SATURDAY, MARCH 13
PLEXIFILM, PLANARIA &
FUKCLEARCHANNELIHATEYOU PRESENT:
a special screening at the
Warehouse Theater at 1021 7th St
(not to be confused with the Warehouse Nextdoor)
TED LEO / PHARMACISTS in "DIRTY OLD TOWN"
SUN RA in "SPACE IS THE PLACE"
$5 each film or $8 for both
the bar and cafe will be open
food and drinks allowed in theater
all ages / 21+ to drink
8:00 SPACE IS THE PLACE
10:00 DIRTY OLD TOWN
DIRTY OLD TOWN is the first in a series of original concert films and artist profiles produced by Plexifilm. DIRTY OLD TOWN is a day in the life of Ted Leo and his band, the Pharmacists, as they descend on Coney Island, New York, for the 3rd Annual Siren Music Festival on July 19th, 2003.
Mixing a powerful live set with personal interviews and images of one of the most unique places in New York, Justin Mitchell--director of SONGS FOR CASSAVETES, the acclaimed portrait of the west coast punk underground--takes a deeper look at the man behind the critically praised albums TYRANNY OF DISTANCE and HEARTS OF OAK (Lookout!). Blending High Definition digital video, 16 mm, miniDV and digital stills, DIRTY OLD TOWN seamlessly cuts between different mediums and shows a powerful live set on a swelteringly hot day at Coney
Island, symbol of both An old-fashioned Brooklyn and its recent resurgence. Through interviews, emotive storytelling, lyrics and blistering guitar work, DIRTY OLD TOWN examines Ted Leo's position in the rock world, one of an artist who
strives to remain independent while steadily gaining a more mainstream audience. Justin Mitchell is a New York-based filmmaker and cinematographer. SONGS FOR CASSAVETES, his
debut feature documentary, was shown at the London Film Festival where the festival notes proclaimed, "[It] is that all too rare thing: a documentary feature in which form and content are perfectly attuned... A little gem, small but
perfectly formed." Born in Hollywood, CA, Mitchell grew up in the Valley and moved to New York City in September of 2001, where he continues his work in independent film and video.
Science fiction, blaxploitation, cosmic free-jazz and radical race politics combine when Sun Ra returns to earth in his music-powered space ship to battle for the future of the black race and offer an "alter-destiny" to those who would join him. Intentionally created as an homage to the low-budget science fiction films of the 50's and 60's, SPACE IS THE PLACE became a visual embodiment of Sun Ra's Afro-Egyptian myth of salvation in outer space. The special effects, outrageous plot line and apocalyptic message harmonize with the otherworldly score and a climactic live performance by one of the most innovative and profound groups in jazz history. After having traveled through space in a yellow spaceship propelled by music, Sun Ra finds a planet he believes could serve as a new home for the black race. Returning to earth, he lands in Oakland, California circa 1972 and has to battle The Overseer, played by Ray Johnson
(from 1971's DIRTY HARRY), a supernatural villain
exploiting the black people. The Overseer, the FBI, and NASA -- who are after Ra's Black Space Program -- attempt to assassinate Ra, who escapes into space with his followers before the destruction of Earth. Cosmic blaxploitation cum
sociological critique, SPACE IS THE PLACE defies categorization. It is at once a platform for Sun Ra's radical racial philosophies, an
indictment of the government's policies in Vietnam-era U.S., cult camp flick, sci-fi movie and concert film with unforgettable performances by the Intergalactic Solar Arkestra. Since its extremely limited release in 1974 -- the film played very briefly in San Francisco and New York -- SPACE IS THE PLACE has become an underground legend spoken about but never seen, and if so, in poorly dubbed bootlegs or
in the severely adulterated 1992 VHS version. Plexifilm is proud to present SPACE IS THE PLACE for the first time in its original uncut form. "An artifact of a time when the hangover
of the late 1960's met the disillusioned 1970's; black power and free jazz collided with the fashion sense of SUPERFLY.
SPACE IS THE PLACE is the PUTNEY SWOPE of jazz films." -Jon Pareles, THE NEW YORK TIMES
