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Sunday, January 8, 2012 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Six-String Samurai
Since the internet tells us that the world will be ending this December, we figured we'd kick off 2012 with a movie that shows what things might look like one year from now? The Six-String Samurai is Buddy, a mysterious and powerful hero of the post-apocalyptic future, who must fight his way to Lost Vegas and ditch a bothersome orphan kid if he's ever to become the next King of Rock 'n' Roll. Along the way, they encounter bounty-hunting bowlers, a cannibalistic "Cleaver" family, a Windmill God and even the Russian army. Winding up at the gates of Vegas, Buddy finds himself in an epic battle with Death over the child's soul and comes to realize just what it means to be King. "It's The Road Warrior with a rock 'n' roll beat, Buddy Holly doing his best Toshiro Mifune, a Sergio Leone gang picture set in a fantasy future, directed with the flash and panache of a Hong Kong action flick and the sleek style of a samurai film. Lance Mungia's high energy genre soup is a hoot, a low budget indie action film that embraces its limitations with a spare grunge-chic look spiced with flashy visuals, jazzy editing, and plenty of punk attitude." - Nitrate Online Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, January 15, 2012 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Never Make it Home/Split Lip Rayfield
A new documentary from GJ Echternkamp (director of "Frank and Cindy")!! Kirk Rundstrom was given two months to live. So he booked a tour. After ten years of constant touring, with four critically acclaimed albums under their belt, Wichita "insurgent country" band Split Lip Rayfield had built up a dedicated legion of fans throughout the world. With their lively combo of guitar, mandolin, banjo, gas-tank bass, multi-part harmonies, and singing often bordering on screaming, Split Lip's music defied genres-too raucous to be bluegrass, too acoustic to be rock 'n' roll, and too melodic to be punk. But in 2006, Kirk Rundstrom, the electric, hell-raising singer/guitarist of the band, was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only two months to live. "Never Make It Home" is the inspiring story of what he chose to do next. Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, January 22, 2012 7:30pm Admission: Free (donations accepted - cash only at the door) Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Infinite Space: The Architecture of John Lautner
In conjunction with SacMod, The American Institute of Architects Central Valley and Sactown Magazine. Infinite Space traces the lifelong quest of visionary genius John Lautner to create "architecture that has no beginning and no end." It is the story of brilliance and of a complicated life - and the most sensual architecture of the 20th century. As a young man, Lautner broke from his mentor, Frank Lloyd Wright, and went west to California to forge his own architecture. His life was marked by innovation and inspiration, endless battles with building codes, an accidental leap into the epicenter of pop culture, bitterness at lost opportunities, and finally - monumental achievement. Lautner was idolized by young modernists, criticized by academics, and beloved by the clients who worked side by side with him to build their houses. It was a life in pursuit of beauty. Renowned architectural filmmaker Murray Grigor explores Lautner's dramatic spaces with choreographed camera moves, as Lautner himself provides the commentary, speaking with insight and wit in recordings culled from archival sources. Other voices join him: comments from Frank Gehry and his peers who were influenced by Lautner, the emotional memories of original clients, owners and builders, the remarks of Frank Escher, the architect who restored the Chemosphere house, and Julius Shulman who famously photographed all the great modernists. To rsvp online (and to make an online donation for this screening) go to http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/212743 
Sunday, January 29, 2012 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA RiP!: A Remix Manifesto
Encore screening. With recent pending legislation in the U.S. such as SOPA and PIPA*, it's a good time to revisit this documentary we originally showed in 2009. The film itself was created before these bills existed but it is a good primer on issues like media control and fair use within (and outside of) the internet, and is relevant now more than ever. About the film- In RiP: A Remix Manifesto, Web activist and filmmaker Brett Gaylor explores issues of copyright in the information age, mashing up the media landscape of the 20th century and shattering the wall between users and producers. The film's central protagonist is Girl Talk, a mash-up musician topping the charts with his sample-based songs. But is Girl Talk a paragon of people power or the Pied Piper of piracy? Creative Commons founder, Lawrence Lessig, Brazil's Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil and pop culture critic Cory Doctorow are also along for the ride. * Information about SOPA (H.R.3261) and PIPA (S.968) at OpenCongress.org. Sunday, December 4, 2011 7:00pm (NOTE: 7pm not 7:30pm) Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Color Me Obsessed: A Film about the Replacements
With Color Me Obsessed, the first documentary on the influential '80s indie-rock band, The Replacements, director Gorman Bechard brings an extraordinary vision to a unique filmmaking challenge. Told through the eyes of fans, friends, and contemporaries, the film breaks from the traditional music documentary format of music and performances. "Not wanting to make a VH1/where-are-they-now style documentary, I decided to present the band in a more iconic way," the director explains. "I thought, people believe in God without seeing or hearing him but rather through the passion, faith, and stories of others. After watching COLOR ME OBSESSED, I'm pretty sure music fans will believe in The Replacements in much the same way." Dubbed "the last best band" by Spin Magazine, The Replacements live shows could be miraculous or downright disasters. Their fans, unwaveringly faithful. As critic's darlings, their albums were wrought with angry guitars and passionate well-written lyrics that hinted at potential commercial success. Yet, somehow, the band managed to continually shoot themselves in the foot. Their relative obscurity was a motivating factor in presenting their story on film. Combining over 140 interviews with rockers (Colin Meloy of The Decemberists, Craig Finn of The Hold Steady, Tommy Ramone, Grant Hart and Greg Norton of Husker Du, all three members of Goo Goo Dolls), journalists (Robert Christgau, Legs McNeil, Ira Robbins, Greg Kot, Jim DeRogatis), and fans both famous (Tom Arnold, Dave Foley, George Wendt) and not, Bechard delivers the obsessive tale of the most influential band you've never heard of, to many the greatest rock band of all time, The Replacements. And though containing not a note of their music, Color Me Obsessed is a documentary that really rocks. Named one of the best music documentaries of 2011 by Rolling Stone. Sunday, December 11, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA It's the first weekend of Crappy Christmas, and we'll also be showing 2 Crappy Christmas short films before the so-called "feature"!! The Magic Christmas Tree
See the Magic Christmas Tree Talk! See the Discussion About Bologna Sandwiches! See The Black Magic Witch? See the Creepy Giant?? See The Runaway Lawnmower?!?!? See the Grass Eating Turtle! See Mom Talk on the Phone! Oh yes - all of these wondrous holiday "surprises" await you in this obscure Christmas "film" from 1964. What's it about? Well, what little sense of it that exists kind of goes like this: Three boys talk about their lunches. They walk home and one of the boys, Mark, visits a creepy old woman who gets Mark to rescue Lucifer, her cat, out of a tree. Mark hits his head and the woman is transformed into a witch. She seduces Mark into the "dark arts" by giving him a ring with a magic seed to grow a magic talking (possessed?) tree so long as the correct (occult) ritual is followed, and the tree will also grant three wishes. Mark plants the seed causing the demonic tree to grow, and abuses two of the wishes, one of which involves having Santa glued to a chair so Mark can demand toys from him. Then Mark is in the woods with a creepy giant (we don't really know why and don't really care, either). Mark uses his final wish to undo the other wishes. Mark gets cookies. The end. Yeah - that's pretty much it. Oh - there's also the runaway lawnmower and the turtle, but you'll just have to see it for yourself. In an uncommon show of mercy, nearly everyone associated with this "film" never worked in movies again. 
"The Magic Christmas Tree was obviously made by amateur filmmakers working with whatever they had at hand...The most important element in that situation is talent, and the filmmakers here simply had none. The story doesn't make sense, the comedy style was out of date 20 years before the movie was made, and the acting is bad even when it's dubbed." - stomptokyo.com
"A low budget fever dream of a movie, this film uses all the usual Christmas tropes: evil witches, talking trees that grant wishes and a semi-bondage scene with Santa Claus tied to a chair."" - badassdigest.com 
"My wife and I both had headaches while watching this film. This Satanic Christmas diddy should be shown in film schools as an example of how not to make a movie... this film fails on all cylinders. My wife commented that she wished everyone in this movie would die except the turtle. It's easy to understand her feelings." - imdb.com reviewer Sunday, December 18, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Crappy Christmas 2011 continues with: The Christmas Martian
If you're thinking this is Santa Claus Conquers the Martians, you're wrong. The Crest is running "Conquers" this year, but this 70s French Canadian disasterpiece is far, far, far worse! 
