Blogging the Brattle: Sept – Oct 2003 Schedule
Posted on September 9, 2003 at 8:33 am | No Comments
Probably the best indie theater in the Boston area, the Brattle is something I all too often take for granted. Their always-shifting ‘one-film-per-day-or-two’ schedule allows for tons of great movies every month, but it also means you’d better damn well pay attention or you’ll miss somethin’ special. Too many times I’ve opened to the calendar, thought “Oooo, I’d love to see that”, and quickly followed with an “Argh! That was last night!”.
For years, whenever the schedule arrives in the mail, I’ve circled the personal highlights and posted it on our bulletin board… which of course means I’d rarely look at it. Well, no more. From here on out, the good stuff goes on the blog for easy access. Yesterday the September/October calendar showed up, so here goes…
Sept. 14th & 15th : Sunset Blvd. – Yes, I know who Norma Desmond is, and yet I’ve never seen this film. With a newly restored print, it may be time to rectify that. Sept. 19th & 20th : The Man With No Name Trilogy – As if I have to tell you, Sergio Leone directs Clint Eastwood in three of the all-time best westerns (The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly, Fistfull of Dollars, For a Few Dollars More). All new 35mm prints, and an extended cut of “The Good…”. It’s been years since I’ve seen them, and never on the big screen. Sept. 24th : Northfork – I’ve heard the good word on this atmospheric new movie from the Polish Brothers, who directed and wrote Twin Falls Idaho. It’s playing elsewhere in town, but I like to spend at the Brattle when I can. Oct. 3rd & 4th : To Catch a Thief – Another classic I’ve completely missed out on. Hitchcock directs Cary Grant and Grace Kelly on the French Riveira in Edith Head costuming. What’s not to love about that? Oct. 15th : Versus – Gangsters, zombies, kung-fu madness, gore galore… the kind of stuff that deserves to be seen in a theater, not on a DVD. I missed this one when it screened last month, and I don’t plan to make that mistake again. Oct. 17th – Oct. 23rd : 1st Annual Boston Fantastic Film Festival – Whoa. Now this sounds right up my alley. A new festival featuring “the best horror, science fiction, fantasy, and cult films from across the country and around the world (as well as the occasional thriller, action epic, or dark comedy).” My goodness. Can’t wait to find out the full lineup. Here’s the official press release at co-organizer Steven Jay Schneider’s website, and be sure to keep an eye on the Brattle page for updates. Category: UncategorizedRaise Your Voice, Boston : Here Comes Ashcroft
Posted on September 8, 2003 at 2:32 pm | No Comments
As part of his ludicrous publicity tour for the so-called “Patriot Act”, and its proposed sequel, the “Victory Act”, Attorney General John “Big Bro” Ashcroft will be appearing tomorrow at Faneuil Hall. The Boston stop of this farcical ‘roadshow’ (and what a show it is) is particularly ironic, considering that this town is considered by many to be the ‘birthplace’ of the very freedoms that he is attacking.
MoveOn.Org rallies the troops …
“On Tuesday morning, Attorney General John Ashcroft will be speaking in Boston’s historic Faneuil Hall to promote the controversial Patriot Act.
The ACLU of Massachusetts and the Bill of Rights Defense Committee have organized a demonstration to show the broad public sentiment against this threat to our freedoms. They are asking all supportive people to attend with signs.
Faneuil Hall is known as “the cradle of liberty” because of the courage displayed there by American revolutionaries like Samuel Adams. In 1771, he insisted: “The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil Constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks…. It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or to be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.”
I hope you can join us on Tuesday morning.
WHAT: Demonstration to demand the protection of our basic civil liberties, and counter Attorney General John Ashcroft, speaking in the latest installment of his stealth Patriot Act road show.
WHEN: Tuesday, September 9, 8:00 AM
WHERE: Faneuil Hall, Boston (Directions)
Please let us know you can attend
Ashcroft is currently touring the nation, with a focus on states contested in the presidential election, as part of a public relations campaign to shore up the Patriot Act. The tour comes as increasing numbers of Americans are challenging the Administration’s assault on basic freedoms and as Congress considers numerous bipartisan measures to prohibit implementation of aspects of the Patriot Act.
The Attorney General also seeks to build support for passage of the expansive sequel, dubbed Patriot II, and the VICTORY Act. His speeches will be given before audiences of law enforcement officials and are closed to the public. Even the schedule of the tour is being kept a secret until the last minute. All of this seems designed to prevent Americans from showing their opposition to attacks on civil liberties.
Don’t let the Justice Department’s secrecy prevent the free expression of opposition to the Patriot Act. Sign up now to attend the demonstration countering Ashcroft’s claims.
Thanks for insisting that security is attainable without sacrificing our freedom.
Sincerely,
-Noah T. Winer, MoveOn.org, September 8, 2003″
Go here for more information on the hostile “acts”, and if you’re not in Boston, keep an ear to the ground for future Ashcroft appearances. Tell him exactly where he can stick his ‘patriotic’ plans, and eventually, his career plans as well.
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