The Story

W. Frank Brinton and wife, Indiana on the right

The original avid film collector was an Iowan. Washington County native W. Frank Brinton was a known eccentric, inventor and more in likely the inventor of something like a traveling film festival.  From 1895 until 1910 Brinton and wife, Indiana showcased short silent films across the Midwest and Texas. Taken from production companies such as Lumiere (including Georges Melies), Edison and many others, early film goers were treated to scenes from India or Egypt, pre-Chaplin comedies and for those weren't scared of clowns, a man dressing up as one.

After 70 years in Brinton's executor's basement, Iowa historian and archivist Mike Zahs made an impulse purchase with a box labelled "Brinton crap." Contained was sixteen tins of 35mm cellulose nitrate (labelled "explosive") in sad shape as well as magic lantern slides, ticket stubs, posters, etc. Although eventually preserved into 16mm and becoming less flammable, the currently in process-digitized collection is now in the safe hands here at the University of Iowa's Special Collections next to cool Gene Wilder papers and "Peyton Place" scripts. 

Tonight, Tonight

Mike Zahs (so sorry about the pixelation!)

Naturally, Zahs and that majestic beard of his was in Iowa City tonight. Although choosing shorts as the hour-long event went along, the contemporary moviegoer saw...

Elephants (including the interactive moment with getting sprayed by water by the master of ceremonies....)
Camel Market
On the Farm (1902)
Iowa? (1901)
Sydney the Clown (1905)
Pullman Car (1900)
The Matrimonial Ceremony (1906)
At the Dentist (1907)
Mashing a Jersey Mosquito
The Good Story
All on Account of Eliza

All of these were to the tune of the Red Cedar Chamber Music, either adapted from popular music of the time or by the original orchestrator, Harvey Solberger. A guitar string broke and Mr. Zahs saved the moment by being a walking Brinton encyclopedia. There was a kazoo! A fight with a dummy pre-Tom Conway fighting with a stuffed cat in Cat People (1942)! Jump cuts between two men of the clergy giggling like little girls! A child, even giggled during the comedy shorts which is definitely a good sign for film history in the next 30 years. It was a magical night. (Including B shoving her face full of fried risotto corn balls at the reception, but that's a different story....)

"Saving Brinton"

The exclusive thing about tonight (besides the fried risotto corn balls...) was the reason why a film crew was lurking around Shambaugh Auditorium. Cofounder of the local art house theater FilmScene and Copartner of Northland Films, Andrew Sherburne along with Tommy Haines and John Richard are in the process of documenting Zahs and his awesome nerdiness about the Brinton silent films. To describe "Saving Brinton," Sherburne explains that "it is a film about film" where "the past is a constant presence." 

Although clearly still filming, Sherburne and crew pulled together a 3 minute trailer that was full of that majestic beard on his movie tours much like the original Brinton ones. The icing on top of a huge movie nerd's cake was Zahs's room at his home that was devoted to all of these artifacts as well as his fantastic sense of humor and overall enthusiasm for this project. I expect a future screening at FilmScene!

(Thank you, IowaNow, for the supplementaries!)

Ages and Ages made their grand return to Iowa City after opening for Lake Street Dive back in March and like before, they were totally, utterly, and completely magical! I'm already pumped for their next return! Dana T wasn't too bad either. And as a challenge by the guitarist, Annie, I will post here the review I wrote for Divisionary (which another write up can be found here) **edit** nope, can't. I guess I can't access my old K**I account on wordpress.

 

 

 

 



 



Dana T. and his band





Dana T.



From right to left: Becca Schultz, Annie Bethancourt, Tim Perry, Sarah Riddle, Rob Oberdorfer and Levi Cecil on drums

Bandleader Tim Berry

Guitarist Annie Bethancourt



Sarah Riddle

 

There's an unfortunate truth when it comes to one of the most magical times of the year; those who get a paycheck higher than 150 dollars who "truly" enjoy Mission Creek Festival with a silver pass that costs my average paycheck (if I'm lucky). Magically, I think I had kind of a fun time...