Let's try for a synopsis: A very creepy alien (not actually from Mars, despite the title) with a fishnet over his face crashes his spaceship in Quebec. Two kids find him while they're out getting their Christmas Tree. They try to help him fix his ship. "Hilarity" ensues. And there's an overly-long and utterly stupid chase near the end. Want more details? OK, but there's not much here to work with synopsis-wise... Apparently the "martian" can disguise himself as a lama. He can fly like Mary Poppins with a magic wand. He steals junk food that he greedily pours down his throat with almost orgasmic abandon. He literally showers kids with space candy. This is worth repeating: he's SERIOUSLY creepy - as in "ordered by the court to not go near schools" kind of creepy. He learns how to speak French (dubbed into English) by drinking. And his name is Poo Flower! You're likely to spend most of the film begging the kids to just get away from this disturbing "martian." This extremely low-budget film is blurry and blown-out most of the time. There's lingering shots of the sun. There's nearly no plot. There is, however, multiple sleigh rides, hockey, skiing, snowmobiling and snowshoeing. And there's actually not a lot of references to Christmas except at the beginning and the end. Just like The Magic Christmas Tree, it's really, really bad. This was made for kids? Yep, it was.
"The Christmas Martian has a bizarreness that makes for compulsive watching in an awful way. The nonsensical runnings around the town play like Keystone Kops capers filtered through an hallucinogenic haze." - The Science Fiction and Fantasy Film Review 
"By any regular standards, this movie is atrocious; in fact, it's probably the worst Christmas movie I've seen... It's got no plot; it's just a set of comic setpieces, mostly with the alien (who looks for all the world like a homeless person in a bizarre mask) either flabbergasting adults or playing with children." - scififilm.org Thursday, December 22, 2011 4:00pm Admission: $5.00 Advance/$10.00 door Movies on a Big Screen at The Crocker 216 O St, Sacramento, CA Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The original 1947 version of this Valentine Davies story follows the misadventures of Kris Kringle (Edmund Gwenn) as he gets a job playing Santa Claus at Macy's department store in New York City. Natalie Wood is the little girl who tells him she doesn't believe in Santa, and Maureen O'Hara and John Payne are the couple who help Kris through a trial in which he must prove he's the jolly fellow from the North Pole. A sweet movie and perennial Christmas favorite, this is one of those movies that gets under your skin and must be revisited every so often. To purchase advance tickets, click the link below, select 12/22 on the calendar and choose the film or call 916-808-1182 or 916-808-1184 And later - separate admission (and recommended for those 17 years of age and older): Thursday, December 22, 2011 7:00pm (NOTE: 7pm not 7:30pm) Admission: $5.00 advance/$10.00 door Movies on a Big Screen at The Crocker 216 O St, Sacramento, CA It's the finale of Crappy Christmas at MOBS -- and this time at The Crocker? Featuring: Crappy Christmas decorations where we can put 'em, Crappy Christmas presents for the unlucky few who get 'em, and other horrible surprises!! "Featuring" the "holiday classic"... Santa vs Satan
We're equal parts stunned and baffled that we'll be presenting the return of this bizarre and relatively unknown movie from 1959, originally filmed and released in Mexico, at The Crocker! But no, your eyes do not deceive you! Included will be the badly dubbed English soundtrack (no subtitles) from its 1960 US release. The plot is fairly straight-forward - Santa lives on a cloud floating over the North Pole where, rather than elves, children from all over the world help make toys (and they're really more like happy slaves). Is this a happy Santa that you'll hope will come down your chimney? Um, not so much. He's pretty creepy with his overly sweet voice paired with his disturbing (and not quite jolly) laugh and insincere and sometimes vacant eyes staring at children through odd Sid and Marty Krofft-like devices - well, it's best just left at that... But anyway - Satan is determined to bring Santa down, so sends his minion, Pitch (a skinny guy in a cheap weird red suit), to the surface to make the kids of the world hate Santa and engage in vandalism and other mischief. Oh yes - and Santa is pals with Merlin the Magician who supplies St. Nick with, amongst other things, sleeping powder. Oh - did we mention the vampiric mechanized reindeer? No? Or the interpretive dance in Hell? Hmm... 
All in all, this is one surreal (and yes, it IS surreal) cheaply made (and yes, it IS very low-budget, so don't expect quality) Christmas travesty for all to enjoy, even with its boring parts (and yes, it DOES have it's boring parts). When this was first released in theaters, it was common to see children leaving in tears from trauma and fright.
You know, it's not really a Christmas movie without dialog like, "There's a prowler out there -- he's come to kill your wife. And your children. He's going to murder you!" 
"How can a movie get everything so very, very wrong and yet be so very, very right? If you aren't the least bit familiar with this surreal trip into an extremely non-traditional view of jolly ol' St. Nick, perhaps the less known the better, as half the fun of this colossal mess is staring in dumbfounded awe at what is transpiring on the screen. It's a hoot. A damned scary hoot, granted, but certainly a hoot." - dvdinmypants.com
The entire mess will be overseen and hosted by nationally syndicated late night horror host, Cinema Insomnia's Mr. Lobo! There might be an ill-tempered "elf" there, too, to "assist" - so - uh, ya might wanna watch out for her...
To purchase advance tickets, click the link below, select 12/22 on the calendar and choose the film or call 916-808-1182 or 916-808-1184 Thursday, December 29, 2011 7:00pm Admission: $5.00 Advance/$10.00 door Movies on a Big Screen at The Crocker 216 O St, Sacramento, CA The Nightmare Before Christmas
Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King of Halloweentown, is bored with the monotony of success, until his discovery of Christmas Town inspires him to become "Sandy Claws" -with dubious results. This darkly humorous fairy tale brings Tim Burton's dynamic vision to life with spectacular stop-motion animation and a catchy soundtrack by composer Danny Elfman. Burton, director of offbeat classics like Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands, currently has a retrospective at LACMA. To purchase advance tickets, click the link below, select 12/29 on the calendar and choose the film or call 916-808-1182 or 916-808-1184 Thursday, November 3, 2011 7:00pm Admission: $6.00 Crocker members/$12.00 non-members Movies on a Big Screen at The Crocker 216 O St, Sacramento, CA Robocine
There's a great Clayton Bailey exhibit underway at The Crocker Art Museum, which includes many of his robot sculptures, so we'll be showing a collection of various vintage shorts, all featuring robots!! Includes a rare episode of the 1950s San Francisco-based kids TV show, "Captain Z-ro," cartoons, and more!
Sunday, November 6, 2011 Time: 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Everyday Sunshine: The Story of Fishbone
Co-director Chris Metzler will be in attendance for a Q&A. Chris was the first filmmaker to appear at MOBS, back in our very first month!!
Everyday Sunshine is a documentary about the band Fishbone, musical pioneers who have been rocking on the margins of pop culture for the past 25 years. From the streets of South Central-Los Angeles and the competitive Hollywood music scene of the 1980's, the band rose to prominence, only to fall apart when on the verge of "making it." Laurence Fishburne narrates Everyday Sunshine, an entertaining cinematic journey into the personal lives of this unique Black rock band, an untold story of fiercely individual artists in their quest to reclaim their musical legacy while debunking the myths of young Black men from urban America. Highlighting the parallel journeys of a band and their city, Everyday Sunshine explores the personal and cultural forces that gave rise to California's legendary Black punk sons that continue to defy categories and expectations. At the heart of Fishbone's story is lead singer Angelo Moore and bassist Norwood Fisher who show how they keep the band rolling, out of pride, desperation and love for their art. To overcome money woes, family strife, and the strain of being aging Punk rockers on the road, Norwood and Angelo are challenged to re-invent themselves in the face of dysfunction and ghosts from a painful past. Directed by Lev Anderson and Chris Metzler Narrated by Laurence Fishburne Featuring Fishbone, Flea, Ice-T, Gwen Stefani, Perry Farrell, George Clinton and more! Sunday, November 13, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA World's Largest
A documentary about small towns with big things!
