We’re Off to See (The Wizard) Federico…
Friday, April 2nd, 2010© A.J. Malouin 2010
As I recall, back in the old-fangled days of network TV, Easter weekend was the time for viewing “The Wizard of Oz.” That was then. This weekend, the Historic Redford Theatre (located in Redford, Michigan, USA) thinks it’s a good time to screen “Spartacus.” We, however, are headed off in a different direction.
Late Saturday afternoon, the movie club known as “A.J.’s Movies@ Gayle’s Chocolates” — a.k.a. The “In-Bruges” Film Club — is headed partially en masse to a screening of Federico Fellini’s “8 1/2.” Shown at the Detroit Film Theatre, the film will be introduced by Elliot Wilhelm, curator of the DFT.
“8 1/2” stars Marcello Mastroianni, Claudia Cardinale, Anouk Aimée, Sandra Milo, Rossella Falk, and Barbara Steele. Mastroianni is Guido Anselmi, a film director just coming off a hugely successful movie. He is in the midst of trying to hold his world together and, at the same time, put together his next big hit. Everyone is dying to know what the subject of that film will be — and that includes the director himself.
This fabulous, legendary, and fascinating film was the inspiration for the more recent turgid goop named “Nine.”
No turgidity tomorrow, however! Released on 25 June 1963 in the USA, “81/2” is as fresh, daring, witty, and provocative this Easter weekend as it was on that early summer afternoon nearly 47 years ago.
“8 1/2” is the film under discussion during the April gathering of “A.J.’s Movies @ Gayle’s Chocolates” later this month. Tomorrow, it’s the subject of the Club’s first road-trip of the year. (Meanwhile, in a small cavern in Indianapolis, Indiana, the Michigan State Spartans will be tipping off to thump Butler University.)