MESS, a reading club and various SUZY WILLIAMS shows.
Here's the schedules. The details and links follow for:
DOCUMENTAL at The Unurban in Santa Monica
7 DUDLEY CINEMA at The Talking Stick in Venice
SUBVERSIVE CINEMA at 212 PIER in Santa Monica
MESS Interview Series in Santa Monica
Marshall McLuhan-Finnegans Wake Reading Club
Suzy Williams shows - LA's Diva Deluxe
Thank you, Gerry Fialka pfsuzy@aol.com
310-306-7330 laughtears.com
Please do not hesitate to call or email with any questions
Janurary 2010 events info:
Jan 5, TUES, 6-8pm: McLuhan-Finnegans Wake Reading Club
http://www.venicewake.org/
Jan 9, SAT, 2-6pm: MESS with RUDY PEREZ, whose career has encompassed
early training with the giants of modern dance, the birth of the
postmodern dance movement, and the creation of a large body of vital
work. http://www.laughtears.com/mess.html
Jan 11, MON, 6-10pm: DOCUMENTAL- JAY ROSENBLATT FILMS: "Rosenblatt has
the humanity of a Lubitsch... combined with the analytical sensibility
of a Bergman. His films are not merely good. Rosenblatt is seriously
gifted, a significant artist." - SF Chronicle
http://www.laughtears.com/documental.html
Jan 13, WED, 7:30 - 10:30pm: SUZY WILLIAMS at Dannys http://www.laughtears.com/
Jan 16, SAT, 7-10pm: SUZY & HER SOLID SENDERS at The Talking Stick
http://www.laughtears.com/suzy1.html
Jan 18, MON, 6-10pm: 7 DUDLEY CINEMA, Sponto & Venice History Film
Fest http://www.laughtears.com/7dudleycinema.html
Jan 29, FRI, 7-10pm: SUBVERSIVE CINEMA at 212 PIER
http://www.laughtears.com/documental_subversive.html
February 2010 events info:
Feb 2, TUES, 6-8pm: McLuhan-Finnegans Wake Reading Club
http://www.venicewake.org/
Feb 8, MON, 6-10pm: DOCUMENTAL - IMMOKALEE USA and DEAR CARRY -
political films http://www.laughtears.com/documental.html
Feb 10, WED, 7:30 - 10:30pm: SUZY WILLIAMS at Dannys http://www.laughtears.com/
Feb 13, SAT, 2-6pm: MESS with Donovan Seelinger
http://www.laughtears.com/mess.html
Feb 15, MON, 6-10pm: 7 DUDLEY CINEMA, John Cage Film with Frank Zappa
& Noam Chomsky http://www.laughtears.com/7dudleycinema.html
Feb 20, SAT, 7-10pm: JAZZ FUNK FEST at The Talking Stick
http://www.laughtears.com/jazzfunkfest.html
Feb 26, FRI, 7-10pm: SUBVERSIVE CINEMA at 212 PIER
http://www.laughtears.com/documental_subversive.html
*****************
DOCUMENTAL shows films at the Unurban Coffeehouse, 3301 Pico Blvd,
Santa Monica, CA, 90 404, 3 10-315-0056, free admission from 6-10pm.
Info: 310-306-7330 Laughtears.com
Mon, JAN 11- JAY ROSENBLATT FILMS - from 7-10pm - Rosenblatt, who has
been making short films since the early 1980s, deals with a variety of
themes - from birth and childhood to religious faith, tyranny and
death. Frequently screened on public television and film festivals,
Rosenblatt 's films are consistently recognized for their unique style
and his commitment to taking risks. "I had been making traditional
narrative films using actors and found it stressful. I happened to be
working on a project -- it was a film sequence for a theatre piece --
that required some archival footage. The need to use existing footage
led me to the optical printer, which is a machine that allows a
filmmaker to manipulate existing footage in different, new ways. This
was a real discovery for me and I began moving more and more toward
the use of found footage to create my films. I wasn't trying to mask
the found-footage aspect, to deliver a throughline but with the pieces
in a kind of juxtaposition." - Rosenblatt. "An exquisite artist who
makes beautifully crafted miniatures." - Atom Egoyan. "A transcendent
channel-surfing passion play... Rosenblatt turns celluloïd water into
wine." - Time Out, New York. "Rosenblatt has the humanity of a
Lubitsch... combined with the analytical sensibility of a Bergman. His
films are not merely good. Rosenblatt is seriously gifted, a
significant artist." - SF Chronicle. 6pm preshow.