Desperate for tourism, hundreds of small towns across the U.S.A. claim the "world's largest" something from 15-foot fiberglass strawberries to 40-foot concrete pheasants. Odd, funny and sometimes beautiful, the statues stand as testaments to the uniqueness and importance - the largeness - that all people feel, and need to feel, about their communities and their own existence. "World's Largest," a feature documentary, visits 58 such sites and profiles Soap Lake, Washington's four-year struggle to build the World's Largest Lava Lamp. By documenting these roadside attractions, "World's Largest" captures the changing landscape of small-town America. Sunday, November 20, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Erasing David
A Documentary About Privacy, Surveillance and the Database State David Bond lives in one of the most intrusive surveillance states in the world. He decides to find out how much private companies and the government know about him by putting himself under surveillance and attempting to disappear, a decision that changes his life forever. Leaving his pregnant wife and young child behind, he is tracked across the database state on a chilling journey that forces him to contemplate the meaning of privacy and the loss of it. Sunday, November 27, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA A Boy and His Dog
Follow-up your Thanksgiving with this 1975 indie classic based on Harlan Ellison's novella. We've shown this annually as our Thanksgiving movie, but not knowing how many folks would come out due to it being the weekend of that holiday. And attendance last year was good enough to do it *yet* again! The year is 2024. World War IV, which only lasted 5 minutes, has long been over, leaving behind a postapocalyptic wasteland. 18-year old Vic (Don Johnson in his first, and by far best, performance) wanders with his dog, Blood, who communicates with him telepathically. The none-too-bright Vic scavenges for food; the rather learned and sarcastically witty Blood sniffs out women for sex. Into this relationship comes Quilla, a woman from "Down Under" - a supposedly idyllic underground society which attempts to preserve the past. Quilla lures Vic "Down Under" where he discovers that there are some rather nefarious plans for him. This was a direct influence on films such as "Mad Max" and "The Road Warrior." If you know the ending, you can probably figure out why here at MOBS sort of see it as a Thanksgiving movie... Oh, and this ain't necessarily one for the kids. Sunday, October 2, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism
From 1967, and directed by Harald Reinl, known for his German krimi films. This movie has gone by a number of titles, but we're using the most sensationalistic!
Christopher Lee plays Count Regula, who is drawn and quartered for killing twelve virgins in his dungeon torture chamber. Thirty-five years later, he comes back to seek revenge on the daughter of his intended thirteenth victim (Karin Dor, the first German Bond Girl in "You Only Live Twice") and the son of his prosecutor (Lex Barker, who previously played Tarzan) in order to attain immortal life. While the story might be a bit derivative (think, Black Sunday) and is basically a twisted remake of "The Pit and the Pendulum," it's filled with creepy Euro Gothic trappings: flesh-eating vultures, snake pits, torture devices, surreal Hieronymus Bosch inspired horrific murals, a wall of skulls and more! This also contains a lot of great Reinl camera work throughout. Uncut, with the full nightmarish trip through the forest littered with corpses and body parts! Sunday, October 9, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Lady Frankenstein
This lurid but entertaining Italian/Spanish twist on the Frankenstein legend begins with Baron Frankenstein (Joseph Cotten) being assisted in his research by his sultry daughter Tania (Sara Bay). The doctor's first attempt at a stitched-together creation results in a lumpy, pop-eyed monstrosity with little of the expected respect for its creator. In fact, the monster begins its rampage by murdering the Baron and escaping into the surrounding village.
The younger Frankenstein returns from medical school with newly-acquired surgical expertise and a desire to follow in her late father's footsteps. She soon begins work on a creation of her own by transplanting the brain of her brilliant but deformed assistant Charles (Paul Muller) into the body of a brawny handyman. The result is a handsome and powerful male creature not only capable of destroying the original monster, but virile enough to satisfy his creator's overwhelming sexual appetites - and Tania is apparently quite eager to test the latter. This is cut short when the first monster returns to finish what he started! Uncut! This does contain nudity and some material may be considered offensive to some, so please keep that in mind - and you should probably be over 18 or accompanied by an adult. Sunday, October 16, 2011 No screening! There will be an education conference at The Guild with noted CNN contributor, Dr. Steve Perry. Sunday, October 23, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Dr. Caligari
You must be over 18 years of age to attend this.
First off, this isn't really horror, although we're not really sure what to classify it as. If you want straight-up horror, please head over to the final night of the Sacramento Horror Film Festival at The Colonial Theater! This brain-damaged, perverse heroin dream is set in the Caligari Insane Asylum (CIA), a nightmare labyrinth of impossible angles and colors, within which the fabled mesmerist's granddaughter (Madeleine Reynal) rules with an iron hand, a phallic-looking syringe, and a hot-pink PVC dress. Most of the unnameable experiments taking place have to do with the doc's desire to transplant her grandfather's synaptic fluid into her own brain to acquire his genius. She also has a peculiar fascination for prize patient Mrs. Van Houten (Laura Albert), a repressed housewife with horrifying sexual fantasies involving doors with giant tongues and razor-wielding madmen - when asked to describe her life in two words, Van Houten replies, "unending torment." This also features Fox Harris (the Chevy Malibu-driving "I had a lobotomy" guy from Repo Man), in his final film role, along with Jennifer Miro (singer for legendary SF punk band, The Nuns). NOTE: This is NOT for kids. Over 18 years of age only! There's a fair amount of sexual content and references, along with subject matter that some might see as offensive. There's also a huge amount of weirdness: plot, dialogue, barren and bizarre sets, costumes, etc. And honestly, this has to be one of the most quotable movies ever. Sunday, October 30, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Nosferatu
F.W. Murnau's German silent classic is the original--and some say most frightening-- "Dracula" adaptation, taking Bram Stoker's novel and turning it into a haunting, shadowy dream full of dread. We've got a pretty good copy and now is your chance to see it on a large screen in a dark, dark theater! During pre-production, names had to be changed from the novel when Stoker's wife charged his novel was being filmed without proper permission. Ultimately, she still sued for copyright infringement - and won - and thus this was the only film that was made by the production company, Prana Film, as they were forced to declare bankruptcy. Count Orlok, the rodentlike vampire frighteningly portrayed by Max Schreck, is perhaps the most animalistic screen portrayal of a vampire ever filmed. Rumors also circulated about Schreck, the most famous being that there was no one named Schreck (which means "fright" in German) and that Murnau had hired an actual vampire for the lead role. More reasonably, there was speculation that Schreck was simply a pseudonym for a different actor. Of course, none of the rumors were true? Sunday, September 4, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Salt of the Earth (1954)
"Salt of the Earth" portrays the story of the Empire Zinc Mine strike in
1951. Directed by Herbert Biberman ("Meet Nero Wolfe"), Produced by Paul
Jarrico ("Tom, Dick and Harry") and written by Michael Wilson ("Lawrence of
Arabia," "Planet of the Apes") the film employed a handful of professional
actors, but mostly utilized mine workers and their families who were
involved in the actual strike.
In New Mexico (where the strike originally took place) a largely Hispanic union is trying to achieve wage parity and improve working and living conditions for the laborers who live in poverty. This results in a strike by the men, yet the men are ultimately beaten and broken. Interestingly, the women fight for the right to carry on the strike (and do so), resulting in a film that not only made bold statements about labor relations for the time, but also was one of the first films to portray a feminist social and political viewpoint. During filming, threats of vigilante violence against the production were common. The US House of Representatives denounced the film, the FBI investigated its production, and The American Legion called for a nationwide boycott of it. Post-production facilities were told not to work on it (creating a massive delay and headache in finishing it and forced the film to be edited in secret locations), and theaters and projectionists were instructed not to screen it. When initially released, only a dozen theaters in the US would run it. Through the 1960s and beyond, "Salt of the Earth" gained a following via college campuses, labor activists, Mexican Americans, film historians and professors, First Amendment advocates, and feminists. "H'wood Reds are shooting a feature-length anti-American racial propaganda movie at Silver City..." - Hollywood Reporter, ca. 1953 "Completely un-American propaganda." - Screen Actors Guild statement on "Salt of the Earth," 1953. "As clear a piece of Communist propaganda as we have had for many years... extremely shrewd propaganda for the urgent business of the U.S.S.R." - Pauline Kael, Sight & Sound. 1954 "A good, highly dramatic and emotion-charged piece of work that tells its story straight. It is, however, a propaganda picture which belongs in union halls rather than theatres." - Variety, Dec 31, 1953 "In the light of this agitated history, it is somewhat surprising to find that 'Salt of the Earth' is, in substance, simply a strong pro-labor film with a particularly sympathetic interest in the Mexican-Americans with whom it deals.." - New York Times, 1954 Sunday, September 11, 2011 7:30pm Admission: Free! Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Star Trek: Of Gods and Men
It's the 5th Anniversary of Movies on a Big Screen! So we figured we'd
bring back the indie Star Trek film - technically, a fan film, but when
it's a fan film directed by Tim Russ (Star Trek: Voyager) and starring
Nichelle Nichols, Walter Koenig and a slew of others from various ST shows,
you know you're in for much more than just a "fan film!" And ST:OGAM
delivers just that!
