Now Playing at the East Van VODVILLE

Events and Announcements
1

Now playing at the East Van VODVILLE

Guest Curator Sara Bynoe Presents:

Teen Angst

25 years ago I made a website with my brother: TeenAngstPoetry.com. I created and found the content and he made the code and design. My dream was to have an online archive of funny, bad, and cringeworthy poetry from people’s teen years. I thought it was silly and hilarious. I also wrote a lot of bad poetry during adolescence and I had to do something with it, right?

To launch that website I had an event where I got a bunch of people together to read from our teenage poetry books and diaries. That night we laughed so hard that some people literally peed themselves.

Ever since then I’ve been hosting “Teen Angst Nights” where people read from their teenage notebooks - not just old poetry. There are 3 rules for the show:
1 - You must have written what you share.
2 - It must have been created by you between the ages of 10-19 years old.
3 - You cannot be proud of what you share. It should be embarrassing. It’s a comedy night, afterall.

For the East Van Vodville, I have collected a bunch of retro TV and movie clips that feel teen angsty to me. Me, an elder millennial. So enjoy the nostalgia, Gen X’ers and Millennials! Gen Z and Alpha, gaze upon a world pre iPhones.

If Teen Angst Night has taught me anything it’s that these feelings of despair, loneliness, hurt, and “no one understands my pain” are universal, it’s just the pop culture references that change.

  • Sara Bynoe

10 Things I Hate About You 1999

It’s Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew but set in the late 90s. In this clip, Kat reads a poem to the class.

Directed by: Gil Junger Written by: Karen McCullah Lutz, Kirsten Smith Edited by: O. Nicholas Brown

Anne of Green Gables 1985

It’s the 1880s in PEI; Anne is an orphan with red hair and Gilbert, a boy in her class, called her “carrots” and hurt her feelings.

Directed by: Kevin Sullivan Written by: Kevin Sullivan and Joe Wiesenfeld Edited by: James Lahti, Mairin Wilkinson

Bend It Like Beckham 2002

A young football (better known as soccer in Canada) player is a girl and her family disapproves, until her father speaks up for her.

Directed by: Gurinder Chadha Written by: Gurinder Chadha; Guljit Bindra; Paul Mayeda Berges Edited by: Justin Krish

Booksmart - (after 8pm only) 2019

This is the only modern movie on this list. It’s a great film about teenagers, so I had to include it. In this scene a girl overhears people talking about her in the bathroom.

Directed by: Olivia Wilde Written by: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, Katie Silberman Edited by: Jamie Gross,Brent White

But I’m a Cheerleader 1999

This is a legendary satiric coming-of-age movie about queer kids. In this scene a cheerleader arrives at “True-directions” and is confronted about her feelings for other girls.

Directed by: Jamie Babbit Written by: Brian Peterson, Jamie Babbit Edited by: Cecily Rhett

Can’t Hardly Wait 1998

Two high school students from different cliques find themselves locked in a bathroom during a high school house party.

Directed by: Harry Elfont; Deborah Kaplan Written by: Deborah Kaplan; Harry Elfont Edited by: Michael Jablow

Clueless 1995

This is the best movie of all time. You should watch the whole thing. In this scene Cher, the lead of the movie, has to do a high school debate.

Directed by: Amy Heckerling Written by: Amy Heckerling Edited by: Debra Chiate

Dazed and Confused 1993 - (after 8pm only)

It’s 1976 and junior high kids are being hazed by senior high school students. Side note: If Dazed and Confused were made today, it would be set in 2008.

Directed by: Richard Linklater Written by: Richard Linklater Edited by: Sandra Adair

Dead Poets Society 1989

A teacher makes a student write a poem.

Directed by: Peter Weir Written by: Tom Schulman Edited by: William M. Anderson

School’s Out! (Degrassi) 1992***- (after 8pm only)***

If there’s one scene people I know still talk about from Degrassi Jr. High it’s the one with the line “You were F-ing Tessa Campanelli.” This Canadian show is a classic.

