I am more than happy to be proven wrong and to report that the Oak Street is rising from the ashes once again to offer a slate of fall screenings that, for the most part, hits the nail on the head of what this town needs. Announced in an e-mail newsletter and highlighted in this week's City Pages Fall Arts issue, the Oak's schedule seems almost too good to be true. The next month will be jammed packed with very worthy repertory screenings, starting with an Isaac Hayes tribute this weekend, then a new print of Jean-Jacques Beineix's Diva, followed by a Alain Robbe-Grillet tribute and then rounding things off with six films by Godard. No belly-aching here. Thank you Minnesota Film Arts!Here's the full line-up:
A Soul Cinema Tribute to Isaac Hayes
September 19 - 25
Truck Turner (1974) directed by Jonathan Kaplan
Friday, September 19 - Thursday, September 25 at 7pm (No show on Wednesday, September 24)
Shaft (1971) directed by Gordon Parks
Friday, September 19 - Thursday, September 25 at 9pm (No show on Wednesday, September 24)
Wattstax (1973) directed by Mel Stuart
Saturday, September 20 - Sunday September 21 at 4pm
September 26 - 29
Diva (1982) directed by Jean-Jacques Beineix
Friday, September 26 - Monday, September 29 at 7pm and 9:30pm w/ Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 4:30pm. (No show 7pm Saturday)
September 27
Manhattan Short Film Festival
Saturday, September 27, 7pm
September 30 - October 1
Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959) directed by Alain Resnias
Tuesday, September 30 - Wednesday, October 1 at 7 & 9pm
Alain Robbe-Grillet Series
October 3 - 9
Last Year in Marienbad (1961) directed by Alain Resnias (written by Alain Robbe-Grillet)
Friday, October 3 - Sunday, October 5 at 7pm w/ Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 5pm
Trans-Europ Express (1966) directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Friday, October 3 - Sunday, October 5 at 9pm
L'Immortelle (1963) directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Monday, October 6 - Tuesday, October 7 at 7pm and 9:15pm
Eden and After (1970) directed by Alain Robbe-Grillet
Wednesday, October 8 - Thursday, October 9 at 7pm and 9pm
Godard Retrospective
October 10 - 23
Contempt (1963) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Friday, October 10 - Sunday, October 12 at 7pm and 9:15pm w/ Saturday and Sunday Matinees at 5pm
Band of Outsiders (1965) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Monday, October 13 - Tuesday, October 14 at 7pm and 9pm
Two or Three Things I Know About Her (1966) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Wednesday, October 15 - Thursday, October 16 at 7pm and 9pm
Breathless (1960) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Friday, October 17 - Sunday, October 19 at 7pm and 9pm w/Matinees Saturday and Sunday at 5pm
Alphaville (1965) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Monday, October 20 - Tuesday, October 21 at 7pm and 9pm
Pierrot Le Fou (1965) directed by Jean-Luc Godard
Wednesday, October 22 - Thursday, October 23 at 7pm and 9pm
Go to Minnesota Film Arts for complete and updated information.
6 comments:
You beat me to it! I was shocked to find this out yesterday as well, and will be doing my own notice for local folks as well. Awesome.
I'm pretty excited. I've been hearing that the Oak has been sold, and the bulldozers are moving in at any minute, and so on and so forth. Whatever the case, hopefully this month of screenings will give some viability to this kind of programing and will enable them to carry on as a year-around organization.
Ooh! "Last Year in Marienbad"! This is listed on Netflix as eternally unavailable. Might have to make the effort to see it (and on a big screen no less)!
This is great news, no doubt. Hopefully everyone shows up to show that there is interest in rep programming here.
I do think MFA should also provide an explanation of what their long-term intentions/plans are.
Is Oak Street closing or isn't it? If so, are there any plans for a post-Oak Street MFA aside from MSPIFF?
Again, kudos for the programming, but could we get some answers about the future direction of the organization?
I agree that MFA could use this next month not only to build up their patrons and membership, but also momentum to move forward, but that is pretty reliant on them involving supporters and indeed filling us in on what the hell is going on. But I have my doubts that the organization has the cohesiveness to seize the opportunity to do so. I'm planning on going to one of the Isaac Hayes films in the next two days, so I will make some friendly inquiries (or at least eavesdrop on other people making inquiries.)
While it is great to have theaters like The Heights, and The Riverview and The Parkway, for all intents and purposes these are all second run theaters with occasional special programming. None are dedicated to the kind of programming that the Oak is promising in the next month. Can the Twin Cities sustain such a theater? I think so. But not when it is under an organization that is under such disorder they would not even respond to a public willing to put forth pledges to help out (aka "Save the Oak".)
At the very lest we've got a good month of films to look forward to.
Enough talk. Go to Oak Street and watch the fantastic films. Diva is incredible! I am thrilled at the chance to see Resnais, Robbe-Grillet, and Godard again. We need more people attending the screenings. I'll be there. See you at the movies.
Artmama - Charter member, MFA
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