BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS and ANGEL, ANGEL DOWN WE GO

Friday, February 2nd-- 8:00 PM -- UWM Campus, Mitchell Hall, Room B91


Like shadow fearing vermin Basement Cinema sprouts its ugly once again.

We're on a new night, but were back to double feature and to kick things off we've got this double dose of early 70's rock'n'roll excess.

8:00 PM
BEYOND THE VALLEY OF THE DOLLS
(dir. Russ Meyer, 1970, 11o mins.)

In many quarters, this is considered the ultimate rock & roll movie. Skin-flick auteur Russ Meyer and critic-turned-screenwriter Roger Ebert were hired by Fox to create a quickie, sexed-up sequel to the 1967 soaper VALLEY OF THE DOLLS. The devious duo cooked up a plot about a female rock trio being seduced by the evils of Hollywood and pumped it up with excess, melodrama, satire and free-form aesthetic anarchy to create a film that critics hated and audiences ate up. It also boasts a great kitsch-rock score by Stu Phillips and fast-cut editing that predates MTV by a decade. Over the years, its magic has been kept alive by a cult of fans that includes everyone from John Waters to the Sex Pistols. It rocks, it rolls, it’s gonna blow your mind.




10:00 PM
ANGEL, ANGEL DOWN WE GO
(dir. Robert Thom, 1969, 11o mins.)

Also known as CULT OF THE DAMNED, this movie just proves that there must have been something in Hollywood's water circa '69 and '70. What else could explain this wild combo of bitter Hollywood satire and post-Manson family hippies-gone-bad nastiness? It was produced by exploitation wizards at American International Pictures (one-time home of Roger Corman) and was dreamt up and directed by Robert Thom, the same acidic genius who gave us WILD IN THE STREETS. The plot features a rock-star seducing a debutante and her faded screen-goddess mother, which makes it possible for he and his rock group (which includes Roddy McDowell and Lou Rawls!) to indulge in mind-games that take on a vicious, lethal quality.



So there you have it...the big answer to "What's up with Basement Cinema?" Put the rumors to rest, we are back. Stay tuned for a new announcement about the next screenings(s).

SCREENING - Wednesday, December 13th - CHRISTMAS EVIL

Wednesday, December 13th-- 9:30 PM -- UWM Campus, Mitchell Hall, Room B91


The Reason For The Season?
Jesus H. Christ! It's that time of the year. While zombie madness sweeps the shopping centers of America I'll be hunkered down in the bunker like screening room that graciously hosts Basement Cinema. You won't catch me within a mile of a shopping mall. No sir, not now, not never. Not while hordes of parents push past one another scouring for that Playstation 3, Nintendo Wii, or whatever toy it takes to make their children love them.

Is this really the reason for the season? Is this holiday just an excuse for parents to buy the love of their children with expensive gifts? I thought there was more to it than that.

I thought Christmas has something to do with jolly elves, magical snowmen, and reindeer with noses like Irishmen. I thought it was all about the smell of Batman, the eggs that Robin lays, and the Joker getting away. I though it was about balls of holly, chestnuts on an open fire another other lame sexual inneundo that gets school boys giggling. Hee, hee.

Christmas is not about further spoiling rottenly spoiled kids. What these little snots need is a good dose of a Johnny Cash Christmas album. Skip those traditional carols, that the man in black belts out. Instead, send these billion dollar babies straight to those tracks where Johnny sings about poor share-croppers spending cold Christmas nights in Arkansas. Get your kids listening to those dirt-poor tales and maybe they'll be happy they have heat and more than squirrel for Christmas dinner.

Kids really have to start learning to appreciate the finer things in life...The less expensive things in life...The shit that's free, like Basement Cinema.


THIS WEEK'S MOVIE

9:30 PM
CHRISTMAS EVIL
(dir. Lewis Jackson, 1980, 1oo mins.)

An early holiday present from Basement Cinema. An obsessed toy maker, in love with Christmas, but scarred by a childhood trauma enjoys playing Santa. When his work is met with cynicism he snaps and goes on a killing spree, deciding for himself who's been naughty or nice. Truly an all time holiday classic for those who love yuletide black comedies. John Water's cites it as his favorite Christmas film, now it can be your's too.

SCREENING - Wednesday, December 6th - THE KLANSMAN

Wednesday, December 6th-- 9:30 PM -- UWM Campus, Mitchell Hall, Room B91


Will We Look Back and Laugh?
I know it is very easy to review the past, roll our eyes, and mutter, "What were they thinking?" Hind sight after all is 20/20 and the mistakes of the past seem so obvious in the present. When it comes to movies there are two modes of expression that are always ripe for regret - social commentary and comedy.

Right now, let's talk about the former. It's important we do so because of the film presented this week. For what we have to show this week is a film so pig-headedly wrong, hurtful, and stupid that you'd never guess it was produced by an African-American. Just how someone could be given five million dollars - at that time the largest sum ever granted to a black producer - and turn out this cringe inducing flick is impossible to understand. I guess the dude thought he had something crucial to say. That's how it usually is with these films and that's usually when the trouble begins.

I don't know what it is, but a lot of filmmakers feel the need to use celluloid as a soapbox. Most get up there and fall flat on their face. Doing so, they instantly become comedy. Hollywood shouldn't be tackling problems. Hollywood is the problem. Solving real problems with fantasy makes no sense. But, it makes for great humor, in hindsight. It's not the sort of safe laughter that you get from bodily humor - farts, prat falls, and the such. This is the kind of humor that makes you squirm in your seat. What you see on the screen isn't always funny, but the bone headed intent behind the hammer fisted storytelling cracks you up because you could never imagine anyone making a film so repulsive and so stupid and still hoping that it opened eyes and changed minds - for good.