The year is 2306... Twelve years have passed since Captain James Kirk was swept away by the Nexus while saving the crew of the Enterprise-B. Sadly, one year later, Commander Montgomery Scott was reported missing along with the passengers and crew of the USS Jenolen, and to this day has not been found. The remaining crewmembers of the USS Enterprise have gone their separate ways. Captain Spock and Doctor McCoy have spent the last several years on Khitomer, continuing their work to establish peace between the Federation and the Klingon Empire, though it is wondered if they will ever establish peace between themselves. Captain Hikaru Sulu and his Excelsior crew are on an extended mission beyond the outer reaches of the Alpha Quadrant. Captain Pavel Chekov, although serving a high post in Starfleet Security, feels his career has stalled, leaving him to thoughts of retirement. Captain Nyota Uhura has been serving as Director of Starfleet Linguistics, a post she finds extremely interesting, though she feels there may be something missing in her life. Now, forty years after their first mission, Chekov and Uhura, along with John Harriman, former Captain of the Enterprise-B, come together for the dedication of a very special ship. However, their reunion is cut short when they receive a distress call from an all-too-familiar planet, where they meet up with an almost-forgotten face, and in an instant something happens that presses the three friends to embark on a mission that will forever change their lives... With Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Tim Russ, Alan Ruck, Chase Masterson, Garrett Wang, and many more from the Star Trek universe! Directed by Tim Russ. Sunday, September 18, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Starcrash
Hosted by nationally syndicated late night horror host, Cinema Insomnia's Mr. Lobo! Since last week was Star Trek, we decided to balance things out with the legendarily horrible Italian Star Wars rip-off!
The story begins "familiarly" enough, with a huge spaceship tracking through an extremely colorful space scene while under attack by some kind of unknown and deadly lava lamp wax? Being no match for the '60s acid-flashback rays, the ship's passengers manage to jettison a few escape pods just before being blown to kingdom come. Then, moving to the other end of the galaxy, we find the best smugglers in town -- gorgeous Stella Star (Caroline Munro) and space-pimp Akton (Marjoe Gortner) -- outrunning a band of cops on their tail. Eventually, they're caught and sentenced to intense Labor Camps, where Stella gets to change into a skimpy outfit. A break-out ensues, and in the "intense" laser shoot-out, Stella manages to escape, only to be captured again by the semi-green-skinned Thor (Robert Tessier) and his annoying southern-drawled robot, Elle (voiced by genre veteran Hamilton Camp). Brought in front of the Emperor of the Galaxy (Christopher Plummer) and reunited with Akton, the sexy duo find themselves suddenly in charge of finding Prince Simon (David Hasselhoff). Thus begins the heroes' "amazing" adventure through space and time as they search for Prince Simon and end up fighting Amazons, Cavemen, and the Evil Count Zarth Arn (Joe Spinell) along the way. You will be stunned. Oh yes. Stunned. Sunday, September 25, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Kingdom of Survival
AK Press Founder Ramsey Kanaan (who is also featured in the film) is
currently planning to be in attendance.
The Kingdom of Survival explores modern skepticism in America, challenges the status quo and uncovers provocative links between survivalist philosophy, ecumenical spirituality, radical political theory, and outlaw culture. The audience is invited into a thoughtful conversation with the likes of Prof. Noam Chomsky, Dr. Mark Mirabello, anarchist book publisher Ramsey Kanaan, outlaw historian Dr. Mark Mirabello, legendary reclusive cabin builder Mike Oehler, egalitarian radio host Sasha Lilley, folk musician Will “The Bull” Taylor, and the riveting final interview with beloved author, Joe Bageant. These unique thought leaders cast a rare shadow of doubt over our most blindly accepted American traditions. By framing this journey in a cross-country travelogue, maverick writer and director M.A. Littler connects art, religion, academia, alternative media, utopianism, anarchism, globalized capitalism and radical fringe philosophy in an elegant American tapestry. By remaining observantly agnostic to the subjects, the film is able to honestly investigate the physical and psychological practices of diverse individuals in a conflict-ridden and confused post-modern world. In a time of brainwashing corporate and political propaganda, The Kingdom of Survival reunites us with the life-changing spirit of the outlaw highway. Sunday, August 7, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Deconstructing Dad: The Music, Machines and Mystery of Raymond Scott
This documentary explores the life and work of American maverick composer, inventor, futurist and electronic music pioneer Raymond Scott (1908-1994) presented from the unique perspective of his filmmaker son, Stan Warnow. Filled with Scott's utterly original music - ranging from jazz to classical to electronica to Warner Brothers Looney Tunes scores, this personal film tells the fascinating story of this native New Yorker's incredible journey through the 20th Century. Featuring interviews with Academy Award winning composer John Williams, Mark Mothersbaugh of Devo, Paul D. Miller (aka DJ Spooky), Herb Deutsch (co-inventor of the Moog synthesizer), and archival footage with Edward R. Murrow, along with Scott's colleagues, friends and family.
"A fascinating look at a musical genius and the way he lived his life. This absorbing, highly personal documentary is well worth checking out. I thoroughly enjoyed it." - Leonard Maltin "Raymond Scott isn't a fascinating figure to tech-heads and crate-diggers alone - to this day, he continues to mystify even his own son, veteran film editor Stan Warnow. Through interviews with the likes of Mark Mothersbaugh and John Williams - as well as his own family members - the younger Warnow pieces together a portrait of an artist neither he nor his father's fans fully understand." - The Onion AV Club Sunday, August 14, 2011 7:00pm (note, not 7:30) Admission: $5.00 suggested donation Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA End of the Line
In conjunction with Slow Food Sacramento and the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-o
Panel discussion (participants TBA) will follow. Sound the global alarm. Scientists predict that if we continue fishing at the current rate, the planet will run out of seafood by 2048 with catastrophic consequences. Based on the book by Charles Clover, "The End of the Line" explores the devastating effect that overfishing is having on fish stocks and the health of our oceans. With Clover as his guide, filmmaker Rupert Murray crisscrosses the globe, examining what is causing the dilemma and what can be done to solve it. Industrial fishing began in the 1950s. High-tech fisheries now trawl the oceans with nets the size of football fields. Species cannot survive at the rate they are being removed from the sea. Add in cofactors of decades of bad science, corporate greed, small-minded governments, and escalating consumer demand, and we're left with a crisis of epic proportions. Ninety percent of the big fish in our oceans are now gone. Murray interweaves glorious footage from both underwater and above with scientific testimony to paint a vivid and alarming profile of the state of the sea. Sunday, August 21, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Back to School Night at MOBS: The Sex and Violence Edition
It's that time of year again, when all you kids gotta be getting some schoolin' after a long summer of doing nothing. And learn you will, with this collection of the most "up-to-date" information from these 50s, 60s, and 70s educational films! This year, we'll be focusing on Sex and the intentionally wide-open category of "Violence," making it a lot easier for us to figure out what to, um, teach you. So make the scene and check out these informative, uncomfortable, weird and often hilarious "lessons" from the past!
Sunday, August 28, 2011 7:30pm Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Red Machine
Washington, DC, 1935: At the height of the Great Depression, a charming and irrepressible young thief is forced to help an icy and mysterious United States Navy spy steal a brand new device that the Japanese military is using to encode its top-secret messages. During the mission, which is complicated by the spy's dark past in Tokyo, the two discover that they are pawns in a larger game. Together, they devise an intricate scheme to outwit the people trying to use them.
"Two thumbs up! A lean, intense thriller... Here's a film with an elegant simplicity. It may remind you of a 40's B crime movie, and I mean that as a compliment." - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun Times "Intriguing... plot turns climaxing in a caper-flick triple cross" - Variety "Delightfully intelligent, delectably subversive and highly entertaining" - Huffington Post Sunday, July 10, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Outlaw
Howard Hughes successfully achieved his goals of simultaneously showcasing Jane Russell (or at least parts of Jane Russell), challenging film censors and using controversy as a marketing gimmick with this movie. Completed in 1941, it would not screen for two years, and then only in at The Geary Theater in San Francisco for six weeks and under protest from The Legion of Decency and others. It was further shelved after Hughes attempted to get uncut prints into theaters, until it was ultimately released in 1946 to great success - due in large part to Hughes' intentional exploitation of the controversy.
