Midnight Movies: From the Margin to the Mainstream
From 1970-1977, six low budget films shown at midnight transformed the way we make and watch films.
Stuart Samuels
Stuart Samuels
Casts & Crew
Alejandro Jodorowsky
George A. Romero
Perry Henzell
John Waters
Richard O'Brien
David Lynch
Ben Barenholtz
Alan Douglas
Robert Shaye
Jim Sharman
Seth Willenson
Roger Ebert
Also Directed by Stuart Samuels
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
This film discusses the effect on how major American films in Hollywood were influenced by the Eastern European Jewish culture that most of the major movie moguls who controlled the studios shared. Through clips of various films, the filmmakers illustrate the dominant themes like that of the outsider, the outspoken American patriotism, and rooting for the underdog in society.
May Pang lovingly recounts her life in rock & roll and the whirlwind 18 months spent as friend, lover, and confidante to one of the towering figures of popular culture, John Lennon, in this funny, touching, and vibrant portrait of first love.