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By : Lou Collier
2 min read
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy • dir Peter Jackson • Coolidge Theater, 3/27
Weird Local Film Festival • Warehouse XI, 3/24
Lately I've regretted not being born in time to experience the all night theaters and grindhouses that were common until the 1980s, especially those around 42nd St in Times Square. A world where you can buy a ticket and slip into a theater for a whole day (or all night until morning) is a world I want to live in. I’ll be able to approximate that reality later this month when I attend the Lord of the Rings Trilogy at the Coolidge Theater, where it will be playing over 12 hours starting at 11AM. There’s a feeling around hour 7 of back to back movie watching that you’re beginning to lose your mind, and I’m really looking forward to it.
On the subject of long screenings/movies, I highly recommend Edward Yang’s 4 hour A Brighter Summer Day for home viewing. It’s an epic coming of age film about teenage gangs set in 1960s Taiwan, and it’s currently streaming on Criterion Channel. Masochistic moviefans might also attempt the 7.5 hour Sátántangó (also on Criterion) or the 13 hour Out 1 (free on Kanopy), though I’ve never been able to make it through either film.
Also this month, the Weird Local Film Festival is planning a return to in person screenings for the first time in over 2 years. Boston area filmmakers can submit 1 short under 10 minutes until March 10th, and there’s no entry fee. All styles of film are accepted, but there is definitely an emphasis on shorter, sillier, and lofi projects. You can learn more about submissions and previous screenings on the WLFF Facebook page.
* Originally published in-print in Boston Compass Newspaper #144 March 2022
Check out all the art and columns of March's Boston Compass at www.issuu.com/bostoncccompass