Friday, July 2, 2021

My film history schools #3 Harvard Film Archive

This is the only venue still showing films of the 5 "schools" and IMHO the ugliest. (I’m no fan of Brutalist architecture, it seems to express the powerful giving back nothing) I have not lived in Boston for 20 years now. so I have no info on its later years, but I started going to the public showings from their start around 1979. Memorable highlights were completing my viewings of Luis Buñuel’s Mexican movies and a showing of “The Spook who sat by the door” (1973) with a phone interview with Ivan Dixon who was much more interested in talking about his later films

El 1953

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Illusion Travels by Streetcar 1954

Robinson Crusoe 1954

Wuthering Heights 1954

The Criminal Life of Archibaldo de la Cruz 1955

Fever Mounts at El Pao 1959

The Young One 1960

Its an Art Film/Its an Exploitation Film

The Spook who sat by the Door 1973

Thursday, July 1, 2021

My film history schools #2 The Publix Boston

Nestled in the beating heart of Boston’s Historic Combat Zone stood B-Town’s only grindhouse. Rundown and rodent infested it was the perfect place to view the Sexploitation and Horror classics and lesser drive in fare. It started life as The Gaiety Theatre (1908–1949) featuring burlesque, vaudeville and cinema. In 1949 it became the Publix Theatre. By the late 70’s it was a full tilt grindhouse surrounded by two blocks of porn. Around 1980 it ended its life as a Black Action house. One film that was on several double bill was “Naughty Schoolgirls” a rerelease title of The Blazer Girls (1975)