Billy the Kid (Jack Buetel) and Doc Holliday (Walter Huston) are close friends until lawman Pat Garrett (Thomas Mitchell) attempts to ambush Billy and put him behind bars. Doc brings Billy to his ranch to hide out, but when Billy meets Doc's mistress Rio (Jane Russell), he's instantly attracted to the buxom beauty. An intense chemistry quickly grows between them, despite the fact that Billy murdered Rio's brother. Billy and Rio secretly marry, but their love runs hot and cold, and soon Billy, Doc, and Rio are fighting among themselves as they're chased through the desert by Garrett and his posse. Director Howard Hawks and screenwriter Ben Hecht both worked on The Outlaw, but they went uncredited after disputes with Howard Hughes. "...in my more than ten years of critical examination of motion pictures, I have never seen anything quite so unacceptable as the shots of the breasts of the character of Rio...Throughout almost half the picture the girl's breasts, which are quite large and prominent, are shockingly emphasized..." - Joseph I. Breen (Director, Production Code Administration), March 1941. Sunday, July 17, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Vincent: A Life in Color
Vincent P. Falk and filmmaker Jennifer Burns in attendance! Yep, they're coming out from Chicago to be at the MOBS screening!
Named one of the Best Documentaries of 2010 by Roger Ebert. Vincent P. Falk is Fashion Man. Clad in brightly colored suits, Vincent twirls on Chicago's many bridges, performing fashion shows for passing tour boats. As he spins his way through the city, tourists and locals alike are left to wonder just who this strange man could be. Over the course of one boat season, we follow Vincent and begin to unravel the mystery that surrounds him. We discover that the man behind the fashion, having come through the travails of life, has decided to do what makes him happy. And so, he spins on. Sunday, July 24, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA A Bucket of Blood (1959) along with a beat-influenced cartoon!
"Let's talk about art..."
In a jumpin' java joint, filled to the brim with kooky beatniks, poets and hipsters, an artist wannabe discovers he has a talent for modern art...and murder. Dripping with blood and social satire, this film, according to Leonard Maltin, "nicely captures the spirit of the beatnik era" and zips along with vibes of counterculture creepiness. Walter (Dick Miller) is a busboy overly impressed with the cool cats who hang out at The Yellow Door coffeehouse, and he wonders how to become "hip." When he accidentally kills his landlady's pet cat, Walter panics and covers it with clay. His prayers are answered, and before he knows it he's the "cat's meow" of the art world. His talent develops and - surprise! - he can sculpt humans the same way too...
Sunday, July 31, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Dreams That Money Can Buy
In conjunction with Verge Center for the Arts! Liv Moe, Executive Director of Verge Center for the Arts will introduce the film. Surrealist painter and Dada film-theorist Hans Richter wrote, produced, and directed the experimental exercise "Dreams That Money Can Buy," one of the most significant contributions to the 20th-century "avant garde" movement. Combining short scenarios written by such world-renowned artists as Max Ernst, Marcel Duchamps, Man Ray, Alexander Calder and Fernand Leger, Richter came up with a full-color, feature-length study in dreamlike "wish fulfillment." The film's only nod to continuity is the presence of a self-styled heavenly psychiatrist, whose patients purportedly visualize the images which play across the screen. Its New York premiere was greeted with a mixture of bravos and bewilderment, especially when the projectionist elected to show the film on the wall and ceiling rather than the screen. At MOBS, we'll probably show it on the screen. Probably. 
Sunday, June 5, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Seventh Python
Director Burt Kearns and Producer Brett Hudson will be in attendance!
You may remember Brett Hudson from the 70s pop group, The Hudson Brothers, who also were the stars of the 1974-75 Saturday morning show, "The Razzle Dazzle Show" which was on CBS. A nonfiction musical feature film based on the life, work and unplanned career of musical satirist Neil Innes. "The Seventh Python" traces one man's winding path of whimsy as he flirts with destiny at the edge of fame with incredibly influential and unusually lasting work that keeps one foot each planted in the worlds of comedy and rock 'n' roll. From the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band to Monty Python's Flying Circus and The Rutles, to his Ego Warrior campaign and his insistence on wearing a plastic duck on his head, Neil Innes has proven to be the greatest musical comedy satirist of the past fifty years. Yes, Neil Innes wears a duck on his head and he refuses to be famous. And it is his stubborn, brave resistance to celebrity culture and consumerism that is at the heart of this film that one early reviewer has called "touching, hilarious and inventive!" Featuring John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Matt Groening, Emo Philips, and Aimee Mann. "Magical! Mysterious! Whimsical! Hysterical!" - Chicago Tribune "Without question one of the finest documentaries I've seen about Neil Innes so far this year!" - Weird Al Yankovic Sunday, June 12, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA My Heart is an Idiot
With FOUND Magazine's Davy Rothbart in attendance, along with director David Meiklejohn!!
"My Heart Is An Idiot" is a romantic documentary that spans two years and over a hundred cities. The film captures the road-tripping lifestyle of Davy Rothbart (FOUND Magazine, "This American Life," and frequent GQ contributor) who looks for love in all the right places, and in all the wrong ways. Climb in the van with Davy as he tours North America promoting his magazine FOUND, a virally popular and iconic printed collection of discarded notes and photographs. Along the way, Davy seeks advice on his tortured love life from people he meets (Zooey Deschanel, Ira Glass, Newt Gingrich, Davy’s mom, and others), and attempts to follow that advice, with comic and surprising results. The first feature-length film project from filmmaker David Meiklejohn, "My Heart Is An Idiot" weaves together multiple stories to illustrate the joys and dangers of romantic pursuit. Sunday, June 19, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Heavy Metal Picnic
On Father's Day, take your dad to MOBS!
Produced and presented by the team behind cult hit "Heavy Metal Parking Lot" (Jeff Krulik and John Heyn), "Heavy Metal Picnic" is a celebration of mid-80s Maryland rock and roll and heavy metal, by those who lived - and survived - it. The film focuses on the 1985 Full Moon Jamboree, a weekend field party bacchanal that took place at "The Farm," home to a cast of colorful characters who lived and partied alongside unamused neighbors in the McMansions of Potomac. The Full Moon Jamboree, an affair so raucous that it made the evening news, was the farm party to end all farm parties, and much of it was recorded using a home video camera and a stolen CBS News microphone swiped from the Reagan Inauguration earlier that year. Twenty-five years later, we revisit the scene and meet the people behind the party, as well as the musicians who performed there, including mid-Atlantic doom metal icons Asylum. We're also currently planning on screening Jeff and John's legendary cult short, "Heavy Metal Parking Lot!" Sunday, June 26, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Wheedle's Groove
"Wheedle's Groove" is a feature documentary about Seattle's long-lost soul and funk music scene of the 1960s and 70s. With commentary by Seattle notable music figures like Quincy Jones, Sir Mix-A-Lot, Mark Arm (Mudhoney), Ben Gibbard (Death Cab For Cutie), Ben Shepherd (Soundgarden), Kim Warnick (The Fastbacks) and Kenny G, and using interview footage, archival materials, original music, and live performances, the film paints a picture of a thriving and vibrant music scene centered around the city's small African-American population.
Due to a century of housing discrimination in Seattle, 1972 saw 80% of the city's black population living in a four square mile neighborhood called the Central District, or the C.D. Despite the neighborhood being a product of racism, black-owned businesses, black culture, and black music thrived in the C.D. Groups like Black on White Affair, The Soul Swingers, and Cold, Bold & Together played on the local black radio station KYAC and packed clubs every night of the week. Many of the groups started to receive widespread attention with invitations to perform on national television and to collaborate with mainstream acts. Many were given breaks by Seattle native Quincy Jones, who had become almost a messiah-like figure to local musicians. But just as many of the groups were on the verge of breaking out, the fickle public turned its ear from funk to disco, and Seattle's soul and funk scene slipped into obscurity. "The best documentary of 2010, 'Wheedle's Groove' is a moving cinematic testament to the pure power of music and not only a tribute to the Seattle soul music scene, but to a time in our nation's not-too-far-off past when it felt for a beautiful minute like America had soul." Michael Simmons, Huffington Post Sunday, May 1, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Quiet Earth
This New Zealand indie from 1985 features the great Bruno Lawrence as Zac, a scientist who awakes one day to find that all people have vanished from the face of the Earth due to a global experiment going awry. Zac's mind slowly deteriorates due to the solitude until he stumbles upon another survivor, Joanne (Alison Routledge), and later a Maori (Peter Smith) named Api. The three band together and slowly realize that the forces unleashed by the experiment are destined to happen again.
