Happy November everyone!
Thanksgiving is this month, so many of us have food and feasting on the brain, including our friends over at The Loft, who have dubbed this "Freaky Food Month" of their Mondo Monday series. They're also gearing up for their annual Film Fest, but you can read more about that on page 13. In other news, watch Clark Griswold and the fam bumble their way through Europe, treat yourself to an extra helping of Harry Dean and get in the All Souls spirit with a film all about the procession at Casa Film Bar.
The Loft
First Friday Shorts. Come one, come all, for your second-to-last chance to submit a short film to the Loft's monthly shorts screening extravaganza. They'll play anything under 15 minutes, as long as you bring it in on a DVD, thumb drive or BLU-ray, in the order that they're received. If the audience isn't into your film, they can shut it down with a bang of the dreaded gong after three minutes. We like to think of it as "gongstructive criticism," though, because if you rework your film, you can bring it back the following month to see if it better pleases the keepers of the gong. The monthly grand prize is $200, the yearly grand prize is $1,000. Ready, set, film! 9 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3.
Mondo Monday. Put your napkin on your lap in preparation for Blood Diner, the first gore-met course of Mondo Monday's Freaky Food Month. At Blood Diner, the patrons are the pickin's, and everyone, especially if you're a hot girl, has a shot at being a part of "today's special." The Tutman brothers, owners of the diner and masters of the operation, are filleting up females in hopes of resurrecting an Egyptian goddess in a mondo-rific Blood Buffet. Innards will be thrown casually across the room, jokes about "giving your right arm for something" will be stretched to the breaking point, and 1987-grade special effects will abound. 8 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6.
Cult Classic. We could all use a little extra Harry Dean Stanton in our lives right about now, so one of his greatest roles, in the 1984 sci-fi comedy Repo Man, might be just what we need at 10 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3 and Saturday, Nov. 4. Stanton stars as a seasoned repo man in L.A. who begins mentoring a rebellious Emilio Estevez in the biz. When they take on the task of repossessing a Chevy Malibu that definitely has some sort of alien thing going on in the trunk (as in, cops are getting evaporated), things start to get really interesting.
Okja. This film, showing at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5, by Snowpiercer director Bong Joon-ho, is billed as a fantasy. But it tackles such big, timely issues that it almost feels more like nonfiction. Young Mija lives in a village in the South Korean mountains, where her best friend is an enormous animal named Okja. When an enormous corporation, led by Lucy Mirando (Tilda Swinton), takes Okja and transports him to New York, Mija immediately sets out to rescue him. The interests of capitalists, demonstrators, consumers, hungry people and a little girl who misses her best friend all tug at the situation in a film that works across genres, perspectives and international borders. In English/Korean/Spanish with English subtitles.
Comic Con
The following two films will be held in the Grand Ballroom–Copper as a part of Tucson Comic Con.
The Crow. James O'Barr, writer and creator of the hit comic book series on which this movie is based, will be present for this screening at 6 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 3. After a rock musician named Eric Draven (Brandon Lee, Bruce Lee's son) and his finance are murdered, Draven is resurrected by a mysterious crow in order to seek revenge. The most terrifying part about the movie is that, due to a complicated prop mix up, Brandon Lee was actually shot and mortally wounded during a scene in the film. He was rushed to the hospital, and the film was finished after his death using a combination of stunt doubles and computer graphics.
Rocky Horror Picture Show Cast With Film Screening. You probably have a long list of questions for the cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, including, "What?" and "Why?" Your chance to get answers comes at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4, at this panel Q&A with Barry Bostwick (Brad Majors), Nell Campbell (Columbia) and Patricia Quinn (Magenta). There's no need to go over the plot of Rocky Horror, especially not in Tucson, so let's just say we'll see you there to do the Time Warp again—this time with our special cast guests.
Loft Jr. The Book of Life, a gorgeous animated film produced by Guillermo del Toro, is showing for free at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 4. It's a love triangle that doesn't just involve a beloved hero who dreams of being a musician, his lovely muse and a third guy—it involves a pair of deities opposing deities who have placed high-stakes bets on who will win the beautiful Maria's love. And it's a musical! Complete with mariachi Radiohead and Mumford and Sons covers. Be there or be square!
Harkins Theatres Tuesday Night Classics
European Vacation. The Griswolds are back, baby. And they're completely out of control in this deliciously disastrous slapstick comedy, showing Tuesday, Nov. 7. Would you expect anything less of Clark than to try to show off his French skills to everyone in Paris, to lose track of a very private video of Ellen, to drive on the wrong side of the road, or to literally knock over Stonehenge? Of course not! Enjoy the Griswold family's classically absurd antics in the second installment of this National Lampoon series.
Pokémon The Movie: I Choose You. At 12:55 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 5 and 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 6, be the very best, like no one ever was. The twentieth Pokémon movie and the first film in the Sun and Moon series is also a commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Indigo League anime saga. It's an origin story of sorts, which tells the story of Ash and Pikachu's first meeting, and includes plenty of Pokémon battles, familiar faces and classic hijinks.
Casa Video and Casa Film Bar
Flor De Muertos. This documentary hits close to home in many ways: first, there's the fact that it's largely about Tucson's annual All Souls procession. Then there's the film's other focus, on the music of our hometown band Calexico, and interviews with locals including longtime Tucson Weekly arts writer Margaret Regan. All Souls footage makes the film visually stunning, while an exploration of the border and immigration policy in the 2011 film feels more urgent than ever. See the film at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 2.
