Mission Mission

This beauty awaits you on 16th and Guerrero. Now all you need is a ManBearPig suit and you can put the finishing touches on your “the Shining” themed guest room.

(via MrEricSir)

Oddball Films is screening two documentaries this Friday 1/15 on the original graffiti/hip hop/break dancing scene in NY in the early ’80s: Style Wars and the uber rare Electric Boogie. More info here and check out the trailer after the jump.

Guest Curator Pete Gowdy and Oddball Films present two cult documentaries focused on the emerging Hip Hop culture in New York. “Style Wars” (1982) has reached near legendary status for its documentation of the exploding sub culture of Hip Hop, and it’s a great film to boot- winning the Grand Prize for best documentary at the 1984 Sundance Film Festival.  “Electric Boogie” (1983) is the rarely screened and virtually unavailable film about four young friends who break dance their way through the South Bronx.  Plus, the anti-vandalism short “Graffiti”, hosted by a post-Capt. James T. Kirk/pre-Sgt. T.J. Hooker William Shatner.

Ah, the ’80s: when wearing pastels and tight jeans was considered tough. When rap songs described in clear, concise english how you were supposed to dance to them. When holding a boom box over your shoulder was the iPod. What a time!

Best of all, Pete has kindly offered a pair of tickets for you and yours! How do you get them? Post a comment with your mission breakdancing name and leave a real email address. Best one takes them after an almost completely arbitrary judging process!

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Hidden Host knows cinema:

Link.

Don’t worry, we’re definitely just kidding around.

(YouTube)

Wow!  A week or so ago, I made jokey reference to replacing the frogs in Mission Mission’s header.  In response, reader Pat sends in a suggestion:

Random!!  I read that you guys were wanting a new mascot to replace the 2 frogs in the header.  I keep Cartoon Brew in my RSS reader right below Mission Mission.  Today they posted about Mish Mish:

He’s public domain by now.  In case you want some crudely animated antique egyptian propaganda, that’s as far as I can possibly think of from having anything to do with the Mission.

Mish Mish!  Things get pretty trippy around the 3:30 mark.

Thanks very much for the suggestion, Pat, but I really don’t want to alienate any more of our Egyptian readers.  It’ll have to be a no on Mish Mish for mascot.

Sigh.  I suppose that pair of  simultaneously-farting frogs will have to stay.

This morning, MM had the distinct pleasure of receiving a note from Oren Jacob, Pixar CTO and Executive Producer of a documentary called “Ready, Set, Bag!“  Oren was hoping to get the word out about Thursday night’s SF premiere of  “Ready, Set, Bag!” at the Roxie, and offered to hook our crappy blog up with an advanced viewing.   Mere hours later, a DVD screener was hand-delivered to my front door.

Hand-delivered!  Who am I, Gene Siskel (may he rest in peace!)?

I just finished watching the film and let me tell you, it is a DELIGHT.  “Ready, Set, Bag!” is a documentary that follows eight state grocery bagging champions from across the United States as they prepare to compete in the National Grocers Association’s Best Bagger competition in Las Vegas.  Contestants are judged by speed, weight distribution, packing prowess, etc.

“It’s similar to the American Idol,” says Frank DiPasquale, SVP of the National Grocers Association, in the film.  “You just never know where the stars are.”

Now readers, I would be lying to you if I didn’t wipe the single tear running down my cheek and say that this is a film about America.  Not shitty America, where people are fat jerks,  but awesome America, where people are huge sweethearts who work at grocery stores to overcome shyness, or to pursue the American Dream, and happen to get really good at a thing.  And in case earnestness makes you nervous (it does me!), rest assured that “Ready, Set, Bag!” doesn’t condescend to our protagonists, but puts their sizeable talents and quirks on display.  Basically, a bunch of sweethearts got together to make a movie about a bunch of sweethearts.

OOPS! Accidentally turned this blog into my livejournal!

This movie melted my cold, dead heart.  Here are your details for Thursday night:

Ready, Set, Bag!
Roxie Theater
Thursday, November 19th
7:00 p.m.
Tickets available online

The screening will benefit the San Francisco Food Bank, Mechanics Banks will donate $1 for every ticket sold, and if you bring two or more items of non-perishable food to donate, you get $1 off your ticket and 50 cents off popcorn.  Director Q&A with the audience to follow, and don’t forgot dem Twitta @readysetbag.  Phewf!

SPOILER ALERT: My favorite bagger wins the competition!

New DVD store at 18th and Shotwell. Small but well-curated selection.

From Sexpigeon.

Towards the bottom left of the shot: is that Chitty Chitty Bang Bang or Pixar’s Cars?  Can anyone tell the difference anymore?

I’ve always wanted to d8 a sk8r, so I’m gonna pretend I know shit about shit and promote this event:

Devin writes:

On Wednesday, Creature Skateboards is premiering their new video in SF at Roxie theater.  It’s called, “Hesh Law” and it’s going to rip.

Rip!  Swoon!  So cute!

You can view the trailer for Hesh Law here.  Time 2 ollie.

SF Doc Fest is in full effect!

I read through some of the film descriptions and Waiting for Hockney, in particular, caught my eye.  Here’s a synopsis from the site:

Back in the ’90s, illustrator Billy Pappas had a portrait idea to wow the world. The only problem was that it would require a 20x magnifying glass to draw, for seven hours a day, for the next eight and a half years. After four years, he creates a sling system to overcome arm fatigue. After five years, his family and friends fear for his sanity. On top of this near-impossible endeavor, he’s determined to show his masterpiece to the famous and reclusive modern artist David Hockney, the one person that Billy believes can justify a decade of work. A film of both nail-biting suspense and pure old-fashioned grit.

Tonight at 9:15 at the Roxie!  $11, dudes.

Did you ever see that Daniel Johnston documentary?  DJ’s obsession with Laurie reminds me of the Hockney fixation described above.

Hockney is this guy, btw:

Go see it!

ATA’s 4th Annual Film & Video Festival kicks off next week and there will be free workshops and not-free film screenings during the fest.  Best of all, we have a free pair of tickets to give away.  So, leave a comment with your best story remotely surrounding independent film and if we like it, you’ll get the tickets.

In the event no one tells us a story, the first person to comment “I’ll take the tickets if no one enters the contest” will get ‘em.

EVENT DATAS:

Artists’ Television Access celebrates original, independent and underground film & video with the 4th ATA Film & Video Festival on October 21, 22 & 23, 2009.

The festival will begin, Wednesday October 21, with a free workshop on experimental film exhibition and distribution, hosted by local experimental filmmakers and distributors.

On Thursday and Friday, October 22 & 23, ATA will screen two programs of short films. Both programs offer unique representations of the myriad facets of life and feature the work of local talents including Paul Clipson, Kerry Laitala, and Tommy Becker, and international filmmakers such as Maarit Suomi-Väänänen, Chris Kennedy, Laida Lertxundi and Martha Colburn.

The screenings will be followed by musical performances and the announcement of ATA Audience Awards.

Video installations will be displayed in the ATA store front window all month long and in the gallery during the festival!

ATA is at 992 Valencia at 21st Street in San Francisco. Doors open at 7pm every night. Screenings start at 7:30pm. Tickets are $7-$10.For complete information, including interviews with filmmakers visit http://festival.atasite.org/2009