The Fassbinder Story (2015) Kino 2016

Portrait of Rainer Werner Fassbinder as told by the people who knew him from the time he was in theater school until his death at 37. Its a film that is firmly focused on the man and his life and because the stories are being told by the people who were there we have ended up with a fascinating portrait of the man, his art and his life.

The film is a marvelous collection of interviews, outtakes and film clips that really portray the Fassbinder as a hypnotic character. You completely understand why people followed him and continued to work with him again and again. Its a film that kind of strips away some of the mythic sheen he's developed over the years to reveal a hard charging artist who was always striving to create. Its the sort of film that makes you wish you could take a time machine back and hang out with him.

A word of warning: if you're looking for another film that is going to  reveal the deeper meanings of all of Fassbinder's films this isn't it. Yes the film deals with the films but more from the personal side, meaning that we see his reaction to some of them, how he got them made and how is stock company came together. We also end up with a really good idea how he was able to turn out 44 films in 18 years

One of the best of the recent films on Fassbinder and an absolute must see for any one with any familiarity with the man and his films.

For more information and tickets on the screenings  Friday and Saturday go here.

B-MOVIE: Lust & Sound in West-Berlin (2015) KINO 2016

Mark Reeder relives his time in the West Berlin music scene and we are oh so much better for it. This is a stunning music documentary that is a must see for anyone who lived through the 1980's and loved the punk, new wave, rock, popular genres that were heavily influenced by the Berlin scene. Its a film for anyone who wanted to be there but couldn't and for anyone who was but can no longer remember.

B MOVIE was a rush of nostalgia for me. Being slightly younger than the films subject Mark Reeder, this film had memories flooding back. While I never traveled to out of the New York City area I had a rich musical life thanks to a brother who was way ahead of the curve on music and to a the various music shows that played all over regular TV and cable. Whether I knew it or not much of this music was filtering into my ears and eyes.

For me the joy of the film is absolute sense of being there. This isn’t just a documentary but a cinematic time machine. As I said all of this feels right. I suspect that is due to the film being a wonderful mix of familiar clips, mixed with lots of home movies and out-takes. It’s the behind the scenes stuff and home movies that seal the deal in making this feel real.

There is so much to love about the film that I am going to force myself to be brief. Ideally you should just go see the film because it’s that good. Actually it’s so good that I had to take three days to be able to put something together that was more than just WOW.

But I’ve digressed.

One the big reasons you should see the film is that watching it you get this wonderful sense of history arcing. We watch as Reeder tells us about all of these people descended on Berlin and then began to make music and art. We then watch as the various people peeled off and became big rattling the pillars of heaven. From this place came Tilda Swinton or Nick Cave’s Bad Seeds or the music influenced the music elsewhere. The film also isn’t rooted in one style of music. Yes it begins with a search for a member of Tangerine Dream but the film crosses into punk and industrial and poppy stuff like 99 LuftBalloons. We watch as artists like Keith Haring attacked the wall with paint or performance and how it somehow eventually fell.

It’s a wild ride that doesn’t seem a though the events were happening 35 years ago.

I don’t know if this is one of the best films of 2016 but it is one of my favorites.

A must see when it plays Kino this weekend.

For tickets and more information go here

KINO starts Friday and every film is a must see

KINO the annual look at German film is coming back starting Thursday and it's a must see.

How much of a must see? Every year we've covered pretty much every film they've screened. The films simply don't suck and the schedule always has titles that end up on out year end lists for excellence.

The trouble with this years festival is that they moved it to just before the Tribeca Film Festival is starting so the screenings conflict with the Tribeca press ones. We physically can't be in two places at the same time so we're playing a wait and see game and hoping to get to some of the screenings next weekend.

However we have already seen HEAVY HEART at Toronto and recommend it and reviews will be coming of THE FASSBINDER STORY and B MOVIE (Both of which I highly recommend)

Since you a aren't conflicted there is no reason you can't go to KINO. Here is the schedule 

Go see something, this is truly one of the best festivals you'll see all year.

