Bill Shatner is Indestructible....

CHANNEL ZERO BOSTON’S MOST NOTORIOUS ENTERTAINMENT FRANCHISE PROUDLY PRESENTS: "William Shatner: Pre-Trek!" Celebrating the career of William Shatner as a journeyman actor on TV prior to his breakthrough as Star Trek's Captain Kirk! Including an episode of "For the People" a realistic 1965 drama starring Shatner as an embattled NYC Assistant DA Also on the bill a 1960 TV pilot :"Nero Wolfe" starring Kurt Kasznar as the eccentric detective & Bill Shatner as his two fisted assistant! The Somerville Theatre (Micro Cinema) 55 Davis Square Somerville Ma Friday, November 1st 8pm (sharp!) Admission: $7.50 (cash only) 617-625-5700 www.channel0.blogspot.com

"Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" (2019)

I used to think Tarantino was being a drama queen when he mused about quitting directing after ten feature films. After seeing "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood", I'm wondering if the wunderkinder is running out of ideas. On the surface, the story is "Can't Miss" the adventures of a past-his-prime TV star and his grinning semi deadly favorite stuntman hetero life partner in the story-dense lead up to the famous 1969 Manson Family/Sharon Tate Murders. Play it right, and Tarantino has his own personal "Nashville" going on, but alas this got played wrong and instead we get a glorious disjointed mess that somehow manages to accidentally sully the good name of the Late Bruce Lee in the Bargain (a cringeworthy sequence that just tells me more than anything, that Tarantino is slipping...). A perceptive friend of mine spoke well of all the performances, DiCaprio & Pitt are at the height of their form and charisma, but at two hours and forty minutes, "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" is devoid of the memorable monologues and snappy dialogue that is a hallmark of all Tarantino's prior works. Instead we get meticulous recreations of the backlot of western TV productions, dense period detail, clever celebrity impersonations, clouds of cigarette smoke and after that...precious little. Oh and Margot Robbie's Feet, those filthy soles seem to have replaced Uma Thurman's toes as Q.T. "Shoeless Muse". Oh don't get me wrong, Margot Robbie's Sharon Tate impersonation is flawless, but that only because Robbie is skilled at projecting vacuity as well as authenticity. The climax is particularly graphic and sadistic, even for Tarantino, he can get away with it, because its pure grievance driven mayhem unleashed on the Manson Family, a generation spanning source of hate and fear in the Tinseltown Zeitgeist. Indeed it's Charles Manson's homicidal spree that told Hollywood that the relationship with it's audience had developed fatal consequences...fractured and fatal. Frankly, the film is glorious horse shit, with Tarantino symbolically destroying Hollywood's darkest fear with...a flamethrower. Dunno, Q.T. not sure how you or anyone can top that...

Our Next Thrilling Chapter..."Jungle Gold"

Y'know, for years we've had this internal debate here at Channel Zero about the mechanics of screening a classic movie serial for a modern moviegoing audience. "Binge watching" the sumbitch is right out, a twelve or fifteen episode chapter play clocks in at over three hundred minutes. Just booking the venue for such a long program is nigh impossible and will a paying audience sit there in one go for material loaded with filler for such a long time? Doubtful. The Harvard Film Archive did it once back in the 1990's, dedicating an entire Saturday Afternoon to "Flash Gordon" (1936) in a marathon screening, it played to an audience of three as I recall (but it remains solid boasting rights on my part at least). The Brattle Theatre, in the summer of 1994 screened Victor Jory starring as "The Shadow" (1940) in five episode clumps over successive Monday evenings. Its worked but the Alec Baldwin "Shadow" was out that summer (more boasting rights, I saw it at the Drive In) and attendance certainly lagged that third Monday night. We love the serial format, even the misbegotten chapter plays like "Brick Bradford" (which features aggressive extraterrestrial moon-men in tee shirts and bermuda shorts, the sheer energy and violence of the better examples stand up even today against today's blockbusters. It should be noted that the first all-up comic book adaptations were serials notably "The Adventures of Captain Marvel" (1941) a CLASSIC Republic Serial full of that studios signature quality stunts and action. The irony is, that back in 1914 or so, at the outset of the silent chapter plays all the heroes in the early serials were all women! Pearl White in the "Perils of Pauline" had all sorts of agency, she operated locomotives, indulged in gun fights with bad guys and demonstrated all sorts of self rescuing independence before she ever had the right to vote! And no, she was never once tied to the railroad tracks! Republic Pictures with its spate of jungle girl chapter plays in the 1940's was merely hearkening back to the estrogen-laden heroics of early days of serials. Some of cinemas first male versus female fistfights, where the woman carried the day, are in serials. Linda Stirling, in particular has a robust judo toss in her repertoire. So after much debate, Channel Zero has decided to screen "Jungle Gold" (1944) a complete feature length film edited out of Republic's classic jungle girl serial "The Tiger Woman". Linda Stirling stars as a Jungle Queen defending her own personal lost tribe in the Brazilian Jungle from oil wildcatters. This film is literally "highlight reel" of Republic Studios stunts, action and general lightning paced mayhem! The Somerville Theatre (micro cinema) Friday, July 26th 8pm (sharp!) 55 Davis Square, Somerville Ma Admission: $7.50 (cash only) 617-625-5700