Directed by: Kit Hood Written by: Yan Moore Edited by: Robert de Lint

A New Start (Degrassi High) 1989 - (after 8pm only)

Degrassi covered so many issues that teenagers sometimes have to deal with. Like unplanned pregnancies. Good thing Spike is around to talk about this.

Directed by: Kit Hood Written by: Yan Moore Edited by: Robert de Lint

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off 1986

A kid skips school and takes his friends on a joyfilled day around Chicago. One catch, he makes his best friend take out his father’s sports car. This is the scene after their joyride adventure has ended.

Directed by: John Hughes Written by: John Hughes Edited by: Paul Hirsch

Fresh Prince of Bell-Air 1994

Fresh Prince was such a fun show. This is probably the saddest and most emotional scene from the series.

Directed by: Shelley Jensen Written by: Benny Medina, Jeff Pollack, Bill Boulware Edited by: Jesse Hoke

Mean Girls 2004

It’s like Clueless only different. This is the scene when everyone finds out about the Burn Book.

Directed by: Mark Waters Written by: Tina Fey Edited by: Wendy Greene Bricmont

Pretty in Pink 1986

A love story about two high school kids from different cliques. She works in a record store. He is a preppy rich guy whose friends think she’s beneath them.

Directed by: Howard Deutch Written by: John Hughes Edited by: Richard Marks

Saved By The Bell - Jessie’s Song 1990

Sometimes over achievers need a little pep. “I’m so excited, I’m so excited, I’m so… scared.”

Directed by: Don Barnhart Written by:Tom TenowichPeter Engel Edited by: Sheila Hall, Dick King

Say Anything 1989

If you want to woo a Gen X woman do what this guy does in the clip. Or not, it might be a little creepy.

Directed by: Cameron Crowe Written by: Cameron Crowe Edited by: Richard Marks

She’s All That 1999

He has a bet to turn one of the “freaks” into the prom queen. So he goes to her performance art venue to try to gain her trust and ends up having to perform some art. Hack-e-sack!

Directed by: Robert Iscove Written by: R. Lee Fleming Jr. Edited by: Casey O. Rohrs

The Breakfast Club 1985

There have been a lot of serious clips in this curation. This one is just a fun dance scene because teens, even ones from different groups, can have fun together.

Directed by: John Hughes Written by: John Hughes Edited by: Dede Allen

The Craft 1996

“We are the weirdos, mister.” What is it about teenage girls and witchcraft? It just feels right, right?

Directed by: Andrew Fleming Written by: Peter Filardi, Andrew Fleming Edited by: Jeff Freeman

Find out more about Teen Angst Night:

Instagram: @YellowNotebookProductions.
SaraBynoe.com

Upcoming Teen Angst Poetry comedy shows:

Saturday, November 29 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret

Friday, January 9 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret

Friday, February 20 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret - part of Just For Laughs VANCOUVER, Best of the West presented by Sirius XM

Saturday, March 14 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret

Friday, April 17 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret

Friday, May 8 | 8 PM | Fox Cabaret

All shows are 19+

Visit us today!

  • We are located in the fourth window from the alley, on the Woodland Drive side of the Vancouver Hack Space.
    1601 Venables Street
    East Van VODVILLE -Google maps link

littlefreecinema.org
More information about the East Van Vodville and its construction in this thread.

9 Likes
2

Yay!

I posted this on the betabrite! (The scrolling sign out front)

5 Likes
3

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Check here for the latest show.

June 2024

Its our summer solstice soft opening!
A silent fiction quadruple feature!
with clips from four classics of Science Fiction.

All this presented in glorious TINY VISION™!

4 Likes
4

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

July 2024
Canadian R̶a̶i̶l̶r̶o̶a̶d Animation Trilogy!

Three classics of Canadian Animation, presented for the first time in Tinyscope™

  • First up its the bloodthirsty scourge of Algonquin park, Blackfly directed by Christopher Hinton
    Watch it here.

