The Alloy Orchestra, a three-man musical ensemble, will accompany three silent film programs with its innovative mix of sound effects and sweeping melodies.
Whether you want to introduce children to classic film, other cultures or just the fun of going to the movies, the IthaKid Film Festival has something to offer to everyone. Cornell Cinema presents five films that are both suitable for children and entertaining for adults. All are in Willard Straight Theatre and are open to the public. All are on Saturdays at 2 p.m.; some have additional screenings.
The IthaKid series formally begins Saturday, Nov. 6, with "Tom's Midnight Garden," an adaptation of Philippa Pearce's novel. A critic from the Mill Valley Film Festival described it as a "charming family film filled with the wonder and innocence of childhood lost and found." It is recommended for children ages 6 and older.
Parents who want their children to experience the magic of silent film can take them to see "Masters of Slapstick" Nov. 13. That film, which also is intended for adults, is part of a silent film grouping accompanied by the Alloy Orchestra, a wildly innovative three-man musical ensemble that keeps up with the film's comic acrobatics with banging, clanging scores that kids of all ages will love. The film is recommended for children ages 6 and older. See below for more on the series and the Alloy Orchestra.
"Children of Heaven" is in the tradition of Iranian films whose lyrical stories of childhood reveal the economic and social conditions of life in contemporary Iran. In the film, "Life is sweet, despite countless hardships," a New York Times critic noted. The film will be shown Nov. 20 at 2 and 5 p.m. and is recommended for children ages 7 and older.
"The Iron Giant" is an overlooked recent masterpiece, beautifully animated and starring the voices of Eli Marienthal, Harry Connick Jr. and Jennifer Aniston. The film was adapted from the children's book of the same name by British poet laureate Ted Hughes and both entertains and teaches, with a valuable message against xenophobia. It will be shown Dec. 4, at both 2 and 5 p.m., as well as Sunday, Dec. 5, at 4:30 p.m. and Monday, Dec. 6, at 9:40 p.m. It is recommended for children ages 6 and older.
The IthaKid series concludes Dec. 11, with "The Nightmare Before Christmas," an animated feature that has become a new holiday classic. Director Tim Burton and 120 animators used the laborious stop-motion process to create this two-year project: one minute of film took a week to shoot. This film is a little too dark for the youngest viewers but is recommended for children ages 7 and older, who will love its humor.
In a silent film grouping for adults Nov. 12 and 13, the Alloy Orchestra will accompany three film programs in Willard Straight Theatre. Using everything from synthesizers and drums to horseshoes, air-conditioner ducts and bedpans, the Cambridge-based musical group brings new life to classics that are often overlooked by today's film audiences.
In addition to its IthaKid "Masters of Slapstick" 2 p.m. performance on Nov. 13, the orchestra will accompany the Sergei Eisenstein film "Strike" Nov. 12 at 7:15 p.m. The story of an unsuccessful labor strike that helped to bring about the Russian Revolution was one of the most innovative films of its era. When the film was first shown accompanied by Alloy's score at the Telluride Film Festival in 1998, the event became the hot ticket of the festival. The Cornell screening is co-sponsored with the Cornell Organization for Labor Action (COLA) and will be introduced by Jefferson Cowie, visiting assistant professor at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
The futuristic music of the orchestra finds its perfect mate in Fritz Lang's "Metropolis," shown Nov. 13 at 7:15 p.m. Featuring spectacular sets and a wildly imaginative plot, the film is set in an ultramodern city where workers toil in an underground factory as the ruling class frolics above. To accompany this fabulous piece of art deco sci-fi, the orchestra uses an exotic combination of drums, gongs, chimes and melody, creating a soundtrack as otherworldly and passionate as the film itself.
The Alloy Orchestra's visit to Cornell Cinema is co-sponsored by the Department of Theatre, Film and Dance and Ithaca College's Department of Cinema and Photography, with assistance by the Cornell Concert Series.
Admission for most IthaKid matinees is $1.50 for children 12 and under, $2 for adults. Tickets for the evening performances of the silent films "Strike" and Metropolis" with the Alloy Orchestra are $10 for the general public and $7 for students and seniors. Special passes for all three Silent Film series/Alloy Orchestra performances are $20 for adults and $15 for students and may be purchased at the Willard Straight box office, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, noon to 5 p.m.
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