ISSUE #26
BEAM FROM THE BOOTH | GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY
[EDITED BY: GRIFFIN SHERIDAN]
Hello once again, friends!
We couldn’t be more excited to usher in the return of BEAM FROM THE BOOTH, the official newsletter of the GRAND RAPIDS FILM SOCIETY.
For those just joining us here in ISSUE #26, the newsletter has been on a hiatus for the past several weeks to allow the GRFS Board some time to fully enjoy these final weeks of summer. But we have returned to your inbox, and will resume our weekly schedule, with new issues now releasing EVERY SUNDAY.
We wanted to kick off this special return issue with a preview of everything we at GRFS have planned for you all this fall…
FALL EVENT PREVIEW
SEPTEMBER 27th - BLOW OUT (De Palma, 1981)
While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri (John Travolta) stumbles upon a real-life horror: a car careening off a bridge and into a river. Jack jumps into the water and fishes out Sally (Nancy Allen) from the car, but the other passenger is already dead - a governor intending to run for president. As Jack does some investigating of his tapes, and starts a perilous romance with Sally, he enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.
OCTOBER 4th - POSSESSION (Żuławski, 1981)
After Anna (Isabelle Adjani) reveals to her husband, Mark (Sam Neill), that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Mark is devastated, and seeks out Heinrich (Heinz Bennent), the man who cuckolded him, only to receive a beating. After a series of violent confrontations between Mark and Anna, Mark hires a private investigator to follow her. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.
OCTOBER 6th - EVIL DEAD II on VHS (Raimi, 1987) & TAPE SWAP
Grand Rapids Film Society, B-Movie Euphoria & Static Tape have combined forces to bring you an epic tape swap and screening of Evil Dead II on VHS!
We're calling collectors and fanatics of all things b, cult, grindhouse, horror and exploitation films to bring their VHS tapes for an evening of buying, selling and swapping! Betamax, laserdisc, DVDs, blu-rays, posters, stickers, pins, patches, records, cassettes, CDs, zines and anything else b-movie related are all welcome as well! Join us for a night of dead media & fun!
The second of three films in the Evil Dead series is part horror, part comedy, with Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) once again battling horrifying demons at a secluded cabin in the woods. After discovering an audiotape left by a college professor that contains voices reading from the Book of the Dead, Ash's girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) becomes possessed by evil spirits that are awakened by the voices on the tape. Ash soon discovers there is no escaping the woods.
OCTOBER 13th - FRIDAY THE 13th: PART III in 3D (Miner, 1982)
Celebrate a spooky Friday the 13th with us as we present: Friday the 13th: Part III in 3D on the big screen! 3D glasses will be provided with your ticket purchase.
The third installment in the "Friday the 13th" series picks up on the day after the carnage with homicidal maniac Jason Voorhees (Richard Brooker) stealing some clothes and killing a local store owner. Meanwhile, Chris (Dana Kimmell) and her sometimes boyfriend, Rick (Paul Kratka), are hosting a group of teenage friends at Chris' lake house. Despite a run-in with a local biker gang, they enjoy an amiable weekend together - that is, until Jason begins knocking off kids and bikers alike.
OCTOBER 18th - OPEN PROJECTOR NIGHT: HALLOWEEN EDITION!
A special Halloween edition of Open Projector Night!
Michigan filmmaking has a long history of horror classics. This evening will highlight short films specifically of the horror/spooky genre from Michigan filmmakers that have submitted to OPN. And for a limited time, we are opening up submissions for new films too! Submit now and join us this October at Wealthy Theatre!
Submission Deadline: September 29th,2023
Notification Date: October 6th, 2023
Event Date: October 18th, 2023
Submission Page: https://filmfreeway.com/OpenProjectorNight-halloweenedition
COMING UP —
N(OIR)VEMBER
AND IN DECEMBER —
Something… precious.
PLUS—
MORE FILM SOCIETY ROUNDTABLE!
(Stay tuned for further details on when, where, and what our next social event will be.)
—
We can’t wait to see you at one of these very special events this fall.
But before we get to any of that, let’s reflect on this past summer at the movies, starting with an interview with the First Place winner of our August OPEN PROJECTOR NIGHT…
FILMMAKER SPOTLIGHT:
Peaches Wilczak
(Open Projector Night Winner, August‘23)
[BY: NICHOLAS HARTMAN]
Hi, Peaches! Let’s start out with the basics, shall we? To those who don’t know who you are – please give us a little bio. Who is Peaches?