Sunday, May 8, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Honest Man: The Life of R. Budd Dwyer
With producer Matt Levie in attendance!
Robert "Budd" Dwyer was a loving husband, devoted father, and respected civil servant of the state of Pennsylvania. On January 22, 1987, he shot himself on television. "Honest Man," an independently produced feature-length documentary four years in the making, explores the bribery scandal that led an honest, hard-working man to take his own life. The film features exclusive new interviews with Dwyer's family, friends, and colleagues, including a candid, heartfelt interview with Dwyer's widow - her last before her death in 2009 - and a rare, revealing interview with William Smith, the man whose testimony convicted Dwyer. This portrait of a man swept up in the turbulent and cutthroat political world of the 1980s will undoubtedly raise important questions about Dwyer's presumed guilt. Produced and directed by James Dirschberger of Eighty-Four Films (which also produced the animated short Skinner's Hell Dream), "Honest Man" features a soundtrack by Sacramento's Chris Woodhouse. Sacramento artist Skinner also designed a poster for "Honest Man," which was available for sale and all proceeds were contributed to the R. Budd Dwyer Scholarship Fund. Sunday, May 15, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Special When Lit
A special screening timed with the Sacramento-area Pin-A-Go-Go convention! It's at the Dixon County Fairgrounds May 13-15, and all machines are set on Free Play! More info can be found at the Pin-A-Go-Go site! "Special When Lit" rediscovers the lure of a lost pop icon - pinball. This American invention made more money than Hollywood through the 50s and 60s. Its success swept the world making it the epitome of "cool." Today pinball is all but forgotten. This is the definitive story of the rise and fall of pinball as told by the fans, collectors, designers and champion players from across the globe. A game, a sport, a lifestyle - pinball takes this eclectic bunch of self-confessed "pinheads" back to their youth as they open up passionately to reveal the attractions of the 'world's funnest toy'. Now pinball is virtually nowhere. Kids don't even know what a pinball machine is. People stay home for their entertainment and kids hang out online, not at the arcade or corner store. The fate of pinball seems decided, yet there exists a passionate subculture keeping the dream alive. Whether it's down at their local bar for a game, or choosing which game to play from a basement collection, pinball is a reality trip to a universe in a box. The ball is wild and can't be controlled, but the challenge to tame it never stops. It's a world that's special when lit. Sunday, May 22, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Nasty Old People
This is Mette's story. Member of a neo-Nazi gang, her day job is to take care of four seniors that are waiting to die. Her life becomes a journey into a burlesque fairytale, where the rules of the game are created by Mette herself. Mette is indifferent about her way of life, until one night she assaults a man, kicking him senseless. Waking up the day after, she realizes that something is wrong, and accompanied by the seniors, she longs for respect and love. Together, they create a world of their own. A world you never knew existed. Written and directed by Hanna Skold. In Swedish with English subtitles. "Nasty Old People" is one of a handful of feature films created and released under a Creative Commons license (BY-NC-SA), allowing for sharing and remixing the film. The screening at MOBS has been sanctioned by writer/director Hanna Skold. Sunday, May 29, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Battle of El Alamein
On previous Memorial Day weekends, we've shown movies (and animation) with a variety of viewpoints on war - primarily, World War II. This year is no exception!
This 1969 Italian film was one of the most historically accurate portrayals of the 1942 North Africa tank battle wherein Rommel's Italian forces were essentially used as disposable shields by the Germans, and insertss a fictional story into a non-fictional setting. The plot concerns a front-line Italian infantry company enmeshed in the campaign, as well as the officers on all sides controlling the battle. And interestingly, the Italians are portrayed as more heroic, while the British (including Michael Rennie as Field Marshall Montgomery) are shown as more villainous. This low-budget film is notable for showing real military action better than most of it's Hollywood blockbuster counterparts, and throughout actually has a fairly strong anti-war message which is not obscured by the epic battle scenes. For the history buffs out there, we'll say right now that the main criticism of this film is the fact that the tanks used didn't exist in WWII, but beyond that, it is historically accurate even down to the Italian uniforms. Sunday, April 3 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Trial
Orson Welles' classic and renowned adaptation of Franz Kafka's novel!
Anthony Perkins stars as Josef K., a seemingly innocent young man who is arrested one morning for an unexplained crime by men who refuse to identify themselves. K., asserting his innocence, sets off on a bizarre series of confrontations with shady government agents, overwhelming faceless courtrooms, and pompous advocates who talk in riddles. His nightmare continues through narrow, dark passageways and colorless rooms where he witnesses various forms of torture and interrogation; some of what he comes upon has echoes of the Nazis and the Holocaust. And nearly everywhere he goes he stumbles over wads of paperwork (the kind that ultimately swallowed up Tuttle in Terry Gilliam's "Brazil, a fascinating descendant of "The Trial"). Perkins is wonderfully paranoid as he wanders aimlessly through the labyrinthine sets, which always seem to be closing in on him. Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Toyland
"Toyland" is the new documentary film that takes a never-before-seen look at a place where fun is born and competition is fierce: the $22 billion dollar toy business. Perform a song that sells a million copies and you're awarded a platinum record and the cover of Rolling Stone. Design a toy that sells 300 million copies and you're unknown... until now. Meet the people behind the biggest playthings in history including Slinky, Nerf, Play-Doh, Ant Farm, Lite Brite, Inch Worm, Mouse Trap, Twister, Toss Across, Kerplunk, Radio Flyer wagons and more.
Follow the ups and downs of game designer, Tim Walsh as he tries to take his own invention to market, with nerve-racking pitches to Hasbro, Spin Master Toys and others along the way. Will his idea light up the imagination of kids everywhere or never see the light of day? Welcome to Toyland. Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, April 17, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Return to Babylon
With Director Alex Monty Canawati in attendance for a Q&A!
Director Alex Monty Canawati's fast-paced, sexy and often bitingly funny look at 1920's Hollywood and the scandals that rocked the silent-movie era. Hand-cranked and scored by piano true to form, Maria Conchita Alonso, Jennifer Tilly, Debi Mazar, Ione Skye and Tippi Hedren light up the screen in this saucy silent film. "Return to Babylon" is an episodic film, stringing together the lives of scandalous Clara Bow (Jennifer Tilly), fiery Mexican film star Lupe Velez (Maria Conchita Alonso) and husband Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller, ill-fated Virginia Rappe (Ione Skye) and Fatty Arbuckle, Gloria Swanson (Debi Mazar), Ramon Navarro (Phillip Bloch), Josephine Baker (Rolonda Watts), Rudolph Valentino (Alex Monty Canawati) and a host of others. Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, April 24, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Easter Sunday School at MOBS
Break away from your Easter festivities for this very "special" night at MOBS! Vintage Christian scare films! Creepy Christian kids shows! Lots of religious video strangeness!! We're not giving away too much of what will be included right now, as we're still sorting through hours and hours and hours of this stuff. Please note: quality will vary (much of it will be from tape sources).
Advance Tickets Available Here Sunday, March 6 2011 8:00 PM Admission: $10.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Found Footage Festival
It's the return of the Found Footage Festival, along with Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher with an entirely new show of live comedy and insane found footage!!!
