Last Western - Welcome to Pioneertown, California, the Old West town that Hollywood built and then forgot. Built in 1946 on the edge of the Mojave Desert to serve as a backdrop for Hollywood westerns, only a decade later the town was already a decaying outpost.
Red Without Blue - A documentary about two identical twins, Mark and Alexander Farley, who were born minutes apart in 1983 in Montana. By the time they were 14, their parents had divorced, they had come out as gay, and a joint suicide attempt precipitated a forced separation of Mark and Alex for two and half years. Today, Mark is attending art school in San Francisco, and Alex is living as a woman named Clair in New York.
WHEN: Wed., May 2 - Sat., May 12
WHERE: various locations including The Los Feliz 3, The Vista, King King, EchoPlex, Jensen Rec Center, Barnsdall Gallery Theatre and more.
Zoo
Based on the true story of Kenneth Pinyan, this film is described as a sensitive, dramatic account of a zoophile who died from internal injuries caused by the repetitive thrusting of a stallion's penis into his anus. Really. And you thought it was impossible to hear about man-on-equine love without snickering.
WHEN: Fri., May 4 - Thurs., May 10
WHERE: Nuart Theater: 11272 Santa Monica Blvd. (at Sawtelle Blvd. in West LA)
The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu
Hard-drinking, cat-loving Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Ficsuteanu) is whisked from overcrowded hospital to overcrowded hospital by a persistent ambulance driver, as he faces wrong diagnoses, ambivalence, annoyance and consternation -- until he finally dies. Directed by Cristi Puiu, this Romanian film won the 2005 Un Certain Regard Award at Cannes and overwhelming critical acclaim for its mix of human drama and black comedy.
WHEN: Fri., May 11-Sun. May 13
WHERE: American Cinematheque at The Egyptian Theater: 6712 Hollywood Blvd., (1 block East of Highland Ave. in Hollywood)
Two Lane Black Top & Cockfighter
Yay! It's a Monte Hellman double feature. And it begins with the 1971 road picture, Two Lane Black Top, which stars musician James Taylor and Beach Boy Dennis Wilson as they race Warren Oates in a souped-up Pontiac GTO across the country. With the bleak, wide-open Midwestern landscapes, this is definitely a film that's worth watching on the big screen. Personally, I'd recommend seeing this big, wide film from the first row of the balcony at the Egyptian Theater (which is where I first saw it), but alas, it's screening at the Aero.
Next up is Cockfighter, a Roger Corman-produced adaptation of the Charles Willeford novel that stars Warren Oates as a cockfighter who takes a vow of silence after being disqualified from receiving the Cockfighter of the Year award. Moody and intense. Filmed in Georgia by legendary cinematographer Nestor Almendros (Days of Heaven), the supporting cast includes Harry Dean Stanton, Ed Begley, Jr. and Patricia Pearcy.
Monte Hellman will be on hand for a Q&A between films.
WHEN: Sun., May 13 at 7:30 PM
WHERE: American Cinematheque at The Aero Theater: 1328 Montana Ave. (at 14th St. in Santa Monica)
Tim Buckley Doc
The DVD is being released on Tuesday, May 15, but if you're a big fan of musician Tim Buckley, you may want to check out this special, one-time screening of My Fleeting House. This documentary of rare Tim Buckley performances and interview footage spanning his entire career includes 11 full-length songs and three partial performances. Buckley, a talented musician who who died of a heroin/alcohol overdose in 1975 at the age of 27, produced nine studio albums during his short career.
WHEN: Sun., May 13 at 7:00 p.m.
WHERE: Molly Malone's: 575 S. Fairfax (at 6th St.)
COST: Free, but you must be at least 21 years old.
Catching Up With James Benning
The Los Angeles Filmforum plans to screen James Benning's six most recent films, all made between the late 1990s and now, over the course of the year. Tonight they continue with Part 2 of The California Trilogy, three films that investigating the landscape in and around California. In Los Benning presents a portrait of California's urban landscapes composed in 35 stationary two-and-a-half minute shots.
WHEN: Sun., May 13, 2007, 7:00 pm
WHERE: The Egyptian Theater: 6712 Hollywood Blvd., (1 block East of Highland Ave. in Hollywood)
