More and more i realize that I am not interested in mainstream cinema: i haven't seen Avatar, Alice by Burton and pretty much all other new Hollywood movies. I missed the whole 3D thing. Marginal cinema looks much more apealling. This made me research into Japanese pink eiga of 60-70's, into B- and Z-movies, Troma, experimental and avant garde cinema from 20-30's on and old rarely seen Russian movies with strong socialist/patriotic agenda.
I must admit i love patriotic movies especially those glorifying working class and honest proud individuals. Plan 9, besides all other aspects that have been criticed and admired number of times, is deeply patriotic. I was in a good way entertained by the characters of the inspector, pilot, colonel, army general and such holding pathetic, flaming speeches.
For the very same reason i love all movies from the Godzilla series with all their patriotism, didacticism and cultural references. In many j-horror movies the plight is initiated by desecrated altars, unjust treatment and wrongly offended souls. I will elaborate on it later.
This is one of the cutest Z-movies from 1959. After having been reviewed as the "worst film ever made" and referensed in popular culture for 50+ years, it became cult. The great cast includes Bela Lugosi and Maila Nurmi.
This was a wonderfull screening of 16 mm films organized by Kenny Curwood. Live music was played by Ian M. Colletti.
Featured filmmakers were Sarah Halpern, Marie Losier, Bradley Eros, Martha Colburn, Shona Masarin, Margaret Rorison, Katherine Bauer, Steve Cossman, Molly Surno, Stephanie Wuertz, Rachel Blackwell/Miguel Drake-McLaughlin, Joshua Lewis.
Exegi monumentum aere perennius
Regalique situ pyramidum altius,
Quod non imber edax, non aquilo impotens
Possit diruere aut innumerabilis
Annorum series et fuga temporum.
Non omnis moriar multaque pars mei
Vitabit Libitinam: usque ego postera
Crescam laude recens, dum Capitolium
Scandet cum tacita virgine pontifex:
Dicar, qua violens obstrepit Aufidus
Et qua pauper aquae Daunus agrestium
Regnavit populorum, ex humili potens
Princeps Aeolium carmen ad Italos
Deduxisse modos. Sume superbiam
Quaesitam meritis et mihi Delphica
Lauro cinge volens, Melpomene, comam.
http://www.proza.ru/2010/07/19/191
Heathcote William Garrod, comp. (1878–1960). The Oxford Book of Latin Verse. 1912.
Attis by Caius Valerius Catullus (84? B.C.–54? B.C.)
SVPER alta uectus Attis celeri rate maria,
Phrygium ut nemus citato cupide pede tetigit,
adiitque opaca siluis redimita loca deae,
stimulatus ibi furenti rabie, uagus animis,
deuolsit ilei acuto sibi pondera silice. 5
itaque ut relicta sensit sibi membra sine uiro,
etiam recente terrae sola sanguine maculans,
niueis citata cepit manibus leue typanum,
typanum tuom, Cybelle, tua, mater, initia,
quatiensque terga taurei teneris caua digitis, 10
canere haec suis adorta est tremebunda comitibus:
agite ite ad alta, Gallae, Cybeles nemora simul,
simul ite, Dindimenae dominae uaga pecora,
aliena quae petentes uelut exules loca,
sectam meam exsecutae duce me mihi comites, 15
rapidum salum tulistis truculentaque pelagi,
et corpus euirastis Veneris nimio odio;
hilarate Erae citiatis erroribus animum.
mora tarda mente cedat: simul ite, sequimini
Phrygiam ad domum Cybelles, Phrygia ad nemora deae, 20
ubi cymbalum sonat uox, ubi tympana reboant,
tibicen ubi canit Phryx curuo gaue calamo,
ubi capita Maenades ui iaciunt hederigerae,
ubi sacra sancta acutis ululatibus agitant,
ubi sueuit illa diuae uolitare uaga cohors, 25
quo nos decet citatis celerare tripudiis.
simul haec comitibus Attis cecinit notha mulier,
thiasus repente linguis trepidantibus ululat,
leue tympanum remugit, caua cymbala recrepant,
Uiridem citus adit Idam properante pede chorus. 30
furibunda simul anhelans uaga uadit animam agens
comitata tympano Attis per opaca nemora dux,
ueluti iuuenca uitans onus indomita iugi:
rapidae ducem secuntur Gallae properipedem.
itaque, ut domum Cybelles tetigere lassulae, 35
nimio e labore somnum capiunt sine Cerere.
piger his labante languore oculos sopor operit:
abit in quiete molli rabidus furor animi.
sed ubi oris aurei Sol radiantibus oculis
lustrauit aethera album, sola dura, mare ferum, 40
pepulitque noctis umbras uegetis sonipedibus,
ibi Somnus excitum Attin fugiens citus abiit:
trepidante eum recepit dea Pasithea sinu.
ita de quiete molli rapida sine rabie
simul ipse pectore Attis sua facta recoluit, 45
liquidaque mente uidit sine queis ubique foret,
animo aestuante rusum reditum ad uada tetulit.
ibi maria uasta uisens lacrimantibus oculis,
patriam allocuta maestast ita uoce miseriter:
‘patria o mei creatrix, patria o mea genetrix, 50
ego quam miser reliquens, dominos ut herifugae
famuli solent, ad Idae tetuli nemora pedem,
ut aput niuem et ferarum gelida stabula forem,
et aprum uias adirem, furibunda latibula,
ubinam aut quibus locis te positam, patria, reor? 55
cupit ipsa pupula ad te sibi dirigere aciem,
rabie fera carens dum breue tempus animus est.
egone a mea remota haec ferar in nemora domo?
patria, bonis amicis, genitoribus abero?
abero foro, palestra, stadio et gymnasiis? 60
miser a miser, querendum est etiam atque etiam, anime.
quod enim genus figuraest, ego non quod obierim?
ego enim uir, ego adolescens, ego ephebus, ego puer,
ego guminasei fui flos, ego eram decus olei:
mihi ianuae frequentes, mihi limina tepida, 65
mihi floridis corollis redimita domus erat,
linquendum ubi esset orto mihi sole cubiculum.
ego nunc deum ministra et Cybeles famula ferar?
ego Maenas, ego mei pars, ego uir sterilis ero?
ego uiridis algida Idae niue amicta loca colam? 70
ego uitam agam sub altis Phrygiae columinibus,
ubi cerua siluicultrix, ubi aper nemoriuagus?
iam iam dolet quod egi, iam iamque paenitet.’
roseis ut huic labellis sonitus citus abiit,
geminas deorum ad auris noua nuntia referens, 75
ibi iuncta iuga resoluens Cybele leonibus
laeuumque pecoris hostem stimulans ita loquitur:
‘agedum’ inquit ‘age ferox i, face ut hunc furor agitet,
face uti furoris ictu reditum in nemora ferat,
mea libere nimis qui fugere imperia cupit. 80
age caede terga cauda, tua uerbera patere,
face cuncta mugienti fremitu loca retonent,
ruitlam ferox torosa ceruice quate iubam.’
ait haec minax Cybelle religatque iuga manu.
ferus ipse sese adhortans rapidum incitat animo, 85
uadit, fremit, refringit uirgulta pede uago.
at ubi umida albicantis loca litoris adiit,
tenerumque uidit Attin prope marmora pelagei,
facit impetum: ille demens fugit in nemora fera:
ibi semper omne uitae spatium famula fuit. 90
dea, magna dea, Cybelle, dea, domina Dindimei,
procul a mea tuos sit furor omnis, hera, domo:
alios age incitatos, alios age rabidos.