Identity is an amalgamous concept, and it's difficult to explain; but for starters I’m a recent graduate from Central Michigan University’s animation program, and now I’m trying to kickstart my career as a freelance artist and animator. I love all things cartoons, history, philosophy, and I live in Mount Pleasant with my girlfriend and our two cats, Charlie and Little Bits.
Before we dive into your winning film Gnosis – let’s talk a little about what inspires you. What gets you excited? What gets you out of your cozy bed in the morning?
Well, in the interest of remaining honest, it’s an all-encompassing fear of failure that stalks my path wherever I go. But in a perfect world, I’d say I am often in awe of the human condition and our biologically intrinsic need to create. It’s a gift I don’t want to waste.
This is always a difficult question to answer (in my opinion), but I must ask. What’s your favorite movie and why?
This changes for me constantly, so any answer I give will have to be a limited time offer. As of right now, I’ve been obsessed with the 2004 Phantom of the Opera. Are there better movies out there? Sure. Could I name a million other movies that I wish to genuinely recommend to other people? Of course. Am I picking this movie anyway? Absolutely.
Okay, you’re stranded on an island, and you can take three things with you (they don’t have to be survival items) – what are they and why?
This question has genuinely stumped me. I’m doing everything I can to not abuse the rules of the scenario and actually answer in a way that serves the purpose of the question, but I can’t. This isn’t a riddle, but the answer is a ship, a crew, and a million bajillion dollars.
Alright, let’s get down to the nitty gritty and discuss Gnosis. First question. According to the dictionary, the definition of gnosis is “knowledge of spiritual mysteries.” Why did you choose this title and how does it relate to your film?
In the context of Greco-Roman spirituality, specifically within Gnostic literature, Gnosis is the key necessary for salvation. It's an instinctual awareness of a divine truth, and I implicate my film with such a grand title because it carries a message I’m trying to communicate. Within my film is my own Gnosis, on the nature of art and its relationship to the artist, and it's something I think other artists need to know.
Tell us about your process and the steps you took to create this incredible animation.
Gnosis was my thesis film, so I had a deadline of one school year to make it by myself, and given that I spent about ⅔ of that year in pre-production (doing research, experimenting with materials, writing and rewriting the story) really I only had a few months left for actual production. My workflow was a little more fluid than what you would find in a normal animated film, constantly switching between storyboarding, animating, and compositing. There are parts of the film I consider to be unfinished, but I haven't allowed myself to make any changes to the final project since its first premiere May 2nd at the Central Michigan University’s Animation Showcase. Sometimes you have to cut yourself off or else you’ll be nitpicking on the same project forever.
In your synopsis you describe the film as it being through the lens of the metaphysical artist trying to reconnect with their art. Can you elaborate on this? Is this how you feel as an artist? Do you feel the need to reconnect with your art?
Yes. It’s something I need to do constantly. And I think part of making this film was learning to be ok with that. This film was born out of frustration of myself and my abilities, and because of that it was initially going to be a much darker and more violent film, centered around the abuse of art by its creator, and the loss of idealization art experiences in return. However, the more I worked with the concept, the more the message evolved into something more positive. I simply couldn’t muster the hatred necessary to carry out my initial vision, and I found the personification of my own work to be much more patient with me than I could ever realize. I think the film turned out better this way, it's a message I can stand by now, something I strongly believe in. It serves as a reminder to myself and all other artists who see it that creation is a loop of feedback between you and your art. It’s a difficult thing to create, and while it is necessary to remain a healthy individual, the expectations we put on ourselves can muddy the waters between you and what you create. I’m thankful to be human, and to be able to create at all, no matter the skill level. And as it turns out, my little stick figures are pretty happy about it too.
Not only have you made this film, but your website shows that you also create comics and illustrations. What came first, filmmaking or illustration?
That’s a difficult question, cause initially I would like to say illustration, since I started drawing as a hobby in middle school. But I do have memories as a little kid of making little movies on my iPod, though I don’t really think that should count since it was a sporadic once-and-a-while thing, I think it was just a product of the time being excited by the idea of easy access to filmmaking, but it wasn’t really anything I wanted to pursue. I think earlier than all of that for me was writing. When I was a kid I loved writing, I wanted to be an author for sure. I was definitely more confident in myself as an artist, I think Gnosis is part of me trying to recapture that feeling again.
