Blog Post
Bruce Conner Films Screening at the AAFF
by Caser
Two premiere events in honor of late experimental filmmaker and artist, Bruce Conner (1933-2008), highlight this year's Ann Arbor Film Festival, held March 24-29. The AAFF will host a rare screening of the artist's films, which are not available on DVD or online.
In the late 1950s, Conner was prominent in the San Francisco Beat scene for his avant-garde assemblage scultptures, which were often draped in discarded Eisenhower-era novelties. Furthering this idea of "found" art, he began making short experimental films by editing newsreel and obscure film footage together, then laying either pop or classical music over the images. Critics consider this work a precursor to music videos and Godfrey Reggio's films.
Conner's best known work includes a sculpture titled Child, which depicts a molded child figure screaming in pain and strapped to a high chair with nylon stockings, the non-linear violence hymn, A Movie, and JFK assassination coverage footage, Report. More recent movies from experimental film distributor, Canyon Cinema, will also be shown in honor of Bruce Conner.
Blog Post
The Midwest Hip Hop Summit
by Caser
The Midwest Hip Hop Summit comes to the Michigan Union on UM's campus this weekend. Starting Friday night at 8pm, catch Atlantic recording artist, Little Brother, along with OneBeLo, Invincible, and DCM co-founder and 4REAL host, Sol Guy, live in concert. Then on Saturday, join workshops teaching other facets of hip-hop culture, including breakdancing, MC'ing, graffiti art, and DJ'ing. These events and several panels on issues of race, gender, and the state of hip hop today will be held throughout the day at various locations in the Union. For current literature addressing these issues, try The Hip Hop Wars, or Hip-Hop Revolution: The Culture and Politics of Rap, or All About the Beat: Why Hip Hop Can't Save Black America, all available at the AADL.
Blog Post
Volunteer for the Language Bank
by Beth Manuel
Want to help our community in a BIG way? Our county Red Cross is looking for bilingual speakers to volunteer their skills to translate documents or interpret for non-English speakers. To learn more contact: Cassie at 734-971-5300 ext. 272. Also, to find out how to Deal with Emergencies this DVD covers a lot of information. Watch it with your family!
Blog Post
Fabulous Fiction Firsts #143
by muffy
Looking for your Dream House* ? Beware of that small clapboard house on Macon Street, not far from the campus of the University of Michigan (fictitious, of course).
Pushcart Prize winner Valerie Laken's first novel is one stunning cautionary tale. Hoping to rekindle their troubled marriage while renovating a historic house in Ann Arbor, Kate and Stuart Kinzler learn that the house had been the scene of a devastating murder some 20 years earlier while the Prices, a working-class black family, lived there.
When Stuart walks out in the middle of Kate's ambitious remodeling, Kate forms new relationships with two men who have ties to the murder and the house.
"Laken is masterful at character construction as she explores issues of race and class and conveys the wreckage of individual lives and the emotions evoked by a house that is the source of joy and dreams as well as the site of tragedy." You might be interested in Mary Beth Lewis' article in the February issue of the Ann Arbor Observer on Laken's own Ann Arbor "dream house" experience.
On the theme of historic renovation, readers would find much delight in Katie Fforde's charming and witty Restoring Grace, or John Smolens' moody, suspenseful mystery, set in Michigan's Upper Peninsula - Fire Point.
* = Starred Review
Blog Post
Asparagus! Stalking the American Life
by manz
Think Local First presents a screening of Asparagus! Stalking the American Life tonight at 7:15pm at the Michigan Theater. “For 30 years, Oceana County Michigan has been the Asparagus Capital of the World. Now its spear-struck residents and family farms take on the U.S. War on Drugs, Free Trade and a Fast Food Nation, all to save their beloved roots.” Asparagus’ director Kirsten Kelly will be available for a Q & A session after the film. Proceeds from the screening of this multi-award winning film will benefit Think Local First. Planning on having asparagus for dinner before you go? Check out some of AADL's tasty vegetable cook books.
Blog Post
2009 It's All Write! Short Story Writing Contest
by Bertha
It's BACK! Same generous prizes: 1st Place $250, 2nd Place $150, 3rd Place $100, same Grade Categories: Grades 6-7-8, Grades 9-10, Grades 11-12, but a different slate of judges and a batch of new short stories submitted up until March 21st.
Guidelines are attached here.
Winning stories from 2008 are available for check out in booklet form or you can read last year's winners online.
Good Luck!
Blog Post
The Thrill Isn't Gone Yet
by Caser
Eight films from director Alfred Hitchcock are featured this month as part of Michigan Theater's Great Directors series, and although most of the films were shown earlier this month, you can still catch three of his best on the big screen. Watch Tippi Hedren duck and cover in The Birds this Friday, January 16 at midnight, or see if Jimmy Stewart can snare his suspicious neighbor in Rear Window next Monday, January 19 at 7p.m. If dark comedy is your style, then watch Barbara Harris swindle the gullible in Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot, playing the following Monday, January 26 at 7p.m. The AADL also owns Psycho, North by Northwest, Vertigo, and The 39 Steps if you missed them at the Michigan Theater this month.
To delve into the director's psyche and his unconventional relationships with the actresses in his films, try the 2008 book, Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies.
Blog Post
Pitch It -- If You Can Find It
by Debbie G.
Our holiday greenery may be buried under a foot of snow by next week, but if you can find it and dig it out, drag it to the curbside and Monday, January 19 ~ Friday, January 23, the city will pick up the trees on your normal trash collection day. If the snow buries them again at the curb, the City will reschedule pickup after a thaw. You can also dispose of undecorated holiday trees at the Drop Off Station through Jan. 31st.
Blog Post
Transition Towns
by manz
Last year Boulder, Colorodo was named the first Transition Town in the United States. The movement asks an entire community to address the concern, “how can our community respond to the challenges, and opportunities, of Peak Oil and Climate Change?” in the deepest way possible. At the end of this month Ann Arbor will host the first Transition Town Training session in the Midwest, which will be lead by Michael Brownlee and Lynette Marie Hanthorn of Transition Boulder County. For information on the training, registration and fees, see here. To understand the ins and outs of Transitioning, check out The Transition Handbook: From oil dependency to local self-reliance by Rob Hopkins. (Crazy Wisdom Bookstore is offering a 10% discount on this title for the month of January.) To see how a large community is handling things, check out the wonderful film The Power of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil. (Film’s website here.)
Blog Post
AAFF Goes Green, Sees Submissions Rise
by Caser
When the Ann Arbor Film Festival finished receiving submissions for this year's March 24-29 festival, they had collected works from over 40 countries that crossed every imaginable genre, with total submissions surpassing 2,600 films, up 25-percent from last year. In an effort to improve the festival's sustainability, the AAFF also waived the press kit component for filmmakers and requested eco-friendly packaging, such as paper cases and recyclable mailers. With the Oscar nominations being announced January 20 and awards given February 22, film auteurs and aficionados have some exciting events to look forward to throughout the cold months ahead.