Mon, Feb 8- IMMOKALEE USA ('08, 77m) at 8:30pm - Georg Koszulinski's
sobering look at the plight of immigrant workers from Latin America
who are barely surviving as laborers on a massive tomato farm on the
edge of the Big Cypress Swamp near Fort Myers. Farmworkers share their
experiences in the field and at home, from Panchito, the lonely
romantic who plucks his guitar with a weary hand, to the
heart-breaking Mateo Diego, whose grasp on reality seems to fade with
each succeeding interview. What is our collective role in this chain
of servitude?, the film seems to ask us, providing an opening for
self-reflection rather than didactic sermonizing. DEAR CARRY ('09,
45m) at 7pm- Joel Katz interweaves two stories of travel, told through
films and letters. Carry Wagner began filming her worldwide travels in
the Natal Province of South Africa in 1939. Joel Katz filmed his
travels in Zimbabwe in 1995. Together these tales become a meditation
on cameras and travel at the end of a century. Caroline Wagner
(1896-1993) traveled the world on ocean liners and steamers between
the nineteen twenties and sixties, her 16mm movie camera in hand most
of the time. A Jew by birth, a Suffragette in her youth, a Greenwich
Village jewelry designer by trade, a self-styled feminist and
political activist by disposition, Carry was an original of her time.
6pm preshow.
Mon, March 8- VISION-CORE TWO from 6-10pm - These stellar experimental
and documentary short films reinvent cinema language. Avant garde
moving image artists include: Fred Worden, Peter Rose, Scott Nyerges,
Danny Plotnick, Monica Gazzo, Jesse Drew, Will Erokan, Christine
Carter, Jamie Hafler, Juan Camilo Gonzalez, Douglas Graves, Donigan
Cumming, Scott Stark, Coleman MIller, Matt Nixon, Filemon Tesfamariam,
Jason Britski, Jean C. Finley & John Muse. Many of the filmmakers have
been featured in the Ann Arbor Film Festival.
Mon, April 12 - CRAZY WISDOM SAVES THE WORLD AGAIN! ('09, 75m) at
8:30pm - Friends! Earthlings! Humans! Who are we, why are we here, and
how did we get into the mess we're in? Is there any hope for us and
our species? In this unique filmed comic monologue, Wes 'Scoop' Nisker
explores the foolish human condition and the joys and sorrows of
living in the modern age. He reveals the secrets of the Big Bang and
anti-matter, explores the issues of war, species extinction and global
warming, and exposes the true heart of the New Age spiritual movement.
Mr. Nisker places today's headlines in the context of biological
evolution and all of human history, and thereby offers us the relief
and laughter that only vast perspectives can bring. This is comedy for
the rest of us."His performance, laced with his original songs,
manages to make suffering a knee-slapper. He delivers Zen zingers with
Borsht Belt timing." -NYTimes. "Scoop's show is not just crazy. It is
wisdom, exactly the kind we need today. It points to satiric truths
about science, the American empire, and the humanoid condition. Also,
the show is very, very funny." Lawrence Ferlinghetti."Nisker is the
missing link between sit-down meditation and stand up comedy." -Paul
Krassner. 6pm preshow.
**************************************
7 DUDLEY CINEMA at THE TALKING STICK, 1411 Lincoln Blvd, Venice CA
90291, 310-450-6052, free admission, 6-10pm LAUGHTEARS.com, info:
310-306-7330
Mon, Jan 18. SPONTO & VENICE HISTORY FILM FESTIVAL - 6-10pm. Along
with rare film clips of VENICE HISTORY, celebrate films and videos of
the otherwordly happenings at the legendary Venice Art Gallery- SPONTO
GALLERY. From the Fool's Fest (with Ginger Smith and Kahlil Sabbagh)
to Jazz Funk Fest to Summer Solstice shows, experience the essence of
Spontofication Rituals in art, music, poetry and the freedom of
creativity.
Mon, FEB 15- JOHN CAGE: THE REVENGE OF THE DEAD INDIANS ('93, 130m) at
7:30pm - Henning Lohner's beautiful "composed" tribute to American
composer John Cage. Assembled using the same methodology of chance
operation that Cage worked into his own aleatoric compositions,
Revenge slices and dices the testimonials of a diverse cast of fans —
including Frank Zappa, Noam Chomsky, Yoko Ono, Matt Groening, Merce
Cunningham, Frank Gehry, Ellsworth Kelly, and Richard Serra — as well
as interviews Lohner conducted with Cage late in his life. The
gorgeous result is an unexpected and fascinating combination of
intellectual buzzing fragments that couldn't be more fitting for a man
who once said, "As far as consistency of thought goes, I prefer
inconsistency." 6pm preshow with MAP merging live improvised music and
avant-garde film.
Mon, MARCH 15- DIVE ('09, 45m) at 7:30pm - Jeremy Seibert's (in
person) provocative documentary is about dumpster diving, the hunger
crisis in our nation, and the world. It is about the amount of waste
that we pile into our landfills at an alarming rate. It is about the
realities of consumerism's over-consumption and the impact this has in
our day-to-day lives. There are a variety of statistics drawn up using
food items found in the dumpster, and a great Jubilee Singers
soundtrack. Jeremy's family and friends are involved, it is a glimpse
into their actual lives. It is a personal film, a personal call from
someone who is responding the best way he knows how. CREATURE OF
HOLLYWOOD ('08, 18m) at 9pm - George Willis' intriguing interview with
beloved science fiction pioneer Forrest J. Ackerman, who details
Hollyweird adventures in his familiar quirky style. Best known as the
publisher of the magazine "Famous Monsters of Filmland" Uncle Forry
served as literary agent for such luminaries as Ray Bradbury, L.Ron
Hubbard, Ed Wood, and appeared in over 100 films, from Michael
Jacksons "Thriller" to "Amazon Women on the Moon". If you ever visited
him at his old "Ackermansion" you will recognize his collection of
horror movie props that serve as the backdrop for the film, and will
hear many familiar tales from our late friend, the man who invented
the term "Sci-Fi." 6pm preshow.
Mon, April 19 - FIERCE LIGHT: WHEN SPIRIT MEETS ACTION ('09, 95m) at
8pm - Guerrilla filmmaker Velcrowe Ripper's journey to document what
Gandhi called "soul force" and Ripper calls "fierce light", the sacred
beacon of human possibility that shines brightest in the spirit during
the darkest and most dangerous times. This powerful documentary
captures the electrifying global grass-root movement for peace,
justice, and a sustainable future. Grounded in the values of peace and
non-violence, the events and activists presented in the film are
passionately determined to create a world where justice,
sustainability, and global harmony define our lives. Ripper's camera
takes us to Alabama, Southern California, Africa, India, New Zealand,
and beyond to share the interconnected stories of this growing
movement for a future of peace, justice, beauty, and balance. With
Archbishop Desmond Tutu, American civil rights leader John Lewis,
Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, Daryl Hannah, activists Alice Walker
and Joanna Macy, and many less famous but equally inspiring
individuals who are working to transform our world. 6pm preshow.
Mon, May 17 - HYSTERIA ('02, 83m) at 7pm - Antero Ali & Jakob
Bokulich's suspense thriller made right after 9/11 WTC. After
mistakenly drinking hallucinogenic datura tea, Ikar, a Croatian
Catholic soldier is haunted by visions of what he believes is the
Virgin Mary who gives him a life mission. Ten years later, Ikar
migrates to Oakland California to fulfill this questionable religious
mission in this cautionary tale lining fundamentalism and violence.
CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU WHEN YOU DIE ('09, 45m) at 9pm - Nicolas
Drolc's cool documentary examines the economic and spiritual struggles
of the modern artist through the dual perspectives of Denver musician
Reverend Deadeye and German graphic artist Christopher Mueller. During
a collaboration concert in Aachen, Germany in May 2009, both artists
were captured in action at their respective crafts, at what may be
considered the peak of their professional creativity and energies.
Both give candid and humorous interviews, and music is provided
through searing live performances and intimate field recordings by
Reverend Deadeye. 6pm preshow
*********************************
SUBVERSIVE CINEMA at 212 Pier Coffeehouse http://www.212pier.com/ 212
Pier Ave (one half block east of Main St), Santa Monica, CA 90405
screens films on the last Friday of each month from 7-10pm, free
admission, free popcorn, 310-314-5275, info:310-306-7330,
laughtears.com Gerry Fialka screens films as antennae of the race,
broadcasting the hidden effects of what we have invented. From
experimental films to political activist cinema to lit, art, music
flix to avant garde documentaries, this series will provoke new
questions and feature fiery discussions. PLEASE NOTE the titles of the
films are picked the night of the screening according to who is
attending and their moving image art needs and wants. It's cultural
democracy at its finest.
SUBVERSIVE CINEMA is inspired by two seminal books: Gene Youngblood's
EXPANDED CINEMA and Amos Vogel's FILM AS A SUBVERSIVE ART. In FILM AS
A SUBVERSIVE ART: AMOS VOGEL & CINEMA 16 (2003 documentary directed by
Paul Cronin), these thoughts were expressed by Scott MacDonald and
Amos:
"Scott MacDonald: In Amos Vogel's Cinema 16 programming strategy, he
was very conscious of Eisenstein; with the ideas of juxtaposing one
kind of thing with another to create energy in the audience and
maximum thought in viewers.
Amos Vogel: When I showed 5 or 6 films on the Cinema 16 program, they
were always selected from the point of view how they would collide
with each other in the minds of the audience. On one program there
would always be an abstract film, a scientific film, an avant-garde
film and a political documentary, because my intention at all times
was to subvert audience expectations by showing such diverse and
different films on one and the same program....
Many films shown at Cinema 16 and in my book "Film As A Subversive
Art," show reality in ways that we have not previously anticipated.