If you went the last time we showed this, you KNOW you have to come back. If you didn't - well, you don't know what you missed. Don't make that mistake again! Really... trust us on this one... The Found Footage Festival is a one-of-a-kind event that showcases footage from videos that were found at garage sales and thrift stores and in warehouses and dumpsters throughout the country. Curators Joe Pickett and Nick Prueher (whose credits include "The Colbert Report," "The Late Show with David Letterman" and The Onion) will host the screening in-person and provide their unique and hilarious observations and commentary on these found video obscurities. So yes - that means plenty of live comedy along with the found footage! From the curiously-produced industrial training video to the forsaken home movie donated to Goodwill, the Found Footage Festival resurrects these forgotten treasures and serves them up in a lively celebration of all things found. Each advance ticket has a 75 cent service charge for The Found Footage Festival. Seating is first come first served. No passes for this screening. Update- advance tickets are no longer available for this event, please purchase tickets at the door (cash only). Sunday, March 13, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Man with a Movie Camera (1929)
Perhaps the most dazzling and sophisticated film, not only of Soviet, but of world silent cinema. Director Dziga Vertov's experimental film grew out of his belief, shared by his editor, Elizaveta Svilova (who was also his wife), and his cinematographer, Mikhail Kaufman (also his brother), that the true goal of cinema should be to present life as it is lived. To that end, the filmmakers offer a day-in-the-life portrait of a city from dawn until dusk, though they actually shot their footage in several cities, including Moscow, Kiev, and Odessa. After an opening statement, there are no words in the film (neither voice-over nor titles), just dazzling imagery, kinetically edited - as a celebration of the modern city with a marked emphasis on its buildings and machinery. Considered a hallmark of cinema, and was one of the pivotal works to transcend the existing conventions of film making. "Man with a Movie Camera is like a wordless anthem for all cinephiles, directly targeting that je ne sais quoi that makes cinema so powerful." - Montreal Film Journal "It's a startlingly avant-garde cross-examination of modern life, as well as a lesson in the power of filmmaking and an autopsy of its methods." - TV Guide's Movie Guide Sunday, March 20, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA X: The Unheard Music
One of *the* great punk rock docs! Focuses specifically on the LA band X and packed with early live footage and interviews, all interspersed with pop culture references, including clips from commercials. With Brendan Mullen, Rodney Bingenheimer, Jello Biafra (briefly), and Ray Manzarek. Sunday, March 27, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Mars
A new space race is born between NASA and the ESA when Charlie Brownsville Duplass, director of "Cyrus" and star of "Humpday"), Hank Morrison (Paul Gordon), and Dr. Casey Cook (Zoe Simpson) compete against an artificially intelligent robot to find out what's up there on the red planet. MARS follows these three astronauts on the first manned mission to our galactic neighbor. On the way they face adventure, self doubts, obnoxious reporters, and the boredom of extended space travel.
MARS also features iconoclastic Texas humorist-musician-politico Kinky Friedman as the President of the United States, along with Giant Sand singer-songwriter Howe Gelb, comic book artist and rock-n-roller James Kochalka, Cynthia Watros ("Lost"), and Liza Weil ("Gilmore Girls"). This romantic comedy is told in the playful style of a graphic novel - using an animation process that director Geoff Marslett developed specifically for MARS. Underneath the silliness it is an exploration of exploration. Why do we want to know what's out there? How do we react when we find it? Is it really that important? And where does love fit into the whole thing? Sunday, February 6, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Man with a Movie Camera (1929) POSTPONED
This screening has been postponed. Sunday, February 13, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Make-Out with Violence
On Valentine's Day weekend, come to MOBS! At this time of the year, we like to choose "romantic" films that might make your date a little nervous about your ideas of romance. This year we'll be showing this thoughtful look into the relationship between two brothers and the girls they love. Except... one of the girls happens to be a zombie. And it's not a horror film (although there is a little bit of blood). A genre-bending tale of a boy trying to fulfill his unrequited love for a girl who has risen from the dead. Set against the backdrop of a summer of cicadas and melty milkshakes, the film blends elements of up-beat teenager melodrama with the strange gravity of classic coming of age stories. It tells the story of twin brothers Patrick and Carol Darling, newly graduated from high school and struggling to come to terms with the mysterious disappearance of their friend, the bright and beautiful Wendy Hearst. When a drive through the countryside surrounding their posh suburban community leads to the discovery of Wendy's mysteriously animated corpse, the boys secretly transport the zombie Wendy to an empty house in hopes of somehow bringing her back to life. As the sweltering summer pushes on, they must maintain the appearance of normalcy for their friends and family as they search for ways to revive the Wendy they once knew, or, failing that, to satisfy their own quests for love amongst the living and the dead. "A lyrical, surreal and deeply felt zombie movie that constantly subverts and rethinks the genre." - Jim Ridley, Village Voice "It's pretty damn good." - Scott Weinberg, Cinematical Sunday, February 20, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Dead Hooker in a Trunk
No one under 18 admitted without parent or guardian. Seriously.
February is Women in Horror Month, which celebrates, well, Women in Horror (and especially women horror filmmakers), and to honor this, we'll be showing this hit of the indie horror film circuit, made by super-swell and super-twisted identical twin sisters Jen and Sylvia Soska! And apparently we'll be premiering an all-new cut of the film! Make no mistake - this is violent and bloody (and fun - but it is very bloody). And ultra-low budget (with video and audio issues to match the budget). It also features Carlos Gallardo (El Mariachi), and amazingly has stunts by folks who have worked on major Hollywood releases such as Watchmen; Tron: Legacy; 2012; I, Robot; Fantastic Four; X-Men: The Last Stand; Elektra; The Day the Earth Stood Still and many more! Women in Horror Month also brilliantly ties in with a national blood drive, so we at MOBS urge you to donate blood during this month. Please visit Blood Source at BloodSource.org for information on how you can donate and help save lives. They take walk-ins, and will issue a receipt after donating. Bring that receipt to "Dead Hooker in a Trunk," and get a free concession item! Set in beautiful Vancouver, four friends set out on an everyday errand and end up in a fight for their lives when they discover the body of a dead hooker left in their trunk. Led by a sexy, impulsive Badass (Sylvia Soska), her distant Geek twin sister (Jen Soska), their bible thumping, Jesus loving Goody Two Shoes friend (CJ Wallis), and a chaotic, rockstar Junkie pal (Rikki Gagne), the group has to put aside their differences to dispose of the body before they're next. Thrown into their own personal purgatory, they face off against persistent police, a sleazy motel manager, chainsaw wielding triads, and a brutal serial killer. All the while they are followed by a mysterious Cowboy Pimp (John Tench) who wants to claim the corpse for his own. Will they uncover the truth behind the body and be able to stand up to their demons? Buckle up and get ready for the ride of your life filled with gun fights, extreme violence, blood, guts, gore, and goats! "Jen and Sylvia Soska have pretty much grabbed the indie horror film community by the collar and demanded admission to this boys club. Word to the wise: If I were you, I wouldn't argue with them. I've seen what they can do." - FanGirltastic "Occasionally you get someone who starts out in the realm of no-budget grindhouse-type fare but is too good for it. David Cronenberg was one. His young fellow Canadians Jen and Sylvia Soska ... may be two others. The end result [of Dead Hooker] is driftier and trippier than your typical wannabe-grindhouse fare. The movie is surprisingly meditative and becalmed at times; at other times, of course, blood splatters." - efilmcritic "You should check out the Soska Sisters, who made a film called 'Dead Hooker In A Trunk.' They made it low budget and it's awesome. It's really violent and the stunts are superb. They are two Canadian twin sisters who made a feature that they wrote, produced, directed, and starred in. And it's fantastic." - Eli Roth Also showing! The uncut, banned from YouTube trailer for the new, locally-produced, TFO Productions feature, Planet of the Vampire Women, produced by Christy Savage and Amy Slockbower! Sunday, February 27 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Steamboat Bill, Jr.
On February 27, 1850, Sacramento officially incorporated as a city. On the 161st anniversary of this event, we'll be showing the Buster Keaton classic which was filmed here!
William Burg from the Sacramento County Historical Society will be dropping by to speak following the film. 
Steamboat Bill, Jr. cost approximately $400,000, much of which was spent in Sacramento. The film employed over 1000 locals as extras (the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce provided the staff for the hiring of these extras), and the town featured in the film was built along the Sacramento River, employing local workers. All materials for the construction were also purchased locally. Keaton's production filled hotels (including the Senator) and restaurants, and all food service was also hired locally.
