A Spine-tingling Showcase of Rare Film

(Archived from the original on the Alamo Drafthouse News blog.)

This Sunday we’re very excited to be roll out the 16 millimeter projector for our newest signature series The Sprocket Society’s second Austin gathering. Designed as a forum for sharing historic, marginalized, exotic and experimental cinema in an effort to bring together a community of adventurous film-goers, The Sprocket Society will be hosting an afternoon of eerie Halloween-themed shorts spanning the horrifying history of cinema. From an early avant-garde adaptation of Edgar Allen Poe to a gimmicky 3D spookshow that brings the THRILLS ALIVE RIGHT BEFORE YOUR EYES, this show is guaranteed to make you SHRIEK and also to GIVE YOUR GOOSEPIMPLES GOOSEPIMPLES!

We are proud of our continuing collaboration with the Texas Archive of the Moving Image who will be joining us to present a special guest filmmaker, Mr. Ramon Galindo. A Texan since 1922, Mr. Galindo is “a true renaissance man... an accomplished magician and a talented filmmaker. In 2009, Galindo was honored Texas Association of Magicians’ most distinguished member, in large part, for taking the time to capture, catalog and preserve video footage of important magic performances. Galindo’s personal film library is an amazing resource, and TAMI is fortunate to have been able to digitize some of Galindo’s remarkable footage.” Mr. Galindo will be on hand to share a homemade monster film shot on 16mm near San Marcos starring his daughter and several of her friends. He will also be performing illusions LIVE in the THEATER! How could you even consider missing this?

Before attending Sunday’s show, we invite you to take a moment to immerse yourself in some of Galindo’s work. Possessing a true cinematic eye, Galindo’s home movie footage is as colorful and delightfully idiosyncratic as its maker. TAMI’s Ramon Galindo Collection consists of nineteen lovingly captured clips. The eighth video in the Ramon Galindo collection features two performances by the nationally-renowned Dallas based magician, Mark Wilson. Wilson is largely considered the first “television magician,” and Galindo’s 1966 footage of two very different performances – the zany, freewheeling outdoor performance entitled Mark Wilson’s Magic Spectacular, and a more staged indoor performance, provide insight into Wilson’s groundbreaking performance style.... Galindo has been recognized by TAMI for making great strides in preserving the achievements of the magic community in Texas. Applying that same watchful ardor to the Texas landscape, Galindo has been critical to preserving the growth and the continued development of the Lone Star State. Just as The Day of Horror (screening at the Sprocket Society) captures a rambling, distinctly Texas home prior to its destruction, Galindo’s compiled video footage of Texas landmarks showcases gorgeous shots of certain local hallmarks, like the Capitol Theater, which unfortunately no longer stand.

Within the Ramon Galindo Collection, the video compilation which most embodies Galindo’s spiritedness and zest for life is clip number fifteen, Sideshows, Circuses, and Parades. Highlights include an unflinching depiction of some particularly daring body performers, footage of some carefree waterskiing on Lady Bird Lake captured with an impossibly steady hand, and an infectiously alive parade through downtown Austin which culminates with a procession by a motley crew of magicians. This playful selection of footage serves as a great segue-way into a deeply personal and creative project like A Day of Horror.

Please join us this Sunday for an afternoon of movies, magic and SPOOKS that will send a SHIVER down your spine.