Day One: Tuesday, April 1

 

5:00 Kat McDowell at Filmscene's Mission Creek Happy Hour

 

7:00 Energy Boost in form of a bottle of Fuze at Bread Garden

 

8:00 Doors Open at Gabe's for Warpaint

 

9:00 Annalibera (or as I call them, Metric Jr.) on stage at Gabe's

 

10:00 Alex Body on stage being awesome as always! My legs were vibrating, yo.

 

11:00 WARPAINT!!!!

 

Left around 12:30, too many people invading my bubble.

 

Day Two: Wednesday, April 2

 

5:00 Tom Northnagle at Filmscene's Happy Hour

 

5:45 Serendipitous chance meeting with a lovely electronic musician in town for Philip Glass. #WomanCrushWednesday was never more appropriate!

 

Margaret...

 

 

 

6:20 Kembrew McLeod Reading, another localite to be obsessed with because the following is his fault.

 

 

7:00 KRUI Pizza Party at The Mill where B shoves as many types of pizza into her stomach, including a strange spicy and hummus-y based pizza that was too much for her.

 

8:00 John June Year before covering my favorite Monkees song ("Not Your Steppin' Stone")

 

8:00 Sleepy Kitty

 

 

9:00 The Olympics on stage. Wasn't really my kind of music but stayed halfway through.

 

Day 3: Thursday, April 3

 

5:00 River Glen at Filmscene's Happy Hour

 

6:15 Strapping on a white shirt and a somewhat friendly face hoping that I won't make anyone cry aka. ushering at The Englert

 

7:30 Holy electronic ambience, Oneohtrix Point Never! Too bad people left during you and never came back... not even to come back for Mr. Glass!

 

8:00 Philip Glass. *cue angel sounds*

 

Day 4: Friday, April 4

 

2:00 My Friday Tradition, although not Mission Creek-induced, with Iowa Public Radio's Java Blend

 Dylan Sires and The Neighbors

 

4:00 Alexis Stevens and Brian Johannesen at in-store concert in Record Collector

 

5:00 The infamous lit crawl at Filmscene...

 

 

6:00 ... and a little time at Revival with one of my home-skillets

 

6:15 Time to Usher...

 

8:00 Basia Bulat on stage at The Englert

 

9:00 The Head and the Heart and I name this picture: Tall Peeps be tall

 

3:00 AM, finally passed out with one hand in a bag of mini Cadbury eggs and blissed out on Grimm. It's a hard life.

 

Saturday: April 5

 

1:00 Downtown to sedate myself with Bread Garden coffee for this girl does not trust herself at the Lit Fair. Must... stay... calm.

 

1:30-3:00 Iowa City Book and Lit Fair. Had a few awkward moments and things that I just don't want to talk about right now but after 12 ounces of an iced soy caramel latte and 10 dollar spent on a book from Rescue Press... oh hey, Rescue Press...

 

 

... as I was saying. After coffee, 10 dollars and feeling a little emotionally invaded, it was better than last year.

 

3:20 My favorite part, Mission Boutique! Free little 25 minute pop up concerts/readings in/around stores downtown.

 

Golden Birds at Catherine's

 

4:00 Tim Denevi at RSVP reading an AMAZING essay on the historical Jesus. Can someone get me this essay? Please?

 

And after a half hour of hoping for 5 DOLLAR purses at Mayfair (boo!), taking DVDs back to the library, and a quick CVS run, thus ends my Mission Creek week since the buses don't run on Sundays.

 

But I think this home-made goulash (which was finally done by 10 pm but so worth it!)...

...concluded a magical and exhausting week. I'm still recuperating!



I yearn for fall.

 

I yearn for "a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils" (name the movie reference; I buy you a cookie)

 

I yearn for....

THIIIIISSSS!

 

*geekgasm relief*

 

 

Donkeyboy's Back with some Sexy...back.