  • Next, if you ask any girl from the parish around what their favorite short film is, and after they tell you to mind your own business, they will let you know that they are fond of the Log Drivers Waltz directed by John Weldon
    Watch it here.

  • We tried to take it off because at 7 minutes it was too long for our format, but you know how that goes, its The Cat Came Back directed by Cordell Barker
    Watch it here.

  • Also keep your eyes open for a surprise appearance by the elusive Canadian House Hippo!

Visit us today!

  • We are located in the third window from the alley, on the Woodland Drive side of the Vancouver Hack Space.

More information about the East Van Vodville and its construction in this thread.

Finally we’d like to thank the NFB for not sending us a cease and desist letter… yet.

4 Likes
5

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

Projectionists

This week we are running the camera in reverse.

  • First up, Buster Keaton finds out the dangers of sleeping on the job in 1924’s Sherlock Jr.
    Wikipedia (3:18)
  • Next we learn the hazards of over cranking the film with the magic lantern scene from Karel Zeman’s 1958 masterpiece Invention For Destruction
    Wikipedia (2:05)
  • Singing on the job does make the day go faster, but if you are a projectionist is a good idea to keep the PA system off. Its the musical projectionists scene from 1937’s This Way Please directed by Robert Florey. (1:46)
    Wikipedia
  • Finally we reveal what’s happening when you press the button, its the reopening scene from 1957’s The Smallest Show on Earth directed by Basil Dearden (1:39)
    Wikipedia
3 Likes
6

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

It’s summer and you know that that means… ADVENTURE!

  • First up, it’s the first use of bluescreen in a feature film, a technology that led to all the CGI wonders we have today. It’s the flying horse from 1940’s The Thief of Bagdad.
    More info on the chroma key process
    Wiki
  • Next we have Buster Keaton, playing Jimmie Shannon, who will receive a huge inheritance if he gets married by 7 pm, dodging dozens of rocks and even more potential brides in 1925’s Seven Chances
    Seriously, this chase scene goes on for over 20 minutes and it’s all amazing, stay tuned for more clips of this
    Watch online
    Wiki
  • Next we have a literal cannonball ride courtesy of the Czech master of combining live action and animation, Karel Zeman. It’s 1962’s The Fabulous Baron Munchausen.
    This film, and Zeman’s work as a whole was heavily influential on many directors, including Terry Gillam, and Tim Burton.
    More About Karel Zeman
    Wiki
  • Finally we can all scream along with Fay Wray and King Kong as they battle a T-rex in the eponymous 1933 classic featuring absolutely stunning animation by Willis O’Brien.
    Content warning: PG black & white puppet gore.
    Watch online
    Wiki
3 Likes
7

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

The Art of War Pie

This week we are doing an extended deep dive into the noble art of hitting someone in the face with a custard pie.

  • First up, Buster Keaton instructs us in the finer points and techniques of the pie toss in a 1964 interview with CBC Television (2:12)
  • Next we join Charlie Chaplin playing a bumbling new hire learning the ropes in the early days of film. Behind the Screen, 1916 (2:44)
  • Want to see what chaos ensues when you supply over three thousand weaponized pies to a bustling city street? We’ve got you covered in this clip from The Battle of the Century, 1927 (3:42)
    -ed: and it keeps going after this
  • Ever looked at the violence that rocked prohibition era America and thought “this would make a swell children’s musical comedy?” No? That’s because you are not Sir Alan Parker and it’s not the seventies. We proudly present the speakeasy pie shootout from 1976’s Bugsy Malone (1:46)
  • Finally we bring it home with the master himself, Buster Keaton, recreating the glory days of silent film in 1939’s Hollywood Cavalcade. (3:14)

If you feel inspired to play along at home, remember two things:

  • Only toss a pie at someone with their enthusiastic consent
  • A true pie artiste cleans up impeccably afterward
4 Likes
8

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week, by viewer request, we are serving up a taster flight of Charlie Chaplin

