Film series in San Francisco

[gary]

I am putting the finishing touches on a week-long Garbo film series for late February at the Balboa Theatre in San Francisco. It will be all 35mm prints from the vaults. There are 9 films including two rarely screened silents with live music.

Has anyone seen the Swedish short films GG made, especially PETER THE TRAMP? Does anyone have prints in 16mm or 35mm? Or The Mickey Mouse cartoons MICKEY'S GALA PREMIERE /aka MOVIE STAR MICKEY or THE AUTOGRAPH HOUND. How about trailers for her films? I'd like to show these kinds of unusual items as a bonus. Other ideas?

Do anyone know how to contact Karen Swnson, Barry Paris or other writers on Garbo?

If you live in the area watch for our new calendar to appear in late Dec. or subscribe to our email newsletter for updates. Go to:

www.BalboaMovies.com

Thanks.
Gary

[Nakis]

Birth'
'Birth' is an engrossing mystery of the afterlife
Friday, October 29, 2004

By Barry Paris, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

I can't give "Birth" -- its due or its plot -- without noting, first, that Nicole Kidman is becoming one of the finest actresses of our time and, second, that her performance here is supported by one of the finest actresses of all time, Lauren Bacall.



Hello,

I was very interested in this announcement, unfortunately I don't live near San Francisco I am in Paris, although if it works I would love to come to the US during 2005 to assist at some Garboevents for her centennial, so I am sure all the people who participate in this Forum would be most grateful in case you know anything which will take place in the US to keep us posted.

Concerning your requests, here is something which will help you. It is a review that Paris wrote for the film "Birth" with Nicole Kidman where he writes about Garbo as well, making the parallel between the scene with Garbo and Philippe de Lacy in the silent "Love" and Kidman's scene with the boy in the bathroom in "Birth". As you can see Paris writes for the Pitssburg gazette and there is a phone number which is listed where you can reach him. If I find anything on karen swenson I will let you know. As for the films (the early ones of Garbo) like "Peter the tramp" I think the Swedish Film institute in sweden has copies, I am not sure about the adress, but I can look for that, i believe thery have copies of "Peter the Tramp" and maybe even the advertising films which Garbo made while she was working at the PUB Department store.
By the way, where do you get the 35mm copies for the Garbo films? Last summer in August I went to Finland where there was the Fifth Silent Film Festival at the city of Forssa near Helsinki. they payed tribute to Garbo with three of her silent films, i volunteered by contacting the people there, they accepted and I went there to present the films to the public, it was a great experience. Next year, end og August beginnings of September, there will be the Sixth edition of this Silent Film and they would be interested in showing one or two Garbo silents so the organisators are trying by now to find copies of Garbo silents (to rent). Is there a way to contact you for that? Thank you in advance, for any info on that subject and I will keep you posted on any info on Garbo as well if I find out something.

My name is nakis and my e-mail adress is :
[e-mail]

This is the article of Paris on the film "Birth" and his phone number which was listed under the article.



'Birth'




Rating: R for sexuality.

Starring: Nicole Kidman, Cameron Bright, Danny Huston, Lauren Bacall.

Director: Jonathan Glazer.







"Birth," the deficiently titled mystery from director Jonathan Glazer, is an engrossing if not great psychodrama along the creepy lines of "Rosemary's Baby."

The little devil of this tale is Sean (Cameron Bright), a quiet boy not from hell but just a few blocks down the street from the posh Manhattan apartment where Anna (Kidman) and her family (materfamilias Bacall presiding) are gathered to celebrate Anna's engagement to Joe (Danny Huston).

Anna's first husband, who dropped dead on his daily jog in Central Park during the disarmingly idyllic opening sequence, was also named Sean. It has taken her 10 years to get over that, with Joe's help. Imagine her chagrin now, when this "little Sean" stranger shows up and solemnly tells her not to marry Joe.

Imagine her further chagrin when, soon enough, he tells her he is Sean -- the original -- suddenly undead and deadly serious about reclaiming his Anna. And when, despite being chastised and reported to his parents, he persists in stalking her. The kid knows intimate details of Anna's prior life, passing a series of tests conducted by his emotionally vulnerable love object and her suspicious family.

Reincarnation or a nasty prank?

Anna decides, against everybody's better judgment, that the only way to find out is by letting the boy live with her for a while -- thereby letting herself fall in love with him.

We and director Glazer ("Sexy Beast"), on the other hand, are busy falling in love with Kidman's face, exquisitely filmed in long, lingering zoom/tracking/close-ups reminiscent of the late great Kubrick's in "Eyes Wide Shut." Her inscrutable Garboesque expression leaves it for us to interpret the subtle agitation behind the mask: Is this an angel or demon she hovers over in the most erotic child-bathing scene since Garbo toweled off Philippe de Lacy in "Love," the silent version of "Anna Karenina"? Kidman is unnerved as well as unnerving throughout.

No such ambivalence on or in the part of her mother, especially during the fab dinner scenes when everyone is frightened not so much by what the Arch d'Bacall says as by what they're afraid she might say. (Her best acerbic zinger, upon glimpsing Sean at the table: "How's Mr. Reincarnation enjoying his cake?").

Having thus gushed over Nicole and "legendary Lauren," it's time to do so over Danny Huston, son of legendary John. He's the man with the unhappy smile -- a fascinating (and only recently turned) actor with an ominously cheerful mien. Huston recently delivered one of the most devastating performances I've ever seen (in a little-known gem of a tragedy called "ivan's xtc.," which you should run out and rent). Here, he represses his mounting hostility until it explodes in a wildly violent attack on the stone-faced boy during a string-trio recital! It's a delicious, riveting moment.

Before and after that, however, is a lot of dead time in which the impact of all those long, lingering close-ups diminishes from wondrous to ponderous. That, plus the whispery dialogue, makes it essential that you pay close attention to the Big Scene when our boy and a nefarious redhead finally collide to unravel the mystery.

There's a little less to that payoff -- and to "Birth" -- than meets the open or shut eyes.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Film critic Barry Paris can be reached at 412-263-3859.)

[PatrickS]

sounds interesting, your plans.

Maybe you try the following website www.garbosallskapet.h.se/index.htm.....they say, they have all the films she appeared in.......not sure if that includes Peter the Tramp (some people don't consider that to be a Garbo film).......
But they might know in which archive you can find it........

Keep us updated on this board...

[JOHN]

agree...
i wish i could help.

but its tooooooooo far away;((

I think it will turn out to be a great night;)