... This is how I use the word "subversive" - anything that changes or
undermines previous ways of thinking and feeling. Subversive art makes
you look at things in a new and very different way. It disrupts. It
destroys, and thereby builds up new realities and new truths."
"I have always been on the side of those who seek the truth, but I
part ways with them when they think they have found it." - Luis
Bunuel. These thoughts inspire the spirit of curating films at
SUBVERSIVE CINEMA. The public is invited to join us, free admission.
Laughtears.com
212 PIER Coffeehouse http://www.212pier.com/ screens films every
Friday at 212 Pier Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90405, 310-314-5275,free
admission, 8:30PM (start time exception is last Fridays, which is
7-10pm for Gerry Fialka's Subversive Cinema Series).
212 PIER welcomes all up-and-coming filmmakers to show their films &
videos. Contact: Guru Thapar guru@212pier.com
*********************
THE UNURBAN is proud to host MESS (Media Ecology Soul Salon) at 3301
Pico Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404, 310-315-0056, free admission, Start
times listed below, Laughtears.com Info: 310-306-7330 - The public is
invited to these engaging interviews by Gerry Fialk a with the
following modern thinkers who'll address the metaphysics of their
callings and the nitty-gritty of their crafts.
SAT, Jan 9. RUDY PEREZ from 2-6pm (Film from 2-3:30, interview at
3:30). RUDY PEREZ's career has encompassed early training with the
giants of modern dance, the birth of the postmodern dance movement,
and the creation of a large body of vital work. He is an active 80
year old, influential choreographer and teacher based in Los Angeles,
California, recognized in 2005 with the Lester Horton Lifetime
Achievement Award and an Honorary Doctorate from California Institute
for the Arts (CalArts) in 2006. Perez's career began in New York,
working various day jobs and studying dance at night with Martha
Graham, Merce Cunningham, Mary Anthony, and others. His breakthrough
solos in the 1960's with the Judson Dance Theater - whose members
included Lucinda Childs, Trisha Brown, Steve Paxton and Yvonne Rainer
- helped launch the postmodern movement in dance. During that time, he
studied with dance therapist Marian Chase and practiced dance therapy
at Bellevue Hospital. http://www.rudyperezdance.org/about.html
SAT, Feb 13 at 3pm. DONOVAN SEELINGER - 2-4pm - Eight year old whiz
kid, who's made experimental films, specializes in science, string
theory and singularity. This unique fun interview transcends Art
Linkletter's Kids Say The Darndest Things by merging Stephen Hawkins
with Pee Wee Herman.
SAT, March 13. RONALD X. SENSOR - 2-4pm - The mysterious regular
caller to Reverend Dan's seminal rock'n'roll radio show MUSIC FOR
NIMRODS, Ronald X. Sensor will discuss his philosophies, censorship,
and his alien abduction survivor techniques. Rerevend Dan will spin
wild tunes for a 4-6pm listening/dance party.
SAT, April 10. BARRY SMOLIN - 3-5pm- is an LA radio host, noted
educator, composer, and writer. Best known as the longtime host (since
1995) of The Music Never Stops, KPFK's psychedelic radio show, Smolin
has also released 3 albums of original music under the performance
moniker Mr. Smolin: At Apogee (2003), The Crumbling Empire Of White
People (2007), and, most recently, Bring Back The Real Don Steele
(2009), a Los Angeles song-cycle recorded live and unrehearsed at Echo
Curio. In addition to the albums, Smolin's music has been featured on
the Showtime TV series Weeds. As a journalist, Smolin has published
articles on a variety of subjects in the L.A. Times, NY Arts, The
Sondheim Review, and numerous online venues. In 2004 he penned the
foreword to the groundbreaking art book Dumb Luck: The Art of Gary
Baseman, published by Chronicle Books. His current ongoing fiction
project, The Miranda Complex, chronicles the romantic misfires of a
pair of teenagers set against the backdrop of 1970s Los Angeles.
Smolin earns his living teaching high school English at the Hamilton
Humanities Magnet in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
******************************
Please come and join a community of Angelenos (ages range from 22 to
92) who have explored media, Marshall McLuhan and James Joyce
since1995. The MARSHALL McLUHAN-FINNEGANS WAKE READING CLUB meets
first Tuesdays - Jan5, Feb2, March2, Apr6, May4, June1, July6, Aug3,
Sept7, Oct5, Nov9 (2nd tues due to voting), Dec7, 2010 from 6-8pm at
Lloyd Taber-Marina Del Rey Library, 4533 Admiralty Way, MDRey, CA
90292, phone 310-821-3415. Free admission. No previous experience is
necessary. A desire to explore what humans have invented is
encouraged. For more info call Gerry Fialka 310-306-7330 & visit:
http://www.venicewake.org/