But then again, that's the power of cinema.


THE MOVIE

9:30 PM
THE KLANSMAN
(dir. Terence Young, 1974, 112 mins.)

Straight from the "I Can't Believe Hollywood Made This" files comes The Klansman. A ruthless, tactless depiction of racism in the south. Check out this cast - Lee Marvin, Richard Butron, Cameron Mitchell, Lola Falana, Linda Evans and O.J. Simpson goes undercover and blows the KKK away! This film is stacked with action and overflowing with backwoods jargon. It's like Hee-Haw with race related hatred. No wonder Paramount pictures is too embarrassed to put this out on DVD.

I am sure that as I presently type this there is some socially conscious film being produced by some chucklehead hoping to enlighten minds, one so assbackwards that we'll wish it were pushed under the rug only to be discovered by basement cinema fanatics of the future.

We Got Pressed

That's write, Basement Cinema made it into the press, the old fashion printed kind. You can check out the recent article about Basement Cinema online.

The Leader covers Basement Cinema

SCREENING - Wednesday, November 29th - DANCING OUTLAW

Wednesday, November 29th-- 9:30 PM -- UWM Campus, Mitchell Hall, Room B91


FOR NO GOOD REASON

I almost decided to cancel this week's screening. I even thought about stopping the whole dang series. Basement Cinema was one foolish whim from being finished. So why the change of heart?

Well, for starters, someone just wrote a blurb in the school paper about the crazy films we show. So, perhaps out of guilt, Basement Cinema carries on. I sure know it's not for respect. The kind of movies we show garner little respect, especially in the halls of academia. It's okay to over analyize a film, even fluffy ones with little redeeming value. But, sitting back and just enjoying a film, that has no place in the halls of learning.

Of course, I'd argue that there is a lot of things you can learn at Basement Cinema - most of them being what not to do. Still, learning by watching other people's mistakes is better than making those mistakes yourself; is it not? So for no good reason, other than entertainment Basement Cinema pushes on.

THE MOVIE
9:30 PM
DANCING OUTLAW
(dir. Jacob Young, 1991, 60 mins.)

When he’s good he’s good. When he’s bad, he’s the Devil. He’s Jesco aka Jesse White aka Elvis. He’s the last of the mountain dancers. He’s the singing, dancing, Elvis impersonating, cultural high mark of Boone County West Virginia. When he’s not entertaining yokels he’s doing donuts in the front yard and threatin’ to kill his wife. He’s real and he’s scary. He’s real scary. He’s a dancing outlaw.

Also:

10:30 PM
DANCING OUTLAW 2
(dir. Jacob Young, 1999, 30 mins.)
Jesco travels to Hollywood to be on the Roseanne show. Will fame change Jesco?

That's right, we are keeping it real this week with not one, but two documentaries on the last of the mountain dancers. Never heard of mountain dancing? Well, now's your chance to get educated by the finest. All this, all in one night. This Wednesday, November 29th, at 9:30 PM in the basement of Mitchell Hall, room B91.

Blood Freak Trailer

LEFTOVER CLASSICS - A PRE-THANKSGIVING DOUBLE FEATURE

Tuesday, November 21st -- 8:30 PM -- UWM Campus, Mitchell Hall, Room B91


TRADITIONS
There are too many strange films out there that Basement Cinema has yet to show, so why are we digging back into deep storage and pulling out two films we've already show? It's a little thing call tradition.

What's Thanksgiving without turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, yams, green bean casserole, Cowboys, Lions, and the Macy's parade? Frankly, it's nothing without some bad movies to wash it all down.

Knowing that most the weirdos who come out to Basement Cinema are going to be out of town or out of commission come the real Turkey Day, we thought we'd get a jump start on the festivities, host a special Tuesday night screening, and serve up some classic leftover films. You'll think back fondly on these brain twisters when you are stuck at the family table listening to distant relatives ramble on endlessly while you wait for them to pass the gravy.

So here it is, your wishbone wish come true. A guaranteed gut-busting double feature that pairs together two of the wildest turkeys we've ever presented.

THE MOVIES
8:30 PM
BLOOD FREAK
(dir. Brad Grinter and Steve Hawkes, 1972, 86 mins.)

The only pro-Jesus, anti-drug, turkey monster gore film in existence! A biker comes upon a girl with a flat tire and offers her a ride home. He winds up at a drug party with the girl's sister, then follows her to a turkey farm owned by her father, a mad scientist. The father turns the biker into a giant blood thirsty turkey monster who goes after drug dealers. It's as bad as it sounds, but it's got a message...Don't do drugs. No wait, don't eat genetically modified meat. Or is it, don't make films this bad?

10:00 PM
TURKISH STAR WARS
(dir. Detin Inanc, 1982, 91 mins. aka Dunyayi Kurtaran Adam)

It doesn't get much lower or crazier. Turkish turkey is a post-apocalyptic action movie with a Islamic history lesson that involves horrible giant muppets, trampoline fueled kung-fu, and a lot of stolen material and cheap-ass explosions. Turkish Star Wars freely combines poorly shot original footage with clips straight out of George Lucas' original Star Wars. Not only that, but it also appropriates (aka steals) music from many other famous American films like Raiders of the Lost Ark, Moonraker, and Flash Gordon. Talk about re-mixing! Talk about ridiculous! Talk your friends into coming!



Indulge in a real cornucopia of crap and be thankful that you'll probably never make a film as bad as either of these two turkeys.


Also, don't miss a few turkey related short movies before and after the features.