  • First up, it’s 1928’s The Circus. Here we have Chaplin, as the tramp, in the right place at the right time for a new job. Hijinks ensue. (3:10)
  • Next we have Chaplin’s Nonsense Song from 1936’s Modern Times. Showing us that if you don’t know the words, don’t worry: it’s all about the delivery. (4:05)
  • After that, we have a clip from 1921’s The Kid. A heartfelt scene about an upstart family-owned glass repair business. (3:17)
  • 1952’s Limelight, shows Chaplin returning to his vaudeville roots in a virtuoso violin act accompanied by an almost unrecognisable Buster Keaton on the piano. (3:18) ed - we cut out the really beautiful sentimental song in the middle for length, it plays better with our format, but go check out the original.
  • Finally we learn the value of properly locked off work areas. It’s the iconic skating scene from Modern Times, 1936. (2:15)
3 Likes
9

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week, we are proud to feature a selection of scenes from French director and master of slapstick sight gags,

Pierre Étaix.

  • First up, it’s the seamlessly choreographed caravan departure scene from 1965’s brilliant riches to rags to riches film Yo Yo. (3:24)
  • Next is a short scene from 1962’s The Suitor, where a job is never done when an obsessed fan is involved. (1:16)
  • We change gears in our third scene, and learn about the vast possibilities of a mid-century miracle cleaner in As Long as You’ve Got Your Health, 1966 (4:26)
  • After that we return to Yo Yo, to learn how to take care of your pets when you’re part of the 0.01%. (2:38)
  • Finally we check out the dream sequence in 1969’s Le Grand Amour, where even if your dreams and your love are free, it’s still a good idea to comply with all relevant local traffic ordinances. (4:46)
5 Likes
10

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week, in salute to the dog days of summer,
we are proud to present a selection of:

Creature Features

  • First up, its a good ol’fashioned dinosaur fight from 1925’s The Lost World. With excellent stop motion by Willis H. O’Brien, who went on to animate such classic creature features as Mighty Joe Young, and King Kong (2:32)
  • Onward to 1953, we meet The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, animated by O’Brien’s protege, and successor, Ray Harryhausen. Watch for excellent performances by screaming extras heroically padding out the run time. (1:49)
  • Stop motion is great and all, but what if we just put a stuntman in a rubber suit instead? Now what just brushed against your leg in the pond? Must be the Creature from the Black Lagoon, 1954. (3:34)
  • The first rule of Kaiju fight club: No building shall be left undestroyed. It’s the King of the Monsters himself in 1954’s Godzilla Raids Again. With special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. (2:46)
  • Finally we jump to 1966’s Ultraman - Episode 14. With the most fabulously hand puppety hand puppet monster we’ve ever seen. It’s Eiji Tsuburaya showing us that last decade’s blockbuster extravaganzas are this year’s Saturday morning television. (2:41)
4 Likes
11

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week we delve into the wonders of modern innovation, its

What will they think of next?!

  • First up, we check out the latest in multi-function furniture in 1940’s Christmas in July (1:20)
  • Then we leap ahead to The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951), where new alien technology meets a good old fashioned American army welcome. (4:20)
  • 1965’s YoYo shows us the latest and greatest in prop technology for the business clown on the go. (2:45)
  • Next we travel to the Forbidden Planet (1956), where we meet Robbie, a robot pushing the boundaries of binary computing. (3:41)

Finally, we are presenting a new series,

Kaiju of the Week!

  • To start us off we visit the island of misfit monsters in 1968’s Destroy all Monsters. Here we learn about the impenetrable defences constructed by top scientists, which will surely contain the island’s residents, and in no way allow them to escape and wreak havoc in the second act. (2:06)
4 Likes
12

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week, it’s an all singing, some dancing
Vaudeville Review!

