Oddball's Greatest Hits July 17, 2009

Event: “Oddball’s Greatest Hits”. Guest curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of the most popular short films recently screened here at the archive. At every screening, there are always one or two films that stand out from the rest and demand a replay; tonight’s program will feature the cream of the crop and surprise hits from the last six months. Films include: “The Cat’s Meow” from Crazy Cats; “The Interview” from Jazz Dichotomy; “Blind Gary Davis” from Soul Music Spectacular; “The Car of Your Dreams” from Hot Wheels!; “Help, My Snowman’s Burning Down” from Bongo Beatin’ Beatniks; “Narcotics: Pit of Despair” from Scared Straight; “Frank Film” from Weirdsville 2; “Two” from Weirdsville 3; and “Television Land” from And Now a Word From Our Sponsor. Plus- a few surprises tba at show time!
Date: Friday, July 17, 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/?p=251

"Oddball’s Greatest Hits”
Screens at Oddball Films

On Friday, July 17, Guest Curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present an evening of the most popular short films recently screened here at the archive. A sampling of the best, most entertaining, and occasional surprise “hits” from the broad range of programs, from Crazy Cats to Beatniks, White Trash to Weirdsville. Missed a program? Now’s your chance to see the best of show! 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 Cat’s Meow” (Color, 1976)
Engaging, well shot educational film about alley cats and house cats was the surprise hit of the Crazy Cats show. The deadpan, dry humor of the narration is a big part of the appeal of this British-made short, but the slow motion mouse acrobatics had the whole room in stitches.

“The Interview” (Color, 1960) dir. Ernest Pintoff
Animated short by the brilliant Ernie Pintoff has square interviewer befuddled by fictional hipster jazz musician Shorty Petterstein (voiced by Henry Jacobs) as the Stan Getz combo blows and riffs “off camera”. “Like, don’t hang me- I didn’t wanna fall up here in the first place!”

“Blind Gary Davis” (B & W, 1964)
Directed by Harold Becker (who went on to direct “The Onion Field” and “Taps” among other films), this short doc features the legendary bluesman playing and singing in his apartment, and we get to be the (lucky) fly on the wall.

“The Car of Your Dreams” (Color and B&W, 1984)
Genius educational film about the car industry and their sales techniques utilizing solely mind-blowing historical footage that borders on the surreal. It’s no wonder Americans bought into the car mythology lock, stock and barrel.

“Help, My Snowman’s Burning Down” (Color, 1964)
Academy award-nominated short by Carson Davidson starring Bob Larkin (later in the cult film Putney Swope). Beatnik lives on a boat dock off Manhattan with only bathroom furnishings. Stop motion and surreal effects, original music by the Gerry Mulligan Quartet.

“Narcotics: Pit of Despair” (Color, 1967)
The all-time classic of the genre, a real howler! Super-square kid is lured into the world of illicit drugs and other pleasures by the scheming drug dealer and his wanton woman. Sample voiceover: “Take a trip from Squaresville, get with the countdown, shake this square world and blast off to Kicksville!” Sounds good to me!!

“Frank Film” (Color, 1973)
Brilliant art film by Frank Mouris featuring rapid animation collage of magazine clip art with “competing” narration. Winner of the 1974 Academy Award for short film.

“Two” (Color, 1971)
Spoof of overwrought Italian films written by and starring Reneé Taylor (nominated for an Oscar for Lovers and Other Strangers). Two lovers on the beach try to out-passion each other, then out-debase themselves until the woman walks away in disgust.

“Television Land” (color/b+w, 1971)
Brilliant, impressionistic, narration-free history of Television utilizing original clips, similar to the Oddball Films favorite “The Car of Your Dreams”. Directed by Charles Braverman, the snappy montage is divided into three sections: entertainment, news and commercials.

PLUS! a few surprises tba at showtime…

Curator Biography:
Pete Gowdy (aka DJ Chas Gaudi) is host of San Francisco’s Shellac Shack, a weekly 78 rpm listening party and a DJ specializing in vintage sounds: soul, jazz, country, punk and new wave. A graduate of the Vassar College Film Program, he is an associate producer of Marc Huestis Presents, the long-running movie legend tributes at the Castro Theatre.

Official Website: http://www.flarerecord.com/?p=251