Take One (Mar-Apr 1970)

TAKE ONE welcomes communications from its readers, but can rarely accommodate letters over 500 words in length. The editors assume that any letter received (unless otherwise stated) is free for publication. Recently in Take One (Vol.2 No.8), in a good article entitled ‘‘Chicago Letter’ by Don Klugman, | saw mention of the Kuchar brothers. | would like to suggest that you might consider doing an article on them as | feel they are ‘‘overlooked and underrated”’. About two months ago George Kuchar made a trip to the west coast and | was introduced to him and five of his films when he screened them at The California College of Arts and Crafts. Anyone who can grow up so embroiled in the everyday crap of New York City and express it as honestly and hilariously as he does is worth your mention—I| hope you agree. Tony Consolo Oakland, Cal. [We do—and are working on it. Meanwhile, see Mike Kuchar’s report on his trip to India in Bob Cowan’s column Vol. 2, No. 9.—Ed.] | was very gratified to read in your Volume 2, Number 8, the report of our upcoming Canadian International Amateur Film Festival. However, | must hasten to correct a misconception on someone's part regarding the awards. Unfortunately we do not have cash awards of several hundred dollars apiece in each of several categories. We have the several categories, but the cash award is, | regret, limited to the recipient of the award for the best film of Festival, who will also receive the Canada Trophy. This is to be sponsored this year by Molson Breweries of Canada Limited, whilst of our eight category awards, three are sponsored by GAF (Canada) Ltd., and one by Noranda Mines Limited. These take the form of specially minted silver medallions. Show dates in Hamilton and Toronto have already been fixed: Hamilton audiences will be able to see the selected films May 7th, 1971, and in Toronto the awards will be presented at one of the two performances on May 13th or 14th. Dates for Montreal and Ottawa still have to be fixed, but we hope to keep your readers fully informed through your good office. We will be issuing full details of the show arrangements as soon as they are available. Gordon Rose, Director Cdn. International Amateur Film Festival P.O.Box 3583, Station ““C”’ Hamilton, Ontario Ronald Blumer’s letter (Vol.2, No.9) offering an apology to Wanda Gavsie and Zodiak Films for “error in facts’’ prompts me to write regarding Mr. Blumer’s claim that ‘‘many distributors treat film societies with a mixture of contempt and _ irresponsibility. Defective prints, high prices 4 and a simple failure to honour commitments are common occurrences’. He goes on to say that ‘‘film distributors (with the exception of a few co-operative companies) are parasites on the creative process who bring pitifully small financial benefit and heart breaking agonies to struggling young film makers”. | agree with each of the charges laid (the first of our two years of existence was chaos) and can only function on a long term basis as the General Manager of what | know to be an honest, flexible, progressive distribution company by instilling within the commercial and academic community the knowledge that claiming to be “‘the single greatest source of film classics in Canada’ is more than a jingle to this office. Never having met Mr. Blumer but being aware of his term with the McGill Film Society, | can suggest that the “mixture of contempt and irresponsibility’ was hardly one sided. Perhaps 1971 and the editorial pages of Take One may bring about a degree of mutual respect that could, with com munication, grow. Brian Linehan General Manager Janus Film Library Toronto, Ontario To my dismay your critics have begun in recent months to wholly endorse several films which hardly merit the indulgent praise lavished on them in your magazine. In particular I’m thinking of Joe, Act of the Heart and Adam at Six A.M., although my particular concern is the last-named. All three are largely bereft in my opinion of the basic requisites for fiction features; namely a strong sense of place, or ‘atmosphere’; disciplined direction and acting; and cogent, plausible scripting. Adam at Six A.M., in particular, falls down in all three aspects. It’s an ill-conceived, and even more badly executed movie, which gives us little of the pleasure one could at least derive from more mundane, but competent Hollywood movies of the mainstream production companies (until recently, that is, before the crisis of confidence in the industry which results in such artistically abortive films as the three mentioned above.) It’s surprising that your reviewer of Adam at Six A.M. could fail to notice the crude and haphazard manner of the film’s final form—its clumsy attempt at depicting diverse cultural milieus, and at convincing us of the hero’s incredible flight—which is largely inexplicable to the audience—and his all-too-easy acceptance in a totally new setting (one depicted so shallowly and clichédly that it defies any identification with the protagonist’s dilemma and his resolution of such). In comparison Five Easy Pieces, surely a modest little movie, but one full of subtlety and finesse when compared with Adam at Six A.M., is a veritable masterpiece, and I’m confident that your reviewer would not endorse that latter judgment! Of course, critics must encourage tiro filmmakers, such as Robert Scheerer, Paul Almond and John Avildsen, but to abandon even the technical, let alone the dramatic tenets of sober, dispassionate criticism is a major disservice to your readers, as well as to the artists involved. Alex Grant Ottawa 4, Ontario classifieds $5 for 25 words or less (20 cents a word thereafter). Rates for more than one insertion on request. Will Buy: Movie Memorabilia. Books, Magazines, Programs, Annuals, Cam paign Books, etc. Describe and price. Blatt, 215 Sharrow Vale Rd., Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034 Wanted: Moviola, O’Connor Tripod, editing, shooting gear. 416-920-2495 NE The American Film Institute has just published its comprehensive Guide to College Film Courses 1970-71—over 300 universities and colleges are listed. The pamphlet is available from the American Library Association, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, Illinois 60611 for $2.50, and is undoubtedly the best investment any serious film student can make. Alan G. Oddie, responsible for Film Nut News (706 Homewood Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45406), reports on a super-low-cost camera that should be of particular interest to teachers. Imported from (where else?) Hong Kong, it has three lens aperture and focus settings, and makes respectable pictures on 120 film. Price: 80 cents apiece in lots of 12 or more. Order from: Sax Arts & Crafts, 207 N. Milwaukee Street, Milwaukee, Wis. 53202. The National Wildlife Federation Film Library (245 West 55th Street, New York City 10019) is looking for motion picture footage on wildlife and conservation (16mm) in order to advance their plans for an extensive educational film program for television and the classrooms. Filmmakers are encouraged to donate footage as a_ tax-deductible contribution, but leasing or purchase can be negotiated. Marie Menken, 61, artist and underground film pioneer, died December 29th in Brooklyn after a short illness. Four days later, her husband Willard Maas, 64, died of a heart attack. In addition to making several non-commercial films on their own, they had collaborated on a number, beginning with Geography of the Body in 1943 and continuing through Narcissus. Miss Menken had supported her film activities by working as a cable editor for Time and Life; her husband had published two books of poetry and taught at a number of universities. Victor Margolin draws our attention to the fact that copies of ‘“‘World of Children” a guide to the most recent and outstand