Hot Wheels! - Auto Erotica at Oddball Films June 6, 2009

Event: “Hot Wheels: Auto Erotica” Guest curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of vintage short films about cars: the beauty and excitement, the obsession and cultural impact, and the potential for horrible mayhem and death. Films include: “The Last Prom” (color,1973), pristine copy!!; “The Talking Car” (color, 1969) starring Brian Forster of The Partridge Family; The Velvet Glove (b+w, 1951) beautiful Jam Handy industrial film; “What On Earth” (color, 1966) animated, Martians think cars run Earth; “This Is Britain: Auto Suggestion” (b+w, 1952) sweet rides from ‘Ol Blighty; “Rendezvous” (color, 1976) Claude Lelouch brilliance; “Automania 2000” (color, 1963) animated gridlock; plus brilliant VW commercials from the 1960’s.
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2009 at 8:30PM
Venue: Oddball Films, 275 Capp Street, San Francisco 94110
Admission: $10.00 RSVP Only to: 415-558-8117 or [email protected]
Web: http://www.flarerecord.com

"Hot Wheels!”
Auto Erotica Screens at Oddball Films

On Saturday, June 6, Guest Curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of short films about cars, from a time when they were worshipped for the freedom, style and excitement they offered. Of course, they also held the potential for horrible mayhem and death.

"A car crash harnesses elements of eroticism, aggression, desire, speed, drama, kinesthetic factors, the stylizing of motion, consumer goods, status -- all these in one event. I myself see the car crash as a tremendous sexual event really: a liberation of human and machine libido (if there is such a thing)." - J.G. Ballard

Showtime is 8:30PM and admission is $10.00. Seating is limited so RSVP is preferred to: [email protected] or 415-558-8117.

Films Include:

“The Last Prom” (Color, 1973)
Pristine print of this all-time classic scare film. Shot in 1973, but looks and sounds like the late 1950’s as these hot-blooded teens live and drive too fast: sex=death. So good it was remade in 1980 (replacing the necking and bad driving with dui).

“Rendezvous” (Color, 1976)
Brilliant, high-speed drive across Paris via sports car. Director Claude Lelouch (A Man and a Woman) mounted a camera to the bumper of his Mercedes 450SEL and zooms through the early morning streets of Paris at speeds up to 140mph, narrowly missing several stunned pedestrians (he was arrested immediately after the first screening, then released when he proved he was not the driver). One take, no film tricks- you won’t believe your eyes.

“The Talking Car” (Color, 1969)
Little Brian Forster, who soon went on to star as Chris in The Partridge Family, has a close call with a car. Later that night, a trio of talking cars invades his dreams and grill him for not being more careful.

“What On Earth!” (Color, 1967)
“Martian documentary” by Canadian animators Les drew and Kaz Pindal reports that there IS life on earth, but mistakes cars as the dominant life form- people are merely parasites that inhabit them. Groovy soundtrack!

“This Is Britain: Auto Suggestion” (B+W, 1952)
Film celebrating the British motor trade. Covers all motors from the unique and expensive to the more modest popular models. Features the Ford Prefect, Vauxhall Wyvern, Austin A40 and Morris Minor among discussion of the popularity of British car production. Ends by musing about the future of car design, showing a super-cool Rover powered by a gas turbine.

“The Velvet Glove” (b+w, 1951)
Jam Handy Organization industrial/promotional film produced for General Motors, in this case for Chevrolet “smooth as a velvet glove” transmissions (and not at all a sexual euphemism). Stunning print of a lovingly shot subject with lots of great close-ups and animated models.

“Automania 2000” (Color, 1963)
Halas and Batchelor animation from England, which tells the story of a future world in which the race to produce bigger and better cars sees humanity forced to adapt to total gridlock. The film won many awards around the world, and also received an Oscar nomination.

PLUS: Brilliant, funny VW commercials from the 1960’s produced by New York’s Doyle Dane Bernbach- rated by some the #1 ad campaign of all time, and more surprises!

Official Website: http://www.flarerecord.com