Why Sadko (1952)?

It is sad to say, but Classic Soviet Films are rarely screened on the local repertory circuit, save for certain "sure fire" titles (exp "Battleship Potemkin" "Alexander Nevsky" the art-house propaganda titles in other words), this is a shame because even a colossal totalitarian system can produce genre films of rare sophistication & beauty. "Sadko" was the product of a testing time in Soviet History, Stalin had purged the arts (chiefly of any "Jewish Influence") and now set out to illustrate the intensification of class conflict by decreeing that All Soviet Films must be artistic masterpieces. So of course, film production in the USSR plunged during this period, no one dared approve a script that might result in a film that wasn't a Masterpiece. Director Alexandr Ptushko though, had two things going in his favor as he prepared to shoot "Sadko" one, Soviet Film Censors were pretty lax about approving films set in the distant past reasoning that the modern class conflict dynamic didn't exist per se in the Dark Ages, so filmmakers were absolved of the need to make The Vanguard Party of the Workers look good. Secondly, "Sadko" is a famous Russian Folk tale about a 10th Century troubadour who travels to strange magic realms in a brave search of a mythic Bird of Happiness by which to revive his beleaguered home town. This "Bylina" (a traditional slavic oral folk tale) had already been adapted by Rimsky-Korsakov into a Opera that was a mainstay of Russian Theatre throughout the Stalinist Era. So Ptushko had the right setting and the right property, he also had a profound epic visual sense and a straining desire to burst the limits of cinema in his time. And what the hell he succeeded. A Bright Colorful Poignant Fantasia that could easily be considered the USSR's Answer to "The Wizard of Oz"directed a man who could easily go toe-to-toe with Walt Disney. And in 1952, in the USSR that meant something, specifically because of the rigid application of Stalin's demand for film masterpieces, "Sadko", is one of exactly five Russian Language Movies produced under Soviet Auspices in 1952, the fact that it got made, and made so well, is nothing short of miraculous. So Hell to the Yeah, Channel Zero is screening Sadko, bold colors, state of the art special effects, folksongs and all! The Somerville Theatre (micro cinema) Friday, May 17th 8pm (sharp!) 55 Davis Square, Somerville Ma Admission: $7.50 (cash only, please note tickets are on sale thirty minutes prior to showtime in front of the micro cinema) 617-625-5700 In Russian (folksongs and all) Subtitled into English!!

David Kleiler, RIP...