Filmmaking/animation is not an easy process. Tell us about a difficult situation you may have had and how you overcame it.
To let you all in on a little secret: I would not consider myself a competent stop-motion animator. Most of my experience prior to Gnosis had been hand drawn digital animation, but Gnosis was such an ambitious project I felt alot of it could only really be given justice with stop motion. I had dabbled in it beforehand, but it was definitely a struggle to get comfortable working with physical material and the limitations that presented. Cleaning up was the worst part. I cringe to think of a professional stop-motion animator seeing my work which, again, defeats the whole purpose of the film, which is not to worry about technical ability and just create. But here I am.
What advice would you give to aspiring filmmakers/artists?
Not to beat a dead horse or anything but, again, I cannot state it enough: don’t let perfectionism get in the way of creating. And don’t worry about being a hypocrite with it either – I definitely can’t take my own advice, but that’s okay. Confidence is something you practice, and what you practice can regress occasionally. You just have to keep living, creating, and trying.
What’s next for Peaches? More films? Comics? How do we as an audience stay up to date?
Definitely more things – I don’t know what they are yet, but it’ll definitely happen eventually. I am leaning towards comics, or maybe some sort of interactive web media, though the last thing I need on my plate is learning how to code. Whatever I do, it’d mean a lot to me if you checked out my socials. My website is peacheswilczak.art and I have a Linktree to more lookouts at https://linktr.ee/osoaioi
Cheesy question, but I like to ask all our winners this: if you were to make your dream film and didn’t have to worry about a budget, what would you create?
Hands down, I’d like to do an animated adaptation of my favorite book, The Never Ending Story. Like the full book, not just half of it like the 1984 film. If I was at a masterful skill level, with endless resources, that would be my dream. But then again, maybe I should just take my own advice and do it now.
You can have lunch with anyone (living or dead) who would it be?
Bit of a random shot out but Dr. Justin Sledge Professor of Western Esotericism. Arcane history inspires a lot of my work and if I could ask him a million questions it’d be a dream come true. He’s also based in Michigan, so that's score one for the boys back home.
Any words on Open Projector Night?
You’re all wonderful people, it was a dream come true attending the festival and receiving all the support I did. Thank you for this opportunity, it really meant a lot, and was honestly a huge ego boost. I’ll definitely be back for my next film.
SUMMER MOVIE ROUND-UP
[BY: SAM MCKENNEY]
This summer has certainly been a season to remember when it comes to the movies. In the past few years we’ve seen that people are willing to go back to theaters again post-Covid with big blockbusters like Top Gun: Maverick and Avatar: The Way of Water, but these last few months have proved with all certainty that the ‘Covid years’ at the theaters are behind us – and the movies are back. There were a number of different successes at the cinema this summer, and the best part is that there is a little something for everyone! As we are about to exit the boneyard of late August/early September releases and enter the exciting times that the fall brings to movie fans, let's look back at the months that brought us so much joy this summer.
There were plenty of blockbusters in the theaters this summer, but some of the smaller projects were just as powerful and satisfying. Wes Anderson’s newest film Asteroid City came out in June, and while actually being the biggest budget he has ever worked with, was definitely a smaller release when stacking up against the other heavy-hitters. Perfectly designed and shot, Asteroid City resonated strongly with Anderson fans and has risen to the top of a lot of Wes rankings. The film is full of wonderful performances from Wes Anderson’s gallery of frequent performers, Scarlett Johannson and Jason Schwartzmann being the standouts, so restrained and aching with emotion. The film was also successful at the box office, raking in $50 million worldwide on a budget of $25 million.
Past Lives, directed by Celine Song was another much smaller feature from June that packed an emotional punch and carried with it some major buzz coming out of Sundance. This is the director's first feature, but you would never be able to tell by the poise and confidence with which Song wields the camera alongside cinematographer Shabier Kirchner. Greta Lee and Teo Yoo star as two childhood friends who reconnect and, perhaps, spark a long-latent romance. The film is beautifully rendered and told and is well worth the watch; A24 continues to put out hit after hit!
