On Sunday April 7th at 8pm, Cinema Minima screens TRUE STORIES at Cole’s, 2338 North Milwaukee. (90 min., 1986) Directed by and starring David Byrne, this whimsical satire takes a tour through a small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrating its sesquicentennial “Celebration of Special-ness” converging on a local parade and … Read more
Don’t forget THIS SUNDAY is the screening of Death Race 2000 at Cole’s for Cinema Minima.
“Death Race 2000! (1975, 80 minutes, directed by Paul Bartel) Sunday, February 3 at 8pm
This high energy cult classic is Cinema Minima’s antidote to this year’s Super Bowl. A Roger Corman production, directed by Paul Bartel, Death Race 2000! stars David Carradine, Sylvester Stallone, and Simone Griffeth. Taking you on a transcontinental race across a dystopian American landscape in the year 2000, Death Race plummets through it’s spectators with unapologetic fury, in this murderous form of national entertainment. Based on the short story The Racer by Ib Melchior and homaged by such films as Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, this 1975 cult classic aims to please those with an unusual taste for retrofitted excitement.
Next Cinema Minima: A Night with Maya Deren Sunday, January 6, 8pm Cole’s, 2338 N. Milwaukee
Russian experimental filmmaker, promoter of avant guard cinema in America during the 40’s and 50’s, Maya Deren’s released works are amongst those at the cornerstone of transgressive cinema.
Featured films include excerpts from her biographical documentary, selected shorts, and scenes from her feature length documentary, Divine Horsemen: The Living Gods of Haiti. Curated by Joseph Strand.
A Fantastical Film Freakout Featuring the Flaming LipsDecember 2 at 8pm(83 min., 2008, Written and Directed by, Wayne Coyne; Co-Directors: Bradley Beesley and George Salisbury) As much about bleak isolation as it is about colorful optimism, this feature film by The Flaming Lips is set in outer space on the surface of Mars. The … Read more
October’s Cinema Minima features: The Cinema Culture’s Celebration of the Groteque & Morbid 10 films in 2 hours
Sunday, October 7 8pm-10pm Cole’s Bar (2338 N. Milwaukee)
Cinema Minima teams up again with The Cinema Culture for an evening of full-on morbidity in 10 short films. October signifies the beginning of the season of death. As Halloween and All Saints’ Day approach, nature dies around us only to be reborn again. This two hour celebration of grotesquery and dying celebrates all that is this wonderful and eery Autumn month.
The Cinema Culture promotes and exhibits the work of film and video artist at various events, hosts small festivals, and programs exclusive shows. Erika Kubick is a co-curator at The Cinema Culture. As a death and taxidermy enthusiast, Erika is always looking for ways to commemorate mortality artfully and charmingly. She resides in Wicker Park.
The Cinema Culture will also be screening video in an installation and at Cole’s on Sat Oct 13 for SQUARED! an art walk + more!
Descriptions:
Sink Hole A man is seduced by a sultry kitchen appliance. Directed by Greg Hanson. Greth Productions 2012. America
Carny A nightmarish glimpse into the trials of a circus performer and her downfall. Directed by Kevin Lonano. !Robot Hand! Productions 2011. America.
Zombin Laden: The Axis of Evil Dead A pseudo-theatrical trailer for a zombie thriller in which Osama bin Laden returns from the dead to declare jihad. Directed by Clément Deneux. 2011. France.
The Killing Joke A young woman’s curiosity overpowers her when she finds a red balloon tied to a little box on an eery derelict street. Classic elements of suspense tell this thrilling, action packed tale. Directed by Sebastian Lopez. Ioioma Films 2011. Argentina.
Dumb Dumbs Three young girls are vanquished by sweet temptations in a colorful but grotesquely disturbing underworld. Directed by Greg Hanson. Greth Productions 2012. America.
Leperfuck A young married woman clings to love among the impending loss of her missionary husband and their unborn child. A grueling tale set in pre-war 1940’s America. Directed by Drew Tobia. Mommy Kamikaze Secretions 2009. America.
Thy Kill Be Done When the Monsignor priest of an inner city church is killed by a gang of hoodlums and their drug lord leader, the nuns in the church’s clergy vow bloody revenge. Directed by Greg Hanson & Casey Regan. Greth Productions 2011. America.
Awesome Video TBA Check back for updated lineup!
Prayers of Death Documentary meets horror when the cameras shrink to the size of the mantis’s prey. This film is an exploration into the micro-world just beneath the surface of our human experience. Directed by Ben Nissen. 2011. America.
