Monday, July 22, 2013

Recent International Film Recommendations for the Gish Theater

July 18, 2013

Dr. Brett Holden,

I have three recommendations for future screenings at the theater. These are three of my favorite international films.

First, “Good Morning Babylon” (1987) is a sweet and memorable homage to Intolerance (1916). Two Italian brothers immigrate to Los Angeles in 1915 and get hired to make the biggest set, Babylon, ever made for a motion picture. Directed by Paolo and Vittorio Taviani and it is a French-US-Italian production.

Second, “Genevieve” (1953) a beautiful British tribute to vintage cars and their enthusiasts as they take on the annual London to Brighton race. Directed by Henry Cornelius and starring Kenneth More, Kay Kendall, Reginald Beckwith, and the lovely Dinah Sheridan.

Third, my Midnight Movie favorite from the 1970s, “King of Hearts,” a 1966 French anti-war classic directed by Philippe de Broca and starring Alan Bates and Genevieve Bujold. At end of WWI, Germans evacuate a French village and leave a ticking time bomb. On their way out, Germans set free inmates from an insane asylum. Bates, a Scottish soldier, is sent in to defuse the bomb and becomes enchanted with the “townspeople.”

These three films are excellent examples of international cinema. When I was in high school in the 1970s, PBS broadcast many fine international films, including Ballard f A Soldier (Russian), Knife in the Water (Polish) and Yojimbo (Japan). Sadly, PBS is no longer programming such films. I talked with Judith Crist about this because she was the film critic for TV Guide at the time.

If you have recently screened these films, pardon my untimely recommendations. If, however, it has been awhile since you’ve screened them, or if you’ve never screened them, kindly consider programming them.

Sincerely,

James Patterson
415 516 3493
JamesPatterson705@gmail.com








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