  • Lord, grant me the confidence of Mae West in a 3 storey sequin dress. In a rare VODVILLE-safe performance, she stars in all her glory in 1937’s Every Day’s a Holiday. (4:41)
  • Our next act brings us 1936’s Everything is Rhythm, where we explore the musical and sartorial potential of your average kitchen cupboard. (3:21)
  • Next it’s Lucille Ball (the one and only) in 1940’s Dance, Girl, Dance, delivering a public service announcement on the dangers of untreated jitterbug bites. (2:38)
  • Finally we have a frog, on a log, in a bog… and lookout! he’s got a banjo! It’s Kermit the Frog himself in 1979’s The Muppet Movie. Possible appearance by ninjas cutting onions. (3:21)

Kaiju of the Week!

Our kaiju this week is none other than the guardian of the earth herself, Mothra! Here featured in 1992’s Godzilla vs. Mothra. While heat ray reflective pollen might be the ultimate weapon, nothing is a match for friendship and a song. Special effects by Kōichi Kawakita. (4:04)

3 Likes
13

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week, it’s a science fiction double feature!

Frankenstein and The Invisible Man

Featuring your favourite scream queen’s favourite scream queen

Una O’Connor

  • There is nothing like a quiet retreat in the country to clear your head, at least until the locals see through you, its 1933’s The Invisible Man (3:23)
  • Next, marvel as Una O’Connor takes a woodchipper to 12 pages of otherwise dry exposition, in 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (2:37)
  • It’s alive, IT’S ALIVE! It’s the creation scene from 1931’s Frankenstein. Featuring spectacular electrical effects by Kenneth Strickfaden (3:34)
  • When you have Una bring the panic, it’s so easy to believe in The Invisible Man that nobody looks for the fishing line. (3:43)
  • Frankenstein enjoys some food and music with a new friend, posing the question: was he truly a monster or simply in need of gradual exposure therapy and reasonable accommodations for sensory sensitivity? 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (4:04)
    Also, don’t listen to Frankenstein, smoking is bad -ed.
  • Finally, the moment we’ve all been waiting for, Una’s back as Frankenstein meets Minnie, in 1935’s Bride of Frankenstein (0:31)
4 Likes
14

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week we salute the brave actors who didn’t need a double, its:

Legitimately Dangerous Stunts Week!

  • First up it’s Douglas Fairbanks in 1920’s The Mark of Zorro. Here we find him parkouring away from a posse of guards, who soon discover that it’s hard to find a Zorro in a haystack. (4:15)
  • From swinging from the rooftops to swinging from a waterfall, it’s Buster Keaton in 1923’s Our Hospitality. (3:37)
  • After that, we have Harold Lloyd in 1924’s Girl Shy, it’s a classic tale of boy meets girl, girl is about to marry the wrong man, boy steals a streetcar and invents an entire new class of moving violations. (3:59)
  • We return to Buster Keaton (seriously he’s a madman), for the infamous tempest scene in 1928’s Steamboat Bill, Jr. Caution, only attempt the house drop gag when you are really, REALLY sure of your mark. (3:03)

Kaiju of the Week!

  • Our Kaiju this week is 1958’s Varan the Unbelievable.
    We also want to send a special salute out to all the brave photographers who risk life and limb to get the fantastic shots of the kaiju we know and love. Special effects by Eiji Tsuburaya. (2:12)
3 Likes
15

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week we celebrate Halloween with:

Spooky Season!

  • First up… This. Is. HALLOWEEN! Henry Selick, Danny Elfman, Tim Burton and an elite horde of sculptors, model makers, animators, and more bring us the opening scene from 1993’s cross-seasonal masterpiece, The Nightmare Before Christmas. (3:06)
  • From pre Velvet Revolution/post Czech New Wave Czechoslovakia, Saxana the student witch wreaks havoc in Dívka na koštěti (The Girl on the Broomstick). (1:20)
  • Next up, it’s our hands-down favourite non-Bowie scene from 1986’s Muppet-tastic Labyrinth. (1:04)
  • Canadian Content goes old-school with Paul Donovan’s utterly charming spooky comedy George’s Island, 1989. Come for the pirate ghosts, stay for the bad-ass disability-positive halloween costuming, and biting satire of the Mulroney-era foster system. (2:30)
  • With a remarkable 0.00 seconds of screen time, Harry Belafonte stars in 1989’s Beetlejuice. (2:43)
  • We return to George’s Island to bring the stop-motion skeleton action full circle. (0:46)
2 Likes
16

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

It’s our grand opening week (with flashy lights and everything), so we are showing 38 of our favorite clips from the last five months!
Which clips you ask? Well we didn’t write it down so you’ll just have to push the button and find out! You can always press it again to skip to the next clip.

