Classic NYC Erotica on 35mm at Anthology Film Archives

In the Flesh at Anthology Film Archives Dec 5-Dec 8, 2013 at 8 pm.

In less than 48 hours Anthology Film Archives  in NYC, will be hosting In the Flesh, a film series which focuses on classic erotic films from the golden age. Curated and organized by film historian, Casey Scott, this is the first run of the series and it is certainly going off with a BANG! The series is scheduled to be 4 nights, 4 films ( one each night), and each night will have at least one or more guests that will help to give the film some historical context. The four films chosen are all East Coast films and all from the Distribpix Archives, and each one is as good as the next. Each night will also have some very entertaining 35 mm trailers from the Distribpix vault.

The series is beginning with a very strong line up of NYC staples: High Rise with Music Composer Jack Urbont in person, Through The Looking Glass with director Jonas Middleton in person, Take Off with set photographer Larry Revene in person, Wanda Whips Wall Street with director Larry Revene in person, special guest Scott Baker and mystery guests as well. The guest will be introducing each film and will also be on hand to participate in Q/A session to follow each film. There will also be some fun trivia for prizes, which include DVD’s, posters, press books and more.

It is going to be a very special series and I am very happy to be involved. It is obvious that general interest in classic erotic cinema has been on the rise in recent years. Retro as a whole has made a huge comeback since 2010, but there is no doubt in my mind that the dedication to preserving the films in High Definition and bringing them back to life has fueled the resurgence. Running a film archive is a non stop job and it can be very tedious, so to be able to see these on the big screen is a huge reward.

There have been many email responses to the series and we expect to have a wonderful mix of fans and experts at the theater during the screenings. I have a feeling that it is going to be a very special series and I really hope to see you there.

DEC 5th – HIGH RISE, 1973 directed by DANNY STEINMANN:

Hailing from a show business family background, Danny Steinmann started his directorial career shooting commercials in Puerto Rico and soon returned to New York, where he continued successfully producing, directing, and editing toy commercials. Seeing the success of Gerard Damiano’s Deep Throat in 1972, Steinmann decided to attempt to make his own profitable adult film, resulting in High Rise, now considered the first comic masterpiece of the X-rated genre. For a first time director, High Rise is an impressive debut, filled with visually stylish flourishes and clever comic scenarios. The film’s success, however, did not lead to further ventures in the hardcore realm. In fact, Steinmann would not return to the director’s chair until 1981, when he helmed the sleeper horror classic The Unseen. Its success led to the two most famous films of his career, Savage Streets (1984) and Friday the 13th Part V: A New Beginning (1985). To his dismay, the horror sequel would be his last film as a director. Steinmann was finally receiving his due credit as a director and connecting with his fans at film conventions when his life was unexpectedly cut short in 2012.

Dec 6 – Through The Looking Glass, 1976 directed by JONAS MIDDLETON:

Hailing from the great state of Georgia, Jonas Middleton made one great big, but brief, splash in the adult film genre of the 1970s. Following his low-budget debut, Cherry Blossom (1972), Middleton’s next film, Illusions of a Lady (1974), hinted at the director’s storytelling talents that would be demonstrated in full force with his final and best X-rated film, Through the Looking Glass (1976). The worldwide success of the film did not interest him in continuing to make adult films. His next film project, the sleeper horror hit Just Before Dawn, would be his last before moving into the world of finance for much of the 1980s. Middleton returned to the entertainment industry in 1994, when he began producing instructional videos, and in 2000 he successfully entered the video game business. Today Middleton continues to produce thought-provoking independent features.

Dec 7 – Take Off, 1975 directed by ARMAND WESTON:

A director who came to the film world from a background in commercial illustrating and artwork, Armand Weston is one of the adult genre’s legendary auteurs with the smallest oeuvre. All of his films are established classics, from his very first collaboration with future fellow legend Cecil Howard (1972’s Personals) and continuing into his dark noir-ish thrillers, The Defiance of Good (1974), The Taking of Christina (1975), and Expose Me, Lovely (1976). Weston was also the first director to shoot a feature directly onto the new video format with 1977’s Blue Voodoo. But his most lavish and arguably finest adult film must be his swan song to the genre, Take Off (1978), a sprawling epic following the sexual adventures of Darrin Blue, who stays forever young through the magic of an enchanted stag reel. When he wasn’t making films, Weston was designing the beautiful and eye-catching poster art and ad campaigns for the adult film classics of his contemporaries. He made one more film, the unusual horror film The Nesting (1981) with Gloria Grahame, before his untimely death in 1988.

Dec 8 – Wanda Whips Wall Street, 1984 directed by LARRY REVENE:

A true jack of all trades, Larry Revene started his career at the very beginning of the “golden age” of adult cinema and continued to its eventual conclusion with the onset of video production. Revene got his feet wet shooting loops for notorious producer Bob Wolf and was soon serving as photographer and editor for a variety of projects in both the X-rated and commercial industries throughout New York City. He developed a reputation as one of the most talented and visually inventive photographers in the business, allying himself with auteurs like Roger Watkins, Ron Sullivan, Gerard Damiano, the Amero Brothers, and his most famous collaborator Chuck Vincent. Vincent’s films exhibit a glossy and professional look that benefit greatly from Revene’s solid work ethic and artistic eye for composition and lighting. Revene eventually struck out on his own, directing his first film Fascination in 1980 and continuing to direct roughly one film a year for the remainder of the decade in-between a wide variety of photography assignments. Revene’s films told breezily comic stories featuring engaging characters and an infectious sense of fun. Talents like his naturally graduated to the commercial world, where he continues to work as a sought-after cinematographer.

AND DON’T FORGET, THERE WILL BE TRIVIA WITH SOME VERY UNIQUE PRIZES:

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