The 1960s saw a revolution in the world of American cinema. Classic, olde worlde formats such as idealised, supposedly historical epics and big budget musicals were swept aside by a fresh crop of directors, influenced by European new wave cinema, who appealed to young audiences with work of violent, gritty realism and extreme flights of fancy.
Names such as Martin Scorcese, Woody Allen, Robert Altman, John Boorman, David Lynch, Terrence Malick, Francis Ford Coppola, Sam Peckinpah, Ridley Scott, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron, John Carpenter, Brian De Palma and Stanley Kubrick would emerge as some of the most enduring and beloved directors of this new movement.
Although conceived in Zagreb, it was natural for Peter Bogdanovich to take on an Americanised version of his name as his parents had arrived in New York by the time of his birth. As a young man, Bogdanovich was obsessed with cinema and scored a job as a film critic which immersed him within the world of movies. He struck up a lifelong friendship with Orson Welles, whose Citizen Kane Bogdanovich regarded as the peak of cinema, and was given a first break as a film director by Roger Corman.
After directing a still definitive documentary covering the work western master John Ford, his first film proper, The Last Picture Show, was released to huge success, ensuring his name would forever be associated with cinema's exciting, new American movement. Kino Kinoteka celebrates Bogdanovich's career, showing a very well chosen selection of his best work throughout this week.
On Wednesday 30 January, Barbra Streisand and Ryan O'Neal star in Bogdanovich's second film, the romantic comedy 'What's Up, Doc?' before 'The Last Picture Show' is screened on Thursday 31 January. Universally acclaimed, this coming of age drama is as classic as Americana comes and features a fine Hank Williams soundtrack and the first major film role of Jeff Bridges.
On Friday 1 February we get 'Noises Off'. An incredible ensemble cast including Michael Caine, Carol Burnett, Christopher Reeve, John Ritter, Nicollette Sheridan, Julie Hagerty and Denholm Elliott star in this fantastic comedy which watches a terrible British theatre troupe on the eve of their terrible play debuting in America.
The retrospective ends on Saturday 2 February with one of Bogdanovich's latest films, the much underrated comedy 'She's Funny That Way. The film again features a brilliant ensemble cast including Owen Wilson, Imogen Poots, Rhys Ifans, Jennifer Aniston, Cybill Shepherd and Joanna Lumley and includes cameos from the likes of Tatum O’Neal, Quentin Tarantino and Michael Shannon.
All films start at 8pm and have and entry fee of 15 kuna.