You know you're the coolest band in Norway when you get to number 2 on the charts just a few hours *after* it's release. And that's what Triggerfinger, with the assistance of Canadian songstress Kiesza, did for Donkeyboy. It's no lie this song is Donkeyboy is getting their sexyback where "Ambtiions" was Europop goodness, "Silver Moon" was synth-y and dance club-ready. If this single is any indication of what's to come on their next album, let's all hope for some synth-y sexy bedroom R&B.



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Personally suggested for the Iowa City Public Library to buy.

And all the 90s kids rejoiced and sang jubilance.

Binge-Watchable TV: Sundays and Suspense

 

Not Netflix, not Hulu; I like to kick my binge-watching slightly old school. Rhyme unintended, really. But with Fall comes the most binge-able season of the year for the classic movie junkie: October's Turner Classic Horror Marathon. But this month is almost like a warm Fridays in October. Ever wanted to watch every single movie Hitchcock ever made including some of his silents and exports from England? Spend Sunays with Hitch. I am and I'm not apologizing for it. Hashtag: better than Twilight.

 

* = ones I've seen already

 

September 15:

CST 10:15 The Trouble with Harry (1955)

12:15 Family Plot (1976)

2:30 The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956)

4:45 Vertigo (1958)

7:00 Rear Window (1954) *

9:00 To Catch a Thief (1955)

11:00 The Farmer's Wife (1928)

 

September 22:

CST 9:00 The Skin Game (1931)

10:30 Lifeboat (1944)

12:15 The Lady Vanishes (1938)

2:15 Topaz (1969)

4:45 Torn Curtain (1966)

7:00 The 39 Steps (1935)

8:30 Sabotage (1936)

10:00 The Dick Cavett Show: Alfred Hitchcock (1972)

11:15 The Manxman (1929)

 

September 29:

CST 9:00 Rich and Strange (1932)

11:00 Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941)

1:00 Suspicion (1941)

3:00 Strangers on a Train (1951)

5:00 Dial M for Murder (1954) *

7:00 Rebecca (1941) *

9:15 Notorious (1946) *

 

And Now a Song for the Pessimistic....

Margaret Berger knows how to make us dance and happy; but lately with the symphonic electropop that also includes her Eurovision entry  "I Feed You My Love" you have to wonder if she forgot to take her anti-depressants. Armed with the same songwriters from the unfortunate 6th runner up song, there's something curious about "Human Race" that would probably make someone not want to like it right away but much like Lady Gaga's "Applause" it would take a few listens to really fall in love with it. And who doesn't love a Margaret Berger song? Berger's album "Chastisement" is rumoured to come out sometime in November!!!!!

 

 

Bench Art, or, the Reapers are in Iowa City.

 #Grimm #Grimmsterfanneedsanewhobby

#Grimmwithdrawalsyndrome

Sleigh Bells Sex it Up

After splintering my face off live last year; Alexis Krauss and Derek Miller clearly weren't done with blowing people's minds with loud noise pop. "Bitter Rivals" as their first single to the same titled album comes out October 8 with the Sleigh Bells experiments they like to do. First with experimenting in "Reign of Terror" with drums, "Bitter Rivals" will be more focused on melody. And if the single is any indicator of the album, I'm definitely interested in seeing how many times a day I have to listen to a song to like it. But I'm a loyal fan and will hope to hear more once October rolls around and watch Alexis get sexy in a boxing outfit in the new video until then. And that kid with the glasses is my new favorite person.

 

 

Britpop's New Pixie: Chloe Howl

 

 

 

Lilly Allen is all about the quirk; Kate Nash is all about making you feel like a '90s Riot Grrl in a retro dress but Chloe Howl makes you feel human. Personally for me she does that and then stuns me with her beautiful pixie-ness.... and her freckles. But enough of me girl-crushing all over her. The "Rumour" songstress has a new song under her belt and its seething with intelligent Britpop with a touch of synth. "How Proud" sounds very different from the pop-tarty "Rumour," with polished snythpop and the attacking lyrics "So don't bother showing me those lines that are tattooed on your lips/I know you're on the clock for sure, I know the way you tick."