Nightcap: Spring Festival Season is about to take over the world-literally plus Randi's links

The Spring Film Festival season is getting ready to bloom. No matter where you are there are fests to delight you and tickets are going on sale…

The Dallas Film Festival runs April 14 to 24th and it has a super line up including Johnnie To's OFFICE and WEINER on the disgraced politician Online ticket sales will be available for Dallas Film Society members beginning Monday, March 21 at DallasFilm.org, and will open to the public on Thursday, March 24. The physical Prekindle Box Office at Mockingbird Station will open on Thursday, March 31
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Tasmania’s Stranger With My Face International Film Festival will return for its fourth edition from April 14-17, 2016.  All the information on this genre festival can be found here.
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New Directors New Films starts March 16th. This annual retrospective films from New Directors is the place to see what maybe the next big thing. I'll have a ton of coverage starting next weekend (I've seen about 15 films already). I just want to say tickets are on sale so go buy some tickets. Information can be found here.
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Tribeca has announced its first round of films and it looks great with new stuff from Sion Sono and Ben Wheatley among others. More is due to be announced Tuesday. There is no schedule announced but keep watching their site (and this one for more details). Individual tickets aren’t on sale yet but there are ticket packages.
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Kino is one of the best festivals in New York. It is also probably one of the most over looked. The over looked part is something even we at Unseen are guilty of despite covering it over the last three years.

Kino is quite simply the best place to see great films from Germany. Actually just great films period. I say that because I cannot I all honesty remember a single film that wasn’t good. That’s an amazing thing. The festival has bounced around the calendar the last couple of years but it seems to have landed right in April for good.

As of right now I’m not sure how much coverage we’re going to provide, it overlaps with the run up for Tribeca, but in all honesty you don’t need me to tell you what to see with Kino, it’s all good (No really sight unseen I’m telling you it is) so go see a film or six.

Tickets and more details are here.
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Lincoln Center is running every film that Sam Peckinpah ever directed.The series is called Bring me the Head of Sam Peckinpah Its all here from first to last. If you’re fan of the man who is best known for reinventing on screen violence with THE WILD BUNCH or if you don’ know the man’s work its time to go and see his films on the big screen. Actually this is the perfect time to cleanse your palate of the idea of Sam and violence. He had more going on than blood. Actually if you’ve never seen his smaller films (ie not WILD BUNCH or STRAW DOGS) see any or all of the others because the effect of seeing them will alter what you think of him.

The series runs the end of the month and early April and tickets can be had here.
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The annual look at documentary films that are something more than just documentaries, THE ART OF THE REAL is coming in April to Lincoln Center. They announced all the titles on Friday and all of the information is here. I have a long stack of films in the pile to watch so expect lots of coverage.
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For those in Australia MONSTER FEST is coming in November. Yes I know thats a long way off but we are looking to cover it. Right now submissions are being accepted. For details go here

Can't make the fests? Keep reading because with luck we'll make you feel like you are there even if you're not.
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And this week Rendez-Vous With French Cinema continues at Lincoln Center and we'll finally start dropping reviews
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I’ve been asked by a friend to mention that the  Cynthia Nixon headed JAMES WHITE is hitting DVD and home video on March 22

I have not seen the film but I’ve heard that Nixon’s performance makes the film a must see. Look for a review closer to time.
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As this posts I may have seen my last film for the New York International Children’s Film Festival. I have a ticket for LITTLE DOOR GODS for next weekend but conflicts are rising up so that may not happen. I hope to pick up more films the last weekend (the 19th and 20th) if my schedule remains clear, so there maybe more coming…

…But if not I have to say this has been the best year so far. They really kicked ass. –If you’re free the next two weeks go see something.
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And now Randi’s links

The most influential surf film ever
WHy doesn't Hollywood like Mexican films?
The Meaning of THE SCREAM
The quest to solve You Tubes strangest mysteries
Shackleton's reading list
Predator vs Marines 360
Deadpool marketing
on SPOTLIGHT
Pete Docter on INSIDE OUT
Lil Bub interviewed
21 JUMPSTREET meets MEN IN BLACK