The Exorcist (1973) - Friday Late EVENING (2PM)
The scariest movie ever made could never be made today. Violating virtually every taboo in modern American society while simultaneously affirming the power of the Christian faith, The Exorcist disturbed America as it entered its mainstream. Followed by a panel discussion with Anna Khachiyan, Jack Mason, and Thaddeus Russell.
come and see (1985) - SATURDAY DAY (NOON)
“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, ‘Come and see!’ And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.” Revelation 6:7-8
Stalingrad-born Elem Kilmov’s final film, Come and See, simultaneously immerses the viewer in both the brutal realities of inalterable historical fact and the surreal realm of apocalyptic nightmares. Originally conceived under the title, Kill Hitler!, and surviving seven years of production delays due to Soviet regulation and censorship, Come and See follows Flyora, a young Belarussian boy eager to answer the call of war and defend his homeland from Nazi invaders as he is conscripted and subsequently dragged through the atrocities of war. Come and See’s ambitions to bear witness to and meditate upon the depths of human cruelty and suffering tested the limits of those involved in the film’s production, most notably 14 year old lead Alexei Kravchenko. Today, Come and See similarly continues to test the limits of audiences, and the medium of cinema itself.
The fountainhead (1949) - Saturday Afternoon (2pm)
One of the most influential works of the 20th century, Ayn Rand’s bestselling novel The Fountainhead, has inspired countless artists, entrepreneurs, and visionaries to strive for higher ideals and persist through greater adversity to manifest their vision without compromise. King Vidor’s enigmatic 1949 film adaptation, which closely follows the screenplay written by Rand herself, condenses Rand’s 800 page novel into two hours of visually captivating romance, propaganda, drama, eroticism, and philosophy. Starring Gary Cooper as Rand’s ideal man in architect Howard Roark and Patricia Neal as femme fatale Dominique Francon, The Fountainhead reaches such aesthetic heights in its sincerity that even the modern communist philosopher Slavoj Zizek has praised it as “the greatest American film.”
After our screening, Jack Mason of The Perfume Nationalist podcast will join Thaddeus Russell in a discussion with the audience about the quality of the film, its historical significance, what it tells us about the role of art in society, and the artistic process itself.
LENNY BRUCE: PERFORMANCE FILM (1973) - Friday night (4:30PM)
An unexpurgated nightclub routine by the astonishing satirist was filmed in San Francisco just after his New York obscenity trial.
Lenny Bruce is considered to this day to be America’s most controversial comedian. Having been arrested numerous times for obscenity over the course of his career, Lenny performed only in San Francisco during the last year of his life. Filmed live at the Basin Street West in San Francisco in 1965 in what would be his second-to-last live performance, Lenny directly addresses the accusations and allegations stemming from his multiple arrests for obscenity. This rare live performance also contains some of his famous stand-up bits including the prison riot with Dutch, the Warden, Father Flotski and Sabu, the prison doctor.