1 Like
17

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This weekend, Nov 14-17, 2024 we are proud to host the East Side Culture Crawl’s Moving Art 2024 film festival, featuring 10 local artists.

Our guest curators this week are

Kate MacDonald and Esther Rausenberg

5 Senses, 4 Elements

11th Annual Eastside Culture Crawl Film and Video Exhibition

“The earth has music for those who listen.”- Scott Cunningham

5 Senses, 4 Elements” explores the profound relationship between our shared humanity and the four classical elements of Earth, Water, Fire and Air, inviting viewers to experience how contemporary artists reinterpret these fundamental aspects of existence through the lens of digital media — fostering a dialogue between nature, technology, and emotion. This year’s selections emphasize the dynamism with which we experience the world: the joy of water, the wonder of air, the fire in our bellies, and the ground that sustains us all. Concrete whispers, conservatories are written, webs are unraveled and a serpent devours the moon. An equilibrium of elements connects us all.

  • The Flower Sniffer by Lucas Isidoro e Silva
  • The Schizo Socius of Tokyo: Tell me what you mean by being new by Masayuki Iwase
  • The Joy of Water by Pablo Munoz featuring Bryan Taylor
  • Glitter Loop by Rashi Sethi & Inanna Cusi
  • Unravel by Suzy King
  • TICKET TIMBER TREE by Lindsay McIntyre
  • Concrete Whispers by Honeytta Eyvany
  • Fire in the Belly by Andrea Armstrong
  • Filipino Folklore 101- Bakunawa by Jenn Brisson
  • WOR(L)DS OF MEMORIES by Shirley Wiebe
2 Likes
18

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week it just feels like time for a warm hug, so we are serving up an extra-large helping of scenes from the beloved Japanese Animation studio, Studio Ghibli

  • First up we check in with the Tanuki -Japanese trickster spirits- who put on a festive parade for the neighbouring town in 1994’s Pom Poko (3:17)
  • After that we have a narrow escape from an adorable murder floof 2012’s Secret World of Arrietty (2:42)
  • Next we have a young girl exploring the wonders of a rural yard and meeting the neighbours in 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro (2:59)
  • If what you want is pure spectacle, look no further than this escape scene from 2008’s Ponyo (3:23)
  • We check in with 1989’s Kiki’s Delivery Service, and learn that while geese are most often jerks, occasionally they are just trying to help in the only way they know how, loud honking. (2:40)
  • We return to Ponyo and learn the value of proper preparation for any voyage, especially snacks and a stylish captain’s hat. (4:19)
  • Given that he has now moved into the theatre, it seems only fitting that we show the umbrella scene from 1988’s My Neighbor Totoro. (4:24)
  • Finally we have the meditative and beautiful train journey from 2001’s Spirited Away (3:20)
2 Likes
19

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

This week for reasons that we are sure are entirely unrelated to toxoplasmosis we are proud to present:

