The 1920s saw a revolution in technology, the advent of the recording industry, that created the first class of African-American women to sing their way to fame and fortune. Blues divas such as Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, and Alberta Hunter created and promoted a working-class vision of blues life that provided an alternative to the Victorian gentility of middle-class manners. In their lives and music, blues women presented themselves as strong, independent women who lived hard lives and were unapologetic about their unconventional choices in clothes, recreational activities, and bed partners. Blues singers disseminated a Black feminism that celebrated emotional resilience and sexual pleasure, no matter the source.
This film features unreleased concert footage of Elvis Presley's afternoon performance at the 'Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show' held at the Fairgrounds in Tupelo, Mississippi on September 26, 1956. The professionally filmed black and white newsreel footage was synchronized with an amateur audio recording of the concert that had previously appeared on the 'Elvis Presley: A Golden Celebration' LP/CD box set.
A crew of heroes is determined to save the lost arts of Hip Hop. Break Dancing, Graffiti, MCing, and DJing from total extinction. The lost arts are being oppressed throughout inner-space by lord Ook and his evil minions the Chinheads. The dental commander Dr. Julio Azul DDS, assumed to be secretary Honey Drips, Dental Hygienist/Robot Rubbish, and Grandpa have a series of adventures, synch'd to the music. Armed with the ancient relic known as the Wave Twister (a small turntable/wristwatch, the only weapon powerful enough to defeat the enemies), they travel to the far ends of inner-space for a final confrontation with the sinister army of oppressors.
Strange Parallel is a documentary/short film revolving around the American singer/songwriter Elliott Smith. The film features interviews with Elliott himself as well as fans, friends and other acquaintances of his (including Gus Van Sant, Larry Crane, and the members of Quasi). The film also includes snippets of Elliott Smith performing as well as footage of him recording an unreleased song, "Brand New Game". The film sometimes moves out of reality, with acted-out, metaphorical sequences that involve Elliott considering purchasing a mechanical hand (a "robot hand" ) to improve his music.
Elissa Landi and Charley Chase host an East Asian themed garden tea party in Hollywood. After introducing a few Hollywood luminaries who are attending the party, they present a number of musical and/or dance performances to entertain the crowd. This set of performances also includes ethnic Chinese actress Anna May Wong modeling some fashions she brought back from her first ever trip to China. Through it all, one of the guests, already inebriated, is having a few problems mixing and serving the cocktails he wants.
About the English musician, composer, record producer, singer, writer, and visual artist, Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, made shortly after his departure from Roxy Music. Featuring the recording sessions for Eno's record "Here Come the Warm Jets". A long lost documentary.
Love never sounded so good, until Corey must decide between two love interests and whether he wants to give up the joys of the single life.
Despertar is the visual narration of a woman's dream. Her body, imaginary landscape, undergoes symbolic metamorphoses as her dream goes on, calling up the origins of life and the elements that compose it. Her inner awakening, led by her instincts, appears as a struggle between opposed forces, those of destruction and those of rebirth.
A former straight-edge musician tries to reconnect with a former love interest, a groupie for the band he broke up.
Fractured account of a boy who breaks free from his miserable life after meeting a mysterious girl who lives in the wall, all set to the entirety of Ravel's 'Bolero'.
Musical short.
A triple-flashback visual poem to music.
A man and a woman have an awkward encounter at an indoor playground.
Bernie Cates requests the services of the most absent-minded waiter he's ever seen, who pours water before setting the glasses, endlessly repeats questions, brings wrong orders, and ruins everything- but the bill.
A man's car breaks down, leading him to journey for a small plastic funnel.
This silent French film begins with Georges feeling miserable, as he has ambitions of being a great musician but is forced to eke out a living giving lessons. So, he writes a friend to ask his advice. The friend tries to remake Georges and make him a bit of a playboy. However, when it comes to wooing a rich American, the advice is not exactly perfect.
A man awakes to find himself trapped in a dirty, confined crawlspace. He barely has enough room to move. He also has no memory of why he's there, or why he's bleeding from a stomach wound. Apparently drugged, he occasionally 'zones out' of his surroundings as he tries to edge towards his way to freedom. But the more he explores, the more pain he has to endure, and the more frightening his predicament becomes.
Two couples, in the same room, try to keep it together. The human couple fare differently to the pair of Goldfish in their fish tank. An artful piece exploring choice in life and love. The humour is derived from the wistful musings, in Cantonese, of the male fish and narrator.
Two hunters discover a dead young woman in a cabin in the woods.One of them being the sheriff, he proceeds to press the wealthy owner for an explanation. At first it looks like his son has killed his unfaithful wife, but the wife's lover and the family butler are acting suspiciously enough to be followed.
Ill-tempered Billy proves troublesome for fellow taxi drivers Franklin and Clyde.