Beastie Boy Adam Yauch’s production company Oscilloscope (Check out the cool retro ‘Toho-Scope’ logo!) has just acquired the distribution rights to ‘Front Runners’; a documentary about the electoral process at one of America’s ‘most prestigious public high schools, Stuyvesant High School in New York City.’ Here’s the synopsis:
‘An entertaining and symbolic campaign film, put forth in classic verite style, we follow our charming and idiosyncratic candidates as they navigate an electoral process that is said to be one of the most competitive at the high school level. These teenaged candidates face the same issues as candidates of any age, such as picking the “right” running mate, shaking as many hands as possible, preparing for televised debates, impressing the pundits and journalistic community, addressing sensitive race-related issues, and mobilizing an apathetic voter base.’
So the trailer is up on MySpace and I’m not entirely sure if it’s the final, official one. First off, there’s no dialogue. No sense of any of the characters. It plays more like a teaser. Either way, the topic is interesting and is sure to be entertaining on some level. Everyone is coming off of the American Teen buzz, so maybe that will help push this film along. Front Runners has a few screenigns in some major American cities in mid October. Check out the trailer below and then visit the official website for more info.
Salesman, featuring Albert Maysles in person. One night only!
This Thursday, September 25, 2008 7:30 PM, at the Maysles Cinema (see below).
Salesman, 1968, black and white, 91 mins. A film by Albert Maysles, David Maysles, and Charlotte Zwerin.
A landmark American documentary, Salesman captures in vivid detail the bygone era of the door-to-door salesman. While laboring to sell a gold-embossed version of the the Good Book, Paul Brennan and his colleagues target the beleaguered masses—then face the demands of quotas and the frustrations of life on the road. Following Brennan on his daily rounds, the Maysles discover a real-life Willy Loman, walking the line from hype to despair.
Albert and David Maysles’ first attempt at creating a true nonfiction feature in the vein of Capote’s In Cold Blood. As intimate as it is revealing about American consumer culture, this film is considered “the direct cinema classic.”
See more on Salesman:
http://www.mayslesfilms.com/companypages/films/films/salesman.htm
About the Maysles Cinema
The Maysles Cinema, a new non-profit theater in Harlem, is dedicated to the exhibition of documentary film and video. The Cinema extends the Maysles Brothers’ principle that the lives of ordinary people not only deserve, but demand, our attention. We aim to foster a democratic viewing experience by selecting and presenting movies in collaboration with independent filmmakers, programmers, critics, local film clubs and organizations.
Suggested admission is $7. Seating is limited, so please be early. Box office opens 1 hour before all scheduled showtimes.
See our full schedule here:
http://www.mayslesinstitute.org/cinema/calendar.html
The Maysles Cinema
343 Lenox Avenue/Malcolm X Boulevard, Harlem, New York
(between 127th and 128th. 2/3, 4,5,6, A,B,C,D to 125th street)
For more information, email: cinema@mayslesfilms.com
Or contact us at 212-582-6050 ext. 200