Monday Movies:
Black Moon

Monday June 29
(One Night Only, July 1 screening cancelled due to awesome show)
Admission: Free, $5 minimum
Showtime: 11pm

This film is not available on DVD. We showed it last month as one of four simultaneous films during our Whole Hog Dinner — soley because of the "naked children chasing a pig" scene. This month you can see it on its own, on four screens, with its own soundtrack; a very rare screening.

In Louis Malle's apocalyptic fantasy Black Moon (1975), Lily (Cathryn Harrison, granddaughter of Rex) drives down a lonesome road, and soon finds herself in a alternate world full of non sequiturs and bizarre characters. At times, this looks like a David Lynch film, what with an old woman conversing with a rat, a pack of naked children chasing a pig, a talking unicorn, a strange set of possibly incestuous siblings (one of whom is "underground" film star Joe Dallesandro), and several other warped set pieces. Malle reportedly culled inspiration for the narrative of this film from his own dreams.
—— Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide



It's telling how reviews of these "Lynchian" films from the 70s are always somewhat baffled and hedge their criticism in that wonder. Or is it that our American Film Critics, our Cahiers du Cinema, lacked the imagination or creativity to see these narratives beyond the easy lens of their moment — like Vincent Canby's reivew in the New York Times? Either way, there's no denying the beauty of Sven Nykvist's (Bergman, Woody Allen) cinematography. Yes, baffling and beautiful. What more could you want?