Valentine Movie Night At The Gallery Underground

February 12th, 2008 admin

The Gallery Underground is getting into movies by showing Billy Brown Sox Thursday night, the 14th. I could not find out too much information on the film or the filmmaker other than this little bit found in a Yahoo! group post…

"Billy Brown Sox is the story about a small town delivery boy
who gets hit by a car and wakes up in a parallel universe accused of
a crime he may or may not have committed."

The film is being show 3 times that evening, 5PM, 7PM, and 9PM. The gallery is in the basement of the Avery Building on Mountain and College. I wonder if there will be popcorn?

Posted in Event, Film | No Comments »

How To Survive As An Independent Artist

November 27th, 2007 admin

A guy name Michael W. Dean made a nice little movie called D.I.Y. or Die: How to Survive as an Independent Artist. It is made up of conversations with artists in many mediums who have made it on their own. Visual artists who stay away from the gallery system. Musicians who refuse to sign to labels. And performance artists who do not hire managers. All in all it is a very inspiring film for an artist trying to make a go at it without a lot of cash.

My favorite quote from the movie is: “Zines are more important than Rolling Stone.”

The movie was cheap at $8 for the DVD with no copyright protection in place. In fact the cover of the disc tells you to, “Burn The DVD.” But now you can watch it free on YouTube. The filmmaker has listed his reasons for putting it on you tube here.

Here is the first part of the film:

And here is part two:

Click here to check out the rest of the movie.

Posted in Art on the Web, Film | 1 Comment »

Folk Music Has “Bad Boys?”

November 1st, 2007 admin

Who knew that folk music had a duo that are considered “bad boys?” The documentary film The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose is about those bad boys, Peter Stampfel and Steve Weber. Why am I tell you this? Because the film is coming to Fort Collins.

What: The Holy Modal Rounders: Bound to Lose
Where: Lyric Cinema Cafe, 300 East Mountain Ave., Fort Collins
When: November 9th, 2007 @ 7PM

Click here to learn more about the film as well as read some reviews.

Posted in Event, Film, Fort Collins | 1 Comment »

Who The #$&% Is Jackson Pollock?

September 21st, 2007 admin

Who the #$&% is Jackson Pollock? is a movie that documents a truck driver who buys a $5 painting in a thrift store and later learns it may be a Pollock. She sets out on a mission to prove that it is indeed a Pollock. Forensic science makes a strong case that it indeed a Pollock. But experts in the art world refuse to accept it.

The movie presents an interesting point of view of the elite art world. And it is worth watching just to see Thomas Hoving, as art expert who has a very high opinion of his own opinion, very high.

Click here to see the IMDb page on the movie.

Click here to the forensic scientist’s report on the painting.

Posted in Art, Film | No Comments »

Mingle with the Stars

September 5th, 2007 admin

Matthew Arkin and Barbara Dana are coming to town and you can meet them! Ok so I have never heard of them either. Though through a little Googling I did find out Matthew was once in an episode of Kojak, with Tony Curtis even. And Barbara was once on Sesame Street. There is some obscure trivia you can throw at them when you meet them.

They will be in town for the premiere movie, Raising Flagg, of the TriMedia Film Festival at the Lincoln Center Friday night.  Let me know if you need a ticket.

Posted in Art, Film, Fort Collins | No Comments »

Library Find

August 9th, 2007 admin

I use the Fort Collins Library system quite a bit. It is nice to be able to search the catalog at home and put a book on hold to have it waiting for you when you can make it over. But one of the things I really like to do is just browse the shelves. This takes time but often yields rewards. Two weeks ago I came across a movie called Ryan. The cover of the DVD case is what caught my eye. But after a quick skim of the words on the back I knew I had to check it out.

Ryan is a short animated film about Ryan Larkin an animation artist from the 60s. Early in his career he made quite an impression on the animated film world. One of his first films was even nominated for an OSCAR. (He lost to Walt Disney) But at that young age he just walked away from it, giving in to madness and drug addiction.

The movie has a lot of insight into the process of becoming an artist and how that can go wrong. The film in and of itself is a creative way to tell a story. Through animation the director, Chris Landreth, presents him and his subject Ryan as flawed yet colorful human beings.

You can find the movie in the library’s catalog here. The DVD also contains Ryan’s movies as well as movies from Chris Landreth.

Posted in Art, Film | No Comments »

Taggart Goes Back to Work

July 24th, 2007 admin

An observant eye in Old Town Fort Collins might spot a Beverly Hills detective every now and then. Actor John Ashton has made Fort Collins his home for some years now. Sgt. John Taggart in the Beverly Hills Cop movies is probably his most well known role. Also notable is Midnight Run with Ed Harris.

I’ve seen him around and always wondered how and why he ended up in Fort Collins. Guess he was just waiting for the right part to come along. And according to the Rocky Mountain News that happened when Ben Affleck called him for a part in Gone Baby Gone, a movie Affleck wrote (based on a Dennis Lehane novel) and directed. Ashton is quoted as saying he is jaded with the business but not the craft of acting.

The movie is schedule to be released October 19th. It will be good to see Mr. Ashton go from our humble streets of Fort Collins back to the big screen. Now if only I could get an interview with him for ZAF622.com.

Posted in Film, Fort Collins | 2 Comments »

The Lyric Cinema Cafe

June 28th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

Last night I had my first visit to the Lyric Cinema in Old Town Fort Collins. I must admit I feel sort of bad for taking so long to check it out. And now that I have I think it may be habbit forming.

This is sort of tough to write about for me because I don’t consider myself a reviewer and never want the label of critic but I had to say some words about this addition to the art scene in Fort Collins. So here goes…

I am a fan of movies.  Big ones, small ones, Hollywood ones, and independent ones. I also believe in the theater experience of seeing a movie. And it can be hard to have a theater experience with smaller independant movies. But now with the Lyric one can see those smaller movies in a theater, on a couch, drinking a 5 Barrel in a glass no less. I felt so European.

The Lyric has a website with upcoming shows and links to previews for them. And also a very cool blog that lets us hear from the owners.

Bottom line… Support the Lyric Cinema Cafe. It is a much needed addition to the Fort Collins art landscape.

Posted in Art, Film, Fort Collins | No Comments »

Whos On First?

June 20th, 2007 Daryle Dickens

How is it such a simple question can leave such a mark on history? Bud Abbott and Lou Costello performed the classic comic routine on stage and the radio beginning in the 1930’s. But it was the movie One Night in the Tropics which came out in 1940 that really launched the routine and the careers of Abbott and Costello.

Time Magazine named Who’s on First? the “Best Comedy Sketch of the 20th Century,” the American Film Institute listed it in the 100 most memorable movie quotes, a gold record of it was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and there was even a board game made from it in the 70’s. It has also be referenced countless times in pop culture.

If you have not seen it in its entirety take six minutes out of your life and check it out. Comic genius. Art history.

Posted in Art, Art History, Film | No Comments »