Movie Cats Week

  • We open with a scene from 2002’s The Cat Returns. In his only film for Studio Ghibli, Hiroyuki Morita shows us that it’s always good to be nice to animals, and not to mess with tuxedo cats. (3:44)
  • Disney has featured everything from bears to beetles in their long running ‘let’s work with children AND animals!’ era. 1965’s That Darn Cat proves that cats will always block the biggest screen they can find.
  • A rarity in 2010, the beautiful A Cat in Paris is entirely hand drawn. Where does your cat go at night? If they respond to the alias “Mr Cat” it’s best not to ask too many questions.
  • We go to the beloved 1988 Miyazaki film, My Neighbor Totoro, to meet the Catbus. For those singing along, the legs on a Catbus go back and forth, not round and round.
  • More Disney housecat shenanigans in 1978’s The Cat from Outer Space. The space cats went all in on telekinesis, earth cats just trained a race of primates with opposable thumbs.
  • In this scene from 1939’s The Wizard of Oz, Bert Lahr of Vaudeville, Burlesque, and Broadway fame gives a stirring stump speech that shows that your actual words hardly matter if you have sufficient rizz and drip.
  • We go to 1963’s Czech New Wave classic, The Cassandra Cat. Warning! Locking eyes with this cat may reveal your inner soul, or get you sued by Anish Kapoor. (art nerds reading these posts, we see you.)
  • A scene from The Muppet Show (s5e23) featuring the indestructible Gaffer the Cat performed by Kathryn Mullen. Originally created as a background character training aid to get new puppeteers used to performing in front of the camera, Gaffer finally lands the starring role.
  • Finally we jump back to Lumière’s OG cat video, 1900’s La Petite Fille et son chat. Sure there were older cat videos, like the 1894 Falling Cat, or the questionable ethics of 1894’s Boxing Cats, but this gem of cinema veritas captures cats as they really are… getting bored mid take and having to be thrown back into frame by the animal wrangler. Musical accompaniment added by the curators.
20

Previously at the East Van VODVILLE

Click here for the latest show.

Bicycle! Biiicycle! BIIIICYCLE!

By request for one of our younger viewers, just when you thought this thing couldn’t get more Grandview-Woodland, this week it’s

Bicycles!

  • In his first feature film, Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure (1985), Tim Burton’s glorious weirdoness turbo-boosts the titular gonzo cyclist into all the chaos that major studio backing can buy. (4:24) For our regular viewers, spot the sneaky bonus Kaiju of the Week.
  • A film of few words, but so much heart: 2003’s Les Triplets de Belleville, by Sylvain Chomet. We bring you the subpontine bicycle wheel jam session. Heads-up to parents: the full film might not be suitable for young kids. (1:30)
  • This fixie has one speed: iconic. It’s a scene from Steven Spielberg’s trademark (literally) film from the summer of 1982, E. T. The Extra Terrestrial (0:53)
  • This clip from 1948’s post-war Italian realist classic Bicycle Thieves, by Vittorio de Sica, brings us a vision of a commute blissfully free from private automobile traffic. (1:38)
  • We go next to Denmark, to witness a magical revenge bike-jacking in Viggo Larsen’s 1909 film The Cycle Rider and the Witch. This film uses the Cowboy Swap technique, still in use to this day. The extras and wranglers deserve mad kudos for holding as still as they did between cuts, well before the advent of the digital overlay technology that we use for continuity nowadays. (2:03)
  • Returning to Les Triplets de Belleville, we present a portion of the climactic chase scene. Spoilers, kinda… this movie is about everything but the plot. (2:30)
  • We love this little slice of life on the Maroon Cartoons backlot, where, in the pre-CGI world of 1988, the seamless interplay between physical props and hand-drawn animation is accomplished in camera by mechanical effects legend George Gibbs (and team!), and in post by Canadian animation director Richard Williams (and team!), all overseen by director Robert Zemeckis, in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (0:55)
  • In the early 20th century if you were to shoot your friend a message, the last mile delivery from the telegraph office might be by distracted maniac on bicycle, on sidewalk… How far we’ve come. It’s the prolific Snub Pollard in 1921’s The Bike Bug. (0:59) Fun fact: You’ve likely seen Snub playing “the guy Gene Kelly hands his umbrella to after enthusiastically getting his dancing shoes soaked” in 1952’s Singin’ in the Rain.
  • Paul Newman (of salad dressing fame) does his utmost to impress Katherine Ross in this charmingly OSHA non-compliant scene from 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, directed by George Roy Hill. (1:17)
  • The same, but with Muppets. Jim Henson’s The Great Muppet Caper, 1981. (1:17)
1 Like