follow the yellow brick road
To coincide with our Eyes, Lies & Illusions exhibition, ACMI presents Focus on Movie Magic - a magical journey through the technologies used in films, from Dorothy's Technicolour adventures in Oz to the computer generated world of Tron.
The screenings include The Fall of the House of Usher (1928), one of the most innovative silent horror films produced - overcoming a combination of lighting problems and primitive cameras through its dark, gothic atmosphere. The film version of Edgar Allen Poe's masterpiece has been restored by Cinematheque Royale, and will be accompanied live by organist David Johnston.
The name Spielberg is synonymous with blockbusters. Jaws (1975) was a box office smash, prospering through the use of pre-CGI special effects, including 'Bruce' - the collective name for three 26ft long mechanical sharks. Its accompanying soundtrack is still relentlessly scaring swimmers!
The use of technicolour in The Wizard of Oz (1939) brought a special magic to the musical tale of flying monkeys, munchkins and unforgettable characters. While technicolour was created in 1915, The Wizard of Oz fully explored its narrative power by contrasting sepia-toned Kansas with the colourful world of Oz.
While the space race was gripping the world in the mid-20th Century, it was also contributing to the groundbreaking special effects seen in Planet of Storms (1961). Planet of Storms might have since faded into obscurity, but Stanley Kubrick's 2001: a Space Odyssey and Roger Corman's space films flourished thanks to the special effects techniques it pioneered.
Also screening as part of Focus on Movie Magic is The Girl Can't Help It (1956), a celebration of Cinemascope, Technicolour, Stereophonic sound and rock music; Tron (1982), the first film by a major studio to employ computer generated special effects and Masculin féminin: 15 faits précis (1966), Jean-Luc Godard's provocative film, challenging audiences with fragmentary non-linear plots and pushing issues of youth culture and politics to the fore. The season also features The Maltese Falcon, Ten, Emmanuelle and Microcosmos.
Focus on Movie Magic screens at ACMI from Thursday 4 January until Sunday 14 January.
Published Friday, 5 January 2007
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