Bluish Barn

This Thursday, 9pm SHARP, we’ll be doing a special pre-screening of submissions in the ‘experimental’ category for next Spring’s Ann Arbor Film Festival. Mostly animation. Nothing longer than 15 minutes in length, and most under 5 minutes, so it’ll be easy to come and go as you please.

There will be a gong. If anything gets unbearable, and a majority of people strike the gong - accounting for tastes, democratically - we’ll immediately stop the film and start the next one.

This is a essentially a volunteer service for the embattled A2 Film Fest, weeding out the crap so their more ‘expert’ screeners don’t have to waste their time. But I’ve taken out the real long ones and the ones with terrible blurbs, so this should be fun and full of surprises. And besides, as any halfway decent artist knows, sometimes the biggest pile of crap can be more inspiring than the most polished diamond.

The Fall season will be over after next Thursday’s Fearless Vampire Killers, then we’re taking a break until mid-Winter or so. Bring drinks and let’s celebrate the end of the season with this little-known Polanski romp.

Screenings here are only possible with a little bit of help from a lot of different people. The Bluish Barn would like to officially thank, and give a slight boost to the googleability of, the following persons:

Mikey Barringer, Eric Adams, Zack Denfeld, Zack Weber, Vinh Nguyen, Michelle Winkfield, Claire Skowronek, Andrea Steves, Josh Sanchez, Anne Ryan, Sarah Stedman, Lizzie Ayer, Geoff Goodman, Bill Daniel, Adrianne Finelli, Carrie Morris, Chris Bathgate, all our neighbors (especially the ones we share a backyard with), and anyone who’s ever folded up and stacked chairs, held up an end of the screen, or stoked the fire.

Special mention goes to anyone who’s ever come here without knowing anyone who lived here, perhaps on a night when the crowd was not large enough to hide among, meaning you had to sit in a quiet space in an awkward situation and talk to people you didn’t know. I myself am somewhat inept socially, so I really do admire your bravery. If you keep coming, you might even become a regular and be able to casually splay yourself out on the couch or not have to ask to use the bathroom or put beer in the fridge or whatever.

Seriously, thanks.

This Thursday, it’s “Wizard People, Dear Reader”. From the illegal art site:

Wizard People, Dear Reader is an unauthorized re-envisioning of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by Brad Neely…Neely has crafted an as-of-yet-unnamed new art form, one everyone should experience for themselves.

Then, next Monday the 9th, it’s “Who is Bozo Texino”. From Bill Daniel’s site:

THIS SPECTACULAR TRAVEL ADVENTURE FAITHFULLY PHOTOGRAPHED IN REALISTIC BLACK AND WHITE FILM AT CONSIDERABLE RISK FROM SPEEDING FREIGHT TRAINS AND IN SECRET HOBO JUNGLES IN THE DOGGED PURSUIT OF THE IMPOSSIBLY CONVOLUTED STORY OF THE HERETOFORE UNTOLD HISTORY OF THE CENTURY-OLD FOLKLORIC PRACTICE OF HOBO AND RAILWORKER GRAFFITI AND THE ABSURD QUEST FOR THE TRUE IDENTITY OF RAILROADING’S GREATEST ARTIST WILL LIKELY AMUSE AND CONFOUND YOU IN ITS SINCERE ATTEMPT TO UNDERSTAND AND PRESERVE THIS ARTFORM.

Sorry, I’m too busy to write something myself.

Because Bill Daniel is traveling with his film and needs to pay for gas, we put up flyers for a screening for the first time.  If you’ve never been to the Bluish Barn before, please take a moment to read the note I wrote to our neighbors to get a feel for things here.  Fall screenings begin at 9pm and always end by midnight.  Full movie schedule here.

Every Thursday, 9pm. Rain or shine. Free unless noted.

Sep 14: Papillon (McQueen and Hoffman in classic prison escape flick)

Sep 21: City of God (Brazil; growing up gangster in poor Rio de Janeiro)

Sep 28: Titticut Follies (Wiseman doc about mental institution talent show)

Oct 5: Wizard People, Dear Reader (Harry Potter re-narrated)

Oct 12: the Celebration (Denmark; Dogme #1; family dinner gone wrong)

Oct 19: Plague Dogs (animation; escaped lab dogs hunted as Bubonic carriers)

Oct 26: the Fearless Vampire Killers (Polanski vampire spoof)

plus two special screenings:

Tues Sep 19: [Bollywood night] (to honor Twitch microcinema; curated by Vinh/Zack)

Mon Oct 9: Who is Bozo Texino? (secret history of hobo graffiti; $5-$10 sliding scale to Bill Daniel, travelling filmmaker)

Screenings will always end by midnight. Please arrive on time and be respectful of our house and our neighbors, so we can keep doing this.