1. Sun Nov 17 - SHEPARD & DARK

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Transcript of 1. Sun Nov 17 - SHEPARD & DARK

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1. Sun Nov 17 - SHEPARD & DARK - 1 hr 32 min - Not Rated. Sam Shepard and Johnny Dark met in Greenwich Village in the early 1960s and, despite leading very different lives, remained close friends ever since. Shepard became a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright (Buried Child) and an Academy Award-nominated actor (THE RIGHT STUFF), while Dark was a homebody who supported himself with odd jobs. Through the decades, they stayed bonded by family ties until Shepard broke away for a relationship with Jessica Lange in 1983, leaving Johnny to help raise Shepard’s first son. Shepard and Dark continued writing to each other, amassing hundreds of letters. Now filmmaker Treva Wurmfeld has created this unique new documentary which throws light on Shepard and Dark’s fascinating friendship by filming the men as they go over their letters in preparation for a new book. “There is a distinctive intimacy to a handwritten letter between friends. Put the letter writers in a room together and there is both comfort and disquiet, as if the other knows, perhaps, too much.” -Betsy Sharkey, L.A. Times. 2. Sun Nov 24 - CUTIE AND THE BOXER - 1hr 22 min - R. Once a rising star in the '70's New York art scene, 80-year-old "boxing" painter Ushio Shinohara is prepping for his latest show, hoping to reinvigorate his career. His wife and de facto assistant, Noriko, seeks her own recognition through her "Cutie" illustrations, which depict their chaotic 40-year marriage. CUTIE AND THE BOXER captures two lives united by a dedication to art-making for a touching meditation on the eternal themes of love and sacrifice. “’Cutie and the Boxer’ is more than a great documentary. It's a great film.” -Joe Morgenstern, The Wall Street Journal. “A movie that makes you feel less like a spectator than a guest, a friend welcomed into the home of an odd and fascinating couple.” -A.O. Scott, N.Y. Times. 3. Sun Dec 1 – ENZO AVITABILE, MUSIC LIFE – 1 hr 19 min – Not Rated. If you haven’t heard of Enzo Avitabile, join the club, then watch this movie and savor the richness and creativity of this man’s musical life. While our musical world seems stuck in a few ruts, Enzo seeks out the best musicians from around the world and jams with them to make music that thrills the soul. Oscar-winning director Jonathan Demme (Silence Of The Lambs, Philadelphia, Stop Making Sense), turns his camera on Enzo Avitabile, a renowned Neapolitan saxophonist and singer/songwriter. Demme films Enzo collaborating with masters of rare instruments from around the globe, including Ashraf Sharif Khan Poonchwala, Eliades Ochoa, Gerardo Nunez, and Naseer Shamma. At one point Enzo returns to the neighborhood of his youth in Naples, where all his friends come out to celebrate as their beloved Enzo sets the streets on fire with his brilliant saxophone playing. “Demme has crafted yet another superb document of musicians at work, one as much about creation- and the sources of inspiration- as it is about performance. A wonderful film, as in, it’s full of wonders.” –Alan Scherstuhl, Village Voice. 4. Sun Dec 8 – HAUTE CUISINE – 1 hr 35 min – PG-13 – In French with English subtitles. In this beautifully filmed French dramedy, Hortense Laborie (Catherine Frot), a renowned chef, is astonished when the President of the Republic (Jean d'Ormesson) appoints her his personal cook, responsible for creating all his meals at the Elysée Palace. Despite jealous resentment from the other kitchen staff, Hortense quickly establishes herself, thanks to her indomitable spirit. The authenticity of her cooking soon seduces the President, but the corridors of power are littered with traps...” Delicious in every way: a must for foodies, but also for anyone who wants to see beautiful work done on the screen, presented in the most prideful way.” –David Noh, Film Journal International. “With a title like Haute Cuisine, one can expect a high degree of gastronomic titillation. On that score, the film delivers.” –Bruce Demara, Toronto Star. 5. Sun Dec 15 – INEQUALITY FOR ALL – 1 hr 25 min – PG. Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under President Clinton, explains: At the heart of this film is a simple proposition: what is a good society, and what role does the widening income gap play in the deterioration of our nation's economic health? We are endeavoring for INEQUALITY FOR ALL to be a paradigm-shifting, eye-opening experience for the American public. We want to accurately show through a non-partisan perspective why extreme income inequality is such an important topic for our citizens today and for the future of America. “Filmmaker Jacob Kornbluth personalizes this story by using Reich's warmth and humor to win us over and keep his presentation from becoming a dry recitation of facts. “ – Leonard Maltin. 6. Sun Dec 22 – MUSCLE SHOALS – 1 hr 51 min – PG. First time filmmaker Greg “Freddy” Camalier tells the story of the sleepy rural Alabama town that, 50 years ago, became the birthplace of some of the best rock music ever made. Attracting musicians like Aretha Franklin, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and Elton John, Muscle Shoals also spawned groups like The Allman Brothers Band and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Interviews with Aretha Franklin, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bono, Gregg Allman, Percy Sledge and other celebrities, along with archival footage of great performances capture the Muscle Shoals scene in its prime. “Hugely entertaining! It's mandatory viewing for fans of the classic rock, soul and rhythm and blues of the 1960s and '70s. “ –Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle.