The Late-Night Silent Film Series is going to be shown in its new home, Ché Café, on April 28 and May 12. Originally run in Geisel Library previous years, the Ché Café takes over to add more student-friendly activities to their current repertoire of events, including a weekly open mic.
The event adheres to the belief that silent films should be shown the way they were meant to be seen: with a live band. The silent film series will feature the Teeny-Tiny Pit Orchestra for Silent Films, directed by musician Scott Paulson. Accompanied by bells, whistles, percussion and woodwinds, Paulson describes the Teeny-Tiny Pit Orchestra for Silent Films as early experimental music to match the early experimental films. The orchestra will be performing music to match the decade era of the films, combining improvisation with classic silent-film era style music.
Most of the films shown will be trick photography and experimental-era films from classic directors, including “A Corner in Wheat” (1909) directed by D.W. Griffith, an underrated silent-era film about the rise and fall of a callous manipulator and the social consequences of his actions. Psst … it includes a fantastic death scene.
Along the lines of experimental filmography is the 1912 film “Revenge of the Kinematograph Cameraman” directed by Ladis Starevich, which will also be screened. “Revenge” is described as an experimental stop-action animated tale about insect lovers caught in a Paris Hilton-type of scandal. Other films to be screened include “Felix the Cat Dines and Pines” (1927) by Pat Sullivan and Otto Messmer, a tale that will make you want to become a vegetarian. “The Electric House” (1922) directed by Buster Keaton, is a slapstick comedy about a house rigged with electrical gadgets that don’t work right.
For those who have short attention spans, the films range from six to 20 minutes long. An extra special spice in the evening is the fact that audience members will contribute to the sound effects. Paulson will direct special sound effect solos for viewers, and allow certain gutsy audience members to play his theremin.
Ché Café is located on Scholars Drive South at UCSD, and will premiere the Late-Night Silent Film Series starting April 28. Shows will run from 10 p.m. to midnight. Call Paulson at (858) 534-8074 for more information.
