VHS Tracking Newsletter #24
eXistenZ at Luna Leederville, PCAF fundraising screening of Danger: Diabolik, and much more!
Welcome to the VHS Tracking Newsletter
You have to play the game, to find out why you’re playing the game…
Trash Classics: eXistenZ (1999)
Friday 24 April 9:00pm, Luna Leederville
eXistenz (1999) is not “Trash” but we’re screening it anyway for Trash Classics. Why? Other David Cronenberg films receive retrospective showings, like Videodrome and The Fly, but eXistenZ remains underseen.
Written and directed by Cronenberg, eXistenZ was his return to the sci-fi genre after spending time making dramas like the controversial Crash. eXistenZ is also a great example of mind-bending movies released before the millennium, such as The Matrix, with the theme: “What is reality?”
The plot: A video game designer (Jennifer Jason Leigh) is about to release her new game. When she is targeted for assassination, she goes into hiding with a security guard (Jude Law). The only way to unravel the conspiracy is to play the game themselves.
With trademark body horror and deadpan humour, eXistenz explores our physical immersion in technology and how perception shapes reality. Also stars Willem Dafoe, Sarah Polley and Ian Holm, and with a score by Howard Shore.
eXistenZ is co-presented with Channel 83, a creative collective exploring the relationship between design, music, and cinema in contemporary culture. Explore channel83network.com. And thanks to our sponsor Umbrella for providing another great blu-ray release that one lucky audience member will win before the movie, the cult classic anime Angel’s Egg (1985).
Question reality - reserve your tickets now! Also, if you want to get into the Cronenberg head-space, the Florence Scott-Anderton soundtrack mix on the director for NTS Sound On Screen is brilliant. Listen here.
Trash Classics: Danger: Diabolik (1968)
Friday 29 May 9:00pm, Luna Leederville
Trash Classics are collaborating once again with Perth Comic Arts Festival in May. A fundraiser for PCAF, we are screening Danger: Diabolik (1968) based on the Italian Diabolik comic series.
Masked thief Diabolik is chased by authorities and criminal organisations all over the world, but never breaks a sweat. He’s too busy rolling around in money with his girlfriend in an underground lair. Danger: Diabolik sees the classic comic-book character receive a psychedelic and swinging adaptation with the pop art visuals of Italian director Mario Bava. Eye-catching costumes and sets, cool action and chases, and a groovy Ennio Morricone score. Get your tickets through the fundraising website.
Movie Squad Podcast: The Drama, undertone, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and Megadoc
There’s a new episode of the Movie Squad Podcast featuring me and Simon Miraudo with Breakfast host Pamela Boland. It’s a jam-packed episode where we cover the dark comedy The Drama starring Zendaya and Robert Pattinson; the horror film undertone; the video game adaptation The Super Mario Galaxy Movie; and the documentary about the making of Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis, Megadoc. Listen through your favourite podcasting app or the RTRFM website!
Also, Simon’s new book will be coming out later this year. Follow the publishing imprint, Low Heroes Press, on Instagram or follow his website if you haven’t already!
Q and A screening: Birthright
Tuesday 19 May 6:30pm, Luna Leederville
Don’t miss your chance to see Birthright, a great new Western Australian film that works as a pitch-black generational satire of Australia’s housing crisis. Birthright sold out Perth Festival earlier this year, and thanks to Madman, it will now be screening at exclusive Q and A events with the director Zoe Pepper. I’ll be moderating the WA one at Luna Leederville - reserve your tickets now!
Review: Kaili Blues (2015)
When it comes to slow cinema, there can sometimes be a split inside myself during the experience. Like in Kaili Blues (2015), there’s a beautiful long take of the camera watching Chen Shen (Yongzhong Chen) on the back of a motorbike as it winds around mountain roads, greenery and mist in the landscape behind them. I have this thought: “This is a beautiful image and I never want it to end.” Then my eyelids start to grow heavy, and I feel myself tired, the physical parts of me wanting to just move and get to the point.
With Kaili Blues, the only frame of reference I had was enjoying director-writer Bi Gan’s film, Long Day’s Journey Into Night, which was also a work of slow cinema yet infused with neo-noir archetypes and aesthetics. Kaili Blues was Gan’s debut film and came before Long Day’s Journey Into Night, and it’s intriguing to see the similarities and evolution between the two films. While Long Day’s has a certain neon gloss and Wong-Kar Wai influence, Kaili Blues is more lo-fi and roughshod in its cinematography, particularly when it begins a one-take shot that lasts forty minutes. The bravura one-take shot was also a technique that marked the second half of Long Day’s.
For the rest of this film review, keep reading at vhstracking.com.
Other Recommendations:
Alexei Toliopoulos - VHS: Comedian and film guru Alexei Toliopoulous is performing his new stand-up show, VHS, for the Perth Comedy Festival on Thursday 14 May. Get your tickets, and listen to his great movie recommendation and interview podcast, The Last Video Store.
The Dark Side Of Oz at The Moon: Black Maria Film Collective will be projecting The Wizard Of Oz from VHS tape in synchronisation with Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon. A trippy experience. Tickets.
The Insider (1999) at the Revival House: the Michael Mann drama will be projected on 35 film on Sunday 26 April. Tickets.
Boogie Nights (1997) at Luna Leederville: the Paul Thomas Anderson epic about the porn industry will be on the big screen as a Monday Epic on Monday 4 May. Tickets.
Assault On Precinct 13 (1976) at Palace Cinemas Raine Square: the John Carpenter action thriller cult classic gets the retrospective treatment on Wednesday 13 May. Tickets.
Please remember, you can pick up a copy of the latest VHS Tracking zine - The Fantasy Issue here. See you at the movies!
Sincerely,
Tristan Fidler
Trash Classics | VHS Tracking