Let the record show, that Channel Zero had some three attempts to collaborate with the departed local film maven, David Kleiler (former GM of the Coolidge Corner, Curator of the Boston Underground Film Festival, Programmer of the Woods Hole Film Festival, that boy got around yo!), all of them ended in disaster. Nonetheless we had no regrets things went wrong for reasons unrelated to David or Us, and our little film franchise gained always in wisdom and experience, something Kleiler freely gave away every day of his life. He died last week after all long illness, and the local film scene is the poorer for it by far. The First time, was likely in the summer of 1996, we were negotiating with the Coolidge Corner's then Marketing Director, the incomparable Robert Deutsch for a coveted repertory film screening slot, in prime time no less! As General Manager, Kleiler had literally saved said venue from the wrecking ball and was now outreaching to us, Channel Zero with an opportunity to reach a Boston Audience. At this time, we were doing screenings on VHS for free in the now defunct Liberty Cafe in Central Square, this was a very big thing on offer indeed. Alas it was not to be, Kleiler and Deutsch were both shown the door almost as soon as we passed in our proposal (for the record it was "The Evil Dead Part II", so sue us, we wanted a pre sold audience...and we'd never worked with celluloid before!). Two years later, in the Summer of 1998, and David Kleiler was doing his own private repertory screenings at "Bill's Bar" in the Fenway, he invited Channel Zero to come in and "sublet" for a night when the Red Sox were out of season. This Time we went with one of our dependable programs "Custer Lives" a screening of the misbegotten 1967-1968 western series starring Wayne Maunder as the doomed Colonel Custer riding the prairie like Captain Kirk on Horseback. We'd done quite well in Central Square with a similar program (tarted up with a reading of bad "Custer Elegy" poetry that in turn inspired the infamous "Bad Poets Society") and dutifully began flogging the event thru our column in "Editorial Humor" and with our now ubiquitous flyers. And wouldn't you know it, one week before showtime, Kleiler and his ad-hoc repertory series gets shown the door. We were livid, he was philosophical.... And then...in 2000, when David Kleiler was ensconced at the top his own film festival, the Boston Underground Film Festival no less, he offered Channel Zero a precious screening opportunity at the Revolving Museum in South Boston. We were ecstatic, at last validation! And this time, we had the title, Peter Watkins'controversial nuclear war "documentary "The War Game"...we were just about to secure the screening rights to said film when the Harvard Film Archive swooped down and announced a retrospective of Peter Watkins' films, two weeks before our screening including of course, "The War Game". Kleiler, counseled steadfastness (we should have listened to him), but we had catastrophic visions of an empty theatre with crickets chirping on the soundtrack, we canceled "The War Game" and in sheer desperation opted for High Camp, in this case, "Hercules Unchained" (1960) starring Steve Reeves. Our reasoning was "classic psychotronic titles" hadn't made a big inroad yet on the local midnight movie circuit so we were reasonable free of the fear of pre-emption. This would prove to be a rare example of Channel Zero misjudging its audience, never ever try to sell camp escapism to a Boho Audience of rising Cineastes....they never get the joke, I guess they shouldn't have to, either. They were faking heart attacks to get out of that bunker like room in South Boston, we couldn't have chosen a worse movie for the crowd at hand, it was indeed "Our Waterloo". If you'd like you can watch the whole thing on Youtube its a long way from a 16mm rental indeed....but what the hell David gave us the agency to triumph or screw up all by ourselves. Alas we never again collaborated with David Kleiler sad to say, the man was unflappable in this movie market, you have to be, he did grace us by attending some of our more recent screenings at the Somerville Theatre, he was relaxed, wise as truly one who had seen it all, if he bought one of our tickets it a virtual endorsement that we had the most interesting screening in town. Back in 2015, when Channel Zero hit a bad patch with unique programming that inspired nothing but empty seats David Kleiler counseled patience and resilience, "not quitting was the best path to triumph" was his sage advice. I'd see him sometimes at the Harvard Film Archive, lately he was clearly sick but still cogent and wise, it was always a pleasure to talk with him, I will miss him, the local film scene will have to wait a long time before it grows another conscience and institutional memory like David Kleiler.

We got good Ink!!! WE GOT GOOD INK!!!

From Betsy Sherman in the Arts Fuse!! Oh and Lauren King, That Empress of Insight, came thru as well!! (sorry folks dis ain't da golden age, yer gonna have to pay someone to read that Boston Globe article) I mean lemme tell yuh, its hard to get decent arts press attention in this town, always has been and I've been at this twenty four years!!!

Why Screen..."Million Dollar Legs" (1932) ?

Because it is "pre-code"comedy and as such is pitched at a slightly more adult audience, and mostly because its literally the only film in W.C. Fields'surviving catalogue wherein The Great Man plays a person of influence, the President of the Balkan Duchy of Klopstokia. Of course in the whole of Western Civilization no Chief Executive, President Prime Minster or Duce, has ever had to hold on to power by prevailing in the Summer Olympics weightlifting competition! That may frenz is the very spirit of Dada come to roost in the Hollywood Hills. It is also a prime illustration of Moe Howard's dictum that the very sole of comedy emerges in a Hegelian sense from the Annihilation of Dignity. Director Eddie Cline was a frequent collaborator with Fields, he would subsequently direct two of The Great Man's Best Films, "The Bank Dick" & "Never Give a Sucker an Even Break". The rest of the cast includes beefy Jack Oakie (in a rare purely romantic Lead) and veritable cavalry charge of slapstick comedians, Cross Eyed Ben Turpin, spindly Andy Clyde and the ever excitable Hugh Herbert among others. It is the sort of film they don't make anymore, a slapstick farce with a strong overlay of pure satire, hell they weren't making many of these back in the day, so this is a rare opportunity to reacquaint oneself with the Incomparable Comedy of W.C. Fields, don't miss it!! The Somerville Theatre (micro-cinema) Friday, February 22nd 8pm (sharp!) 55 Davis Square Somerville Ma. Admission $7.50 (Cheap! Cash Only) 617) 625-5700 Note Tickets go on sale thirty minutes or so before showtime outside the Micro Cinema downstairs at the Somerville Theatre

This is as close as I got to...

Sam J. "Flash Gordon" Jones at the Somerville Theatre last Friday Night, let the record show that is a small bag of popcorn in his hand, please indulge no rumors. Amazingly Jones is the subject of a fairly comprehensive film documentary detailing his ubiquitous career after the 1980 Flash Gordon adaptation. The man is nothing if not indomitable, working as bodyguard when he isn't on the convention circuit or collaborating with Seth McFarlane. Ubiquity like that, DESERVES a documentary!! Lt@: Garen Daly (CapoRegime, Boston Sci Fi Film Festival), Lisa Downes (Director of "After Flash")and Sam J.Jones.

My Top Ten Movies for 2018

Sadly due to ongoing career and family crises, I just barely got to ten movies this year...but I got there all the same. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story, great documentary about the world's only pinup beauty who held a legit patent on a electronic invention whose principle is still very much in use today. The Death of Stalin, Its an odd thing but the 20th Century's A-List "Tyrannical Trio" (Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin), lavish film depictions of the death of the two fascists are a common thing, but Stalin, who had the bad form to die in bad has gone a-begging until now. Besides any film willing to cast Steve Buscemi as Nikita Khrushchev and Michael Palin as Molotov, deserves an Academy Award for sheer chutzpah. Isle of Dogs, I love Wes Anderson, he was clearly drawing on the legacy of Czech filmmaker Karel Zemen for this stop motion puppet feature...the man can do no wrong in my books. Eighth Grade, Bo Turnham has a future he knows how to extract evocative realistic performances from youth players...its a useful talent. Given her strong performance, I'm not sure where Elsie Fisher goes after this, but then I once said that about Chloe Grace-Moritz. "Sorry to Bother You", Every year, America needs a good parable on racial politics and the intricacies of sheer identity, and we'll need it annually until we finally all get past some stuff. "The Miseducation of Cameron Post" Remember what I said about Chloe Grace Moritz earlier? Here is a good sign she can perpetuate a career in Hollywood, of the odious process of "praying away the gay" I will pass over in silence. The BlacKkKlansman This might be, Spike Lee's First (and likely last) film with a happy ending. The enormity of the deed was such, that he had to tack on a depressing contemporary epilogue to hold onto his prophecy props. "Operation Finale"..."Eichmann had it coming, he made enemies!" "Bathtubs over Broadway" a long overdue documentary about the lost genre of "Industrial Musicals", Letterman show alum Steve Young scours the world for the composers, scores and recordings that make up these elaborate trade show extravaganzas. But its the human dimension here that enchants, Young makes friends, revives long lost music, becomes a genre activist...the guy is so "Channel Zero" it hurts. "The Favourite" Who knew that Emma Stone's breakthrough movie would be as an ambitious lady in waiting to the sexually ambiguous Queen Anne of England? Seriously who knew???