Death Rattle A hauntingly beautiful tribute to the masters of bone-chilling horror. A mash-up of classics set to eery house beats. Directed by Nick Bedidt. 2010. America.
CarnyDeath RattleSink HoleDumb Dumbs LeperfuckPrayers of DeathThe Killing JokeThy Kill Be DoneZombin Laden: The Axis of Evil Dead
It just doesn’t matter!
Cinema Minima Goes to Camp with Meatballs.
Sunday, July 1st at 8pm
Cole’s Bar, 2338 North Milwaukee free
A classic tale of ragtag misfit campers versus blueblooded elitist campers, Meatballs (1979, Ivan Reitman) is a perennial summertime favorite. As cool camp counselor Tripper Harrison, Bill Murray delivers one of the all-time great movie monologues, a hilarious detailing of the plight of underdogs everywhere, culminating in the chant “IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER! IT JUST DOESN’T MATTER!” Boy campers pop boners while spying on girl campers, the camper named Spaz really lives up to his nickname, and the plight of the shy and depressed is given the full Hollywood treatment as Chris Makepeace from “My Bodyguard” plays Rudy, who is taken under Tripper’s wing and slowly comes out of his shell. This is what the Summer of Fun is all about, and if you’re a summertime dude or summertime babe, there is no better way to kick off July than to see this cinematic celebration of the sweatiest season.
In June, Cinema Minima features guest curation from The Cinema Culture and 3 Minute Movies in an all-out Cinema Explosion. The show will open up with a 33 min presentation of 3 minute movies made for the annual 3MM program. Then Cinema Culture will present the off kilter knee slapping feature film “The Funny Things You Do” by Jason Ogawa. Following is a live performance by Th’ Tarnation Boys performing music from the film.
Cinema Minima Cinema Explosion Curated by The Cinema Culture and 3 Minute Movies Sunday, June 3 Cole’s Bar, 2338 N. Milwaukee ______
About the curators:
The Cinema Culturepromotes and exhibits the work of film and video artist through tours, special events, and exclusive shows. TCC was founded by Amir George in 2007. TCC has collaborated with several film clubs and organizations including Chicago Filmmakers, and CIMM Fest. The Cinema Culture exists to create an outlet for film and video makers outside of the normal festival circuit. This year TCC will be premiering a locally based program “Avant Garde Remixed” at the NXNE Film & Music festival in Toronto as well as embarking on two bi-coastal experimental video tours through November.
3 Minute Movies (3MM) was created to act as a hub for filmmakers and like-minded individuals to produce short films, screen their creations, and connect with other artists. 3MM is about the participants involved, not the audience. 3MM is not a film festival. 3MM is a collective consisting of Chris Batte, Tara Zanzig and Neil Potter. They believe filmmaking is an collaborative endeavor. to swim against the current of its nature is a fool’s errand. working with a partner takes you in new directions, teaches you things along the way, produces better results, and let’s be honest here, it lessens the load. 3MM’s intention is to bring together folks from different worlds and disciplines. it’s for pros. it’s for amateurs. it’s for students. it’s for chemical engineers who have long admired Kubrick and are inspired to go shoot something. it’s for all of us. Every other month they assign a theme for filmmakers to create a 3 minute film about. 3MM screens their movies at Rodan in Wicker Park.
About the Feature Film:
The Funny Things You Do: Red-blooded redheads are hard up for cash. Each day they must roam the surreal American back country in search of funds and fun. Their story unfolds, deconstructs, and crumbles in Holler County, U.S.A. Trailer | Film Tumblr
Director Jason S. Ogawa is a Japanese American experimental artist. His fascination with video recording began with skateboard movies shot on VHS. This curiosity was encouraged throughout his career in Chicago Public Schools. Jason earned a BFA in Moving Image from the University of Illinois at Chicago. In the same year, he also completed his first feature-length movie, “The Funny Things You Do.” His artwork is often intertwined with Chicago’s underground music community. He performs in the sword metal band Galdron. Jason lives, works, records, and performs in Chicago.
Sunday, May 6 from 6-11pm at Cole’s Bar, 2338 North Milwaukee Ave, Chicago Schedule: • Where No Man has Gone Before (6 pm – 7pm) • The Measure of a Man (7 pm – 8 pm) • Best of Both Worlds Part 1 & 2 (8 pm – 10 pm) • Cause and Effect (10 … Read more