It is hard to talk about this summer in movies without talking about the many blockbusters that came out. There are very obviously two large elephants in the room when talking about the big movies of the summer, but first I want to bring up Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part 1, as I feel it has been lost in the jumble of those two other titans of moviemaking. The Mission: Impossible series has long been a personal favorite of mine, and this film certainly didn’t disappoint, containing the anxiety-inducing stunts and Tom Cruise sprints that make me so very happy. There was a tinge of ‘Covid filmmaking’ in it that came off, like lots of close ups and shots containing just one actor in an empty room that looked very much like Covid protocols...but Tom Cruise’s face is synonymous with Cinema, so if he’s on the screen nothing can take me out of it. Unfortunately, the film did not do the hottest at the box office. It brought in $563.8 million, needing to make $600 million to break even on the budget for the film and its marketing. That is a massive number that they needed to reach, but the budget for the film was constantly ballooning as the cost of making movies during the pandemic was a pretty penny. It was even outgrossed by the film Sound of Freedom domestically (which is quite unfortunate if you ask me). The fact that Jim Caviziel outgrossed Tom Cruise in the U.S. is – quite frankly – a travesty and something we as citizens of the United States need to reflect upon.
Now to get to what everyone has been waiting for: “Barbenheimer.” An event like this has not happened at the movies in a long time, and it was such a cool experience to be a part of. For those who live under a rock, Barbenheimer was the cinematic phenomenon of the year caused by Oppenheimer (dir. Christopher Nolan) and Barbie (dir. Greta Gerwig) being released on the same day, creating a sort of movie holiday where many viewers went to see both back-to-back on the same day. The movies were both smash hits, with Barbie being the highest grossing movie of the year and also being Warner Bros. highest grossing movie of all time. Oppenheimer cleaned up too, becoming the second highest grossing rated-R film of all time, behind 2019’s Joker. An event like this doesn’t happen often, and the success of it will surely lead studios to try and replicate its success, but I fear they will forget one very key component of the success of this double feature: both movies are really really great. They’re expertly crafted, terrifically performed, and amazingly written. They couldn’t be more different, but both succeed in their own ways and have become two of the best films of the year.
Here is to hoping the next summer can be just as great as this one was at the theater!
See you at the movies.
ECHOES
[BY: SPENCER EVERHART]
Echoes is an exclusively-visual column based on the MUBI Notebook series of the same name – a fun way to find the repetitions, reverberations, and recapitulations in images throughout cinema history.
Ars Colonia (Raya Martin, 2011)
The Battle of Midway (John Ford, 1942)
UPCOMING EVENTS
BLOW OUT (DePalma, 1981)
WHAT: While recording sound effects for a slasher flick, Jack Terri enters a tangled web of conspiracy that might leave him dead.
WHEN: Wednesday, September 27th, 8:00 pm.
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
POSSESSION (Żuławski, 1981)
WHAT: After Anna reveals to her husband, Mark, that she is having an affair, she leaves him and their son. Anna descends into madness, and it's soon clear that she is hiding a much bigger secret -- one that is both inexplicable and shocking.
WHEN: Wednesday, October 4th, 8:00 pm.
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
EVIL DEAD II on VHS (Raimi, 1987) & TAPE SWAP
WHAT: Grand Rapids Film Society, B-Movie Euphoria & Static Tape have combined forces to bring you an epic tape swap and screening of Evil Dead II on VHS!
WHEN: Friday, October 6th, 6:00 pm (8:00pm film start)
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
FRIDAY the 13th PART III in 3D (Miner, 1982)
WHAT: Celebrate a spooky Friday the 13th with us as we present: Friday the 13th: Part III in 3D on the big screen! (3D glasses provided with ticket purchase.)
WHEN: Friday, October 13th, 8:00 pm.
WHERE: The Wealthy Theatre
And so we’ve arrived at the end of another BEAM FROM THE BOOTH! We appreciate you taking the time to read it and truly hope you’ll continue to do so. Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to get each issue in your inbox every SUNDAY, and stay up-to-date on all things GRFS!
Plus, join us on social media! We’d love to chat with everyone and hear YOUR OWN thoughts on everything above (you can also hop in the comments section below).
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Look for ISSUE #27 in your inbox NEXT SUNDAY, 9/24!
Until then, friends...