In Steamboat Bill Jr., Keaton plays Willie Canfield, the namby-pamby son of rough-and-tumble steamboat captain "Steamboat Bill" Canfield (Ernest Torrence). When he's not trying to make a man out of his boy, the captain is carrying on a feud with Tom Carter (Tom McGuire), the wealthy owner of a fancy new ferryboat. Carter has a pretty daughter, Mary King (Marion Byron), with whom Willie falls in love. The two younger folks try to patch up the feud, but this seems impossible once the captain is jailed for punching out Carter. Willie tries ineptly to bust his dad out of jail, only to wind up in the hospital while trying to escape the law. As Willie lies unconscious in bed, a huge cyclone hits town, knocking down tall buildings like kindling. Upon awakening, he does his best to remain standing as the winds buffet him about. He takes refuge in a tree, which is promptly uprooted and blown toward the waterfront. Here is where Willie proves his manhood -- and ends the feud between Steamboat Bill and Carter -- by rescuing practically everyone in the cast from a watery grave. Sunday, January 2, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Big Combo
One of the truly great film noir classics. "The Big Combo" was released in 1955 as noir was fading and straight-up police dramas were slowly replacing it, yet is an oft-referenced example of quintessential example of the style. This dark film is an unrelenting and tormented catalogue of savage violence, grotesquely black irony and dangerously obsessed sexuality. Police detective Leonard Diamond (Cornel Wilde) has two dangerous obsessions: he's on a reckless hell-bent crusade to bring down smooth and sadistic gangster Mr. Brown (Richard Conte) and wracked by insatiable desire for good-girl-gone-wrong Susan Lowell (Jean Wallace), Brown's captive lover. In mortal terror Susan is helpless to escape from the lust-filled nightmare of her life. Meanwhile Brown's lieutenant-in-crime, McClure (Brian Donlevy), plots with cruel hoods Fante (Lee Van Cleef) and Mingo (Earl Holliman) to overthrow their boss. In Brown's unforgiving world however defection and disloyalty are punishable by cruel and unusual death. Photographed by legendary master of sinister shadows John Alton ("I the Jury," "He Walked By Night," and "The Lady and the Monster"), "The Big Combo" was shocking for its time and hard-boiled Hollywood noir and was to blatantly influence Tarantino's "Reservoir Dogs."
Sunday, January 9, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The Last Lullaby
Price, a former hitman, is struggling to cope with retirement. He left the assassination business to live the "easy life." However, retirement arrived with its own agenda. It was not the instant peace and calm that Price expected. Rather, it was emptiness, boredom, and, worst of all, restlessness. "The Last Lullaby" plummets Price back into his old life and forces him into a corner from which he may never escape. Price's old ways no longer work for him when his heart opens, and he finds life beyond his profession. This finally comes to a head as Price must decide to close himself off again or open himself up to a world beyond his control. Quiet introspection mixed with bursts of violence build a naturalistic tension, all leading to the impressive final shot - one which you're not too likely to see in anything coming out of Hollywood!
Tom Sizemore ("Saving Private Ryan") and Sasha Alexander ("Navy NCIS," "Rizzoli and Isles," "He's Just Not That Into You") head the cast in this mystery-filled love story. Also featuring Bill Smitrovich ("Life Goes On," "Manhunter," "Independence Day"), Sprague Grayden ("Six Feet Under"), and Jerry Hardin (Deep Throat from "The X-Files"). Co-written by Max Allen Collins ("Road to Perdition"). Sunday, January 16, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA The 2010-2011 Media That Matters Short Film Fest
Once again, we're bringing the all new 2010-2011 edition of the Media That Matters Short Film Festival (we've run this annually changing fest of socially-conscious shorts each year since our first year). The fest is compiled by Arts Engine in New York, which incidentally been incredibly supportive of MOBS - see the Arts Engine quote on our website. The shorts are all made by student and independent filmmakers, and subjects covered in this year's fest include: health insurance abandonment; the lasting impact of the Sean Bell incident in New York City; wrongful imprisonment in Guantanamo; problems with bottled water; and much, much more.
Sunday, January 23, 2011 7:30 PM Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Dead End Drive-In
This Australian indie B flick from 1986 actually has a lot more to
offer than just trashy action. Set in the future of 1994 in a
globally unstable society, drive-ins are being used by the
Australian government as defacto concentration camps in which
the unemployed and undesirables are entrapped.
Mixing violence, sex, and cheesy 80's synth with social critiques about government control, racism and unemployment? Yep, they did it with this. And while much of it may appear dated, the messages are just as pertinent today as they were then. Not an intellectual film by any stretch of the imagination, but it's always been an interesting cult film due to the collision of fun trash and important social commentary. Thursday, January 27, 2011 7:00 PM Admission: $6.00 Crocker Members; $10 Non-members Movies on a Big Screen at The Crocker 216 O St, Sacramento, CA Hausu (House)
Unrated - Under 18 Requires Accompanying Parent or Guardian
How to describe Nobuhiko Obayashi's 1977 movie "House?" As a psychedelic ghost tale? A stream-of-consciousness bedtime story? An episode of Scooby Doo as directed by Dario Argento? Any of the above will do for this hallucinatory head trip about a schoolgirl who travels with six classmates to her ailing aunt's creaky country home, only to come face to face with evil spirits, bloodthirsty pianos, and a demonic housecat. Too absurd to be genuinely terrifying, yet too nightmarish to be merely comic, House seems like it was beamed to Earth from another planet. Or perhaps the mind of a child: the director fashioned the script after the eccentric musings of his eleven-year-old daughter, then employed all the tricks in his analog arsenal (mattes, animation, and collage) to make them a visually astonishing, raucous reality. Never before released in the United States, "House" is one of the most exciting genre discoveries in years.
Hosted and introduced by nationally-syndicated late night horror host, Cinema Insomnia's Mr. Lobo.
"That 'House' was made at all is a minor miracle. That it has returned, to critical acclaim and a new generation of fans, is a major miracle. Truly, this is some kind of wonderful. (Horrific, hilarious, disturbing but wonderful.)." - Austin Chronicle "Delirious, deranged, gonzo or just gone, baby, gone -- no single adjective or even a pileup does justice to 'House.'" - New York Times "It's not often that you'll see a movie and be speechless at what you've just experienced, realizing that you've seen something that is so crazy as to not only deny categorization but also give it a restraining order, but 'Hausu' does exactly that." - Chud.com Sunday, January 30, 2011 7:00 PM (note: NOT 7:30 PM) Admission: $5.00 Movies on a Big Screen at The Guild 2828 35th St, Sacramento, CA Scrappers
With co-director Ben Kolak in attendance for a Q&A.
Recently named by Roger Ebert as one of the 10 best documentaries of 2010!
"Scrappers" follows two Chicago families who make ends meet using brains, brawn, and battered pickup trucks. Shot in verite style, the film focuses on work: finding metals; raising children; understanding the city. The film questions popular notions of poverty, race relations, and recycling and examines dreams of personal self-sufficiency and urban sustainability. Arriving from Honduras, Oscar found scrapping more enriching than other occupations open to undocumented immigrants. He searches alleys 14 hours a day to support his undocumented wife and American-born son. Yet without a driver's license or insurance, Oscar's trucks break down or disappear to the impound lot. Police run-ins leave him conflicted over which might be the lesser of two evils, deportation or remaining trapped in the land of opportunity. Otis, age 73 and proud father of 12, learned scrapping over 40 years ago. With help from his third wife and her son, he searches out metal from appliances and garages, enabling them to escape a decrepit public housing project. Even in the face of slumlords and brain surgery, Otis' wisdom and hustle light the way towards stability. But when the financial collapse causes metal prices to plummet, he faces near insurmountable obstacles to starting over. Seasoned metal trader Mike explains the work of informal scrap laborers in a global context. "Scrappers" tackles the geography of a still-segregated city, the hidden lives of undocumented immigrants, and the complex economics of recycling through an examination of daily life. "We've heard a lot about how the economic collapse hit the middle class, but this film is an urgent reminder that it has been far worse for those who were barely holding on to begin with. The film also raises by implication topics like our mind-bogglingly wasteful society, Chicago's lame approach to recycling and the mixed signals given to people on the margins by the cops." - TimeOut Chicago "Goes beyond the novelty of the profession to tackle tough questions of race, work, public and private housing, and immigration. The film is a moving portrait of the precariousness of life and work at the bottom of the American economy in one of the country's wealthiest cities" - In These Times Magazine "This superior verite doc opens a wide window onto the world of scrap-metal scavengers ... and directors Ben Kolak, Brian Ashby, and Courtney Prokopas make the most of their subjects' humble heroism while resisting the temptation to sentimentalize them. Along the way they painlessly impart a whole lot of insight into the travails of undocumented immigrants, the persistence of segregation, and the workings of the globalized economy." - Chicago Reader |
