Page 90 – Establishing Shot

“Propelled to the Stars by Pure Imagination”: Karel Zeman’s The Fabulous Baron Munchausen

Posted on March 23, 2020 by Michaela Owens

Still from The Fabulous Baron Munchausen — Still from *The Fabulous Baron Munchausen*

If you’ve seen a film by Terry Gilliam, Wes Anderson, or Tim Burton, you’ve likely seen the influence of Czech filmmaker Karel Zeman. An artistic genius who often combined live action and animation to spellbinding effect, Zeman worked as an animator and director from the 1940s up until his death in 1989. I first discovered him when I was studying in Prague a few years ago and my class visited the Karel Zeman Museum, a magical place that opened in 2012 to keep alive the legacy of its namesake and his groundbreaking work in special effects. From the moment I stepped into the museum, I was enchanted by the film clips, costumes, and props that surrounded me, so much so that I went back to the museum a second time and made sure to walk away from the gift shop with a stack of Zeman’s films on DVD. (more…)

Nicholas Ray’s On Dangerous Ground

Posted on March 16, 2020 by Jack Miller

Still from ON DANGEROUS GROUND — *On Dangerous Ground* (1951)

It’s something of a paradox that one of the greatest and most central works of film noir, a genre marked by its dark and often cynical worldview, becomes a kind of ecstatic parable about spiritual epiphany and moral regeneration in the hands of Nicholas Ray. On Dangerous Ground (1951), Ray’s eighth feature, is usually overshadowed by his previous noir classics, They Live by Night (1948, his debut feature) and In a Lonely Place (1950), and while those are certainly two very great, essential films, my own favorite among Ray’s early work is this later, somewhat more underrated masterpiece. At first glance, the film looks like an amalgamation of two very different movies. It opens within a shadowy, deeply corrupt urban underworld of twisted alleys and desperate characters – this is the environment inhabited by Jim Wilson, a violent cop portrayed by Robert Ryan – only to move toward a kind of icy romanticism in its emotionally charged later passages, as Wilson is sent out beyond city limits on a homicide case upstate. (more…)

Fellini in Color

Posted on March 9, 2020 by Jesse Pasternack

“The artist is the medium between his fantasies and the rest of the world.” — Federico Fellini

Scholars and film fans tend to divide the career of Federico Fellini, who would have celebrated his 100th birthday this year, into two periods. The first half is more influenced by the Italian neorealist movement that his mentor Roberto Rossellini partially created. The second, more controversial half is more fantastical in content and based more on his own memories and fantasies. But aside from subject matter there is another, technical quality which delineates Fellini’s body of work into two halves. That quality is color. (more…)

The Value of Ordinary: Jon Jost’s Early Narratives

Posted on March 5, 2020 by Laura Ivins

screenshot from Slow Moves of Julie in the midst of a sunflower field, pulling a flower in front of her face — *Slow Moves* (Jon Jost, 1983)

Jon Jost has directed dozens of films over an approximately 50-year career. His films span documentary, narrative, experimental, and personal essay, often existing in the spaces between genres, and he has shot a range of formats. Jost is known for his commitment to true independence, choosing to work small and, along with that, focus his subjects on people who rarely find their stories told onscreen. (more…)

The Expansive Genius of Hilma af Klint in Beyond the Visible

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Establishing Shot

Hilma af Klint at her studio in Stockholm, c.1895 — Hilma af Klint at her studio in Stockholm, circa 1895.

Guest post by Alyssa Brooks, IU Cinema’s Outreach and Programming Coordinator and Events and Operations Assistant.

As Outreach and Programming Coordinator, I was asked to curate and develop a public program as part of IU Cinema’s spring season. There were no specific guidelines for this project, except that it should be something I’m excited about and could get others excited about, too. The possibilities were almost overwhelmingly endless, and I worried I’d never be able to make a decision.

As soon as I watched Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint, a new documentary about a female abstract painter all but erased from art history, my decision was made. IU Cinema is no stranger to illuminating the lives of incredible women forgotten or diminished by history. We’ve screened Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché, about the pioneer filmmaker; Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, focusing on Lamarr’s scientific contributions; and many, many series highlighting the work of women directors and writers. Hilma af Klint’s story would be right at home on our screen. (more…)

Monthly Movie Round-Up: February

Posted on February 27, 2020 by Establishing Shot

Mission: Impossible - Fallout — Mission: Impossible – Fallout

Every month, A Place for Film brings you a selection of films from our group of regular bloggers. Even though these films aren’t currently being screened at the IU Cinema, this series reflects the varied programming that can be found at the Cinema and demonstrates the eclectic tastes of the bloggers. Each contributor has picked one film that they saw this month that they couldn’t wait to share with others. Keep reading to find out what discoveries these cinephiles have made, as well as some of the old friends they’ve revisited.
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