Category — cult
IsleOfCinema Presents – BATTLE ROYALE
BATTLE ROYALE up on the big screen where it belongs! In Austin!
Austinites rejoice! Spearheaded by our very own IsleOfCinemite Rockie [@RockieWarAntz], IOC is proud to present a very special treat for fans of fantastic film in Central Texas! April 25th, 2013 – MARK YOUR CALENDAR!
As many of you already know, Kinji Fukasaku‘s Battle Royale (2000) - the GREATEST movie of the 21st Century – was never shown theatrically in the U.S. of A. This travesty is now being corrected, and here’s your chance to see this masterpiece as it was intended – with a crowd of fans in a packed freakin’ theater!
I’ll spare you more superlatives because there is simply nothing I can say to do this movie justice. All you need know is that it is the culmination of one of the finest directorial careers of all time, that rare cinematic beast that satisfies heart, mind, soul – and hunger for action! I’m serious – if Luis Buñuel, Seijun Suzuki, Jack Hill, Peter Jackson, Samuel Fuller, Steven Spielberg, Álex de la Iglesia, Quentin Tarantino, Joe Dante, Brian DePalma and several more of your favorite filmmakers (and some you never heard of) had a celluloid baby this would be it. THIS WOULD BE IT! Or forget all those names and just know that it’s a goddamm Kinji Fukasaku film!
So gather all ye Austinites! If you’re a fan of J.J. Abrams‘ Lost, if you’re a fan of The Hunger Games (nobody’s judging), of The Running Man (1987), if you’re a fan of Lord of the Rings, Lord of the Flies, Lord of Illusions, Lord of the Dance, Traci Lords - hell if you possess a set of eyes in your skull -
YOU MUST SEE THIS MOVIE!!!
And check out a great scene from the movie, previously featured here !
We need your asses in the seats to make this happen! So go sign up to see it now! April 25th, 2013 – but you have until the 18th to purchase tickets!
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April 1, 2013 1 Comment
VHS Love Letter – REWIND THIS!
REWIND THIS! had its world premiere at SXSW and IOC was were!
Josh Johnson‘s ode to the VHS age, Rewind This! (2013) opens with a film enthusiast combing a flea market for VHS tapes, overflowing with the sort of passion any and all global VHS hunters (and film lovers) will immediately recognize. This image sets the tone for the love story to follow, between human film fanatics and the dead format known to Gen X‘ers as VHS. As some of you may recall I interviewed Josh before the film’s completion (here), as he, Carolee Mitchell and Christopher Palmer set out to tackle the subject none had dared tackle before them. And now, seeing the final result, it’s safe to say that their film will go down as a definitive work: an in-depth documentary that dives into the history of VHS, from it’s inception to its demise (Betamax is touched upon but as victor of the format war the spoils go to VHS). We get a glimpse into some incredible VHS collections, owned by people eager to proudly show them off and explain how they acquired their precious and rare finds. Although loaded with local Austin film junkies and VHS collectors, Rewind This! manages to broaden its horizons by traveling the globe: to Japan, where legendary Ghost in the Shell director Mamoru Oshii explains his relationship to the format and how he became “spoiled”by it. To Canada, where Exotica director Atom Egoyan explains the magic in discovering the uses you could get out of VHS. Film critics offer perspectives as well, including heavy hitters like Drew McWeeney and James Rocchi, and what emerges is a well-rounded portrait of more than just a format but a moment in time. Having grown up in video stores (and currently employed by one) my favorite moment is director Frank Henenlotter explaining the unique feature on his sublime horror comedy Frankenhooker‘s VHS box: press a button and hear a reanimated prostitute ask you “Wanna date?” This prompts a montage of several other VHS junkies explaining the same feature, and results in the sort of rush of recognition shared by enthusiasts across the world: I personally hit that damn button a million times with every visit to the video store! But beyond my own attachment to VHS, Rewind This! is an essential historical document. Without the VHS boom there’d be no video stores, no developments in home video, no DVR, no making films in the backyard with friends and family, and none of the thousands of future filmmakers mesmerized by aisles of VHS boxes sitting like dreams up on video store shelves. As we inch closer to an all-digital age, where all is streaming with little to no physical media at all, the younger generations of film-aficionados can now fully understand the foundation – because it was during the VHS age that true cinematic passion thrived, and that passion today fuels all their cult/weird/action-packed journeys into the incredible – be they film or interactive gaming or whatever. Like Not Quite Hollywood (2008) and Machete Maidens Unleashed! (2010) before it, Rewind This! will whet your appetite for rare films to add to your collection, but with the added bonus of causing you to scour the earth hunting for a VHS player the second you finish watching it. Powerful stuff, and a must see for cinephiles everywhere!
March 20, 2013 2 Comments
Great Scenes – THE CAT
Today’s scene comes to you from director Ngai Choi Lam‘s The Cat [Lao Mao] (1992) starring Shaw Brothers veteran Philip Kwok as one of a group of Nicely-Suited-Hitmen (movies in the 90′s were legally required to feature NSH’s) who stumble upon a mysterious creature that appears to be a cross between The Blob and The Thing, with little white hairlike tendrils that somehow amp up the heebie jeebies (Hong Kong films of the 90′s always amped up the HJ’s). Let me preface things by stating that this is one of the tamer scenes from the movie. Lam also directed Riki-Oh: The Story of Ricky (1991), which will give you a sense of the weirdness you’re in for. Quick inventory: haunted house (√), cheesy effects (√), an ex-Five Deadly Venom (√), limbs torn asunder (√√√) all punctuated by foreign entities invading orifices (√). And for the diligent fan of oddity cinema, there’s even a bodily possession shot recalling Goke: Body Snatcher from Hell (√√√√√√)! What the Hell else could you ask for? Subtitles? If you think that’s gonna help make sense of this chaos you haven’t been paying attention!
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February 12, 2013 No Comments
Great Scenes – AMERICAN MOVIE
Been a busy past couple of months here at IOC, with new writing gigs and a few health scares diverting us from our usual pace – but we’re still alive and kickin’ – so bear with us as we try to right the ship and return to our normal frequency. In the spirit of overly ambitious undertakings here’s a terrific scene from American Movie (1999), a documentary directed by Chris Smith about the love of moviemaking and the quixotic attempts of Mark Borchardt to make Coven. If you haven’t seen it you’re missing out on some hilarious can-do spirit! And don’t forget to follow us over on our IOC FB page where we do a pretty good job of keeping up with the latest movie news – and posting a ton of posters three times a week!
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December 18, 2012 No Comments
April 30, 2013 (8:50) VHS Love Letter - REWIND THIS! There are still new copies of VHS tap...
April 1, 2013 (5:06) IsleOfCinema Presents - BATTLE ROYALE RT @IsleofCinema: IsleOfCinema Presen...
March 20, 2013 (10:17) VHS Love Letter - REWIND THIS! RT @IsleofCinema: VHS Love Letter - R...