FIG TREES (2009)—An Evening Class Question for John Greyson

"Engaged solidarity" is the term I would use to describe Canadian visionary John Greyson, who first came to my attention through his lyrical and formally-challenging films, of course, and then later through his staged protest of the Toronto International Film Festival's City to City spotlight on Tel Aviv. With strenuous commitment, Greyson has fought for the rights of others caught in situations where they can barely fight for themselves. In a horrible stroke of unjust irony, Greyson now finds himself in a position where he is dependent upon the solidarity of others to free him and his comp

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TCM: ELMER GANTRY (1960)—The Evening Class Interview With Shirley Jones and Ben Mankiewicz

In March-April 2011, Turner Classic Movies (TCM) promoted the second edition of their Classic Film Festival by way of their "Road to Hollywood" tour, featuring free screenings of classic films in 10 cities across the States, including San Francisco, where on Wednesday, April 20, Shirley Jones and TCM's weekend daytime host Ben Mankiewicz accompanied a Castro Theatre screening of Elmer Gantry (1960), a film which earned Jones a Best Supporting Actress Oscar®.With her recently-published and controversial memoir piquing prurient interests (Shirley Jones: A Memoir)—let alone a cease-and-desist or

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FANTASIA 2013—Daniel Bird On The Polish Poster School and Barbara "Basia" Baranowska

Barbara "Basia" Baranowska—best known in North America for her poster for Andrzej Żuławski's Possession (1981)—is the unsung hero of Polish poster art. Whereas the likes of Jan Lenica developed a distinct, often instantly recognizable style, Barbara Baranowska was a chameleon (as reflected in her alternating use of "Basia", "Basha" and "Bacha" as her professional name). She donned a variety of graphic personae—from the sometimes brutal cut-outs of her early Polish book jackets to the voluptuous, almost psychedelic surrealism of her French film posters. While she may not be the most prolifi

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TCM: SUMMER UNDER THE STARS—ANN BLYTH: MILDRED PIERCE (1945)

Annually each August Turner Classic Movies (TCM) literally provides stellar programming through its Summer Under the Stars daily focus on an individual "star", thereby accessing classic films in the way that most cinephiles arguably approach films: through their favorite personalities and celebrities.This Friday, August 16, 2013, TCM places the spotlight on actress Ann Blyth. As John Charles has written for the TCM website: "Alternating between dramas and musicals, pretty Ann Blyth was already acting in elementary school and emoting on Broadway before she had even reached her teens. Discove

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