Page 139 – Establishing Shot

The Exquisite Esther Williams

Posted on May 15, 2017 by Michaela Owens

Esther Williams in Easy to Love (1953) — Esther Williams in *Easy to Love* (1953)

Guest post by Michaela Owens.

Let me start this by saying that it was a miracle I didn’t end up writing 10,000 words. When it comes to a woman named Esther Williams, I honestly can’t stop myself from blubbering. Strong, confident, funny, self-aware, and resilient, Esther Williams became an instant role model to me when my sister gave me her autobiography, The Million Dollar Mermaid, four years ago. She wasn’t the actress that Katharine Hepburn was, but she had the same work ethic. She wasn’t a celebrated comedienne like Myrna Loy was, but she had the same twinkle in her eye. She couldn’t dance like Rita Hayworth, but she had the same grace. We will never see the likes of Esther again because she was so wholly unique.

You’re probably asking “Why? What makes her so special?” As a champion swimmer, Esther (yes, I’m putting us on a first-name basis) was the centerpiece of a string of films called “aqua musicals.” The formula was simple: you had stunning Technicolor, simple yet fun musical numbers, a handsome leading man who wouldn’t outshine her, and most important of all, there would be a spectacular swimming routine or two. Esther’s movies are the epitome of escapism, and they made her a box office sensation and an MGM star for a little over a decade. They are completely fascinating and completely insane and I don’t know how you can’t love them. (more…)

A Conversation with Nzingha Kendall

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Barbara Ann O'Leary

Still From Autumn Song — Still From *Autumn Song*

This week A Place For Film editor Barbara Ann O’Leary had a chance to connect with Nzingha Kendall about her Four Seasons film installation taking place at the I Fell Building this Thursday, her commitment to supporting the work of experimental women filmmakers, and her engagement with IU Cinema.

BOL: You’ve been involved with IU Cinema as a filmmaker, a facilitator of Jorgensen Lecture conversation, a programmer of series and events, a guest blogger for A Place For Film and more. What inspires you to bring your time, insights, and energy to help the Cinema flourish?

NK: Given my deep commitment to promoting the work of independent women filmmakers—especially those of color—one of the main reasons I chose to come to IU for graduate school was the possibility of working at, and with, the Black Film Center/Archive and the IU Cinema. I had hoped that I might use my skills to bring programming related to these often under-appreciated artists to campus through collaborations with both units. Luckily, with the unstinting support of Jon Vickers and Brittany Friesner at the Cinema, and Michael Martin, Brian Graney, and Mary Huelsbeck at the BFC/A, I’ve been able to achieve this. My time at IU has been enriched by being involved with the BFC/A and the Cinema; both units are true gems on this campus. Just reading the list you’ve given, I’m amazed to see all the ways I’ve participated in the Cinema’s life over the past six years! (more…)

Vertigo As Fairy Tale Noir

Posted on May 8, 2017 by Jesse Pasternack

Idiosyncratic films have an interesting relationship with genre. The fact that they are so unique separates them from more formulaic movies. But more often than not idiosyncratic films bear traces of generic structures that make them palatable to audiences. Idiosyncratic films have the potential to create their own genres, but more often than not they create their own sub-genres.

This is most true of some of the greatest noir films. Brick is “high school noir,” Blade Runner is “tech noir,” and as my professor Tim Bell once said, The Big Lebowski is “stoner noir.” Most of these sub-genres apply to multiple films, in particular tech and stoner noir. But there is one noirish film that created a subgenre so particular that it only has one entry: Vertigo. (more…)

A Conversation with Filmmaker Sarah Lasley

Posted on May 3, 2017 by Establishing Shot

Sarah Lasley The Imagemaker (2017) — Sarah Lasley *The Imagemaker* (2017)

Sarah Lasley’s “The Imagemaker” premieres tonight at the IU Libraries Moving Image Archive Screening Room as part of The Body & Transcendence: a night of films by women directors. Julie Rooney, whose work will also screen this evening, conversed with Lasley about her new film and the themes that resonate through the films in the program.

JR: Who is the showgirl, and why is she in the desert? Is she alone?

SL: The initial narrative premise of the film is that the showgirl has wandered into the desert seeking attention from the viewer. In that regard, she isn’t alone because we are there for her to entertain us. I shot this film in Arizona, but I liked the idea that it could be a desert neighboring Las Vegas, and maybe the showgirl stumbled into the desert by accident. As the film progresses, the harsh conditions of the desert force her to recognize that she is more than just a beautiful image, she also has physical and emotional needs. (more…)

A Place for Student Film

Posted on May 1, 2017 by Jesse Pasternack

There are few things more nerve wracking and awe-inspiring for a filmmaker than seeing their work in a theater with a crowd for the first time. More often than not you sit there with a knot in your chest, worrying about whether that scene was well lit or that actor’s flub was noticeable. But when someone in the crowd laughs or is moved by your work, there is no better feeling in the world. (more…)

Saturday Kiddie Matinees in the 20th-Century

Posted on April 27, 2017 by Laura Ivins

On Saturday at 3:00 p.m., the IU Cinema will screen Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (dir. Mel Stuart, 1971) in its final CINEkids screening for the academic year. For several years now, the CINEkids International Children’s Film Series has featured a variety of kid-friendly films, from classic silents to modern favorites to new releases. The CINEkids tagline? “You’re never too young to develop a taste for foreign film.”

The history of children’s matinees is a bit more raucous than what you’ll find at our CINEkids screenings, though. In what were often called “kiddie matinees” by exhibitors, from about the 1930s through the 1960s kids flocked to their neighborhood theaters on Saturday for a block of movie programming that catered especially to them. (more…)